Old Quarry Youth Mountain Bike Skills Park

Submission to the National Capital Commission Greenbelt Master Plan Review - Part 3

By Richard W. Woodley, environmentalist, hiker, mountain biker, snowshoer, cross
country skier, kayaker

(Please note: click on images to enlarge)

While this may seem like a my most radical proposal yet it follows naturally from what I have already written:

Getting people out into the environment, onto the lakes and rivers and into the forests builds healthy lifestyles, and healthy lifestyles improve our health and reduces our health care costs. This is important at a time when obesity, and childhood obesity in particular, is at epidemic levels. We need natural spaces and trails to teach our children the benefits and enjoyment that can be had in the great outdoors. The National Capital Region is fortunate that we have a population that celebrates healthy lifestyles and rises up to challenge those that want to take our natural spaces and trails away from us. Allowing mountain biking on the trails is one more way to encourage people to get out and enjoy nature.

Young people need the type of challenges the outdoors can provide as an alternative to spending their time in a sedentary lifestyle centred on electronic devices, or other even worse, but seemingly exciting, activities like gangs and drugs. Youth can be attracted to these things by the very risks we want to protect them from. Outdoors activities such as rock climbing and mountain biking can provide exciting healthy risks that build character and a healthy body.

Mountain biking is the perfect activity to get young people active and out in the environment. It combines man and machine (or boy and machine) with a sense of adventure, all in a natural setting. The Greenbelt trails are the ideal location as many are closes to neighbourhoods and they have a wide variety of levels of riding difficulty and challenge.

The Old Quarry are trails are particularly suited for young riders just starting out in mountain biking because they provide a wide range of difficulty from easy flat gravel trails to intermediate level rooty and rocky trails.

A beginner level mountain bike skills park adjacent to these trails would be ideal for this location that is close to communities with young families and schools, as well as having it's own parking and close proximity to additional parking and facilities at the Hazeldean Mall.

The proposed location is off to the side of the trails and separated from roadways and traffic by bush.

MTB Park Location
MTB Park Trails
Why A Youth Mountain Bike Skills Park
There are two documented changes in young people's lives from when I grew up to today. They are a decreased level of physical activity and a disconnect from nature. Part of this stems from parents fear of letting their children play and wander outside alone and part of it stems from competition for their attention from technological devices from television to video games to the Internet.

We need to excite kids to get them to choose real outdoor physical activity over indoor virtual pursuits. Mountain biking is seen as an exciting "extreme" sport that can provide that excitement, yet when done with proper training at each individuals ability level it can be as safe as any other sporting activity.

A skills park can provide the setting and resources to teach young people how to handle their bikes safely and how to safely navigate technical mountain bike trails, as well as how to judge what they are capable of safely attempting on their bikes.

As well as including natural and man-made features to learn and practice their skills on, the park could also include educational displays on safe and responsible riding and respect for the trails, the environment and other trail users.

I believe this location is an excellent one for a beginner level mountain biking skills park as young riders can practice the skills they learn in the park on the adjacent trails that provide a wide range of trails of varying levels of technical difficulty.

Approaching Youth MTB Skills Park Site From Trails

Youth MTB Skills Park Site Overview


Youth MTB Skills Park Features


View of Trails From Youth MTB Skills Park Site

I also intend to propose that a more advanced level skills park be established adjacent to the mountain biking trail system in the South March Highlands.

The Truth is Coming Out About the Terry Fox Drive Extension Through the South March Highlands

After hearing from City staff and concerned residents, the Ottawa Forests and Greenspace Advisory Committee passed a unanimous motion to ask the City of Ottawa to immediately stop construction on the Terry Fox drive Extension through the South March Highland until an "in-depth ecological analysis is undertaken."

The Ottawa Citizen reported:

The Ottawa forests and greenspace advisory committee will ask city council to put the construction of the Terry Fox Drive Extension on hold and order a more thorough environmental review.

The committee passed a unanimous motion Monday night to ask the city to "immediately re-examine the demographic, transportational and economic rationale" for the project and to halt construction until an "in-depth ecological analysis is undertaken."

The request will come before the city's planning and environment committee, where it would need the endorsement of councillors before it could be voted on by City Council.

The $47.7-million Terry Fox Drive Extension is being built now to take advantage of $32 million in federal and provincial stimulus funding that runs out in March 2011.

The original plan to build the road dates back to a 1983 Ontario Municipal Board decision to expand Kanata's urban boundary into the South March Highlands, with the road marking the outside perimeter of development.

Once the road is built, 182 hectares of natural lands inside the arc of the road are expected to be bulldozed for housing.

But the highlands, a 895-hectare area of near-pristine woodlands and wetlands, have been identified by the province as a candidate for the designation of Area of Natural and Scientific Interest containing a complex of Provincially Significant wetlands.

At the meeting many residents expressed concerns about the project.

The Ottawa Sun reported:

It was standing room only at the city’s forest and greenspace advisory committee meeting Monday evening.

Marjorie Edwards, who lives on Old Carp Rd., said she fears the extension of Terry Fox Dr. will lead to more development and further destruction of sensitive environmental areas, with devastating consequences.

“The land is going to be developed. It started out as environmentally protected land from the province and it still is, but people seem to be able to find ways of circumventing it,” she said.

The road will encroach on habitat of about a half dozen species at risk, including the Blanding’s turtle and the western chorus frog. The project will also pass through four significant wetland areas and require about 10.5 hectares of clear cutting.

Judy Makin, who also lives in the area, shares Edwards’ concerns.

“Unbeknownst to most of the city of Ottawa, we’ve got a little Algonquin Park in our backyard and we’re putting a road through it. It’s not wise,” she said, comparing the South March Highlands to the protected provincial park.

Makin called on the advisory committee to recommend council issue an immediate stop work order to prevent any further construction. She also called for the establishment of a governing body, what she called the Ottawa Forest Keeper, to protect sensitive areas and deny destructive planning proposals.

“We cannot allow this roadway to provide the final doorway to even more destruction,” she said.

Paul Renaud made a very interesting presentation on "Ottawa's Other Transportation System" in which he stated:

As you can see from this aerial photo, looking down from 50 km, we can see 3 major eco-corridors running in parallel to each other:

-Gatineau Park to the North
-Constance Lake – Shirley’s Bay along the River
-South March Highlands to the South

Each of these eco-corridors plays a vital role in the transportation system of the National Capital:

-They enable the transportation of animals, fish, and birds who live in and travel within them
-Who in turn carry native seeds, pollen, and other genetic material up and down these corridors
-This transportation of vital genetic material helps the City fight off the invasive species that our now threatening us as a result of the combination of irresponsible development and climate change
-These eco-corridors also help absorb the GHG emitted by the City’s other transportation system, turning these noxious fumes back into life-giving oxygen.

How is it that City planners have been oblivious to the whole transportation picture?

I encourage you all to read the full text of his presentation in his blog Virtual Nonsense: Can You Still See The Forest?, and be sure to view the very interesting slides he presented.

I must say, knowing how difficult it is to stop road construction in our automobile dominated society, I was very sceptical about the prospects of success for this campaign. However, it appears that the hard work being done by a lot of people behind the scenes in ferreting out the truth about these projects is starting to have an effect and I am beginning to think that there may indeed be hope, to not only stop the Terry Fox Drive Extension through the South March Highlands but to also stop the destruction proposed by the KNL development plans.

Question for Dalton McGuinty About Sex Education

When should students learn about sex in the classroom?

Before or after they learn about it in the schoolyard?

Before or after they start having sex?

When professional educators deem it appropriate or when the Roman Catholic Church says it's allowed?

Let's Send Clive to Copenhagen

I would like to congratulate the National Capital Commission, and in particular CEO Marie Lemay, for their enlightened approach to cycling in the capital. The Ottawa Citizen reports:

Ottawa has a car-first, bike-after attitude, says the chief executive of the National Capital Commission. And Marie Lemay said residents have to decide if that's really the way they want to build the future of Canada's capital.

One of the fundamental things that I think we need to have a discussion about is, do we want our National Capital Region to be bike- and pedestrian-friendly? And if the answer is yes, we have to be ready to do the things that implies. It might mean it will be more difficult for cars, for example, she said.

