ELECTRONICS RECYCLING – April 21

On Saturday April 21 (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) the Broadview Avenue Public School Parents Council will be holding an e-waste collection fundraiser. This is a good opportunity to get rid of those old cell phones, computers, monitors, scanners, CD players and other bits of technology you might have lying around. Funds raised from this drive will go toward the Broadview Yard Renewal Project.

Although the main event is on Saturday there is an early bird drop-off on Friday, April 20 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Items can be dropped off at Broadview Public School, 590 Broadview Avenue (at Avondale) in Westboro. Use the Broadview Avenue entry.

A complete list of the devices that you can donate can be found at www.broadviewparents.org/yard/2012/01/20/give-us-your-old-electronics-please

For additional information please call 613 721-1460.

Other Electronics Recycling:
Best Buy – Recycle and Save Event April 20 – May 3, 2012

Ecology Ottawa aims at 10,000 Signatures

This update to an earlier blog post explains the next phase in our efforts to stop sewage going into the river.

As of the end of March more than 1000 letters were sent to local MPs, more than 10 community associations – including ours – sent official letters, a “cut the crap” press conference on the frozen river got wide media exposure (see YouTube at the end of this post). As a result cabinet minister John Baird brought the topic up at a post-budget speech, putting responsibility on the City of Ottawa; mayor Jim Watson then publicly disagreed.

So we’ve got their attention, but we haven’t yet gotten the money needed to stop the 400+ million liters of untreated sewage spills happening every year.

Ecology Ottawa is now launching the next stage of its campaign to stop this revolting and irresponsible problem.

1) We’ve started a petition with a target of 10,000 signatures. You can sign that here:

2) We’re inviting high school students to earn their required volunteer hours with Ecology Ottawa, in teams gathering petition signatures in their own neighbourhoods. They can sign up here:

3) We’ve begun the Ecology Ottawa Community Network with local organizers in neighbourhoods across Ottawa to manage this campaign and others in the future. You can help out with that by going here.

Ecology Ottawa is a not-for-profit, grassroots, volunteer-driven organization working to make Ottawa the green capital of Canada.

You’re invited! The Vanishing of the Bees!

Paul Dewar, MP for Ottawa Centre,
Invites you to an evening on BEES!

“Quietly, globally, billions of bees are dying, threatening our crops and food.”

Please join in the discussion to save the bees, our food and indeed the entire ecosystem before it is too late!

When:     Thursday, April 26, 2012
Time:       7:00 p.m.
Where:    Churchill Seniors Centre, 345 Richmond Road
(corner of Richmond and Churchill, entrance off Churchill)

7:00 p.m. Documentary film: Vanishing of the Bees
7:45 p.m. Brent Halsall, local beekeeper and Past President of the Ontario Beekeepers Association
8:00 p.m. Open discussion

For more information please visit this web page, http://www.vanishingbees.com/

Heritage tree initiative

Dear Neighbours,

We have many beautiful trees in our neighbourhood, some of which have a
long and surprising history. Attached is a DRAFT report on that history,
being prepared for consideration by the City of Ottawa’s heritage
committee and the Ottawa Forests and Green Space advisory committees. It
may result in a formal listing of the trees as natural features of
heritage value. The report is endorsed by three community associations –
ours plus the Island Park Community Association and the Westboro Beach
Community Association.

While the report is now circulating (to our Councillor, City staff, and
others) it will not be formally submitted for consideration and decision
until after an event in early June you might consider attending. Thanks in
part to the attention received by resistance to cutting an ancient bur oak
on Northwestern Avenue, the Ontario Urban Forest Council (OUFC) and
various local groups have organized a workshop and speakers on heritage
trees, to take place at the Experimental Farm on June 8. There will also
be a tour the following day of heritage-potential trees and forests,
including our own neighbourhood, as part of a certification process
offered by OUFC. The purpose is to raise awareness and the level of
knowledge about the issues among citizens, City officials and Councillors.
The speakers list and other details are attached.

If you have any questions or comments on the heritage report, the 106
individual trees listed from the three neighbourhoods, or any other
related matter, please feel free to contact me at dbuckles@sympatico.ca or
613-722-8048. We have until June 8 to make revisions to the report before
submitting it to the City for their consideration.

Best Regards,

Daniel Buckles
Secretary, CPCA

Related reports:
Hertiage-program
REPORT-champlainoaks

Campaign to Stop Sewage Spills into Ottawa River

Last month the Champlain Park Community Association joined many of us as individuals in sending a letter to MPs advocating for an end to Ottawa River sewage spills.

Ecology Ottawa has mounted a campaign that has so far resulted in more than 1000 such letters including many from area Community Associations.

With the recent federal budget came no allocation of funds for this problem. In fact, John Baird recommended using transit money to fix this sewer problem; effectively advising us to rob Peter to pay Paul. Perhaps in anticipation that the federal government were not planning to fund their share, the provincial budget also allocated no funds.

