Politics-Provincial

Responses To My Request That The Carp Mountain Expansion Not Be Passed

Mulder

It didn’t take long for Councillors El i El-Chantery and Janet Stavinga’s office to return my email request. I had emailed all of city council and the mayor of Ottawa asking them not to allow this growth.

Response from Eli El-Chantiry:

Thank you for your e-mail. I know this expansion is a real concern for all of us — it is in our community and we have to live with it every day. Our office was advised of WM’s proposed expansion plans in early February and that there would be an Open House held on Feb. 7th at the West Carleton Meeting Centre. I attended this Open House and talked to WM’s staff, concerned residents, and City Staff. Prior to this Open House I contacted City staff to confirm what involvement/authority we would have in this process. I was told that it falls under the Ministry of the Environment for approval and that this open house is part of the requirements for the Terms of Reference for the expansion. I was told that City staff will be in attendance each step of the way and that they would keep City Council apprised. As you know, it is very important that residents attend all the advertised information meetings and express their concerns so that they are documented with the data being sent to the Ministry of the Environment. It is also important to write to the Premier, Dalton McGuinty and your MPP, Mr. Norm Sterling. The contact at the City of Ottawa is Ken Brothers, P.Eng. who is the Director, Utility Services Branch should you have questions. There is also going to be a Public Meeting by WM held on Wednesday, March 1, 2006, 6-9:00 pm (presentation at 7:00 pm) followed by Q&A, at the Ecole elementaire catholique Jean-Paul II (gym), 5473 Abbott St., Stittsville. Please spread the word about this meeting to your neighbours. I will do my homework and I will represent my constituents’ views. I will continue to be your voice and support in our community. See you on March 1st and please keep me informed. Regards, Eli El-Chantiry.

Response from Janet Stavinga’s Office:

Thank you for your e-mail to Councillor Stavinga. This information will be brought to the councillor’s attention. In the interim, it would be of tremendous benefit to receive your permission to forward your message to Michael Walters, WM’s (Waste Management) Senior District Manager of Landfills for Eastern Canada, on this and any future correspondence you would be sending to Councillor Stavinga. This would enable your concerns and suggestions to be brought to Mr. Walters’ immediate attention and would also ensure your correspondence is placed on the public record required for the Environmental Assessment Review Process. Again, thank you for taking the time to express your concerns. Debra Belle Assistant to Councillor Janet Stavinga

Now I have no idea who to contact. One tells me my MPP, Norm Sterling, the other says the Sr. District Manager of Landfills for Waste Management, Michael Walters. i guess I will do both.  I gave Stavinga’s office permission to forward my email. I will contact Norm Sterling directly.  I urge you all to now contact your MPP’s to stop the chances of the growth of the Carp Mountain (of trash).

Potholes need the touch of a child

Mulder

I used to fish a lot. But through all my fishing excursions, I never, EVER, touched a catfish. Call me squeamish, but those guys have nasty whiskers and are bottom feeders. I won’t eat them, touch them, and heck, I would rather not even think about them. It’s just one of those things. So, whenever I caught one I would just cut line and let it go. This had me wondering things like what happens when the fish tries to eat? Would the hook rust? Would other fish look at mine and laugh? Or is that hook sticking out of his lip going to set a trend followed by the youth of today?

Well a young boy was wondering the same thing and asked his dad the same questions…..sort of. The father and son were so touched by this thought that they worked and developed a dissolving fish hook. And now we have law mandating this.

Well today I was reading about the Pothole problem that has afflicted Ottawa, most likely due to the January thaw we have had, and I got hit with deja vu. This has tricked our asphalt into thinking spring has sprung early. Let’s hope Wiarton Willy is tricked as easily.

The city is filling as many of the nasty road holes as possible.

“We have 20 crews out day and night,” said John Manconi, the city’s acting director of surface operations. They’re also contracting out the job to keep up with the number of potholes.

Manconi blames the early arrival of potholes on the extreme variation in temperatures.

The reason I bring this up is because I saw a show years ago with a young lady named Gina Gallant, who started a science project to use plastic we put in landfills in our asphalt, instead of burying it all. As it turns out, her roads are outlasting even the best road scientists approach.

Gina’s new paving material is called “PolyAggreRoad,” or “PAR.” After much experimentation, it was determined that an optimal mix consists of 6% plastic, 6% asphalt, and 88% aggregate (crushed rocks).

Engineers expect that PAR will be able to withstand more movement than regular road surfaces without cracking. Pavement should last longer and require less maintenance since there will be less opportunity for destructive freeze-thaw cycles that occur when water gets into cracks.

Gina approached Prince George Mayor Colin Kinsley with a plan to use her system to pave local roads. The Mayor was impressed. The project moved forward.

You can read all about Gina here.

Stories like Gina’s give me great hope for our future.

In a weird twist the research that had me talking to officials at one of the biggest construction companies in Eastern Ontario, and three or four people at the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, led me to the location of the MTO test road (500M stretches of various aggregate mixes) which is nearby in Petawawa. I think I may be taking a short drive in the near future to take a peek and some photos. (It’s near the military base so I hope I am not arrested or anything snapping shots of the salty highway.)

Stay tuned

Why does this give me, and Stephen Harper, grey hair?

Mulder

I am surprised I haven’t heard more about this from the Tories out there. Manitoba MP Brian Pallister is thinking about stepping down to run for the head of the Provincial Tories.

When referring to “the Orphan”, Adler means Brian Pallister.

Memo to Manitoba: The orphan was never on the list.

Fact: The Harper government will have fewer people in cabinet than its predecessor.

Fact: Several members of the Harper caucus in Alberta, who are far more qualified than the orphan, won’t be in cabinet.

Fact: Harper wants to give some seats to less qualified members in Central and Eastern Canada. Call it geographic balance.

Fact: The orphan knew all this before the election.

Fact: Manitoba Tory boss Stuart Murray announced last fall that he was surrendering leadership. That’s when the orphan started mapping out this strategy.

Pallister now has the chutzpah to tell Manitobans that he has made a sacrifice in not accepting a cabinet invitation that he never had.

He has the chutzpah to tell Manitobans that he is only now seriously considering a departure from federal politics despite telling political intimates months ago that he was eyeing the job of provincial Tory leader, and despite taking a poll to find out whether voters could stomach the words “Premier Pallister.”

I hate to admit this, but I think Adler is right on this one. If Pallister does resign to run for the Provincial big chair in Manitoba, it will put his riding into a bi-election. For the sake of his constituents, I hope he stays on through this parliamentary session. He is a bright, well spoken MP, and he would definately be an asset in Harper’s caucus.

I hope other Tories out there don’t ostracize me for feeling this way, but I do think we owe more due diligence when our party of choice is in power because we put them there. You might call it being ummm… for the sake of argument… being accountable.