Do we make the decision that bikes and pedestrians come first? And if we do that, everything else follows.

Lemay said the place of cyclists and pedestrians will be a central question in the NCC's new, three-year initiative to develop a plan for Canada's capital. Public discussions on the plan are to begin this summer.

The Ottawa Citizen further reports:

The head of the National Capital Commission says she hopes Ottawa Mayor Larry O’Brien will join her and Gatineau Mayor Marc Bureau as they travel to a major bicycling conference in Copenhagen in June to pick up tips on how to turn the national capital into a cycling role-model for Canada.

“If it is him, I’ll be thrilled and, if it’s not, and it’s a councillor, I’ll be very happy. The important thing is that we do have a political champion with us,” said the NCC’s CEO.

Mayor Larry O'Brien as a political champion of cycling does not seem to be a very good fit. Indeed, we need someone to go the the conference who is already a political champion for cycling, who has the background and can come back even more enlightened and energized to lead Ottawa into a new future that is not dictated by the automobile. Who better to fill that role than Councillor Clive Doucet, who will almost certainly be back on Council after the next election, unlike Mayor Larry who does not even know yet whether he wants the job.

The Velo-city Global 2010 conference will feature four days of presentations and discussions by cycling experts and policy-makers from around the world. Topics include cycling in mega-cities; cycling in cold, hilly cities; suburban cycling; and lifting the social status of the bicycle, among many others.

The sheer fact of being in Copenhagen and observing the cycling culture there is also an important aspect of the trip, Lemay said.

“They definitely do put cyclists and pedestrians first. Even the signage at street lights. The priority is not to the car,” said Lemay.

“To see that and be immersed in a totally different way of thinking, then you can see that it can actually be done. I’m hoping from there, you move backwards, and say, ‘what do we like about this, and how can we get there?’ ”

Although the NCC has maintained recreational biking paths in the national capital region for 40 years, Lemay said she realized last summer the importance of moving beyond those paths to create a safe, integrated network of cycling lanes and pathways across the downtown cores of Ottawa and Gatineau.

One thing Marie Lemay has right, and that Clive Doucet would agree with, is that we need to build a city for ordinary cyclists. As the Ottawa Sun reports:

“When you have Lance Armstrong sending in a bib from the Tour de France, I mean, that accident went around the world,” said Doucet. “I think people are beginning to realize Ottawa is a wonderful place to be a recreational cyclist, but a terrible place to be an ordinary cyclist.”

Doucet said the reputation Ottawa had built as a cycle-friendly city had little to do with the municipality’s efforts. The National Capital Commission established and continues to maintain the vast network of bike trails that earned the city its good standing in the first place.

“If you strip away the NCC shared bicycle pathways, the city has nothing,” said Doucet.

Lemay makes the point that while avid cyclists may cycle anywhere and everywhere all the time ordinary cyclists will only cycle if they feel it is safe.

Lemay, who lives in Chelsea, said she owns a bike but is not an “avid cyclist.”

She said she’d love to bike around downtown Ottawa, but she’s concerned about safety on city streets. She believes this gives her something in common with other people who would like to use their bikes more, but don’t feel comfortable cycling in traffic.

“This is not about accommodating the avid cyclist. This is about integrating cycling into a sustainable mode of transportation,” Lemay said.

“It’s not about just one segment of the population. It’s everybody. It’s me. It’s all the other people that could be using their bikes if it was safer. If it was easier.

The City of Ottawa has to show that it is serious about changing from being subservient to the automobile to embracing the future, a future that already exists in much of Europe.

I have already presented my ideas and I encourage everyone else to let the City and the NCC know what they think.

Once Upon A Time In Teronia

The following is a fable, but like all fables it contains hidden (and not so hidden) truths.

Once upon a time in a land called Teronia there was a village surrounded by pristine environmental lands. The villagers cherished these lands and the village elders declared that they would be protected for all time.

Then they were visited by representatives of the Guild of Developers who told the villagers that if they were allowed to "develop" their precious environmental lands everyone would benefit. But the villagers knew better and said "never never".

So the Guild told the village elders that they would go to The Lords of Omb who would give them permission. The elders said "do you really think they would do that" and the Guild said "they always do" and the elders gave each other knowing looks and just shook their heads.

Then the Guild said to the villagers, and the elders, that they would promise to keep half of the lands as "greenspace" if they would not oppose their plans. A group of the villagers, known as "the radicals", said "you cannot trust the Guild" but the elders said "but we have no choice".

So the Guild built roads and houses and a place for a new sport called "golf" where gentlemen would hit small rocks with sticks and chase after them in chariots. They removed the trees and plants and wildlife and planted a single type of grass that the rocks rolled easily on and they spread chemicals on it to help it grow and poisons on it to stop other things from growing and called it "greenspace".

When the villagers saw the final plan they saw that their precious environmental lands were to be destroyed - the half of the lands that was to be "greenspace", that they thought would protect their precious lands, was nothing but a "golf course" and narrow corridors with unnatural man made pathways instead of the rugged trails that were there. They knew that they had been deceived.

The local elder said "a deal is a deal and we lost and now it is time for us to change sides and support whatever the Guild wants", but the radicals said "No - it is never to late to do what is right".

So how will this fable end. That will be up to the villagers.

What We Don't Know About the Terry Fox Drive Extension (TFD) and the South March Highlands

This is based on what I have learned from from information provided by many interested local residents and activists who have been looking into the details of this project and are contributing to an informal mailing list. This is a very complex issue and to avoid writing a documented treatise I will just be presenting highlights without attribution to their sources.

For more detailed information please contact Paul Renaud at paul@renaud.ca

Fast-Tracking the Environmental Assessment Process

It has become clear that the City of Ottawa has been fast-tracking the environmental assessment process for the project in order to expedite it to gain federal economic stimulus funding. Indeed it appears the City has been playing fast and loose with the environmental assessment process for the project and taking advantages of any and all loopholes in the process. I have read copies of extensive correspondence with the authorities regarding this and the complexity makes it impossible to summarize.

The following letter has been sent (by one of the mailing list participants) to Ottawa City Councillors.

Subject: RE: CEAR, Assessment 09-01-51616

Marianne, and other members of Council,

Further to my prior correspondence, you should be aware that the 2004/2005 EA Addendum for Terry Fox Drive that was approved by City Council did NOT include ANY realignment of Shirley’s Brook. A realignment of the stream on the north side was added only in the 2007 EA, documented as Exhibit C-10, dated April 2006. However, the City did NOT file a Notice of Completion for this EA and that proposed realignment in the 2007 EA was NEVER approved by Council. This does not meet my definition of fiscal responsibility and I wish to confirm that it doesn’t meets yours either.

Subsequently the scope of the realignment has increased significantly and it is evident that this project is now out of control. It is time that Council revokes any delegated authority to staff and re-assert its control over this project.

Council should also insist that staff stop fighting with provincial authorities and follow the Municipal Class EA Process as required by law. The law states that the City should be filing a single integrated EA document, based on the provincial process and updated as required to meet federal standards, for this project.

It is inconceivable that the project is proceeding, at the provincial level, under a stale EA dated 2005, and simultaneously proceeding at the federal level (not requiring public consultation), under a newer plan dated 2010. This does not meet any definition for an integrated process.

Even worse is that the federal CEEA documentation contains significant changes to both planning and environmental context that, according to provincial law, requires the proponent to file an EA Addendum and seek feedback from interested parties.

Council should not be permitting staff to operate in a lawless and irresponsible way. What are you going to do about this intolerable situation?

Biodiversity and the Brunton Report

The following is a extracted from a summary(prepared by one of the mailing list participants) of Brunton's 2004 Study of Biodiversity in the areas impacted by the Terry Fox Drive Extension (TFD).

The area is very bio-diverse with 268 species of vascular flora and over 134 species of birds cataloged. In addition to the provincially rare species found in the area, there are also 4, formerly 5, Regionally Rare species of plants:

- Rusty Woodsia
- Southern Blue Grass
- Wood-Rush
- Long-leaved Chickweed

According to this study, page 13, the 5th regionally rare species of plant life, “Spiny Coon-tail (Ceratophyllum echinatum) [was] extirpated in 2003 by the destruction of wetland habitat in Richcraft Property east of First Line Road right of way.”

