The Hume Blog

The Hume Blog is Moving!!!

2012-08-20T15:37:00.004-04:00

Ladies and gentlemen, loyal readers, please take note: the Hume Blog has moved over to its permanent home on the brand-new peterhume.ca website!

Now all of the Hume communications will be easily accessible from one central location on the new Hume site. Social media like Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook will continue as always.

We look forward to seeing your comments and views on the new Hume Blog!

The EAB Campaign Continues...

2012-07-30T14:15:00.001-04:00

COUNCILLOR HUME MOVES EAB SIGNS AROUND THE WARD.

Councillor Hume and his team have just completed repositioning large Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) educational signs around the Alta Vista ward; the goal of the signs is to help guide residents to the new EAB web page put together by the Councillor.

The signs depict a large EAB beetle and say, “The EAB Could Be In Your Tree”—the tagline for Councillor Hume’s entire summer EAB educational campaign. Like the three short videos he released last week, the signs direct residents to eab.peterhume.ca, a web page put together by Hume and his team for the latest news and information about the EAB scourge.

Approximately forty signs went out into the community, strung around trees at intersections where cars and pedestrians will see them. In 3-4 weeks, the signs will be moved to other areas in the ward. Another ten signs will be placed by volunteers at and near garden centres—where people’s minds are already on their trees and plants.

The entire ‘EAB Could Be In Your Tree’ campaign was begun by Councillor Hume to augment efforts already made by his office to better educate the Alta Vista community—an area of town where ash trees are numerous and badly hit by the beetle. More public education strategies will be occurring this summer; stay tuned to the Hume Blog.

The Hume Team places EAB signs.

WHY ARE WE PUTTING UP SIGNS?

The EAB signs have been placed around Alta Vista to direct residents to the newest EAB information available—all updated on our EAB web page, eab.peterhume.ca. The QR code on the beetle’s back can be scanned with a smartphone to immediately access the web page.

WHY ARE THEY IN ALTA VISTA ONLY?

This is a Peter Hume initiative. The Councillor’s residents specifically asked Peter to provide them with an EAB web page, and more public education to help people find information they may need. Other councillors may have their own strategies and approaches to communicating EAB info to their residents.

WHY IS COUNCILLOR HUME USING THE WEB, VIDEOS, AND QR CODES?

Traditional methods of spreading the information were only partially effective. In an attempt to increase how many people learn about the EAB and what can be done about it, Councillor Hume has expanded his communications strategy into new media channels.

WHY ARE THEY POSTED ON TREES THAT ARE NOT ASH TREES?

The Hume Team opted to post signs at locations that made for most effective visibility; not all these spots had ash trees available for hanging the signage. As well, trees that were marked for removal were not logical candidates for hanging a sign, as the tree might be removed and the sign with it. The signs are on City trees of all species, but placed at some of the key intersections in the area.

News bite: Peter on CTV Morning on the EAB

2012-07-19T12:11:00.003-04:00

Last week, Peter was interviewed on CTV Morning about his 'The EAB Could Be In Your Tree' campaign. Watch it here:

Be sure to stay informed by visiting eab.peterhume.ca

EAB Signs Are Up! Emerald Ash Borer Signs Around the Ward.

2012-07-05T11:00:00.001-04:00

COUNCILLOR HUME PLACES EAB SIGNS AROUND THE WARD.

Councillor Hume and his team have just completed placing large Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) educational signs around the Alta Vista ward; the goal of the signs is to help guide residents to the new EAB web page put together by the Councillor.

The signs depict a large EAB beetle and say, “The EAB Could Be In Your Tree”—the tagline for Councillor Hume’s entire summer EAB educational campaign. Like the three short videos he released last week, the signs direct residents to eab.peterhume.ca, a web page put together by Hume and his team for the latest news and information about the EAB scourge.

Forty signs went out into the community, strung around trees at intersections where cars and pedestrians will see them. In 3-4 weeks, the signs will be moved to other areas in the ward. Another ten signs will be placed by volunteers at and near garden centres—where people’s minds are already on their trees and plants.

The entire ‘EAB Could Be In Your Tree’ campaign was begun by Councillor Hume to augment efforts already made by his office to better educate the Alta Vista community—an area of town where ash trees are numerous and badly hit by the beetle. More public education strategies will be occurring this summer; stay tuned to the Hume Blog.

Hume Team putting up signs!

WHY ARE WE PUTTING UP SIGNS?

WHY ARE THEY IN ALTA VISTA ONLY?

WHY IS COUNCILLOR HUME USING THE WEB, VIDEOS, AND QR CODES?

Our summer student placing signs!

WHY ARE THEY POSTED ON TREES THAT ARE NOT ASH TREES?

WILL THEY BE MOVED?

In a few weeks, the location of the signs will be evaluated, and some or all may be moved to again reach a greater audience.

Video 3: The EAB Could Be In Your Tree!

