Coffee Houses on Sustainability

The Glebe Community Association in collaboration with CAFES is hosting a series of Coffee Houses on Sustainability. Knowledgeable neighbours will be sharing their experiences on the following topics over the next few months:

• Homes and energy – January 27, 9:30 to 11:30 am, Glebe Community Centre,
• Reducing your carbon footprint – February 24, 9:30 to 11:30 am, Glebe Community Centre
• Greenspace and water management – March 24, 9:30 to 11:30 am, Glebe Community Centre
• Transportation – April 27, 9:30 to 11:30 am, Glebe Community Centre
• Responsible consumption – May 5, 9:30 to 11:30 am, Glebe Community Centre
• Basement flooding – June 8, 9:30 to 11:30 am, Jim Durrell Recreation Centre

The homes and energy coffee house on Saturday, January 27 will feature a presentation on the City’s Better Homes Ottawa Loan Program at 9:30 am. You can also hear from homeowners who will be sharing their experiences on solar panels, heat pumps, insulation, air tightness, energy efficient appliances, windows and doors.

Find out more and register on Eventbrite.

Electric vehicle charging station usage doubles in 2023

We’re excited to see the number of charging sessions at City installed stations was just over 10,000 last year. That’s up from 5,000 in 2022. The three stations with the highest number of charging sessions were:

• 118 Cartier Street with 1240 charging sessions
• 301 Laurier Avenue East with 1035 charging sessions
• City Hall with 979 charging sessions

The usage data for 2023 is now available to view and download on Open Ottawa.

We are currently developing a personal electric vehicle strategy to support the uptake of electric vehicles in Ottawa. Stay tuned for opportunities to provide your input soon.

Snow is still stormwater

Winter weather is part of what makes Ottawa great, but as big snow falls start to arrive, here’s a reminder that snow is stormwater too. We often think of stormwater runoff as rainfall, when in fact snow is a big source of runoff when it melts, especially come spring!

Here are three tips for dealing with snowfall at home:

1. Keep drains clear to avoid ponding in the road during the inevitable thaw. The City of Ottawa has more than 2,700 kilometres of storm sewers and 134,020 storm drain inlets throughout Ottawa! You can tell which ones are storm drains because they usually have a fish on them.
2. Pile your snow on permeable surfaces like your lawn where it can be absorbed easily when it melts. This simple tip can help reduce flooding in the spring and prevent pollutants like salt from flowing into the river with the melt water. Win-win all round! You can learn more about salt use by taking this Quiz from Ottawa Riverkeepers.
3. Snowmelt flowing from your downspouts can freeze on surfaces and create slipping dangers. Consider relocating a downspout to drain that water onto your lawn. Use a downspout extender to make sure it drains at least 2 metres from your house to protect your foundation.

Want to be better prepared for snowmelt in the future? Consider installing permeable pavements on your driveways or walkways, and a soakaway pit in your yard. These two solutions help snowmelt and stormwater get absorbed into the ground where it falls, preventing erosion and environmentally damaging runoff.

Want to learn more about these and other solutions? Rain Ready Ottawa offers resources and rebates of up to $5,000 to help eligible residents manage stormwater at home. Find out more at ottawa.ca/rain or follow along on Instagram and Facebook.

Climate change rebates and financing

Rebates and financing are available for home energy efficiency upgrades. Find out what you’re eligible for at betterhomesottawa.ca/rebates.

Rain Ready Ottawa offers residents in priority areas up to $5,000 in rebates to help install stormwater management projects. Find out more at ottawa.ca/rain.

The Residential Protective Plumbing Program provides financial assistance to qualified property owners for the installation of protective plumbing devices, such as sump pumps and storm and sanitary backwater valves. Find out more at ottawa.ca.