This is the very same Richcraft that proposes to use the Plan B extension of TFD to appeal to the OMB to further destroy (I mean “develop”) lands west of the planned road!

The area of our first hike included the Richardson Forest habitat straddling the watershed divide between the headwaters of Watt’s Creek (which I have previously incorrectly referred to as Kizell Creek because it runs thru the Kizell Drain wetland) and the Carp river. According to Brunton, page 15, this area is one of the 4 most significant areas for ecological connectivity in the South March area and contains a White Pine forest area that is Regionally Significant.

TFD will sever this connectivity and development of the KNL land will “result in a major reduction in the ecological corridor function presently active [in the area]” and “virtually all of the interior forest values of the Richardson Forest will be eliminated.” (pages 23-24).

Evidently the Kizell Drain wetland scored 585 out of the 600 minimum points required to qualify as a Provincially Significant Wetland. So close! Given that the City of Ottawa’s Official Plan has a goal of protecting Locally Significant Wetlands, I doubt that city planners can reconcile why Kizell Drain is being allowed to be ecologically severed from South March and be turned into a storm sewer for the surrounding urban development. Saying that the “OMB made me do it” doesn’t cut it as an excuse.

Also making this area special is the presence of 18 Regionally Uncommon species of flora and 8 Regionally Uncommon species of birds. These birds require “uncommonly pristine forest habitats” now threatened by the development that will accompany this road. Brunton notes that the open condition caused by right of way (i.e. TFD) facilitates the spread of invasive, non-native vegetation.

Brunton also found the largest local population of Regionally Rare Short-headed Sedge (Carex brevior) growing on the bedrock outcrops near Richardson Side Road. He also observed Blanding’s turtle and the Golden-winged Warbler in the Special Study Area that we hiked through.

In this report, Brunton expresses concern that the mitigation proposed by the City for TFD is an ecological passageway whose location may be sub-optimal. Evidently a developer proposed an even less optimal location than the one originally determined by Dillon Consulting’s 3-month winter study (when most wildlife are hibernating). Evidently, discussion on the merits of one location over the other centered on the amount of rock to be removed and whether this was any worse than the earthwork impact on wetlands caused by the road itself. (perhaps this line of thinking should be given a name - the logic of incremental destruction)

Brunton’s report points out that ecological connectivity would be the more important criteria for planners to use! Final selection of this route was not determined by the time Brunton’s report was completed, so it would be important to find out the rationale & facts relied upon by the City in choosing the location of these “mitigation” measures.

Brunton, page 29, recommends a 50 meter protection zone (per the Ontario Natural Heritage Manual) around all lands zoned NEA due to the “uncommonly sensitive nature of the South March Highlands landscape. … This is particularly so in light of South March Highlands soils being generally more vulnerable to disturbance and less capable of supporting disturbance-tolerant natural vegetation than landscapes on the clay and loom based lowlands which dominate eastern Ontario.”

He also goes on to recommend that the waterways that drain some of the area into the Carp River maintain their natural course and that the standard City of Ottawa 30 meter no-development buffer is applied.

As for TFD, he states bluntly “the finished roadway would constitute: (1) a significant impediment to wildlife movement along the Hazeldean Escarpment, raising public safety as wildlife mortality issues, and (2) increased fragmentation of the habitat.”

2004 Brunton Report

2008 Brunton Report

Species at Risk

There are many species at risk in the habitat of the South March Highlands that are potentially impacted by the Terry Fox Drive Extension. The City of Ottawa has identified Trillium Woods as the most environmentally significant section of the South March Highlands. The Terry Fox Drive Extension will cut off this smaller section from the larger conservation area placing its habitat under great stress and at great risk.

One of the challenges facing the public is the incomplete documentation surrounding the patchwork of environmental studies done by the City over the years. Each document discovered seems to surface more facts not previously disclosed and often omits other information previously disclosed about the South March Highlands ecosystem and the Terry Fox Road project that seeks to sever it in two.
The total is now 17 species-at-risk:

3 x Endangered Species
- American Ginseng (Plant)
- Butternut (Tree)
- Loggerhead Shrike (Bird)

6 x Threatened Species
- Blanding’s Turtle (Reptile)
- Whip-poor-will (Bird)
- Western Chorus Frog (Amphibian)
- Eastern Musk / Stinkpot Turtle (Reptile)
- Olive Sided Flycatcher (Bird)

8 x Special Concern Species
- Bridle Shiner (Fish)
- Short Eared Owl (Bird)
- Black Tern (Bird)
- Common Nighthawk (Bird)
- Snapping Turtle (Reptile)
- Eastern Milksnake (Reptile)
- Monarch (Insect)
- Bald Eagle (Bird)

The Ontario Species at Risk at will provide automatic habitat protection for 4 of these 12 species within 2 years. Some would consider it immoral for the City to act now in a way that it knows will be illegal in 2 years. Hundreds of residents have already objected to Richcraft, KNL, and Urbandale developing subdivisions in this ecologically sensitive area.

Shirley's Brook Realignment

There are some serious issues regarding the extent of the Shirley's Brook realignment that is being done as part of the Terry Fox Drive Extension (as well as the KNL development), especially as regards the inaccurate reporting of fish populations done as part of the environmental assessment process.

Misinformation appears to have been the City’s agenda because any statement that fish are not present is unfounded on fact. The 2000 ESR notes the presence of Central Mudminnow, Northern Redbelly Dace, Finescale Dace, Bridle Shiner, Buntnose Minnow, Fathead Minnow, and Brook Stickleback in the area where Shirley’s Brook will be relocated near the rail crossing.

The 2007 Addendum further notes that “the presence of larval fish within the area [i.e. in the location of the rail crossing] indicated that the site is utilized as a rearing and nursery habitat.”

In the area most affected by the diversion, the 2007 Addendum notes the presence of Central Mudminnow, Brook Stickleback, Northern Redbelly Dace, Blacknose Shiner, and Creek Chub. The report states “Based on the fish species present within this watercourse, this watercourse is characterized as providing seasonal spawning, nursery and forage habitat during spring and/or high flow conditions for cyprinids [minnow species] and other baitfish species.”

Evidently, the City would like to bury the 2007 study as it seriously contradicts their assertion that no fish are present.

FYI, the 2000 ESR also notes that muskrat was observed in the area of Shirley’s Brook.

The Terry Fox Drive Extension and A Quebec Bridge

TFD might also become a major arterial route for the proposed site of the western bridge to Quebec.

The most logical site for a western bridge would be up Moodie where the 416 meets the 417, but that cuts through an existing developed subdivision and the river is wider at that point. Terry Fox is the City's next best choice - especially since it will eventually cut thru the wetland on the other end to link to Hunt Club via Maple Grove Road.

The reason that the transportation factor scores were low for the bridge at Riddell was that March Road provided the only link to the 417. Earlier bridge studies (e.g. 1995, 1999) had included the dotted line for Terry Fox, and referred to it as a "ring road". Now it's happening... So not only would it be a link between Morgan's Grant and Centrum/ Stittsville, it would also eventually be a trucking route from the 417 to Aylmer/ Gatineau!

Alternative Roadway

It has been suggested that an upgrade of Goulbourn Forced Road would be a suitable alternative to the Terry Fox Drive Extension.

While a road may be needed to facilitate access between the Centrum and Morgan’s Grant, it does not have to follow the route currently chosen. NONE of the environmental assessments conducted by the City for this road have ever considered the impact on these species-at-risk in decision-making about where the road should go. Incredibly, in the 10-year planning history of this road the City has consistently opted for road alignments that have greater impact on the natural environment than other alternatives. Better alternatives were discarded by planning staff because they failed to apply any prioritization to the criteria that they obtained during public consultation.

An upgrade of in Goulbourn Forced Road (GFR) in conjunction with the Part A re‐alignment of GFR will meet the local transportation needs of residents and has already been studied and identified as the environmentally best alternative by the City’s 2000 Environmental Assessment (EA). There is no need for Part B other than to support development in a sensitive area. The only objection to using GFR as an alternative is based on the assumption of significant development in sensitive areas and the increased traffic that it will generate. Although future development has been approved by the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB), final development plans have not been approved.