2012-06-29T09:43:00.000-04:00

THE EAB COULD BE IN YOUR TREE: THIRD VIDEO GOES LIVE!

This morning, Councillor Hume released his third video in a three-part series geared to raise awareness of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) beetle that is devastating ash trees across the city—and especially in Alta Vista ward.

The videos are explained here on the Councillor’s blog; each video focuses on a different aspect of identification of the EAB and its effect on ash trees. This third video shows an artist sketching an infected ash tree, with an explanation of what options are available for treatment or containment of the EAB infection.

The videos are part of a larger EAB communications campaign, rolling out throughout the summer; Councillor Hume is responding to residents’ requests for further education and awareness-raising on the invading beetle. Using videos (posted on both Youtube and the Councillor’s social media channels) will provide a way for residents to share the information easily with their friends, families, and neighbours.

We encourage all Alta Vista residents to share the videos via email and social media channels. Help raise awareness of the dangers of the EAB, and the options for treatment and containment.

The videos and upcoming PSA materials all direct residents to the web page eab.peterhume.ca, where residents can see the latest up-to-date information about the EAB and what options residents have in protecting their own trees, as well as City trees they may wish to help.

Link to the second video on Youtube: http://bit.ly/EABAshTree

Video 2: The EAB Could Be In Your Tree!

2012-06-27T09:52:00.001-04:00

THE EAB COULD BE IN YOUR TREE: SECOND VIDEO GOES LIVE!

This morning, Councillor Hume released his second video in a three-part series geared to raise awareness of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) beetle that is devastating ash trees across the city—and especially in Alta Vista ward.

The videos are explained here on the Councillor’s blog; each video focuses on a different aspect of identification of the EAB and its effect on ash trees. This second video shows an artist sketching ash leaves, with an explanation of how to determine if your own tree is an ash.

We encourage all Alta Vista residents to share the videos via email and social media channels. Help raise awareness of the dangers of the EAB, and the options for treatment and containment.

Link to the second video on Youtube: http://bit.ly/EABashleaves

Premier of The EAB Could Be In Your Tree Video Series!

2012-06-25T07:02:00.000-04:00

THE EAB COULD BE IN YOUR TREE: VIDEOS TO RAISE AWARENESS

This morning Councillor Hume just released the first of three videos aimed at educating residents on the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) beetle that has been devastating the ash tree population in Ottawa. The first video in the series starts by showing residents how to identify an EAB.

The videos feature an artist, recorded in stop-motion style, sketching: first, an EAB beetle; next, an ash tree branch; and last, an image of an infected ash tree. Each video educates the viewer on an aspect of the EAB scourge, and refers them to the Councillor’s new EAB webpage for more information on treatment and containment: eab.peterhume.ca.

“We’ve found that residents in our ward were asking for more ways to spread the word about EAB amongst their neighbours,” explains Councillor Hume. “The video series is a catchy, cleaver way to raise awareness with their peers.” With the videos available via Hume’s Twitter, Facebook, Blog and Youtube pages, residents are encouraged to share the clips through their own social media channels. “By creating something so easily shared, it allows residents to reach out to each other.”

Councillor Hume will be continuing public education efforts in Alta Vista over the next few weeks by placing EAB signage on trees around the community, placing ads in community papers, and working with the City’s forestry department to keep the eab.peterhume.ca page updated with the newest information on the beetle.

“Our best defense right now is education,” says Hume. “Residents need to know their options: properly-conducted tree removal for badly infected trees, vaccine for milder cases, and interplanting of new species to replace those trees taken down. It’s important that residents understand: a badly infected ash tree becomes a major safety hazard.”

More information on the battle with EAB will be available on the eab.peterhume.ca page, along with all three videos being released throughout the week.

Link to the first video here: http://bit.ly/EABbeetle .

Free Ice Cream at Weston Park! A Hume Parks Project.

2012-06-19T12:26:00.000-04:00

Saturday July 23, 12 noon, Weston Park!
Free icecream to the first 100 visitors!

WESTON PARK FANS: YOU’RE INVITED!

Alta Vista residents who use Weston Park: we invite you to join us this Saturday June 23, 2012 at Weston Park, at noon sharp, for a free frozen treat!

Over the course of the last three years, Alta Vista ward has accrued a reserve of money provided by building developers; this money is called ‘cash-in-lieu-of-parkland’ money, and it is earmarked for the improvement and development of local parks. As promised during the election, Councillor Hume is working hard to have these funds put towards as many parks as possible.

Over the course of this term of council, the Hume office will be coordinating rejuvenation and renovation projects in as many parks within the ward as possible; these projects are above and beyond the scope of the City’s regularly-scheduled maintenance and replacement plans. Councillor Hume is seeking input on the parks as each project is begun. Work is already underway on plans Grasshopper Park, Canterbury Park, and Balena. Our next stop is Weston Park!

We hope that you’ll join us on Saturday at noon to share your ideas and have a treat. The Merry Dairy, a new local food truck, will be on site providing their incredible frozen custard to the first 100 residents who share their park input.

