Category: garbage

Florida, garbage, sewage and drains6 Comments

Surface drainage appeals to politicians more than sewers

Westsideaction

I am glad to see Federal funding for reducing the pollution of the Ottawa River. It is about time governments — Federal, Provincial, and Municipal — stopped giving themselves free passes to pollute public waterways. The City of Ottawa has on numerous occasions averted its eyes from the sewage it dumps in the river. I think it is because politicians don’t see much political value in underground sewers. Once built, you can’t see them.  Much better to spend money on visible projects, especially if they are visible around election time. As we reached “peak sewer” in the 1990’s and realized … Continue reading Surface drainage appeals to politicians more than sewers

garbage, O-Train, OTrain bike path18 Comments

Tire(d) of dumping

Westsideaction

So here’s the picture. An innocent auto-body shop on Breezehill Avenue backs onto the OTrain cut. The slope behind the shop is littered with tires. Just look at the picture !   Now I am sure Japan Auto has nothing to do with the tire dumping. They aren’t a car tire shop are they? No, it must be people sneaking into their fenced yard at night and tossing them over the high chain link fence at the top of the slope. Or maybe it’s people somehow breaking onto the fenced OTrain right of way, missing the running trains while they … Continue reading Tire(d) of dumping

garbage, pedestrians, Preston street, sidewalks, streetscaping2 Comments

Care and enjoyment of expensive streetscaping

Westsideaction

The City spent millions to improve the look and landscaping along Preston. It is now a truly extraordinary street, a joy to walk along. (That it is extraordinary is an indictment of how bad the rest of our streets are…) The contractor repairing the porch of a house (shown above) decided these shrubs make a great place to throw his demolition debris. Who cares? And he is right, there doesn’t seem to be any penalty for those who abuse the plantings. All along the street, residents/businesses with generous paved frontages still decide to stack their garbage bags on top of the … Continue reading Care and enjoyment of expensive streetscaping

garbage, recycling

Green Bin tale

Westsideaction

My neighbors are observant. Someone has noticed my green wheelie bin was not out at the curb yet. I felt obliged to divert the implied criticism by noting that my backyard composter bin is not yet full. Once it is, or we get more snowfalls than I wish to shovel, I will use the green bin. One of the lesser heralded features of the new city composting system is the smart beige carrying bin for the kitchen counter. I used to use a little blue pail that once held the kid’s sidewalk chalk. But this new bin is larger, has a … Continue reading Green Bin tale

Booth St, condos, garbage, little Italy, Ottawa, Preston street, somerset street2 Comments

Uglification Award

Westsideaction

quality work … looking south on Booth looking north on Booth Chado and his Cousin Eddy run body shops on Booth Street between Somerset and Gladstone. Let me clarify that these are automotive body shops, thus legitimate enterprises. If you double click on photo one, you may notice a row of demised trees along the front of the building. Also evident are abandonned tires and what appears to be the remains of a Subway restuarant bench. Photo 2 shows a tree stump, all that is remaining of a city boulevard tree. There is another one by the Insurance deductible sign. … Continue reading Uglification Award

garbage, LRT, O-Train, somerset street

O-Train right-of-way filled in

Westsideaction

The pictured premises are on Somerset St at Bayview. Last year a number of trees on the slope down to the OTrain track (out of camera range, but down slope from the cars) mysteriously died after strange milky white and green fluids were dumped off the edge of the parking lot. Hmm, who knows where those came from? I guess it’s all the sweepings of grit off the parking lot that that have filled in this generous area beyond the paved lot, enough room to park two cars [for now]. I suspect that a picture this fall will show an … Continue reading O-Train right-of-way filled in

garbage, Ottawa, recycling, Walnut Court2 Comments

Composting Thoughts on Garbage Collection Day

Westsideaction

After putting out the full blue box of bottles/cans/tetrapaks I went looking for the Glad bag of household garbage. The garbage can in the driveway was empty. I went into the kitchen, and discovered the little plastic bag from Luciano’s was stuffed rather full of household garbage. Once I gathered up the wastecans from the bathrooms and bedrooms, I still had barely half a green bag of garbage, and this is in a household of two adults, one teen (with a weekend crowd of five more teens living in). So I cleaned out some stuff that I otherwise hadn’t yet … Continue reading Composting Thoughts on Garbage Collection Day