Left un-opposed, the Terry Fox project could ultimately devastate 3 wetlands (Cederview, March Highlands, Ottawa River/Morgans Grant)

Can KNL's Development Be Stopped

Since the damage from the KNL development is related to and arguably much greater than that from the Terry Fox Drive Extension, can it be stopped. While I tend to think that this is not possible there is another view.

The clock doesn’t have to be rolled back, it just has to go forward in a different direction.

Refusing the road significantly undermines the economics of development in the area and creates a basis for limiting future development. Developers will have to modify their plans and they cannot force the road to be built.

Meanwhile Federal infrastructure dollars can be applied to upgrading GFR which was already studied as alternative 4-3B in the 2000 ESR. This is just as “shovel ready” as the poorly conceived TFD Part B.

Land repurchases to protect NEA land is consistent with the City’s official plan and can further shrink the urban footprint on the area. Strategic repurchases to augment already protected land can save valuable eco-corridors and eco-connectivity in the triangle between South March Highland, Trillum Wood, and Watt’s Creek.

With no new road, reduced economics, rising costs, and an opportunity to recoup land costs with a reasonable profit, it is likely that developers can be convinced to sell land back to the City.

So why can’t we buy the land back and build a park instead that will rival Gatineau park? Even if not all the land in the area is repurchased, any repurchasing reduces urban pressure on both the environment and traffic volumes in the area.

Creation of a larger, better-managed, South March Park will create a recreational destination that also will boost tourism dollars spent in your ward, benefit local business and increase property values.

I also believe that it is possible to raise matching funds for purchasing land for a park from the high tech sector. They will respond to an alternative vision for the area as well as to the perpetual branding opportunities that it might contain (think “RIM-park”, “Mitel-interpretive centre”, etc.). If 3-year branding of the Palladium can be sold for $25 Million, perpetual branding in a highly visible tourist destination nearby can certainly be sold.

All that is missing is bold leadership at a time when everyone else at City Hall is wringing their hands and saying “the OMB made me do it”.

For more detailed information please contact Paul Renaud at paul@renaud.ca

Terry Fox Drive Extension Upcoming Events

April 15: Educational meeting on recovery plans for species-at-risk. Organized by Mississippi Valley Field Naturalists. Meeting is at 7:30 pm at 106 Elgin St. Almonte

April 18: Walk on the Land Part III – Hike to locate and measure the 200 year old Maple that is threatened by the roadwork. Return via Shirley’s Pond which is the headwater for the stream being diverted for the road. Meet at RIM parking lot on Innovation Drive at 1pm.

April 24: 7th Annual Ottawa EcoFair and opportunity to raise awareness about TFD. Our participation in this will be determined at the April 21 meeting. The EcoFair runs 10am – 5pm at the RA Centre, 2451 Riverside Drive.

April 26, City of Ottawa Forest & Greenspace Advisory Committee Meeting – – Colonel By Room at City Hall, 110 Laurier Ouest – 6:30 pm
Steve Stoddard, senior project planner for TFD, discusses environmental implications and the City’s mitigation plan. (same presentation as April 8)

May 2: Walk on the Land Part IV – Hike along Watt’s Creek marshland to attempt to sight Blanding’s turtle and other natural features such as an ancient white pine in the Richardson Forest beside Kizell Drain. Meet at parking lot on Goulbourn Forced road at 1pm.

May 16: Walk on the Land Part V – Hike to Heron Pond which is the largest body of water in the South March Highlands. Hike will leave at 1pm from 2nd Line Road and Klondike (ample parking available along 2nd Line Road) in Morgan’s Grant after first distributing flyers to raise awareness about the increased traffic volume caused by the road expansion.

Please distribute this information widely to interested parties. Everyone is welcome to attend any or all of these events.

Anyone interested in joining on one of the walks should e-mail me ( paul@renaud.ca ) so that we know how many people to expect. All walks will take place rain or shine, so please dress accordingly and with proper footwear for hiking in the woods. I will circulate further logistical info to those participants that I receive email from.

Cheers, Paul Renaud

Do Shoppers Drug Mart and Rexall Own CTV

As far as I know they do not, but anyone who watches Ottawa CTV (CJOH) news might think otherwise as their news coverage of the attempt by the Ontario government to reduce generic drug costs and eliminate drug industry kickbacks to pharmacies could have been written by the pharmacy industry's PR departments.

Background: CBC News - Grits seek ban on generic drug fees

The Fifth Column Takes A Stand on the Terry Fox Drive Extension

The Fifth Column has had an opportunity to receive information from the Sierra Club on it's campaign against the Terry Fox Drive Extension through the South March Highlands and it has become clear that the City of Ottawa has been playing fast and loose with the environmental assessment process for the project in order to expedite it to gain federal economic stimulus funding.

Based on what we have learned the Fifth Column opposes the fast-tracking of this project and believes that all construction and other work that impacts the environment should be halted until a full and thorough environmental assessment has been completed.

While the Fifth Column still needs to do more studying of this project and the alternatives, based on what we know now, we certainly are leaning towards completely opposing the project.

The Fifth Column plans to post more on this in the near future.

Sudbury's Leo Gerard Speaks on West Virginia Coal Mining Disaster

West Virginia Coal Miners Murdered

Perhaps not in the legal sense, but this speaks of moral responsibility:

Massey Energy's sprawling Upper Big Branch mine has a history of violations involving the ventilation of combustible methane gas.

Last year, the mine faced 458 safety violation citations, and 50 of those were classified as "unwarrantable failures to comply," according to the Mine Safety and Health Administration.

At the time of Monday's explosion, the mine was facing more than $150,000 US in fines for pending safety violation charges.

In 2006, Massey Energy was fined $1.5 million for 25 violations that inspectors concluded contributed to the deaths of two miners who were trapped in a fire in another West Virginia mine owned by the company.

Click here for full CBC News report

Easter

It's All About The Pope

The American Dream and Lazy Poor People

As a Canadian I find it very difficult to understand the attitude of many Americans, and not just the extreme right, that the poor do not deserve health care and particularly that their hard earned tax dollars should not pay for it.

The only reason I can come up for this is that they really do believe in the America Dream - literally and completely. That dream being that if you work hard you can become rich. If you follow that reasoning to it's logical conclusion then, if you are not rich you did not work hard, and if you are poor it is because you are lazy.

While that may seem absurd, a lot of things Americans believe are pretty absurd by Canadian standards, as seen by the results of this public opinion poll.

How Stupid Can Someone Be

Finally someone stupider than Sarah Palin

Sudbury Steelworkers Stand Strong in Solidarity

88.7% Congratulations Brothers and Sisters.




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Fifth Column in Limbo ?

I apologize for the Fifth Column going into apparent limbo. The Fifth Column hopes to be back to reasonably regular postings (at least a few times a week) soon.

Liberals Pretend to Oppose Tory Budget

In a bold move yesterday the leader of Canada's Natural Abstaining Party declared "Liberals will vote against the budget but not in sufficient numbers to defeat the government".

This was further clarified: "A senior Liberal, talking on background, said the party will probably register its opposition to the budget through absences of MPs from the confidence votes in the weeks ahead".

Follow Me

With the Olympics, the great biking weather and other stuff to do lately I have been somewhat neglecting the Fifth Column but I hope to get back into things shortly.

In the meantime I thought I would thank my Followers. Looking at blog stats is one thing but seeing readers actually take the time to "follow" my blog really keeps me encouraged to keep writing.

If you are a regular reader you can follow my blog by clicking "Follow" on the right.

Curling - WOW

Yes, I've been watching Olympic curling. What a combination of science, art, and athletic control. I could try and explain that but the best way to understand it is to watch international or Brier level competition.

Numbers

Which ranking is more important to you, and which should the government spend more money on improving.

This Number
or
This Number.

Who Is To Blame For The Olympics

So is it all just fun and games and are we all just blind to what is wrong with the Olympics.