We will be spreading the word about the Hume Parks Projects over the course of the summer; stay tuned for more blog posts, on-site promotion, and other initiatives to gather public feedback. If you’d like to share your ideas on Weston Park but cannot make it down on Saturday, click thislink to head straight to a feedback form where you can share your ideas with us right now.

MORE ABOUT THE MERRY DAIRY:

The Merry Dairy, in its first year of operation, is owned by West Wellington resident Marlene Haley, who was inspired to introduce frozen custard to Ottawa while living in the United States. Frozen custard is a type of ice cream, that has a high cream content and egg yolk, and as a result has a smooth, rich taste. Frozen custard was invented in the 1920s in Coney Island, however, today many acknowledge the frozen custard capital to be Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The Merry Dairy Frozen Custard Truck makes its frozen custard fresh every day with the following ingredients: cream, sugar, pasteurized egg yolk, and vanilla. The truck is a nut free truck. It is also powered by Google Latitude so that customers can track where in Ottawa the truck happens to be that day via themerrydairy.com, or through Facebook and Twitter.

Map of Weston Park

Safe Streets Campaign Rolls On!

2012-06-13T13:31:00.000-04:00

SAFE STREETS CAMPAIGN ROLLS ON!

During the election campaign, many residents raised concerns with me about traffic and the safety of our neighbourhood streets. I launched the Alta Vista Safe Streets Campaign in June 2011 to provide an immediate and direct response to traffic concerns brought to my attention. We purchased an electronic radar sign,
placed it at 18 different street locations so far, and it has just been placed on Tremblay Road. The neighbours in past areas where we have placed the sign have reported a reduction in the number of speeders, and overall the results are very positive.

We have now purchased a second radar sign, and it has been set up on Featherston Drive. I’m seeking your feedback on where you’d like to see these placed in the future. Let me know of any streets where drivers could use a reminder. Email me today and share your thoughts! avsafestreets@ottawa.ca

We are also adding a new feature to both our signs: they will now capture and record
all automobile speeds, providing us with a report. One is already set up to record, and the other soon will do the same. We will then be able to establish how many drivers are over the speed limit. This information will be helpful in establishing where our Safe Streets campaign is most needed.

-Peter

This article originally shared in March 2012; updated version seen here.

Scrapbook Page: Alta Vista CA Picnic

2012-06-12T13:18:00.000-04:00

COUNCILLOR HUME ATTENDS THE AVCA PICNIC

The Billings Estate Museum

This past Sunday, June 10^th, Councillor Hume and his team helped out at the annual fun-filled AVCA Picnic at the Billings Estate. The picnic is a community tradition, offering horse & wagon rides, bouncy castles, Ray's Reptiles, face painting, and even free Timbits and coffee supplied by Rogers. The Fiddleheads music group played under the big white tent, and Enbridge Gas helped to prepare tons of fantatic jumbo hotdogs.

The Hume Team was there with some great summer swag: the groovy new Hume water bottles, and plantable seed cards that sprout into wildflowers. Kids loved the magic of the seed paper, and all ages were delighted with their swanky new water bottles. Councillor Hume walked around the picnic and chatted with locals; he even brought Mayor Watson along for the chat.

With the exception of eating way too many sno-cones, the Hume Team had a great day. Peter is a long-time supporter of the AVCA picnic, and this year was happy to provide brand new signage for the association. All-in-all, it was a great day of music, munchies, and family time!

Let's look at some photos!

The Hume Tent, with drinking water and swag!

Volunteers at the Enbridge Gas BBQ making great hotdogs.

Horse and wagon rides were popular!

Firefighters were on site; we gave them waterbottles and lots of thanks!

Tiny people were everywhere, and they loved the seed-growing cards!

A young AVCA volunteers serves the Mayor and Councillor sno-cones.

Peter with his wife and daughter.

Mayor Watson picks up a waterbottle at the Hume Tent.

Those fiddlers went all day long!

Busting The Paris Myth:

2012-06-05T13:57:00.000-04:00

BUSTING THE PARIS MYTH

Paris streetscape. Source.

There has been an on-going debate about how high buildings should be in Ottawa, and there’s no end in sight to this discussion. Lately, some have been advocating for a Paris-style height limit at six stories. The argument is that Paris is a dense urban city that has been able to grow without having buildings above six stories; it’s working great there, and everyone loves it...therefore, we should be able to achieve the same thing here in Ottawa by imposing a six-storey height limit and preventing high-rise development.

Sounds great, doesn’t it? No high-rise condos, trendy six-storey buildings with ground floor retail, and all this in a very attractive human scale with great architecture. Why, this is absolutely wonderful!

THE DIFFERENCE WITH OTTAWA.

Paris at night. Source.

Why is there a difference? I’ve only been to Paris twice—both times I stayed within 5 km of the heart of the downtown—and I can’t think of any neighbourhood that was dominated by single-family homes on single lots with abundant parking. That is the key difference.

