Environment
The Environment and Anti-litter Committee promotes a Greener Glebe. If you are interested in becoming involved, please contact us at environment@glebeca.ca to find out about meeting schedules. We have a variety of ongoing projects.
Environment Committee Report to the GCA, November 22, 2011
On October 27, 120 people attended a meeting jointly sponsored by our committee and the City of Ottawa on soil remediation at Lansdowne Park. Our local MPP and Councilor welcomed the audience. The panel consisted of the City of Ottawa. Program Manager, Disposals and Environmental Remediation, two AMEC staffers, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment local Issues/Project Coordinator and a policy person from Toronto and an independent environmental assessment consultant asked by the committee to comment on presentations. Soil excavated from the parking garage will be moved to berms to the south and east of the stadium, wrapped in geotextile and covered by 1.5 metres of clean soil. If required, solid contaminants will be sorted either in the shell of the Coliseum or in a tent erected for the purpose. The Province is requiring a separate environmental assessment for the park area. The current solution for contaminated soil in the park area is to cap it. Both the MPP and the Councilor have committed to further community consultation. Documents are available in a rather inconvenient format on the city web site at http://www.ottawa.ca/residents/public_consult/lansdowne_partnership/reports_en.html The last three documents under Master Plan are the relevant ones.
The Environment Committee met November 9 to re-vision itself. It was small but committed group. It was agreed that the committee group its interests under natural and physical environment. The current list of interests will be regrouped under those headings. The current practice of creating working groups to address specific projects should continue. On November 11, the group made an inventory of plant material in Sylvia Holden Park, including the girth of trees at chest height for replacement purposes. New members are welcome!
The third project of note is the footbridge across the Rideau Canal. On November 17, in this building, the City sponsored the second of its promised three consultations. The most important boards from that meeting are on display here. The consultant, McCormack Rankin, is recommending a high level crossing at Clegg and Fifth. A bridge would cross the canal north of the Canal Ritz. A ramp would start on the QED at the Ritz and curl over the end of the pond at Fourth. It would continue to loop over the canal to land either on the island between Col. By and Echo Drive at Clegg with a ramp that doubles back on itself or alongside the canal, if Parks Canada permits, in a continuation of the curl. It is estimated that on an average day the bridge will handle 1500-2500 pedestrians and cyclists. How these people will cross the QED and get to Bank Street is yet to be decided. The content of the City's presentation is available at http://www.ottawa.ca/residents/public_consult/rideau_canal_bridge/index_en.html It is soliciting comments until the end of the month.
Tree Inventory
The project to inventory trees on City rights-of-way led by Carol MacLeod was stymied by technical data entry problems in 2010, but is hoping to continue the project in 2011. Volunteers are always needed.
Garden Angels
The "Garden Angels" are led by Judith Slater and are responsible for the care of planters along Bank Street and residential streets off Bank and Bronson Streets. Volunteers who are willing to take over bed(s) that have gone to seed or been taken over by rogue dandelions or that need a vigilant eye with the build up of garbage are always needed. We are looking very specifically for volunteers to care for the planters at Fifth and Bronson, Glebe and Bronson, Glebe and Lyon (SW corner) and an additional volunteer for Fifth and Bank Streets. If anyone would like to volunteer to assist in these or other locations, please feel free to contact me at judith1slater@yahoo.ca. Plants are mostly donated by individuals and local businesses organizations. For example many of the bulbs are donated by the NCC and Loblaws.
At this point we don't know what impact the planned reconstruction of Bank Street will have on the planters situated on or very close to Bank Street. If planters are to be removed, volunteers will be needed to help move plants to temporary locations until decisions are made by the powers that be!
Graffiti
Work to reduce graffiti continues in partnership with the City and other stakeholders including police and schools. In the longer term, we are hoping to partner with some of the utilities to put designs on their boxes that would deter taggers. We are also looking for volunteers who would "adopt a box" and either clean or report utility or Canada Post boxes that have been tagged to the City at 311@ottawa.ca. Volunteers who are interested in cleaning a box can obtain supplies by emailing environment@glebeca.ca