I don't think so. I think many people have problems with what the Olympics have become with more emphasis on profit than sport and more emphasis on sponsors than athletes, not to mention the impact on the communities the Olympics are held in, which is more often positive for the wealthy and negative for the poor. On the other hand, many have been sucked into the spectacle that the Olympics have become, a spectacle that is dependent on, and supportive of, corporate money and sponsors. Sponsors money feeds the spectacle and the spectacle feeds corporate profits and somewhere in there is IOC empire building.

But we support the Olympics anyway because we still believe in the ideal, and more importantly because it is the only Olympics that the athletes have.

As for the Olympic sponsors, some seem to be really bizarre.

I do find it ironic that the company that has been exploiting Canadians longer than any other company is an official sponsor, especially since their Canadian Olympic clothing is "Made in China", but they do have the protection of the Fashion Police.

I also find it really strange to watch world class athletes promoting McJunk food and I have to wonder how many IOC or VANOC dinner meetings have been held at the Official Restaurant of the Olympics. And then there are the official Olympic drugs, not to mention official beer and wine suppliers. And what is a sporting event without an official gambling provider.

And I am offended by the fact that the Olympic organizers are forcing Canadians, and visitors, who want to use a credit card at the Olympics (and do not have the right card) to get a new one.

And then there is this.

There have been protests raising serious concerns about the Olympics, although protesting at an international sports/cultural event obviously does not receive the same amount of public acceptance as protesting at international political/economic events. The protests have included some damage to the property of corporate sponsors by masked "protesters". They state their case here.

While I can certainly agree that the minimal physical damage done by these masked "protesters" is nowhere near the damage done to the poor and disadvantaged by the holding of the games I cannot condone it, primarily because it does more harm than good to the cause.

I am one who believes people should stand up for what they believe in and not hide behind masks. I am even uncomfortable with the concept of anonymous blogging, but I can understand the reason for it and it does no harm to anyone. If these "protesters" want to make a point about damage done to the poor by doing damage to the property of those they consider to be causing it, then do it out in the open, surrender to the police, and then argue your case in the courts of law and public opinion.

But what I would suggest, as an alternative to protests that alienate the public, is that in the future the emphasis be put on the People’s Summit aspect of the protests and that the protesters propose to the Olympic organizers that they will not take to the streets in exchange for the Olympic organizers sanctioning and publicizing a People’s Summit that examines all aspects of the Olympics. The media should pledge to give the People’s Summit reasonable coverage, especially the host broadcaster. The People’s Summit should be completely independent, possibly university based, and include full criticism of the Olympics. It should provide for some participation by Olympic organizers, which would allow them to state their case and, more importantly, allow them to be held accountable by the public for their actions.

This will be to both sides advantage - the serious protesters will be better able to make their case and reach the public without a public backlash and they will not be tainted by the actions of so-called anarchists, who will be marginalized and easier for the organizers to deal with.

This is not to say that the problems are not serious enough to justify taking to the streets but that the alternative can be more effective in reaching, rather than alienating, the public.

Of course if Olympic organizers are not prepared to be subjected to public scrutiny and public criticism they can always reject the idea and suffer the consequences of continuing, and probably escalating protests at future Olympics.

In closing, I want to say, as a Canadian, that I am proud of all our Bronze Medal Winners and others in the world can make as many jokes about that as they want. I do not believe that you're a loser if you don't win a gold medal. Indeed, if you've worked hard enough to actually be good enough to participate in the Olympics you're already a Winner and I am proud of all of our Olympic athletes.

Winter Biking

Well, I have actually got into the winter biking thing and pedalled over 230 km since December on the winter bike with the studded tires.

The Winter Bike
Most of my riding is around the communities of Bridlewood and Glen Cairn on the neighbourhood collector roads which are usually always clear. Lately due to the lack of snow even the side streets have been easily rideable.

The cold has been somewhat of a challenge, as biking adds about an extra 15 km/hr wind chill, so my rides have typically been limited to 15-20 kilometres.

I have to say that I am quite pleased and somewhat surprised at how well the cheap Supercycle performs, even the gears are shifting well despite the cold and slush, although I have been bringing the bike inside every week or so to clean and lube. I've been using pretty heavy lube - lithium grease and chain saw bar oil, which I am pretty sure would get the bike clogged up with gunk from the trails in the summer, but it seems to help protect from the salt and slush in the winter.

The studded tires are also fantastic. When I first started riding them I would look for every piece of ice I could to test them on. The other day I was over on some new subdivision roads where they have not been working in the winter and found lots of ice to tool around on and it was like riding on bare pavement.

The only problem with the cheap bike is the lack of suspension on some of the hard packed walking trails that are not cleared (gravel rather than pavement underneath) and even though they don't look so bad you can really feel the bumpiness without suspension so I don't usually last very long on those sections.

The actual forest trails are much smoother than that, and due to the recent trail conditions I was actually able to ride a few times on the Old Quarry Trail where the snow is packed enough that I just rode along top without sinking in, and wide enough I could ride alongside the ski tracks where there were any. Even people walking the trails are not sinking in. Other trail users seemed more amused than anything and I often stopped to chat with them. One asked me if I was patrolling the trail, probably because I had my yellow reflective vest on that I wear to be certain to be seen in traffic.

A Typical Ride on The Winter Bike (click to enlarge)
I am still looking forward to the new biking season and getting out on the good bikes but the winter bike is at least keeping me pedalling and it will be something to ride in the spring until they stop dumping bike-killing salt on the roads and paths.

Murdock River Paddling Route

Every summer we spend a week at a wonderful Bed and Breakfast in Northern Ontario called Whispering Pines on the Bay. We cannot describe it any better than our wonderful hosts do on their website.

Welcome to a little piece of Heaven on Earth. We invite you to join us to hear the peaceful call of the loon, the relaxing sound of waves lapping against a rocky shore, and the beauty of Northern Ontario. Bob and Peggy Fera invite you to join us for friendly hospitality, bountiful food, and a home away from home.

This is not an arrive late, leave right after breakfast kind of place but a real "home away from home" where you are always assured of meeting interesting people from all over the world.

Whispering Pines on the Bay is surrounded by wilderness, located approximately halfway between the City of Sudbury and Killarney Provincial Park and close to the French River.

It is located on Kakakiwaganda Lake, also known as Rock Lake, with fishing, boating and paddling opportunities. There are also old logging roads and ATV trails in the area suitable for mountain biking.

The Murdock River flows from Kakakiwaganda Lake to the French River and that is what this post is about.

I have been thinking of undertaking that paddling route with my kayak. We have paddled part way a few times but never undertaken the complete 32 km distance (as measured on the map) which includes several portages. I understand the number and difficulty of the portages depends on the water levels which do vary from time to time. But it is a navigable route.

So with that in mind I have put together a collection of maps of the route using the Canadian Topographic Maps, as well as LandSat satellite images. I also created a GPS track of the route from the map, so please note that the GPS route is not a track of an actual paddling excursion.

What follows are the maps I created. If you wish a copy of the GPS track (GPX format) or a PDF version of the maps suitable for printing at 8 1/2 by 14 inches (legal size) please email me at: richardw.woodley@gmail.com.

Click on Map Images to Enlarge Them
Garmin MapSource Map of GPS Track
Canadian Topographic Maps Combined
Canadian Topographic Map 1
Canadian Topographic Map 2
Canadian Topographic Map 3
LandSat Combined Views
LandSat View 1
LandSat View 2
LandSat View 3

The Green Bin Program - Simple Works

This is a follow-up to Why Sabotage The Green Bin Program.

Today was Green Bin Day and even though I untaped the newspaper lining it stayed in the bin so I don't have to reline it. I just retaped the top and it should be good for another two weeks. Eventually I will have to dump the lining in the bin and start over but it looks like I get at least one month per 5 minutes spent lining the bin.

Seems pretty simple to me. No need for expensive and wasteful bin liners.

Local 6500 - Six Months Stronger

We'll only get through this in solidarity. I want to make this crystal clear that I stand with you in this dispute. You are my citizens and I stand with you, my citizens, shoulder to shoulder in this struggle.

