conservation

Tuesday April 19, 2016

 

2016-04-19Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday April 19, 2016

Hydro rates going up this summer, Ontario Energy Board says

Wednesday April 15, 2015Hydro rates are going up this summer, the Ontario Energy Board announced Thursday, a move that will add about $3 a month to the average household bill.

Time-of-use electricity rates have to go up because Ontarians used less power than expected during the milder winter, the OEB said.

The total monthly bill will rise 2.5 per cent for households that consume 750 kilowatt hours per month, the agency said.

  • Time-of-use prices will got up a half cent to 18 cents per kilowatt hour for the peak period, which runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.
  • The off-peak rate, which is in effect between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. and all day on weekends and holidays, is going up to 8.7 cents a kwh.

The changes go into effect on May 1.

“Ontarians consumed less electricity than expected over the recent milder winter,” said a statement from the OEB.

Thursday December 11, 2014“As a result of lower usage, Regulated Price Plan (RPP) prices did not recover the full cost of serving RPP customers. One of the main reasons prices are increasing in May is to recover this shortfall.”

Time-of-use prices vary based on when electricity is used during the day. They encourage consumers to use power when electricity market prices are lower.

The OEB reviews electricity prices twice each year based on updated cost forecasts, and prices are designed to recover the actual cost of electricity over the forecast period. (Source: CBC News)

 

Friday April 8, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Friday April 8, 2016 Gore developers back with plan to save some historical features Developers of a site with historic buildings facing Gore Park are back with an amended proposal to save some and incorporate some heritage features before demolishing the current structures and rebuilding. The redevelopment project screeched to a halt in 2013 when city council slapped a last-minute heritage designation on a small strip of buildings addressed 18 to 28 King St. E. just before they were to be torn down. They are on the southside of the park. Proponents for redeveloping the site made an unscheduled appearance before city council's general issues committee Wednesday with a new plan to save the faade of 18 to 22 King and demolish the rest. A new five-storey, 20,000-square-foot building is planned that will also encompass a small adjacent vacant property where a building was demolished in 2011. The building will have retail stores on the first floor and 14 apartments above, all with balconies overlooking Gore Park, said Tim Bullock, a lawyer representing the consortium that owns the properties. The preserved faade will form half of the new building's front. "This is a compromise," Bullock told councillors. He said the faade to be preserved has Escarpment stone in its design and has the most heritage features worthy of preservation. The other faade or building front, on addresses 24 to 28, has fewer heritage features, different stonework, and has deteriorated beyond reasonable repair, he said. "Restoring all the facades would make it economically unfeasible É The engineering report says 28 (King St. E.) is very unsafe and 24 King has had its heritage features stripped." The two addresses also have small retail fronts not suitable to today's retail industry, he added. The new plan is "very respectful of the Gore," he suggested. "It's a win-win for the city." Architect David Premi, who worked on th

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday April 8, 2016

Gore developers back with plan to save some historical features

Developers of a site with historic buildings facing Gore Park are back with an amended proposal to save some and incorporate some heritage features before demolishing the current structures and rebuilding.

The redevelopment project screeched to a halt in 2013 when city council slapped a last-minute heritage designation on a small strip of buildings addressed 18 to 28 King St. E. just before they were to be torn down. They are on the southside of the park.

Proponents for redeveloping the site made an unscheduled appearance before city council’s general issues committee Wednesday with a new plan to save the façade of 18 to 22 King and demolish the rest.

A new five-storey, 20,000-square-foot building is planned that will also encompass a small adjacent vacant property where a building was demolished in 2011.

The building will have retail stores on the first floor and 14 apartments above, all with balconies overlooking Gore Park, said Tim Bullock, a lawyer representing the consortium that owns the properties.



The preserved façade will form half of the new building’s front.

“This is a compromise,” Bullock told councillors.

He said the façade to be preserved has Escarpment stone in its design and has the most heritage features worthy of preservation.

The other façade or building front, on addresses 24 to 28, has fewer heritage features, different stonework, and has deteriorated beyond reasonable repair, he said.

“Restoring all the facades would make it economically unfeasible … The engineering report says 28 (King St. E.) is very unsafe and 24 King has had its heritage features stripped.”

The two addresses also have small retail fronts not suitable to today’s retail industry, he added.

The new plan is “very respectful of the Gore,” he suggested. “It’s a win-win for the city.”