We strive to protect the core of our residential neighbourhoods, which in many cases are comprised of single-family homes; so just imagine the outrage if the City proposed allowing six-storey buildings along, say, Monkland Avenue in the Glebe.

Single-family homes. Source.

But as an example, take the proximity of Monkland Avenue or Alta Vista Drive to the centre of the City, and then look at the same relative proximity in Paris: you won’t find one single-family home there. There are lots of six-storey buildings, most certainly, but no single-family homes on large lots.

So until we are prepared to allow our low-density neighbourhood to transition to six-storey developments, comparing Ottawa to Paris is akin to comparing apples to oranges.

As long as we continue to protect our single-family homes on single lots, we are going to have to find other locations that allow higher heights and higher density.

Being like Paris is appealing, but in reality it is not achievable. We need to focus our efforts on determining the most appropriate places in our City for higher heights and higher density. This is exactly what the City is going to do in the upcoming Official Plan.

-Peter

Hume in the Media: Trash 2 Cash article in the EMC South

2012-06-01T13:23:00.001-04:00

Eddie Rwema of the Ottawa South EMC covered the Trash 2 Cash grand finale; read his article here:

Alta Vista family wins ward's bi-weekly trash challenge - News - By Eddie Rwema Ottawa South Local Community News

The O'Donnell-van Schaayk family, big winners, with Councillor Hume!

Trash 2 Cash: the Grand Finale Scrapbook

2012-05-28T12:10:00.004-04:00

TRASH 2 CASH COMES TO A CLOSE, AND WE HAVE A WINNER!

Chris and Erin with Councillor Hume

This Sunday, we wrapped up the Trash 2 Cash challenge. After five weeks, about 700 submitted photos, and the same number of completed surveys, we have concluded the challenge and named a winner.

Congratulations to Chris O'Donnell and Erin van Schaayk of Vincent Street for their win of $1000 towards their property taxes, and a year's supply of CompostGenie!

The grand finale event was fun in the sun. We had a great turnout and some great goodies for the attendees! CompostGenie was on site, offering info and samples of their product for all who wanted some; Orgaworld provided two heaping complimentary piles of compost for all residents to use; and the Hume Team brought nifty water bottles along with some other swag for everyone to enjoy.

It was great for Councillor Hume and the whole Hume Team to shake hands and meet so many of the Trash 2 Cash challengers. After weeks of looking through their photos, many faces had become quite familiar. Even Templeton and Axeminster were present!

Councillor Hume shared a few words, thanking the residents for their participation and their enthusiasm towards the project. It was a great success, and the support from each resident who participated was wonderful. The next step will be gathering some of our challengers in November for some helpful advice for all our other residents who will be starting biweekly garbage pickup in the fall.

The comment we heard the most at the finale was, "This challenge was so much easier than I'd thought it would be." This sentiment, shared by so many, gives us great encouragement for how well all our residents will fare with the changes this autumn.

Once more, a great big thank you to the households and families who participated in the Trash 2 Cash challenge. Each one of you made it a success. Be proud of your commitment, your stamina, and your courage in looking a bit odd as you stood on your driveways and took photos of your garbage while your neighbours looked on in confusion. Way to go!

Thanks to CompostGenie for being such great supporters of the T2C challenge!

Our thanks again to Orgaworld for the great heaps of compost!

Councillor Hume chatting with residents by the Kilborn Allotment Gardens.

Trash 2 Cash: The Big Finish!

2012-05-23T14:01:00.003-04:00

Week 5 of the Trash 2 Cash challenge has completed, and we are so amazed by the commitment people showed to the challenge! Many, many residents exceeded the goal of 3 garbage-free weeks, with several going the full 5 weeks without putting out any 'regular' garbage at all.

Councillor Hume is very impressed, and proud of the residents for their adventurous spirit. Of course, the shining gem in this entire project is the fabulous photos. We have one last round to show you, but first, a reminder of your invitation:

ALTA VISTA RESIDENTS! Join us at The Trash 2 Cash Grande Finale

Sunday May 27, 1pm
Kilborn Allotment Gardens, at the Pleasant Park entrance.
Click the poster to expand it.

And now, some more great photos!

Aliyah Henderson practices the Zen art of recycling.

The Allo kids help with Cleaning Up the Capital!

The Baines family shows us another good reason to compost.

Young master Baines looks proud of this handiwork.

The Beachams sent this along with a punny caption: It's Ewie, Lewis, and the news! (ughhhh.)

The Bouchard's happy bin has a friend this week.

The Cooper household shows us how little garbage they've made--
and they still don't need to put it out 'til next week.

This young Cote is a great helper!

The Hook pooch continues to amaze us. We hear he's the stunt double for
The Littlest Hobo.

The Hughes household has said it all.

The Hurtubise crew raises a good point!

The Lamonts pose for the camera.