John Rodriguez, Mayor, Greater City of Sudbury

Support Local 6500 Sudbury

Why I Don't Capitalize god

Well it all goes back to being taught the rule that all references to god are capitalized no matter what, including, he, him, etc., apparently just because, well because god is god. As a non-believer that did not sit well with me so I stopped capitalizing god completely. Of course if that rule did not exist god would still be capitalized according to the rule that you capitalize all proper nouns including the names of fictitious entities like god. But I still can't bring myself to do it.

The People Get It - Harper Hates Democracy

Well perhaps this is a bit of an overstatement. Perhaps it's more that he just finds it an annoying irritant and inconvenience that prevents him from acting as Supreme Exalted Ruler.

The Tories might not get it, but the people do, as evidenced by their reactions both in cyberspace and in public spaces, not to mention polling results.

Well the people may not understand all the intricacies of Parliamentary procedure and the difference between prorogation and the House simply not sitting they finally have clued into what is behind it all - behind Harper's prorogation to avoid confidence motions and his prorogation to avoid being held accountable for his government's policy on torture and all his actions since the election.

Stephen Harper has no respect for the House of Commons, no respect for Parliament and no respect for democracy. No wonder he has no comprehension of the fact that a minority government has to earn the confidence of the House of Commons in order to govern legitimately.

No one elected him dictator. He has no right to bully the majority of the House of Commons into supporting him.

Indeed it is the majority of the House of Commons that has the right, and responsibility, to govern. Now if only they would act accordingly. The people are ready for democracy.

Thank You David Warren

I was beginning to worry about the Pope but you have assured me that the Pope has not gone over to the dark side - he has not forsaken god and embraced science nor has he accepted the evil that is sexual equality. Nor should I worry that the Pope thinks governments have an environmental responsibility because that would be "socialist materialism" and a "statist solution", which as you state, the Pope rejects.

I am not sure what "statist solutions" are but I can only assume that they are government actions like holding child molesters accountable and punishing them for their sins crimes. After all who are we to judge - that is for god to do after they die. Oh, but I forgot, if they accept Jesus as their saviour all is forgiven after they die.

But then again, this all assumes that you, David Warren, have a clue and some sense of reality outside of your own sheltered extreme right wing existence.

Prorogation - The Best Thing Stephen Harper Ever Did for Canadian Democracy

If you believe that Stephen Harper's prorogations are part of the normal Parliamentary process then read this.

If you believe nobody cares then go here (over 200,000 members and counting).

So why is prorogation the best thing Stephen Harper ever did for Canadian democracy.

Because he may have finally awakened the Canadian public to the role of Parliament and the fact that our Parliamentary democracy is based on the concept of Parliamentary supremacy and the requirement for the government to have the support and confidence of the House of Commons to govern legitimately.

Pierre Trudeau is reported (July 25, 1969) to have said that Members of Parliament are nobodies when they are off Parliament Hill. Stephen Harper seems to believe that they are nobodies when they are sitting in the House of Commons.

In December 2008 Stephen Harper suspended Canadian democracy and through a clever PR campaign managed to convince the Canadian people that a government led by the leader of the party with the most seats (but a minority of seats) in the House was more democratic than a party led by a leader who had the support and confidence of a majority of Members of the House of Commons. It was a situation that left those of us that understood how Parliamentary democracy works shaking our heads.

Since then Stephen Harper has continued to treat Parliament as if it does not matter and with his latest attack on Parliamentary democracy the people have finally seen the light.

Let us step back a bit and talk about the concept of prorogation. There is nothing wrong with prorogation in itself, the problem is how Stephen Harper (with the collusion of the Governor General) is using it. Saying the Liberals prorogued in the past is meaningless. Prorogation is a normal part of the Parliamentary process.

The normal scenario is that a government is elected. They set forward their program in a Throne Speech. the House of Commons passes most of their legislative program over a period of 12-24 months. Historically the length of time required has increased from sessions around a year in length to sessions normally about eighteen months to two years in some cases. It really depends on how well a government can manage it's legislative program. The House of Commons is then prorogued and a new session starts with a new Throne Speech within days.

Prorogation has nothing to do with the House not sitting. The House routinely recesses for over two months during the summer but they remain in session so they can easily be recalled to deal with emergencies and matters of public interest. Indeed often a government finishes its legislative program at the summer break, but they do not prorogue, they return for a day in September or October and prorogue and the new session starts within days.

That is because, up until Stephen Harper (with one exception and he was forced to resign when Parliament resumed), all governments understood that prorogation was not intended to be used to shut down Parliament. That is because, up until Stephen Harper, Canadian governments understood and respected the concept of Parliamentary supremacy. They actually understood and respected the system of Parliamentary government.

Unfortunately, under the current government, we have a Prime Minister, and may I add a Queen's Representative, who do not respect the principle that when there is a conflict between the House of Commons and the Prime Minister, the House of Commons must prevail. Stephen Harper thinks that when that happens Parliament should be shut down.

Fortunately, the people have finally seen the light and my hope is that Stephen Harper's attempt to take their democracy away from them will get them thinking more about the Canadian democratic process.

For Parliamentary democracy to be truly democratic the House of Commons should reflect how Canadians voted. While there are many factors that go into how people vote, including the individual candidates qualifications, abilities and values, the biggest factors are the policies, programs and philosophies of the parties running in the election. The representation in the House of Commons should reflect these factors. For Parliament to be truly democratic the percentage of seats each party receives should reflect the number of votes each party receives, normally referred to as the popular vote.

Our current single member constituency "first past the post" system does not do this.

However there is a system called Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) that allows voters to not only vote for the local Member of Parliament of their choice but also elect a House of Commons whose membership reflects the percentage of votes each party receives in the election.

Indeed, the main criticism of MMP is that we will not get majority governments unless the voters give one party a majority of the votes. That is right, under MMP if voters vote for a minority or coalition government they will get a minority or coalition government. That is the main criticism of MMP - that voters will get what they vote for. That seems to be a rather strange criticism of a democratic process.

It is time to shut down Stephen Harper and it is time to reform our electoral process. It is time for the people to speak.

Why Sabotage The Green Bin Program

It is clear to me that there are some people that would like to sabotage Ottawa's Green Bin program and I do not understand why. Unfortunately Ottawa City Council has seemed to be an ally, if an unwitting one, to those that would seek to see the program fail.

Ottawa City Council has played into the hands of those that would love to see the program fail - the haters. The worse thing that the City has done was to help perpetrate they myth that the program will cost the city money rather than save money. They did this by proposing to pay for it with a special levy on residential taxes only, and by continuing to emphasize the direct costs of the program without any reference to the savings from the program.

Of course the direct costs are easy to estimate. On the other hand, estimating the costs of finding new landfill sites, if any are available, or alternatively the costs of shipping our garbage who knows where for an indefinite period of time are unknown, but certainly greater than the costs of diverting that garbage into the Green Bin composting program.

But what were taxpayers told. We were told that this is a new program that is going to cost us money. It is as if we were not previously paying to dispose of the garbage that will be diverted to the Green Bin program.

While the City has conducted an extensive public relations campaign they have not addressed directly the myths perpetrated by the haters.

For instance, the false concerns raised about vermin or maggots being attracted to the compost in the bins, ignoring the fact that we have always been putting our organic kitchen garbage out for collection in bins, only before we called them garbage cans. Nothing has changed except that the new Green Bins have a fairly secure locking device, better than most garbage cans.

The city also played into the hands of the haters by continuing weekly garbage collection. With recycling and composting, the only things that are left in the garbage are non-recyclable excess packaging and non-repairable broken household appliances and such - nothing that cannot keep for two weeks. It would make much more sense to collect those things every two weeks and the organic compost weekly. But instead, the city listened to the irrational arguments of the haters.

The city, and other well meaning people, including media fluff writers, have helped sabotage the program by making it seem much more complicated than it needs to be with all their helpful hints about freezing the waste (where was that idea when we were putting it in garbage cans) and buying all sorts of special bags to hold it.

First of all, buying special bags for the compost goes against the whole principle of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. We want to first reduce what we consume - how does buying more stuff help do that.