Architect David Premi, who worked on the downtown library and farmers’ market project, told councillors the building, with the original façade for half of its front and a complementing front for the other half is “an attempt to be respectful” to the original design. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)

 

Saturday March 12, 2016

Saturday March 12, 2016 Bird watchers asked not to post sightings from Dundas' Olympic Woods Bird watchers have been asked not to post sightings from the Olympic Woods section of a Royal Botanical Garden special protection area. Bruce Mackenzie, director of the Hamilton Naturalists Club bird study group, posted the request on the HNCÕs Hamilton Birders email group, as well as an update stating Naturalists Club representatives will be meeting with RBG staff this week to discuss the use of RBG lands by the public Ð in particular the area behind Westoby Arena on Olympic Drive. ÒRBG has recently posted No Trespassing signs in the area behind Olympic Park. They have asked the members of the HNC to refrain from using the Hopkins Woods Special Protection Area,Ó Mackenzie, a former Hamilton Conservation Authority staffer, posted on the email group. ÒThe RBG has the right to direct how users may use or enter their landsÉthe (HNC) asks members to note the new signs and be respectful of the instructions.Ó The RBG recently began actively enforcing no trespassing rules in the area, after ongoing use of unofficial trails and popularity of the area on Internet bird watching sites. Tys Theysmeyer, director of natural lands at the RBG, said the meeting with HNC representatives was already planned Ð but the Olympic Woods issues raise new areas where the organizations can work together. Theysmeyer said among the topics to work on are finding a source of revenue to manage RBG areas, and an overall management plan for the area between Dundas and Cootes Paradise. ÒIt seems to have been forgotten that we are constantly searching for funds for the trail systems we currently provide Ð as are all the park system partners,Ó Theysmeyer said. (Source: Dundas Star News) http://www.thespec.com/news-story/6387312-bird-watchers-asked-not-to-post-sightings-from-dundas-olympic-woods/ Hamilton, Dundas, Royal Botanical Gardens, RBG, birders, conservation, nature, birding, trail, hiking

Saturday March 12, 2016

Bird watchers asked not to post sightings from Dundas’ Olympic Woods

Bird watchers have been asked not to post sightings from the Olympic Woods section of a Royal Botanical Garden special protection area.

Bruce Mackenzie, director of the Hamilton Naturalists Club bird study group, posted the request on the HNC’s Hamilton Birders email group, as well as an update stating Naturalists Club representatives will be meeting with RBG staff this week to discuss the use of RBG lands by the public – in particular the area behind Westoby Arena on Olympic Drive.

“RBG has recently posted No Trespassing signs in the area behind Olympic Park. They have asked the members of the HNC to refrain from using the Hopkins Woods Special Protection Area,” Mackenzie, a former Hamilton Conservation Authority staffer, posted on the email group. “The RBG has the right to direct how users may use or enter their lands…the (HNC) asks members to note the new signs and be respectful of the instructions.”

The RBG recently began actively enforcing no trespassing rules in the area, after ongoing use of unofficial trails and popularity of the area on Internet bird watching sites.

Tys Theysmeyer, director of natural lands at the RBG, said the meeting with HNC representatives was already planned – but the Olympic Woods issues raise new areas where the organizations can work together.

Theysmeyer said among the topics to work on are finding a source of revenue to manage RBG areas, and an overall management plan for the area between Dundas and Cootes Paradise.

“It seems to have been forgotten that we are constantly searching for funds for the trail systems we currently provide – as are all the park system partners,” Theysmeyer said. (Source: Dundas Star News)

 

Saturday, April 28, 2007

Saturday, April 28, 2007By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday, April 28, 2007

David Suzuki vs. John Baird

One of this country’s most respected environmentalists took his concerns about Ottawa’s greenhouse gas strategy straight to the environment minister.

David Suzuki confronted Environment Minister John Baird in the audience at an environmental consumer show in Toronto on Friday where both were speaking. Suzuki, who cut a path through the crowd to reach the minister, told Baird the regulations announced Thursday were a “disappointment.”

Tuesday February 3, 2015Meanwhile, Ontario’s premier has told critics of an edgy ad campaign for energy conservation to “flick off,” suggesting they’re missing the point of the green ads.

“Apparently, it may have offended the sensibilities of some,” Premier Dalton McGuinty said Friday, referring to the province’s decision to invest $500,000 in a web-based campaign (flickoff.org) that plays on the “f” word in a bid to encourage young people to reduce greenhouse gases by conserving energy. (Source: Canada.com)