The MacDonald dog apparently likes to help reduce waste by eating paper. A weird, if
helpful, dog.

The Sauermans pose proudly.

The Mathesons conclude their 5-part story...

And a bonus Public Service Announcement!

The Nagasawas show off their composting queen!

We thought we were being offered another adorable dog, but the St Arnaud
household was just having him pose. Good dog!

The Paul family combines work and play.

Another amazing illustration put together by the McKenzie household.

Thank you all so very much for participating in this experiment. It was great to get all your feedback, and of course, your lovely photos. We hope to be revisiting these challengers again in the fall, to chat about their experience with trying out bi-weekly garbage pick-up.

We hope to see you all (and you readers, too, Alta Vista) out at the Grand Finale event on Sunday!

Trash 2 Cash: Week 4 Update with Great Pics!

2012-05-18T14:53:00.000-04:00

Trash 2 Cash is nearing the finale! (Be sure to check out the details on the grand finale event!) We have just completed week 4, and are on the way with week 5. Participants are still rockin' along, providing great pics; while everyone was allowed to put out garbage this week, many still didn't need to! Here's some photos for your enjoyment:

The Baines appear to be tossing their Canucks jerseys.
(Hume Team staffer [and Canucks fan] Jordan says, "Noooo!")

The Beachams continue to deal with their bear problem.

The Flemings show their great team work!

The Hendersons pose for the camera.

The Hooks impress us yet again with their adorable pooch.

The Hurtubise clan practices while they preach.

Green bins: recreational as well as functional. (Thanks, Lamonts!)

Tips from the LeGrand household.

WELCOME to new baby Rachel at the Maier household!

The McKenzies blow us away every week.

And of course, the continuing saga of the Mathesons' unruly visitors:

The Trash 2 Cash wrap-up!

2012-05-17T05:30:00.000-04:00

You're invited!

Join us for our Trash 2 Cash wrap up, Alta Vista. On May 27th, we'll be announcing the winner of our Trash 2 Cash contest, as well as chatting with residents, providing free compost (courtesy of Orgaworld), free CompostGenie samples, and some other goodies. We'd love to see you there, whether you participated in the challenge or not.

Please be sure to bring along a container for the compost you wish to take home.

Click on the posters above for more details, or ask your questions in the comment section below.

Sunday May 27th, 1pm

Kilborn Allotment Gardens, on the Pleasant Park side

Come One, Come All!

Certainty: how sanity can return to planning in Ottawa

2012-05-16T10:00:00.000-04:00

source

WHAT CERTAINTY REALLY MEANS

At our recent Ottawa Planning Summit, my speech focused on a new commitment to certainty in the planning process for our city. But certainty has different connotations for the various parties involved in development; to most residents in a community, certainty means that the zoning and development patterns in their neighbourhood would never ever change. To the development industry, certainty has meant the stifling of design creativity and a truck load of government red tape. One member of the planning community has called certainty, ‘A job-killing drag on the economic vitality of Ottawa’.

I know you won’t be surprised when I tell you that both the residents and the developers are incorrect about certainty.

CITIES CHANGE.

Murphy Gamble Dept store, Sparks St, circa 1954

Cities are organic; they grow and change all the time. Neighbourhoods change, development changes, what we want and need changes—indeed, change may be the only constant. So how do we provide certainty in an ever-changing City? It’s simple: our Official Plan—if implemented correctly—provides certainty over the life of the plan. And during the review process, we look around us and plan the next evolutionary steps for our city.

CERTAINTY MANAGES CHANGE.

For the 10 years that the plan is in place, it is my belief that residents and developers alike should expect certainty. During that time, residents should be able to trust that the zoning will be consistent for the life of the plan. Similarly, the development community should be able to make sound business decisions that conform to the zoning and the official plan from which it flows, and the standards these outline in terms of city growth. The developer should be able to obtain a building permit and a site plan without hassle—no long and costly approvals process, because the zoning is clear and consistent.

For the lifespan of our Official Plan, everyone should be privy to the rules of the game, and both community groups and developers alike should expect to play by them. However, we all must realize that an Official Plan, despite all efforts, doesn’t cover every eventuality; there may be times when a property has to have the zoning changed. Under certainty planning, however, these exceptions shall not become the rule.

What certainty will mean is that community and business energy is focused, not on fighting each other and City Hall, but on defining the policies and directions that will comprise our Official Plan and the direction that development will take over its 10 year existence.

Scrapbook Page: Spring things

2012-05-11T13:55:00.001-04:00

Peter has had a busy spring so far! Here's a few photos of what your councillor (and your chair of Planning Committee) has been up to:

The St Patrick's Intermediate School Glee Club came to sing O Canada for City Council.

They did their school proud!

To warm up, the girls performed 'Fame' at the Councillor's request.
Wish we had a photo of the dance moves he broke out!

Peter co-hosted the 2012 Planning Summit: a day full of discussion and new ideas.

Talking in a media scrum at the Summit.

