Here is an article, in french, making the link between working hours and sustainability. It has been consistently Green Party policy to either reduce full time work week to 35 hours (Platform 2006) or increase the number days of paid leave to 4 weeks (Convention 2006). I have yet to see which of the two it will be for the next election. See the Take Back Your Time campaign site as to why we should reduce our total number of hours of work.

The cleaning of the Rideau river was a success. The Green Party associations of Ottawa-Centre and Ottawa-Vanier were among the 120 volunteers that took part in the event organized by the Urban Rideau Conservationists“.

More info in this blog post.

CBC reports that the Conservatives are circulating a guidebook on creating chaos on parlamentry committees, where laws get revised by MPs and experts - much more important legislative work than Question Period. This account from a liberal MP confirms one incident of a conservative MP behaving out of order.

Below are the phone numbers for Ontario/Ottawa area senators. They will vote this week on weather or not to pass Bill C-288, which calls for the government to implement a plan respecting the Kyoto protocol. See this page for senators of other provinces or areas in Ontario. Each senator is assigned a province and some of them are assigned a city area.

Jim Munson - Parti libéral du Canada
Division sénatoriale: Ottawa / Canal Rideau
(613) 947-2504

Wilbert Joseph Keon - Parti conservateur du Canada
Division sénatoriale: Ottawa
(613) 943-1415

Consiglio Di Nino - Parti conservateur du Canada
Téléphone: (613) 943-1454

Art Eggleton - Parti libéral du Canada
Affaires sociales, sciences et technologie Président(e)
Finances nationales
(613) 995-4230

John Trevor Eyton - Parti conservateur du Canada
(613) 943-1460

Mac Harb - Parti libéral du Canada
Banques et commerce
Examen de la réglementation (mixte)
Téléphone: (613) 996-2379

Marjory LeBreton - Parti conservateur du Canada
(613) 943-0756

A letter to Mr. Patten, MPP for Ottawa-Centre, and Ms. Broten, Minister of the Environment of Ontario, concerning an environmental assesment of the Queensway expansion. More information on this issue please see the web site of the Coalition Against Queensway Widening and For Smart Growth

Bonjour Mr. Patten & Ms. Broten,

I write in order to let you know about my support for the “request a rejection or bump-up of the environmental assessment (EA) being conducted by the MTO for proposed infrastructure for Highway 417 (Ottawa Queensway) from Highway 416 to Anderson Road” that was deposited February 23, 2007.

I believe that accommodating for additional private motorized vehicular traffic is unwise considering the health, social and financial impacts this would have on any city.

It is time to acknowledge the challenges of the 21st century. It is time for the government to recognize that sustainability is the solution to these challenges. Walkable, low-pollution, healthy cities.

Cities where if you don’t have a car, you don’t die.

Merci & à la prochaine,

Julien

YOU’RE INVITED

To meet, mingle and nosh with

David Chernushenko

Senior Deputy to the Leader of the GPC
and candidate for Ottawa Centre

(more…)