It does not have to be complicated. For the first few weeks I simply put the kitchen waste in a plastic kitchen container (I used my existing compost pail but the one provided with the Green bin would work fine) and periodically dumped it into the Green Bin in the garage. Every couple of days I used a broom handle to loosen up the compost in the bin and when it came time for pickup there was no problem.

Since then I have refined my methodology, picking up the hint to use old newspapers to line the bin. I put newspapers along the bottom and up the sides a bit and then all along the sides from the top to cover the inside completely. I did have to slightly compromise my "not buy anything new" policy by using a very small amount of masking tape to help hold the newspaper to the sides of the bin at the top. That was a ten minute job the first time as I figured out the methodology and likely five minutes each time from now on.


Simple works. All it takes is caring and a few minutes of time to help save the city, taxpayers, and ultimately yourself money and to reduce the amount of garbage going into landfill and help the planet.

If you're not part of the solution you're part of the problem.

Cycling and Safety in Ottawa

This is being submitted to the City of Ottawa Roads and Cycling Advisory Committee and to selected city councillors.

I am primarily a recreational cyclist, not a commuter. I love riding the trails on my mountain bike but most of my kilometres are put on my hybrid on the paved and gravel pathways, though I do ride the roads on occasion and am just starting to ride in the winter.

Ottawa Police Service's Inappropriate Response to Cycling Injuries Caused by Motorists

This post/submission is inspired by this cycling season's large number of injuries and deaths to cyclists at the hands of motorists and the Ottawa Police Service's inappropriate response of targeting motorists and cyclists equally. A proportionate response is not appropriate because the impact and the risks are not proportionate. Motorists kill cyclists with their vehicles. Cyclists don't kill anyone with their vehicles, and are only a risk of minor injuries to pedestrians in the overwhelming number of situations. Yes, cyclists should obey the rules of the road, and I will deal with that, but motorists are the real threat of injury and death and that is where the bulk of resources should be targeted. Now that I have stated the obvious let us move on.

The police need to move aggressively against reckless and impaired drivers because they are a real threat to everyone on the road, but particularly to cyclists who are not protected by a metal box. Crashing into another vehicle can cause damage, crashing into a cyclist can kill them. While the threat from bad and aggressive drivers is the most obvious, the biggest threat to cyclists is from otherwise good drivers who are unaware of cyclists and the potential threat motorists pose to them.

Cyclists are on the roads, and they have a right to be on the roads. The most important thing that we can do to protect them is to make drivers aware of this, so they are thinking of cyclists whenever they are driving and watching for them. And cyclists need to follow the rules of the road and be where they are supposed to be.

The City of Ottawa website lists some of these rules. Perhaps the most important is "Never compromise your safety for the convenience of a motorist".

More information on cycling in Ottawa is available on the City of Ottawa Website Cycling Page, including the City of Ottawa Cycling Map.

I have a rule for motorists - do not give up your right-of-way (unless you need to avoid an accident). The rules are there so everybody knows what to expect from everyone else. If you give up your right of way to me, with a gesture or whatever, I may be aware but other drivers might be confused. I am happy to wait my turn.

The key thing is awareness of other road users, where they are and what they are going to do. The rules of the road exist so all road users know what to expect, that is why it is so important that everyone follows them.

Stop Signs as Yield Signs For Cyclists - The Idaho Experience

There are already some differences in how the Highway Traffic Act applies to motor vehicles and bicycles, such as the requirement that bicyclists stay to the right and allow motor vehicles to pass, unless it is dangerous to do so. I would like to suggest another difference be implemented and that is the Idaho practice of allowing bicyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs.

The main difference between a bicycle and a motor vehicle is that a bicycle is human powered - having to stop means losing momentum and having to rebuild it again when starting up. This can be particularly frustrating on a hill. The other big difference of course is that a bicyclists is not in a metal cage and thus has a much clearer view all around him than someone in a car. And the biggest difference is that a bicycle is much less dangerous than an automobile.

Experience indicates that allowing bicyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs is safe. As cyclist are going slower to start off with they can easily slow down and check for oncoming traffic without coming to a full stop. The complete stop is what causes the most significant momentum problem. Slowing down enough to check for oncoming traffic allows one to continue, if safe, while conserving considerable human energy.

In the long term this would require the city, along with other cites, to lobby the provincial government to change the law. But in the meantime the police could adopt a policy of only charging cyclists who go through stop signs if they do so in a dangerous manner. It is not unusual for police to prioritize their enforcement policies.

This would also require a public education policy so that cyclists would know what is expected of them, and motorists would understand the reasoning behind the policy. Cyclists at the moment realize they could be charged no matter what speed they go through a stop sign. I would expect this new approach would lead to many cyclists being more cautious at stop signs than they now are.

The Idaho legislation states:

IDAHO STATUTES
TITLE 49
MOTOR VEHICLES
CHAPTER 7

PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLES
49-720. STOPPING -- TURN AND STOP SIGNALS. (1) A person operating a bicycle or human-powered vehicle approaching a stop sign shall slow down and, if required for safety, stop before entering the intersection. After slowing to a reasonable speed or stopping, the person shall yield the right-of-way to any vehicle in the intersection or approaching on another highway so closely as to constitute an immediate hazard during the time the person is moving across or within the intersection or junction of highways, except that a person after slowing to a reasonable speed and yielding the right-of-way if required, may cautiously make a turn or proceed through the intersection without stopping.

Source: Idaho Statutes

More information on the Idaho legislation an experience can be found here:

Toronto Star article

Bicycling blog

Bicycle law blog

Bicycle Civil Liberties Union

Clarifying the Rules Regarding Pedestrian Crosswalks

The Highway Traffic Act includes the following provisions:

Definitions
1. (1) In this Act,
“pedestrian crossover” means any portion of a roadway, designated by by-law of a municipality, at an intersection or elsewhere, distinctly indicated for pedestrian crossing by signs on the highway and lines or other markings on the surface of the roadway as prescribed by the regulations;

Riding in pedestrian crossover prohibited
140.(6) No person shall ride a bicycle across a roadway within a pedestrian crossover. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s.140 (6).

Riding in crosswalks prohibited
144.(29) No person shall ride a bicycle across a roadway within or along a crosswalk at an intersection or at a location other than an intersection which location is controlled by a traffic control signal system. R.S.O. 1990, c H.8, s.144 (29).

I think it makes good sense not to allow cyclists to ride their bikes on crosswalks along sidewalks. Cyclists should not be riding on the sidewalk so they should not be riding on crosswalks.

However there is one situation where the wording of the law may create ambiguity, I am talking about road crossings where shared use paths intersect with roadways. Since the pathway is shared all the way up to the roadway, there is no reason it cannot be shared across the roadway with cyclists remaining on their bikes when crossing the road.

The solution is to simply have the city clarify it's documentation and signage to make clear that shared use pathway crossings are not considered pedestrian crossovers or crosswalks.

Rules of The Shared Pathway - To Ring or Not Ring Your Bell

As we discuss the rules of the road let's look at the rules or conventions of the shared pathway. While I have my understanding of them, it is clear that there is no common understanding amongst pedestrians and cyclists.

My understanding is that all users of a shared pathway should keep to the right, allowing room for both pedestrian and bicycle traffic to move in both directions. Since pedestrians walk on the pathway, not alongside it, they should not be walking in the opposite direction of the pathway traffic. They also should not take up both sides of the pathway, though I am willing to be lenient in this regard as long as they move over for oncoming traffic or traffic that wishes to pass them, whether it be cyclists or joggers.

For that reason pathway users, whether pedestrians or cyclists should always be aware of their surroundings. Please leave the headphones at home when out in traffic, whether on the roads or the shared pathways. You do not have to always be plugged in and disconnected from your surroundings. Sometimes I think the Walkman and the IPod are the most evil and dangerous inventions of mankind.

Let me say this to the pedestrians on the pathway. Now that you are aware of your surroundings and I am approaching you, it is a simple matter to ring my bell to alert you of my presence. It would be a simple decision if I could predict your reaction but I cannot. I know what my purpose is - not to tell you to get off the path, but simply to alert you of my presence and to allow groups of pedestrians to move into single file on the right. However all to often the response is for pedestrians in groups to scatter all over the path or for those walking along the right to move over to the left and into my path. It would make both our lives much easier and safer if upon hearing my bell, you just glanced my way to acknowledge my presence and stayed or moved over to the right in single file to allow me to safely pass. In exchange I will slow down and give you sufficient time to do this.