Breakout groups were established for questions and brainstorming.

Peter participated as part of the panel for the day.

Attendees discussed matters like transit and building height.

Peter brought the City's Olympic flag to be signed by students at Featherston Public.

Peter explains that the flag will be delivered to our athletes in the Olympic village.

Peter helps the students find a space for their words of encouragement.

Stay tuned for more photos! The spring is still young!

Trash 2 Cash Update: Week 3

2012-05-08T14:47:00.000-04:00

Week 3 was another garbage-free week for the Trash 2 Cash challengers in Alta Vista. Our challengers did a great job! We are so impressed with how well everyone is doing with redirecting their waste to their blue, green, and black bins.

As many of you are looking forward to it, here are some photo highlights from this week:

The Nagasawa family illustrates teamwork!

The McKenzies wow us again with their imagination!

The Painters may have misunderstood how the black bin works...

The Beachams gave us a chuckle by demonstrating the green bins are bear-proof.

The Bouchard household makes us smile!

Young Cote Jr checks the black bin for any comic books his mom may have tossed.

The Givens: see no garbage, smell no garbage, make no garbage.

The Hooks show off their incredibly well-behaved pooch.
(Can anyone say 'The new Littlest Hobo'?)

The Horvath's pup is a bit more dainty; note his entourage carries his umbrella.

The Hughes raise a good point.

The Hurtubise household shouts their message loud and clear!

The young Lacombe pulls her own weight--possibly literally!

CONGRATS to the Maiers on the arrival of their new baby girl!

And the much-anticipated continuation of the skunk and raccoon story, by the Mathesons...

On to week 4, challengers! Keep it coming, you're doing great!

News Bites: Community Paper

2012-05-03T10:56:00.001-04:00

Here is the latest edition of the Hume News, published in the lovely Vistas paper, available in the Alta Vista ward. For those of you who may not receive the paper, we like to post the Hume News page here on the blog for you. You can enlarge the page by clicking on the image.

Trash 2 Cash Update: Week Two!

2012-05-01T09:46:00.000-04:00

WEEK 2 OF THE CHALLENGE: REGULAR GARBAGE ALLOWED.

We have just wrapped up week 2 of the Trash 2 Cash challenge. This week, participants were allowed to put out regular garbage along with their appropriate green, black, and blue bins. What's impressive is that many of our participants still didn't have enough garbage to put out for pickup!

We had tons of great photos this week; here is a small sample of this week's submissions.

The Hook Family and their hyper-intelligent dog.

The Hughes show off their creativity!

The Martins have a fabulous little helper!

The Coopers: No Garbage, No Sweat!

The Nagasawa household works together.

The Paul family gets into the spirit.

The MacDonald girls throw out the cat litter.

The McKenzie's introduce us to the Knight of the 3 R's. (Amazing!)

The Painter kids proudly show off their curbside.

The McNicoll household proudly proclaims they are still garbage-free!

And we have a second chapter to the Matheson's skunk and raccoon tale:

COMMUNITY BULLETIN: Sexual Assault in Community

2012-04-27T12:32:00.001-04:00

You may have heard that there have been two reports of sexual assault occuring in the last 24 hours in the Alta Vista area. You may have seen a news story like this one.

The Hume Team has spoken with Constable Gary McCoy, our Community Police Officer. He asked us to share his contact information with our residents.

If you have specific information relating to these assaults, please call the downtown police department at 613-236-1222. But if you are a resident of the area and would like to speak with Constable McCoy regarding general safety concerns, or with questions relating to keeping safe, you may contact him directly. He is happy to chat with anyone who may be feeling worried or nervous.

Constable Gary McCoy
Community Police Officer
613-816-0631
mccoyg@ottawapolice.ca

The Ottawa Planning Summit: Developing Our City

2012-04-25T16:27:00.001-04:00

THE OTTAWA PLANNING SUMMIT: THE FIRST STEP

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This week, the City of Ottawa is holding a major planning summit. This isn’t news to most of you, as the media and citizens alike have taken a serious interest in this event. It’s great to see so many people taking an interest in planning matters and their communities’ development, and I see this summit as a great first step.

It’s important to view the summit as just that: a starting point. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and likewise, Ottawa can’t be planned in a day. Our goal with this summit is to launch a new era of planning for our city. By looking 10-15 years ahead, we can start to envision our city as we truly wish to see it. And of course, by looking back we can identify, retrospectively, where we have stumbled in the past. This summit is the first step in lighting the path so that the future steps in development will proceed more smoothly.

A CHALLENGING HISTORY: OTTAWA'S PAST DECADE

Over the past decade, we have been focused on the issue of the urban boundary, often to the exclusion of all else. Amalgamation brought together such a wide variety of people and communities that it was an achievement just to ‘hold the line’. The impacts of amalgamation were still fresh in people's minds, and Council was still finding its way. Issues beyond the urban boundary, such as tall building policies, farming support, and even suburban tree planting regulations were left by the wayside. There was no policy in place that encouraged innovation like mixed-use development or other ‘outside the box’ ideas. Right now—this summit, this moment in time—is the first real opportunity to set the stage for new development concepts in Ottawa.

