On November 15 and 16 some 100 people gathered for a day and a half at Bayview Yards in Ottawa to discuss the climate crisis face to face and define priority actions that must be included in Ottawa’s new Official Plan to address the climate emergency. The organization of the workshop was led by Daniel Buckles and Paul Johanis of the Greenspace Alliance, with significant support from Ecology Ottawa, The Energy Mix and a group of Youth Climate Ambassadors. It built on the People’s Official Plan for Ottawa’s Climate Emergency, initiated by Daniel and Paul in April, and supported strongly by Ecology Ottawa, the Federation of Citizens’ Associations, Community Associations for Environmental Sustainability (CAFES), Bike Ottawa, the Healthy Transportation Coalition, OREC, Just Food and others.

The results of the workshop are to be communicated to City staff and elected officials ahead of the Joint Meeting of the Planning and Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committees on December 9 and the full Council meeting of December 11, at which the strategic directions for the new Official Plan will be finalized.

The outputs of the workshop include a declaration, an Executive summary, a graphic summary and full report to be published at a later date.

Dianne Saxe, former Environmental Commissioner of Ontario, provided a recorded opening address. Her comments covered  urban expansion, smart intensification, rural development, canopy cover and access to greenspace. She also provided for distribution her presentation at the recent conference of the Ontario Professional Planners Institute.

December 3: Ahead of the Joint Meeting of Planning and Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committees on December 9, this statement on “holding the line” was distributed to all workshop attendees.