Mr. Harper, Move the Victims of Communism Monument

The planned Memorial to the Victims of Communism has attracted ever-greater controversy over its design and location, evoking strong and remarkably united criticism from a broad array of commentators, including architectural associations, legal experts, the Mayor of Ottawa, the NCC, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court -- not to mention the vast majority of local residents. Perhaps most astonishingly, nearly two-thirds of Conservative supporters nationwide oppose the plan.

Yet the Conservative government perseveres, obstinately rejecting any reasoned debate or compromise.

Mayor open to Ottawa monument for residential school survivors

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission is calling for a national monument located in Ottawa “to honour survivors and all the children who were lost to their families and communities.” And the mayor is open to the idea.

The commission also wants a statutory holiday created to commemorate the “history and legacy” of the residential schools.

The recommendations are two of 94 contained in the commission’s final report released Tuesday.

City Of Ottawa To Ask Feds To Move Victims Of Communism Memorial

Ottawa city council voted Wednesday to formally ask the federal government to move a national memorial for victims of communism away from a location next to the Supreme Court of Canada.

In a vigorous debate Wednesday, council approved the motion 18-6 to ask the federal government to respect their own long-term vision for the Parliamentary and judicial precincts, which outlined the importance of completing the judicial precinct with the future construction of a Federal Court building.

Anti-communist monument a ‘blight’ on Supreme Court precinct, Ottawa mayor says

The mayor of Ottawa is hoping plans for a large grey monument to the victims of communism near the Supreme Court of Canada will be reconsidered now that a new federal minister is in charge of the national capital region.

Monday’s cabinet shuffle saw Nepean-Carleton MP Pierre Poilievre promoted as employment minister and also minister responsible for the National Capital Commission, effectively making him the senior political minister for the Ottawa-Gatineau region.

Ottawa residents reject Energy East pipeline

Over 200 people joined in a rally held at City Hall today calling for a rejection of the proposed Energy East pipeline. Over 60 people were involved earlier in a 12 kilometre walk and paddle along the Rideau River from Vincent Massey Park to City Hall. The event was organized to send a strong message of concern and opposition by residents of Ottawa.

"We're very much concerned about the local impacts, which could poison our waterways with a spill, including the Rideau River. But we're also opposed to this pipeline because it facilitates the reckless expansion of Alberta's Tar Sands, when we must instead do everything possible to stop climate change. This is really an Energy Waste pipeline," stated Ben Powless, Community Organizer for Ecology Ottawa.

TransCanada plans pipeline through Ottawa

OTTAWA — TransCanada Corp.’s proposal for its massive $5-billion Energy East pipeline project could send as many as 850,000 barrels of crude oil a day through rural areas in the south end of Ottawa and across the Rideau River.

The “conceptual” route map for TransCanada’s cross-country pipeline sees oil routed east near Highway 7, through the former municipality of Richmond, then south near Malakoff Road. From there it will transport oil through environmentally sensitive lands around the Rideau River before passing through the waterway. The pipeline will then continue further southeast, through North Grenville, a neighbouring municipality that includes Kemptville.

Proving the proven: Advocates push for a safe consumption site in Ottawa

"There's a health crisis in Ottawa."

Chris Dalton's pronouncement contains not a trace of drama, but it's hard to reconcile with the city I see at the moment. It's springtime in the national capital, and it's beautiful -- the bike paths along the canal and rivers are getting busy, trees are flourishing in greens and reds, and the historical architecture in the core of the city glints beneath the sunlight.

 But even in a well-groomed capital city, social inequities are playing out with detrimental health consequences. If you’re paying attention, they’re apparent. As a social worker, Dalton is paying attention.

Graffiti on the Wall: Ottawa's Racial Problem

This morning, three of Ottawa's four most-read dailies had cover stories about the latest racist graffiti sighting in the city. The narrative seems to suggest that this insidious act has shaken a community that has rarely experiences such hatred.

Perhaps short memories from those who are rarely on the receiving end of these not-so-isolated incidents need refreshing.

Tab for two city managers’ one-week training courses was $21,000

OTTAWA — Two city managers spent a week each in a management boot camp course last year that cost the city almost $21,000, but the city won’t say who they were.

“We can’t give you that information,” said spokeswoman Jocelyne Turner, suggesting that a formal request under access-to-information law might produce it. The Citizen promptly filed that request, though responses cost money and typically take several weeks.

PETA Protest Ottawa: Demonstrators Strip Down On Parliament Hill

Tourists visiting Parliament Hill Tuesday were taken by surprise when PETA demonstrators arrived stripped down to floral pasties, thongs and blue paint.

The nine women, dressed to represent the Earth, were there to protest the Conservatives' omnibus budget bill and to encourage Canadians to go vegan.

Safe Injection Sites Report: Toronto, Ottawa Would Benefit From Facilities

TORONTO - Toronto and Ottawa would benefit from having supervised drug injection facilities, but reaction to the report making that recommendation suggests the process of translating advice to reality may not be swift.

Four years in the making, the report recommended three safe injection sites for Toronto and two for Ottawa, saying injection drug use in both cities isn't focused in one area, as it is in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, home to Canada's first safe injection facility, Insite.

Asked about the recommendation, Ontario's Health Minister Deb Matthews said the province is not planning to pursue supervised injection sites at this time.

