General[]
Green Ottawa[]
Green Ottawa is a unique gateway to everything green and sustainable in Ottawa-Gatineau and the National Capital Region. It's a starting point for connecting with green-minded people, places,organizations and opportunities across the region. Environment, sustainability, conservation, renewable energy, sustainable living, local/organic farms and gardens, human-powered lifestyles, and more.
Green Ottawa brings you:
- The Green Ottawa Directory
- The Green Events Calendar (online or by e-mail)
- Green Ottawa Facebook Group
- Green Ottawa Updates (subscribe above to receive our monthly updates by e-mail)
- Green Volunteering
- Green Jobs in Ottawa.
The Green Ottawa Directory includes:
(1) Environmental Resource Centres & Networks (2) Environmental Groups & Organizations (3) Environmental Publications and Media (4) Green Businesses (5) Environmental Events, Conferences, Activities (6) Environmental Volunteering and Employment (7) Food: Local, Sustainable, Organic (8) Ottawa Parks, Greenspace & Attractions (9) Ottawa Outdoors (10) Green Buildings and Neighbourhoods (11) Sustainable Transportation in Ottawa (12) Ottawa Environmental Education (13) Government Departments & Agencies (14) Environment and Politics (15) More Ottawa Links and Information (16) Environmental Gateway – Other Locations in Canada
Contact Green Ottawa.
Transition Ottawa[]
Transition Ottawa is an informal place where those interested in a more sustainable, more self-reliant way of living, can gather to exchange ideas, share resources, learn from what others are doing, become inspired, encourage each other, and come together as part of the larger 'Transition' network. It is a grand and ambitious social experiment. None of us pretends to have all the answers. But we're learning. Fast. Here's a list of resources available at Transition Ottawa.
National Capital Environmental Network[]
A collaboration of environmental non-profits in the Ottawa area! The National Capital Environmental Network (NCEN) is a new initiative launched in October 2008 with the following goals:
- To share information and resources among local environmental groups in the national capital region.
- To provide opportunities for networking among ENGO staff, Board members, and volunteers
- To provide capacity-building opportunities that address specific needs and concerns in the local environmental sector
The NCEN holds monthly networking sessions hosted by various local environemental groups. There are also two larger Capacity-Building Sessions held each year. The next session is a Funder Forum scheduled for June 3rd, 200.
Download an Overview of the NCEN.
Contact: 613-446-2117
Tucker House Mission Statement[]
Tucker House Renewal Centre is a charitable retreat and environmental learning centre that works to promote sustainable living by:
- Providing interactive ecological programs for children, youth, and adults in Prescott-Russell, Ottawa, and Gatineau
- Operating and maintaining an environmental and spiritual retreat facility and organic garden in a natural, healthy, and historic setting
Contact: info@tuckerhouse.ca
Seventh Generation Community Projects[]
Established in 1999, Seventh Generation Community Projects is a non-profit organization that promotes sustainable living practices in the greater Ottawa area to help preserve our planet and create health and well-being for people and communities.
They do this through workshops, seminars, tours, offering resources to the community, networking and partnering with other like-minded organizations, supporting and promoting green businesses.
In 2007, Seventh Generation Community Projects merged with Tucker House Renewal Centre (www.tuckerhouse.ca) in order to order to strengthen and widen its outreach and positive impact in the community.
The vision of Seventh Generation Community Projects is to lead the National Capital Region as a model for integrated sustainable living. Its mission is to:
- To serve as an example, and inspire and empower members of the community.
- Educate through lectures, working models and hands-on experience.
- Act as a knowledge centre, for individuals and organizations, to integrate all aspects of sustainable living.
- Motivate community members to connect lifestyles to earth-wise choices for a healthy and prosperous future.
- Nurture information-sharing through partnerships with other organizations.
Contact: (613) 446-2117 x 4
Sustainable Living Ottawa East[]
For over two years now, Sustainable Living Ottawa East (SLOE) has been part of a low-key but important renaissance in Old Ottawa East. Many projects have been initiated, including: The Main Farmers Market, the Ottawa East Community Garden, the Children’s Garden at Legget Park, the Rideau River Nature Trail, and the Neighbour-to-Neighbour electricity efficiency audit project. Several others are in the works. And behind those is a world of possibilities for increased local sustainability. This is good work. There is satisfaction and joy in it. Please join us in fuelling the momentum.