History aplenty: the Centre Block on Parliament Hill under
construction in 1863. source

READY FOR CHANGE: A MATURE CITY

From the shaky aftermath of the amalgamation, though, emerges a City that is mature enough now to embark on these discussions in a cohesive and unified fashion. The gathering of minds that will occur in Ottawa this week should be the start of discussions on all these types of issues; and over the following 18 months leading up to the Official Plan Review, we shall then press these discussions towards action.

A GROWING CITY AND A GROWING LIST OF QUESTIONS

I have many questions that I hope to have addressed during the next 18 months of review. Why are we still so focused on intensification as a concept only for the city core, for example? Why have we allowed utility companies to monopolize suburban front yards, limiting the availability of viable tree planting space? Are CDP’s actually valuable and tenable? How are we planning to support our local farmlands, and where are we going to grow in rural areas? How can we get infrastructure out to the suburbs in a timely fashion? What strategies do we envision for the development of low, medium, and tall buildings? How can we incentivize mixed-use development?

How do we encourage balanced growth and stop reaching just for the low-hanging fruit?

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ONE STEP AT A TIME

This summit is not a day that will somehow provide a solution at the end of eight hours. It is but the first step in many to frame policies within the Official Plan. It is time for a series of discussions and strategy meetings on growth, development, and policy. We begin with a single step this week, and begin to work towards a big-picture solution. The City of Ottawa is poised for a new approach to growth. It is time to examine previous errors, learn from our scars, and get back on our feet.

I look forward to the summit as the first step we take together.

-Peter

FOR MORE ON THE SUMMIT:

You can follow the summit live as it is webcast. Head to ottawa.ca/planningsummit starting at 9am.

Follow the Hume Twitter feed for live tweeting.

You can also follow the hashtags #ottplan to see live tweeting from the Hume twitter feed (and others).

Also, updates are regularly posted on the Hume Facebook Page.

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Trash 2 Cash: Week Two Update

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We are wrapping up Week One of the Trash 2 Cash challenge, and starting on Week Two. And wow, we have had some really great entries!

We have 145 challengers continuing on to Week Two, and they are doing great!

We also had the opportunity to offer an extra incentive for all our participants: the makers of CompostGenie heard about the contest, and contacted the Hume office; they offered to provide their product, free of charge, to all participants in the challenge...and the winner will also receive a year’s supply! CompostGenie is made in nearby Vankleek Hill, and they describe their product as such:

“Compostgenie is an organic and probiotic deodorizer for your kitchen container, whether you use a green bin or have your own garden composter. Compostgenie goes to work the moment you sprinkle a handful in your kitchen compost container. The beneficial microbes go to work and right away, you’ll have an odorless kitchen container or green bin!”

You can learn more about it on the CompostGenie website. We’re happy to have a local business supporting our challenge!

Enough chatter; let’s show you some of the photographic highlights from Week One:
Click on any of them to see them larger.

The Ahuja household, getting creative!

The Allo Family proudly shows their bins.

The Baines family shows their eco-pride...and their Sens pride.

The O'Donoghue-Givens are showing their stuff!

The Nagasawas have a gorgeous little spokesperson!

The Beachams even got their stuffed animals involved!

The McKenzies wowed us with this one.

The Henderson household proudly represents!

The Bouchards have the happiest green bin.

The Lafortunes display their eco-friendliness!

The Hook household won our hearts with their pup!

The Hendry hound looks excited about waste diversion!

There are so many more photos to show you, but we'll have to space them out. You can follow the Hume Facebook Page and the Hume Twitter Feed for more photos, too.

On to Week Two! Week Two is a regular garbage week, but we're pretty sure we're going to have lots of participants with no regular garbage to put out. Let's find out...

Oh, one more photo set, by the Matheson household; it's a three-parter, and we LOVED it:

Emerald Ash Borer: Update & Grasshopper Park

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Example of EAB damage: the tree shows illness
at the 'crown' first, leaving the tree looking
healthy to passers-by on the ground level. (image source)

The Emerald Ash Borer continues to eat its way through our city, and Alta Vista ward is definitely one of the worst hit. Ottawa’s Forestry department has been studying the Ward 18 area, and many of our streets are lined with well over 50% ash trees. It’s the sad reality of the situation that we will indeed be losing many trees in our neighbourhood. There is an injection that is being used on a trial basis, but it is still in the testing phase, and it can be expensive. Unfortunately, the only other solution is removal and disposal of the infected trees, in an attempt to slow the beetle’s spread.

Grasshopper Park, here in Alta Vista ward, is one of the badly hit areas. Tree removal continued right through the winter months, and many residents were upset by this activity. We’ve asked David Barkley, Manager of Forestry Services of the City of Ottawa, to share some of his knowledge with us.