Zita Astravas, Matthews's press secretary, said in an email that the province doesn't have the power to block supervised injection sites, if a group trying to open one receives the necessary legal exemption from the federal government.

But the reality is that unless alternative funding sources can be found, provincial backing would probably be needed to get — and keep — these facilities up and running. However, if funding can be found, one expert in the field suggested it is unlikely Ontario would get in the way.

Anti-police graffiti painted in Ottawa

Vandals spray-painted anti-police graffiti in Ottawa's Centretown neighbourhood, which comes during a sensitive time for the city's police force.

The high-profile murder trial of former Mountie Kevin Gregson, convicted of first-degree murder in the stabbing death of Ottawa police Const. Eric Czapnik, wrapped up Tuesday.

Witnesses told CBC News they saw the graffiti as early as Tuesday, just as the memories of Czapnik's stabbing death have been refreshed for many officers.

Ottawa police would not comment on the graffiti, which also included messages such as "cops = killers" and "smash police terror" stencilled in pink spray paint along Bank and Metcalfe streets.

This also comes as violent anti-police brutality protests led to more than 200 arrests in Montreal Thursday. It is not known if there is a link to the protest, which came on the International Day Against Police Brutality, as Ottawa did not have an organized protest.

Salvation Army workers strike in Ottawa

About 60 unionized Salvation Army workers went on strike in Ottawa on Friday, but the charitable organization has assured the homeless they will not be left in the cold.

The strike by members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada will not affect those who frequent the Booth Centre, a homeless shelter at 171 George Street that houses about 150 homeless men every night, according to Michael Maidment, a Salvation Army spokesman in Ottawa.

"We will stay open and we will do that with our existing staff and management team," Maidment said. "Of course, the safety and concern of those we serve is of paramount importance."

Homeless support workers on strike

Homeless men whom CBC News spoke with sided with the workers, who entered a strike position Dec. 20, and complimented the care they received at the centre.

"I don't blame them," said a man who only identified himself as George. "They should have equal parity with the Union Mission and the Shepherd's of Good Hope," he said. "They do exactly the same work just as well."

The PSAC is seeking a $5-an-hour wage hike, which they say would provide a salary similar to those paid workers at other local shelters.

The Salvation Army, which argues the difference is only $2-$4 an hour, said it is willing to go to binding arbitration to settle the dispute, but added the union has not formally responded to that request.

Original Article
Source: CBC 

Over 200 arrested at Ottawa tar sands protest

Over 200 protesters objecting to the federal government's enthusiastic support for Alberta's tar sands and the Keystone pipeline XL were arrested Monday morning as they attempted to stage a sit-in in the House of Commons.

The protesters wanted the chance to air their grievances with the environmentally reckless policies of the Harper-led Conservatives inside Parliament but were blocked from entering by fenced barricades and over 50 RCMP officers.

The protesters were encouraged by hundreds of boisterous supporters as they passed the media scrum and calmly hopped over police barricades.

Those arrested in the first wave of protesters trying to gain access to the House included chairperson of The Council of Canadians, Maude Barlow, and Dave Coles, the president of Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union, along with his executive assistant andrabble.ca blogger Fred Wilson.

Organizers want to deliver a strong message denouncing the Conservative government's support for the Keystone XL pipeline and continuing tar sands development.

Several hundred people gather on Parliament Hill to protest pipeline

OTTAWA—Several hundred people milled in front of police barricades on Parliament Hill today as a protest began against the Keystone XL pipeline.

The demonstration was organized by Greenpeace and other groups who say the 2,700-kilometre pipeline from Alberta to Texas is harmful to the environment in both Canada and the United States.

Protesters waved signs condemning the oilsands: “Ethical oil? That’s snake oil. Guaranteed,” said one. “Think outside the barrel. Stop the tarsands,” read another.

The rally was billed as peaceful and non-confrontational, but police were out in force. They handed out flyers with maps, telling protesters where they can and cannot go and outlining their rights, their limits and police duties.

The protest included members of First Nations.

Clayton Thomas-Muller, an aboriginal organizer, said Canada’s Assembly of First Nations and the National Congress of American Indians formally came out against Keystone earlier this month.

He said they are upset about the lack of consultation and destruction of hunting and fishing areas, water, air, sacred lands, tribal sovereignty and lack of government monitoring. They want oilsands development to slow down until government regulation can catch up.

Ottawa Pipeline Protest Heating Up, As Showdown With Federal Government Looms

OTTAWA - Protesters were already filing into Ottawa on Sunday for a showdown with the federal government over its support for the oilsands and a plan to build a giant pipeline from Alberta to Texas.

After the high-profile arrest of celebrities and about a thousand activists in Washington last month for their attempts to stop approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, Greenpeace and other groups hope to gain similar notoriety in Canada with a civil disobedience protest on Parliament Hill on Monday morning.

"What we see ahead is a catastrophe — a catastrophe for our grandchildren and their grandchildren," said Rosemarie Whalley, a senior citizen who came from Montreal for a day of training before the protest.

"We can't just let this situation continue and let the environment be wrecked."

She joined about 150 others at a hall at the University of Ottawa for tips on how to handle confrontation with authorities. They hope Ottawa will also draw its share of celebrity attention, with stars such as Gordon Pinsent, musician David Bidini and indigenous celebrity Tantoo Cardinal expected to be on hand.