Contact: sloe@sustainablelivingottawaeast.ca
Sustainable Prosperity[]
Sustainable Prosperity is a charitable, non-partisan, multi-stakeholder initiative located in Ottawa that is working to protect Canada’s environment and enhance Canadian prosperity. Sustainable Prosperity’s job is to develop workable solutions that can help move us towards a future where the most ecologically restorative choices that Canadians make in their daily lives are also the choices that cost less. It is a network of concerned individuals from a wide range of professions who want to move Canada towards an economy that values our natural world and is positioned to compete in the global, greener economy of the future.
Sustainable Prosperity acts to inject ideas into public dialogue in compelling and nonpartisan ways, through:
- Advanced research: through our network of academics, SP directs research that examines how economic policies impact our environment.
- Innovative conversations: we bring unusual suspects together to shape a vision of a sustainable and prosperous Canada.
- Smart solutions: We pioneer and champion forward-looking initiatives to shift public policy toward sustainable economics.
Contact: Irena Pawlowski, Network Coordinator for Sustainable Prosperity
555 King Edward Ave
Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5
(613) 562-5800 ext. 3342
irena@sustainableprosperity.ca
The Ottawa Cleantech Initiative[]
The Ottawa Cleantech Initiative is committed to promoting and strengthening the clean technology industry in the Ottawa and Eastern Ontario region. The Ottawa Cleantech Initiative is a program of OCRI Life Sciences, a catalyst for growth of the local life sciences community.
Initiated in 2004 as the Bioproducts Business Network, this network has since expanded to support a growing stakeholder base of clean energy and environmental technology companies in addition to bioproducts. It is bringing together the clean technology community not only in the , but in surrounding municipalities of Eastern Ontario including , , , , and .
The Ottawa Cleantech Initiative works to connect suppliers, companies, communities, universities, research institutions, funding bodies and policy makers along the path from innovation to commercialization. Its goal is to facilitate the development of new commercial relationships and opportunities in clean technology.
Contact: Marc McArthuManager, Ottawa Cleantech Initiative
2625 Queensview Drive, Suite 200
Ottawa, Ontario K2B 8K2
Tel: (613) 828-6274 x276 Fax: (613) 726-3440
Transition Ontario[]
TRANSITION ONTARIO is a networking site for those interested in exploring and/or implementing the Transition model in their community. This site is being created through grassroots participation, and is continually evolving. It is a spontaneously arising effort to connect 'transitioners' with each other and to encourage and support the development of local Transition Initiatives.
The Transition approach empowers communities to squarely face the challenges of peak oil and climate change, and to unleash the collective genius of their own people to find the answers to this momentous question:
For all those aspects of life that this community needs in order to sustain itself and thrive, how are we going to:
- drastically reduce carbon emissions (in response to climate change);
- significantly rebuild resilience (in response to peak oil); and
- greatly strengthen our local economy (in response to economic instability)?
Transition Initiatives make no claim to have all the answers, but by building on the wisdom of the past and accessing the pool of ingenuity, skills and determination in our communities, the solutions can readily emerge. Now is the time for us to take stock and start re-creating our future in ways that are not based on cheap, plentiful and polluting oil but on localized food, sustainable energy sources, resilient local economies and an enlivened sense of community well-being. (more...)
Alternative energy suppliers or equipment providers[]
Solar H2Ottawa[]
The goal of Solar H2Ottawa’s is to stimulate the installation of 250 solar domestic hot water systems by 2010. Sustainable Ottawa has partnered with Seventh Generation Community Projects to provide educational seminars across Ottawa, in both English and French. These seminars are being supported by a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation and will provide interested individuals with the opportunity to learn about solar hot water heating and find out if it is right for them. Find out about upcoming events near you!
Sustainable Ottawa has also partnered with Enbridge Gas. Up to 50 homes (using natural gas) can be part of this exciting, program to monitor your water heater’s natural gas consumption up to a year before and a year after the installation of a solar hot water heating system, at no cost to you! Join the Solar H2Ottawa Network to be kept informed of upcoming sessions and opportunities!
You can also learn more about the project at www.sustainableottawa.ca
Contact: Danya Nadar, Solar HOttawa Education Coordinator, Tel: 613-446-2117 x 4, solarH2Ottawa@tuckerhouse.ca
Plasco Energy[]
Plasco Energy Group Inc. is a private Canadian waste conversion and energy generation company based in Ottawa, Canada. Plasco builds, owns and operates Plasco Conversion System facilities that use its proprietary world-leading technology to convert municipal household, commercial or industrial waste into green power and other valuable products. The company has more than 125 employees from engineering to plant delivery and is growing fast.