“We had to remove many trees [in Grasshopper Park] this winter, as they had the potential to fall and cause damage if they came down on their own,” explained Barkley, “This is a liability that the City has to manage.”

How is the decision made about what trees need to come down and which can stay up? “The Forestry Staff continue to work closely with a number of specialists, both internal and external. We are working on management strategies for these sites; we know that all strategies will have affects on residents, animals, other plants, and even water quality. To keep everyone aware and to seek public comment, the City’s Emerald Ash Borer Strategy is a public document and has been brought to Committee for public comment several times.”

“We’re very conscientious of the timing of removals,” shares Barkley. “We take into consideration the birthing season and feeding, and the winter nesting season. We review these factors around each tree; we take into account which nests are active versus inactive storage caches.” In the end, of course, the risk management assessment must be taken very seriously: leaving a dead or hazardous tree could pose a threat to people and wildlife alike. The Emerald Ash Borer is infamous for its insidious practice of eating the trees from the inside-out, leaving a normal-looking—but brittle and dangerous—tree standing where a healthy tree once was.

What’s the next step? Barkley explains that first, they plan to complete the public Open House meetings (the final one is on April 23^rd, from 4-8pm at the Jim Durrell Centre, in Ellwood Hall), then seeking further consultation once they’ve completed the drafts of various woodlot management scenarios.

Councillor Hume has met with Barkley and has reviewed the area studies. The entire Hume Team strives to keep well-informed and educated on the matter of the EAB. Councillor Hume and Forestry continue to meet and discuss ways to reduce the negative impact of the EAB containment tactics in Ward 18, and together they continue to explore the most effective treatment, removal, and interplanting strategies.

For further questions, we recommend you attend the EAB info session on April 23rd; you can also call 3-1-1, check out Ottawa.ca, or stay tuned to the Hume Blog.

The Hume Blog

The Hume Blog is Moving!!!

The EAB Campaign Continues...

COUNCILLOR HUME MOVES EAB SIGNS AROUND THE WARD.

WHY ARE WE PUTTING UP SIGNS?

WHY ARE THEY IN ALTA VISTA ONLY?

WHY IS COUNCILLOR HUME USING THE WEB, VIDEOS, AND QR CODES?

WHY ARE THEY POSTED ON TREES THAT ARE NOT ASH TREES?

News bite: Peter on CTV Morning on the EAB

EAB Signs Are Up! Emerald Ash Borer Signs Around the Ward.

COUNCILLOR HUME PLACES EAB SIGNS AROUND THE WARD.

Video 3: The EAB Could Be In Your Tree!

THE EAB COULD BE IN YOUR TREE: THIRD VIDEO GOES LIVE!

Video 2: The EAB Could Be In Your Tree!

Premier of The EAB Could Be In Your Tree Video Series!

THE EAB COULD BE IN YOUR TREE: VIDEOS TO RAISE AWARENESS

Free Ice Cream at Weston Park! A Hume Parks Project.

WESTON PARK FANS: YOU’RE INVITED!

MORE ABOUT THE MERRY DAIRY:

Safe Streets Campaign Rolls On!

SAFE STREETS CAMPAIGN ROLLS ON!

Scrapbook Page: Alta Vista CA Picnic

COUNCILLOR HUME ATTENDS THE AVCA PICNIC

Busting The Paris Myth:

BUSTING THE PARIS MYTH

THE DIFFERENCE WITH OTTAWA.

Hume in the Media: Trash 2 Cash article in the EMC South

Trash 2 Cash: the Grand Finale Scrapbook

TRASH 2 CASH COMES TO A CLOSE, AND WE HAVE A WINNER!

Trash 2 Cash: The Big Finish!

ALTA VISTA RESIDENTS! Join us at The Trash 2 Cash Grande Finale

And now, some more great photos!

Trash 2 Cash: Week 4 Update with Great Pics!

The Trash 2 Cash wrap-up!

You're invited!

Certainty: how sanity can return to planning in Ottawa

WHAT CERTAINTY REALLY MEANS

CITIES CHANGE.

CERTAINTY MANAGES CHANGE.

Scrapbook Page: Spring things

Trash 2 Cash Update: Week 3

News Bites: Community Paper

Trash 2 Cash Update: Week Two!

COMMUNITY BULLETIN: Sexual Assault in Community

The Ottawa Planning Summit: Developing Our City

﻿﻿﻿THE OTTAWA PLANNING SUMMIT: THE FIRST STEP

A CHALLENGING HISTORY: OTTAWA'S PAST DECADE

READY FOR CHANGE: A MATURE CITY

A GROWING CITY AND A GROWING LIST OF QUESTIONS

ONE STEP AT A TIME

FOR MORE ON THE SUMMIT:

Trash 2 Cash: Week Two Update

Emerald Ash Borer: Update & Grasshopper Park

THE OTTAWA PLANNING SUMMIT: THE FIRST STEP