Tag Archives for " ottawa "

May he #RIP. Leo got me out of all sorts of scrapes including one wintry day he had his almost brand-new tractor clearing one of our ponds so my kids could skate that Xmas. I watched as he elegantly swept back and forth rather majestically moving snow to uncover pristine ice beneath. However, I noticed […]

Next time you are caught in traffic, smile. What? Yes, smile. Why? Because what you are seeing around you is MONEY. Traffic congestion in Ottawa is seriously up from what it was just a few short years ago and while it is nothing compared to Toronto or major metropolitan centers in the US, it’s significantly […]

(This article first appeared in OBJ, https://www.obj.ca/Opinion/Bruce-Firestone-5444. It is the final installment in a 2-part series.) City of Ottawa planner Alain Miguelez is nothing if not a planetary citizen—born in Argentina, Alain and his parents moved to Ottawa (via France) when he was 2.  Alain Miguelez  After growing up in this city, becoming an urban geography […]

Why do people sometimes call it “the sh*tty of Ottawa”? Well, for example, today at land division committee, city staff asked for a deferral of a routine severance application because they wanted the applicant to prepare a scoped EIS (environmental impact statement) before the matter was heard.  Lawyer Steve Sheppard and I argued that if an […]

In the early 2000s, the province of Ontario amalgamated dozens of regions to reduce the number of administrative districts (municipalities, townships and counties) and improve overall efficiency of local government. Did it work? Noted urbanist Jane Jacobs would have predicted the answer would be “no” at least based on her notion of “subsidiarity”: Subsidiarity is the principle […]

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuSVpr-HiQU?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1&origin=https://safe.txmblr.com&wmode=opaque&w=250&h=141] Backyard Birdsong I took this video on a lazy, hazy, hot, humid Sunday afternoon on Labor Day weekend September 2015 in Ottawa Canada.  It’s so I can listen to it in the depth of a Canadian winter when everyone is thinking of offing themselves, and also to prove to my American friends that […]

Commercial/Residential Building For Sale 8651 Mitch Owens road, Ottawa ON List Price: $599,500 CAD Location: close to Manotick, an exploding part of Ottawa ON Property Type: BUSINESS OWNER/CAR SALES/MECHANIC’S DREAM! 4-bed apartment attached to store (approx 3,000 sq ft) & paint shop, plus separate 2-bay garage approx 30′ x 40′. Currently used as Auto Repair, […]

Hi everyone— I recently had an opportunity to visit a local farm about 45 minutes south-west of Ottawa. The visit reminded me that the grow-local movement and production of artisanal organic products are growing not only in  eastern Ontario but globally.  What’s powering it is a new generation and new  economics. Direct sales from farmer […]

Here is a property just off Trans Canada highway 17, 41 minutes west of Canadian Tire Centre, that is ideal for hobby farm, storage, flea market, farm gate marketing, farm restaurant, direct-to-home and direct-to-restaurant delivery of fresh fruits and vegetables, car sales, whatever you can dream… you can make happen. For Sale 1451 Castleford road […]