News
City’s green bin program rolling out to apartments LAURA MUELLER laura.mueller@metroland.com
The city’s green bin program hit its expected target of diverting 53,000 tonnes of organic waste from landfills in its first year. The program began in January, and the city had hoped to divert between 47,000 and 55,000 tonnes of organic waste from landfills, McRae said. But it still leaves taxpayers on the hook for around $2.5 million. That’s the amount of money the city paid for organics collection it didn’t use in 2010. Under the city’s contract with Orgaworld, Ottawa pays the company $93.40 per tonne to collect 80,000 tonnes of organic waste each year of its 20-year contract. As for when the city could actually use its full 80,000-tonne collection amount, McRae said, “we can’t predict the year if we don’t change some of our behaviour. “We’ve been very successful so far to get residents participating in the program, but if we want to boost our overall diversion, we have to take it to the next level,” she said. McRae, who was recently elected to lead the city’s environment committee, repeated her desire to continue discussions
with residents to find ways to encourage greater use of the green bins. “Last term’s council I don’t think went far enough in having the debate,” McRae said. The green bin program helped boost the city’s diversion rate from 32 to 41 per cent this year, which puts Ottawa on par with large cities such as Toronto (which had a 44 per cent diversion rate in 2009). The province’s goal, which the city also adopted, is a 60 per cent diversion rate. Since Ottawa collects and average of 280,000 tonnes of residential waste annually, it would have needed to divert 170,000 tonnes of organics and recyclables from landfills to hit that target. GREEN BINS COMING TO SOME APARTMENTS IN 2011
Photo by Laura Mueller
If you live in an apartment, you might be getting a green bin in the new year. The city will launch a pilot project to introduce organic-waste collection in high-rise apartment buildings starting in January. While only three to five apartment buildings will be included in the fourmonth pilot project (with at least one of them in Centretown), the city hopes to have the results of the pilot completed by
In her first act as the head of the new environment committee, River Ward Coun. Maria McRae announced on Dec. 20 that the city hit its target of diverting 53,000 tonnes of organics from landfills in the first year of the green bin program. the end of 2011. However, rolling out the program to all 100,000 of the city’s apartment units in 2011 would be “a challenge,” said Marilyn Journeaux, manager of solid waste management for the city. Almost all of the city’s 220,000 single-family homes and 30,000 townhomes have received green bins this year, Journeaux said, with apartments are next on the list.
Apartments are a challenge because they often don’t have space for the bins and educating residents is difficult because of the high turnover in many buildings, Journeaux said. The city had originally hoped to implement its green bin program in 2008, Journeaux said. McRae said the city was “embarrassingly slow” at getting the program going.
Our community IS our foundation
Navigating Ottawa’s First Full
Two-Lane Roundabout
Nicolas Ruszkowski
The new roundabout at St. Joseph/Jeanne d’Arc Boulevards consists of two lanes all the way around the centre island. In addition, there are right-turn channels for eastbound and westbound traffic on St. Joseph Boulevard.
Nicolas Ruszkowski VP, Communications Ottawa Hospital
For drivers of a two-lane roundabout, it is most important to: • Be in the proper lane when entering the roundabout • Yield to all traffic already in the roundabout when entering the roundabout • Never change lanes within the roundabout • Exit from the proper lane When turning left in a two-lane roundabout, you must: • be in the left lane and put on your left indicator as you enter the roundabout. • stay in the left lane as you enter the roundabout. • indicate a right turn as you approach your exit. • stay in the left lane as you exit the roundabout.
When going straight ahead in a two-lane roundabout, you must: • be in either lane. You do not need to use an indicator to go straight ahead as you enter the roundabout. • stay in the same lane as you enter the roundabout. • indicate a right turn as you approach your exit. • stay in your lane as you exit the roundabout.
In two days, I will join my family for Christmas. It is a time to spread goodwill where we can, and celebrate that for which we are thankful.
When turning right in a two-lane roundabout, you must: • be in the right lane and put on your right indicator as you enter the roundabout. • stay in the right lane as you enter the roundabout. • keep your right indicator on until you have exited the roundabout.
While I’m there, I hope to see my parents’ old friend, François d’Orglandes. François is an artist whose family is known for taking in less fortunate strangers for dinner on Christmas Eve. They personify the “kindness of strangers”. They make it easier to build healthy, secure, vibrant communities. In the same way, The Ottawa Hospital benefits from remarkable community support. What our community leaders, philanthropists and, in many cases, your neighbors have achieved this year is impressive.
For more information on navigating roundabouts, visit ottawa.ca/roundabouts
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OTTAWA THIS WEEK - EAST - December 30, 2010
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The Ottawa Hospital Foundation’s 20/20 Campaign raised $24.5 Million for a new Cancer Centre at the General Campus, as
well as the Irving Greenberg Family Cancer Centre at the Queensway Carleton Hospital. The community’s contributions have made a meaningful difference. They have allowed the centralization of nine radiation machines at the General Campus; added 15 new chemotherapy chairs, for a total of 50, to the cancer program; offered more natural light and comforting clinical environments to cancer patients; and provided them and their families with easy, comfortable access to outdoor areas. All of this will help the recovery process. There’s more. Our community has donated over $2 million dollars to research at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. Most recently, they have made possible the acquisition of CyberKnife, a revolutionary radio-surgery system that can eliminate the need for invasive surgery in many cases. Soon, they will enable us to fund the installation of the Canadian Forces CAREN system, a virtual reality simulator to assist the rehabilitation of Canadian Forces combat casualties, as well as the other patients. This generosity improves the quality of care patients receive every day. Donations make a real difference. In other words, the community is the hospital’s foundation. To find out more, visit www.ohfoundation.ca 437464