October Climate Change News
October Climate Change News
Join us for Climate Action Week at the Ottawa Public Library!
The Ottawa Public Library is proud to host Climate Action Week from November 1 to 7, 2025. Throughout the week, City staff from the Climate Change and Resiliency service area and the Office of Emergency Management will be present at various library branches to share resources, answer questions, and engage with residents on how we can build a greener, more resilient Ottawa together.
See the dates, times, and locations below and join us for informative conversations and materials on how to reduce our environmental impact and prepare for climate-related emergencies.
Main Branch (120 Metcalfe Street): Monday, November 3rd 11:00am-1:00pm, and Tuesday November 4th 1:00pm-3:00pm
Centennial (3870 Old Richmond Road): Wednesday, November 5th, 3:00pm-5:00pm
St. Laurent (515 Côté Street): Thursday, November 6th 10:00am-12:00pm
Alta Vista (2516 Alta Vista Drive): Thursday November 6th 1:00pm-3:00pm
Shaping the future of the Bear Brook watershed
If you live in the east end, or simply just love to visit the area, chances are you’ve interacted in some capacity with the Bear Brook watershed.
Over the past two years, the City has engaged the South Nation Conservation Authority to conduct a study on the Bear Brook watershed. The Bear Brook watershed covers a whopping 488 square kilometres and includes urban areas, farmland, forests and wetlands in east Ottawa and Prescott-Russell. It is also home to over 78,000 people. The study will continue over the next several years. It will assess the current conditions of the watershed, examine how future land use and climate change may affect the surrounding ecosystem and recommend actions and policies to keep the watershed healthy for future generations.
Phase one of the watershed characterization study includes a detailed look at the current conditions of the watershed and is now available to read online on the South Nation Conservation Authority website (in English only). For those who prefer a more high-level summary of the report, you can also check out the interactive story map.
Get involved! Join us for an open house or submit your feedback online.
Whether you live in or around the watershed or simply enjoy visiting some of the beautiful paths and boardwalks within the area, you’re invited to come to a public open house on Thursday, November 13 from 6 to 8 pm to learn more about the study. The open house is being held at the Bear Brook Community Centre (8720 Russell Road) and staff from both the City and South Nation Conservation will be onsite to answer any questions you might have.
How we care for the watershed impacts thousands of people who live within it across two municipalities. Land developments or even extreme weather in one part of the watershed can impact communities who live in another part.
You can help the City and South Nation Conversation make recommendations on what actions we can take to protect the watershed’s health, while still supporting sustainable growth. Your feedback will help shape recommendations for environmental stewardship, how changes should be monitored and how future land developments are handled. If you can’t make it to the open house but still want to share your thoughts, you can find the feedback form on the Bear Brook watershed Engage Ottawa page.
Keeping our watersheds healthy helps more than just Ottawa residents. Healthy watersheds support biodiversity, reduce flooding and erosion risks, provide clean water and help communities adapt to climate change.
Thursday, November 13th 2025, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Bear Brook Community Centre
8720 Russell Road
City of Ottawa to sponsor upcoming Fusion Landscape Professional training session in November
The City of Ottawa, through its Rain Ready Ottawa program, has partnered with Landscape Ontario to offer Fusion Landscape Professional Training (FLP). The Fusion Landscape Professional (FLP) program provides designers and contractors with the tools and knowledge to promote and provide landscapes that utilize lot level stormwater management and enhance the environment.
Focused on enhancing skills in landscape design, construction and maintenance, this program will help participants meet the needs of a variety of clients, while increasing the sustainability of our communities.
By becoming a certified FLP, you are opening the door to new business opportunities and keeping up to date with an evolving landscape industry. FLP certified landscapers can help their clients take advantage of City of Ottawa rebates of up to $5,000 for eligible landscape work.
The City of Ottawa will be sponsoring an upcoming FLP training session in November.
November 18 and 19 via Zoom
Duration: 8:30 – 4:30 both days, testing and certification will follow.
Cost: $650 (City of Ottawa will cover $500 of the fee for Ottawa based companies)
Register at Fusion Landscape Professional — Landscape Ontario - Workforce Development
Training is only available in English
Greenhouse gas emissions data update
City staff are pleased to announce the release of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventory data, which provides historical information about GHG emissions, on a new Open Ottawa webpage. These inventories are our main tool for tracking progress toward community and corporate GHG targets.
City staff are pleased to announce the release of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventory data, on a new Open Ottawa webpage. These inventories provide historical insights into both community and corporate emissions and are a key tool for tracking progress toward our climate targets. This data release is an interim step to improve transparency and aligns with the Climate Change Master Plan. Staff are continuing to work on an interactive GHG dashboard that will better showcase the City’s progress toward achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. For additional information, please see the feature story released here.
Understanding food date labels helps you waste less and eat safely
Confused by food date labels? You’re not alone. Research from Second Harvest, Canada’s largest food rescue organization, shows that 23% of food waste comes from misunderstanding best before dates.
Knowing the difference between best before and expiration dates can help you make safer, smarter choices and save money.
What’s the difference?
Best before dates refer to quality, not safety. They indicate how long unopened food will stay fresh and nutritious. Food can still be safe to eat after this date if stored properly and shows no signs of spoilage.
Expiration dates are about safety and apply only to specific products like infant formula, nutritional supplements, and meal replacements. These should not be consumed past the date.
Can I still eat it? Use your senses.
Avoid food with:
Bulging or damaged packaging
Bad smells or visible mold
Signs of water damage or infestation
Store food safely to extend its life
Keep perishables below 4°C and frozen items below -18°C
Avoid leaving cooked food out for more than 2 hours
Keep food out of the "danger zone" (4°C to 60°C), where bacteria grow quickly
Reducing food waste is easier than you think. Small changes in how you store, plan, and use food can make a big impact on your health and your grocery bill.
Visit Food Waste for more tips and tricks.
Free native seed giveaways
The Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library's series of native seed giveaways gets underway soon! Join us to learn about native plant gardening and receive free native seeds for winter sowing. No gardening experience required!
Saturday, November 1, 1-3 pm: Tom Brown Arena, 141 Bayview Rd. (Facebook event)
Saturday, November 8, 1-3 pm: Trinity United Church, 1099 Maitland Ave. (Facebook event)
Saturday, November 15, 1-3 pm: Jim Durrell Recreation Centre, 1265 Walkley Rd. (Facebook event)
Saturday, November 22, 1-3 pm: St. Columba Anglican Church, 24 Sandridge Rd. (Facebook event)
Saturday, November 29, 1-3 pm: Centre communautaire de Riviera, 12 rue de Picardie, Gatineau (Facebook event)
Saturday, December 6, 2025, 1:30-3:30 pm: Ray Friel Recreation Complex, 1585 Tenth Line Rd. (Facebook event)
Saturday, December 13, 2025 1-3 pm: Tony Graham Recreation Complex, Hall A, 100 Charlie Rogers Place (Facebook event)
Visit the Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library website for more information about events, to see the seed catalogue, and to shop for garden signs and magnets. If you can't make it to the seed giveaway events this fall, online seed orders will open on December 26, 2025, on the library's website and we will mail you seeds for free.
In Case You Missed It: Rain Ready Ottawa Webinar Series
This summer, Rain Ready Ottawa hosted a series of webinars designed to answer your most common questions about rain gardens and permeable pavement, dive deeper into our most popular rebates, and guide you through the rebate application process.
Click the links below to watch the recording of each presentation.
English
Planning & Planting a Raingarden
Permeable Pavement: Ask an Expert
En français