Bullfrog Power[]
Buying renewable electricity for your home or business is an easy, powerful and affordable way to reduce your environmental impact, cause new renewable generation to be built locally, and create a cleaner world for today and tomorrow.
Bullfrog Power provides everyone in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia (including condos and leased premises) with a 100% green electricity choice. Bullfrog Power’s green electricity comes exclusively from wind and hydro facilities that have been certified as low impact by Environment Canada. Thousands of Canadian homes and organizations have chosen to go green with Bullfrog Power.
Making the choice for clean, green electricity is a breeze. It only takes a few minutes to sign up online. Go to Your Home or Your Business to learn more and sign up now!
Food Security organizations[]
Just Food[]
Just Food was organized to to ensure that Ottawa is Food Secure. Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs, as well as to culturally acceptable food preferences for an active and healthy life. As well, foods are produced as locally as possible, and their production and distribution are environmentally,socially and economically just.
Just Food is a grassroots, non-profit organization that includes staff, volunteers, community partners, members and funders. All of its projects are community-based conducted under the direction of its community partners. Just Food is sponsored by the Social Planning Council of Ottawa.
Its projects include:
- Community Gardening Network
- Producing a Buy-Local Food Guide
- Fostering Community Supported Agriculture
- Facilitating farm experience for Ottawa residents and their families
- Producing a Food Link Directory to promote better food access in Ottawa
- Promoting Ottawa and area as a premier,year-round culinary destination, through Savour Ottawa
- Organizing and advertising food networking events/activities/food events.
- Organizing and delivering participatory workshops on food-related topics.
- Building capacity and skills at the individual, community and organizational levels to tackle food security issues.
- Collaborating on food-related research and policy analysis.Building a broader network of people interested in working together to advocate for a just and sustainable food system.
Community Supported Agriculture[]
What is a CSA? CSAs (and their related Food Box programs) are a form of cooperative agriculture in which a family or small group of people buys a “share” in a farmer's crop in the early spring, and picks up a box of fresh seasonal produce (or has it delivered) once a week from mid-June to the end of September.
In this cooperative community venture, the farmer gains by getting the money when s/he needs it most – at planting time – and is assured of an income during the growing season. The consumer gains by getting an affordable, ever-changing abundance of fresh, safe, healthy vegetables and herbs throughout the growing season. The environment benefits too, because organic food is grown in a manner that prioritizes the health of the land, the community and your family. No insecticides, herbicides, fungicides or artificial fertilizers are used. Wasteful packaging and transportation pollution are also reduced. Each farm and farmer runs the CSA or food box a little differently.
For more information: Farmers | Eaters | Volunteers
or call Just Foods at (613) 236-9300 x 301
Transportation providers[]
Electric Vehicle Council of Ottawa[]
The Electric Vehicle Council of Ottawa (EVCO) is dedicated to promoting the use of electric vehicles as a viable transportation alternative that is ecological, economical, practical, and available now.
EVCO believes that electric cars are:
- A viable alternative to gasoline-powered cars as commuter vehicles
- Ecologically friendly - no tail-pipe emissions
- Economical to operate
- Practical to build, operate, and maintain
- Available now as conversions from gasoline-powered cars
Its aims are:
- To encourage EV conversion projects by providing ideas, technical expertise, and direction to professional services
- To keep abreast of developments in the EV Industry
- To maintain a library of information and technical literature
- To promote an awareness of EVCO and electric vehicles by the general public through competitions, displays, demonstrations, and talks.
EVCO expects that the widespread adoption of electric vehicles will only occur when the major manufacturers produce electric or hybrid cars that are comparable in cost and performance to gasoline-powered cars.
Contact EVCO:
Climate change advocates[]
City of Ottawa: Climate Change and the Official Plan Review[]
Climate Change is often cited as the most significant environmental challenge facing the world today. Addressing this challenge will require both collective and individual changes in day to day activities. As efforts to reduce energy use and resource consumption are made, potential changes will impact the way we build our communities, homes and infrastructure.
While there are many issues related to climate change and the generation of greenhouse gases (GHG) that are beyond the scope of the City’s responsibilities and influence, issues of land use, energy consumption, transportation and natural resources all do apply. Municipalities have a major role to play as communities and infrastructure are built today that will endure for many years into the future.
This discussion paper provides some context in terms of climate change in Ottawa and the opportunities presented through the Official Plan to lessen the City’s contribution to climate change (mitigation), and to prepare for the changes in the environment and climate that are inevitable (adaptation).