Life on the shared paths would be much simpler and safer if this approach was adopted as the convention by all pathway users, and perhaps made part of a public education campaign.

Bike Lanes - What Are They

One would think that determining this would be pretty simple.

As far as bike lanes are concerned it was always my assumption that the lines along the roadway about a metre from the curb indicated a bike lane. However, I discovered a couple of problems with that.

The first is that those lines appear on many streets where the City of Ottawa cycling map does not indicate a bike lane exists. Also, in many cases those lines appear along roadways where parking is allowed making the apparent bike lane meaningless because it is dangerous to be moving in and out of the roadway between parked cars.

Something more problematic is the City of Ottawa ad stating that cyclists should ride a meter out from the curb and and the following from the city of Ottawa website which states: "Cyclists generally ride in the right-most through lane, about one metre from the curb or parked cars." The apparent bike lane markings are about a metre from the roadway so if cyclists followed the City's advice they would be riding alongside the apparent bike lane rather than in it, causing motorists to be upset that the cyclist are not riding in what they think is the bike lane, and potentially causing confusion for everyone.

We really need some clarification here.

Shared Pathways - What Are They

You would also think that determining this would be pretty simple. My basic rule has always been that if it is cement it is a sidewalk and if it is asphalt that it is a pathway. But again, looking at the City of Ottawa cycling map, many asphalt pathways are not shown. For example the pathway along Carling Avenue from Holly Acres Road to Moodie Drive is officially designated as a pathway while the pathway along Eagleson Road from Cadence Gate to Hazeldean Road is not, even though they have similar characteristics. Both run along major roadways where many cyclists would be leery of riding on the road and both provide connections between neighbourhoods as well as connections between other pathways.

Indeed, the Eagleson Road pathway connects Bridlewood to the Hazeldean Mall and the Hazeldean community as well as to pathways that connect through Katimavik to Beaverbrook. I would strongly recommend that this route be officially designated as a shared pathway.

For purposes of clarity I would also suggest that all asphalt paved pathways be so designated. If the city wants something to be a sidewalk they should build a proper cement sidewalk.

The Big Issue - Separating Bicycles and Automobiles

This past fall a friend of ours was involved in a vehicular collision when the approaching vehicle veered into his lane. Luckily he survived, though with significant injuries. The people in the other car were killed. He survived because his vehicle was larger and provided better protection. In a collision between a bicycle and a vehicle the cyclist will always be the one to suffer greater injuries or death.

Though I have always tried to avoid riding on the road I have always felt safe when doing so. As long as I obeyed the rules of the road and acted as a vehicle I expected other vehicles to do likewise. Even while driving down the bicycle lane along Hunt Club Road with heavy traffic whizzing by me I felt safe because I had my own designated space. It never really occurred to me that a driver would deliberately drive into the bike lane and maim or possibly kill me. Now it does because we know that that happens way too often.

The only real solution that treats cyclist lives as seriously as motorists lives is to adopt the European approach and separate cyclists from motor vehicles.

I would like to see Ottawa adopt it's own version of this approach built on the existing network of pathways. While dedicated bike paths would be nice to have and would allow for a faster flow of cycling traffic the shared pathways we have now work quite well.

However nothing should prevent cyclists who wish to from continuing to share the road with vehicles.

That being said, providing an alternative to riding on the roads has the potential to substantially increase the number of recreational cyclists and the number of cyclists who commute regularly for work, shopping and other tasks beyond recreational cycling.

So we start by building on the existing pathway network to extend it to a true network that provides connections between all Ottawa communities and neighbourhoods, as well as connecting to the NCC recreational pathway system. Preferably this would be a distinct network separate from the roadway system. Where the network did run parallel to roadways there should be physical barriers or barriers of significant space between bicycles and motor vehicles. The network should never have bicycles and motor vehicles sharing busy roadways only separated by lines on the road.

Of course we cannot have a separate system from door to door. The system would be between neighbourhoods. Cyclists would have to share less busy neighbourhood streets with motor vehicles. In the busy downtown core we should follow the European practice of having separate bike lanes on the sidewalks, rather than the roadways.

The system should be an all-season system. I have recently started winter cycling for recreational purposes and find that more often than not I have to use the roads, as the pathways are usually not cleared - some are not cleared for the whole winter. In my case, as a recreational cyclist, I can easily stick to the local arterial roads that are kept quite clear but commuters do not have a choice of routes. With no reliable pathway system in the winter they have to share the busy roads with motorists when it is the most dangerous.

If we want to encourage more environmentally friendly commuting we need to make a paradigm shift in our snow clearing priorities. I would propose this priority - sidewalks, shared pathways, public transit routes, other roads.

The most important first step is to build a shared pathway system that is uninterrupted and truly connects all Ottawa communities and neighbourhoods.

A Note on Bicycle Helmets

I would be remiss if I did not include this subject in this post/submission.

According to the Ontario Ministry of Transportation:

If you are under the age of 18 you are required by law to wear an approved bicycle helmet when travelling on any public road. Cyclists over 18 are encouraged to wear helmets for their own safety, but are not required to by law.

Source: MTO

It is unfortunate that the government of Ontario does not consider cyclists lives to be as important as drivers lives. Drivers and passengers in motor vehicles are required to use seat belts because they safe lives. The government does not seem to consider the lives of cyclists, who do not share the added protection of a metal cage with airbags around them, to be as worthy of protection.

There is extensive proof and studies as well as submissions from various medical organizations that bicycle helmets save lives and reduce injuries, yet we still do not require cyclists over 18 to wear seat belts. What is even more worrisome is the opposition to seat belt legislation from some so-called bicycle advocacy and safety organizations.

I am not going to outline all the evidence and submissions from medical experts here as that would be a treatise on it's own but I am going recommend that City of Ottawa to call upon the Ontario government to recognize that cyclists lives are just as important as the lives of motor vehicle passengers by passing legislation requiring that all cyclists wear helmets.

And a note to parents. Do you know where your daughter's helmet is after she is out of your sight. As one who passes them on the pathways often I can tell you that most of the time it is hanging from her handlebars. Part of the reason for this may be that, in my experience, there appears to be no enforcement of the helmet legislation for those under 18 years of age.

Final Words

It is vital that the City of Ottawa undertake a public education campaign for motorists and cyclists that stresses awareness of other users of the roads and pathways and the need for everyone to obey the rules of the road. Enforcement should be concentrated on the real danger to life and limb - motorists.

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This is being submitted to:

Ottawa Roads and Cycling Advisory Committee
Stephanie.Brown@ottawa.ca

Councillor Peggy Feltmate
Peggy.Feltmate@ottawa.ca

Councillor Alex Cullen
Alex.Cullen@ottawa.ca

Councillor Clive Doucet
Clive.Doucet@ottawa.ca

Do Computers Make Editing Too Easy

I am in the middle of writing a long comprehensive blog post. Actually I am finished writing it and doing the final edit. My problem is that with computers making it so easy to edit text I have developed a system whereby I keep doing a final read through until I do a read through without changes. However I seem to make changes with every read through. So when is it really ready to publish.

Stand by for my next blog post.

Spamless SPAM - What's The Point

Lately I have noticed an increasing amount of SPAM in my blog's comments section. One common post links to what looks like a porn site and is particularly distasteful.

I can understand the point, albeit lame, of SPAM that tries to sell you something or divert you to a website but there is also another type popping up. This is anonymous generic praise SPAM with no sales pitches or links included. The last two I received were posted by "Anonymous" and read like this.

Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!

It is extremely interesting for me to read the article. Thank author for it. I like such topics and anything that is connected to this matter. I definitely want to read a bit more soon.

Comments or praise that does not make any mention of the subject of the blog post it is attached to always raises my suspicions. So I googled both of the phrases above and found that they were posted to many many other blogs. So what is the point.

The only thing I can come up with is that spammers are testing new robotic SPAM posting software and we should be prepared for a deluge.

Comments anyone - real ones, that is.