Both senior governments had shared costs in this project with the City of Ottawa in the past. They had been expected to do for the final phase. Yet at this time our sewer infrastructure can’t cope with heavy downpours and so numerous times every year spills millions of liters of sewage contaminated water straight into the river.

Since the 2012 federal and provincial budgets haven’t allocated funds to solve this urgent problem Ecology Ottawa is redoubling its efforts and doing so at a grassroots level. We’re building a network of concerned individuals in neighbourhoods across Ottawa, including Champlain Park.

If you would like to help here in Champlain Park please contact me, Charles Hodgson. I’m the local Ecology Ottawa Community Network organizer. I can be reached at 613-728-2016 or chas.hodgson@gmail.com

For Earth Hour and beyond, Canadians are up to the challenge.

On Saturday March 31st from 8:30PM – 9:30PM, when you switch off your lights for Earth Hour, you’ll be part of a movement that in its five year history has sparked a number of game-changing strides towards a cleaner, greener Canada:

Visit wwf.ca/EarthHour

Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia have introduced rebate programs and other support for electric vehicles, signifying a strong commitment to developing alternatives to fossil-fuel cars.
In 2008 British Columbia introduced a landmark carbon tax that to-date has resulted in a 3% reduction in BC’s gasoline consumption.
In 2009 Ontario introduced the Green Energy Act, a policy aimed at energy conservation, expanding renewable energy and building a green energy industry in the province.
In 2011, for the first time, global investment in renewable energy sources was higher than investment in fossil fuels.
50% of the Canadian population now lives in a city or town that has a climate action plan.
As important as these changes are, there is still plenty of work to be done. That’s why on March 31, 2012, WWF, along with our partners, will launch the first annual Earth Hour City Challenge (EHCC).

The Challenge will provide cities with toolkits, training and expert advice, as well as a platform to showcase and be recognized for their work and progress towards preparing for the impacts of climate change.

Participation in the EHCC is free and open to any city! To learn more, contact WWF at citychallenge@wwfcanada.org.

Visit wwf.ca/EarthHour

CHAMPLAIN PARK GOES GREEN AND CLEAN ON APRIL 28!

The last weekend in April is Capital Cleanup Weekend, and Champlain Park needs volunteers.

Spring Cleanup is an annual tradition in Champlain Park. It is a chance for neighbours of all ages – kids, teens, and adults – to get together and help spruce up the neighbourhood. It is part of the city’s Cleaning the Capital campaign to beautify public green spaces each spring.

We’ll meet at the fieldhouse Saturday, April 28 at 10 a.m. Juice, coffee and cookies will be served, and people will sign up and pick an area to do. Usually the work is done by noon. In case of rain, we’ll meet instead on Sunday, April 29.

The designated cleanup areas are the south side of Premier above the transitway; the boulevard on Northwestern and the path at its north end; and the areas along the fence on Patricia and Pontiac. It can also include the area along the river at the foot of Carleton, or any other public spaces you think need it.

We recommend wearing pants and long-sleeved shirts. Wear appropriate footwear and bring gloves. The City will provide garbage bags and other supplies.

The Keyworth School Age Program has adopted Champlain Park and the students of St. George School are doing a great job cleaning it each spring and fall. Thanks go to them.

Now it’s time for the rest of us in the neighbourhood to do our part. Last year 40 people showed up – a wonderful turnout.

If you have any questions or suggestions, call Andrea Murphy or Ian Reid at 613-715-9504.

Enviro Corner

ENVIRO CORNER
The objective of the community association’s Environment Committee is to engage residents to make Champlain Park a model of a sustainable community with the outcomes of lower waste, a lower carbon footprint, and an increase to or maintenance of biodiversity. We hope to provide info and tips to the community on how it can contribute. Here are some ideas that each individual can do to lower waste.

• Our local Metro at the corner of Carleton Ave. and Richmond Road takes plastic bags for recycling. A large blue bin is set up just inside the first set of doors, amongst the shopping buggies.
• Did you know that batteries can be recycled at any Ottawa Public Library branch? Our nearby branches are Rosemount and Carlingwood. There is usually a plastic cylinder in the entry area in which to place the batteries.
• The City held a hazardous waste collection day in early November at Tunney’s Pasture. Instead of each individual driving over with their fertilizer, paints, oven cleaner, etc., many neighbours pooled their hazardous waste and made only one trip. This is a great initiative and we will announce upcoming similar events.
• Other good tips on recycling, including green bin and specialty items, can be found at the City of Ottawa website: http://www.ottawa.ca/online_services/recycling/index_en.html
• Garbage cans often overflow after the holiday festivities. Avoid sending stuff to the landfill by wrapping your gifts in reusable fabric gift bags, using the comic strip page to wrap gifts for kids, and using natural materials such as pine cones and evergreen branches for decoration. If you prefer to buy gift wrap, please purchase paper that uses recycled content.

– Maija Adamsons