From v at vaalea.com Fri Mar 3 04:24:50 2006 From: v at vaalea.com (vaalea) Date: Thu, 2 Mar 2006 23:24:50 -0500 Subject: [VegChat] Toll may make trips a fee ride Message-ID: <00e601c63e7a$6c864970$6500a8c0@v> http://www.ottawasun.com/News/OttawaAndRegion/2006/03/02/1468951.html What do you guys think? A few of us have discussed this at meetups before.... I hate breathing in full exhaust when I'm walking.... By DEREK PUDDICOMBE, SUN Capital coun. Clive Doucet wants the city to implement a monthly congestion fee for drivers heading downtown over high-traffic bridges like the Billings Bridge. (Geoff Robins, SUN) Travelling into downtown Ottawa could get costly if a city councillor has his way. If rising gas prices aren't enough to make you take the bus, maybe a congestion charge will. Capital Coun. Clive Doucet wants the city to charge a user fee for every car heading into the downtown core to help pay for road and sewer repairs in older Ottawa neighbourhoods. He wants the city to experiment with a two-year pilot project to test its effectiveness and gauge the public's reaction to the charge. The idea is similar to one instituted by London, England, which began charging drivers a toll in an effort to discourage cars in the capital's core. Charge is 'sensible' "A congestion charge is a sensible way of raising taxes," Doucet said. "People have to realize we have to do something." Under Doucet's plan, drivers heading downtown and who cross the McIlraith, Billings, Dunbar and Hog's Back bridges between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. would pay a fee when they register their vehicle licence. Doucet says the charge could be anywhere from 25? a trip to 50?. Drivers would only be charged from Monday to Friday, and only if travelling into downtown. It would also apply to drivers who travel to downtown via the Queen Elizabeth Driveway at Preston St. Bay Coun. Alex Cullen says his colleague's idea about a cure for vehicles cutting through Capital Ward to get to downtown might not be as farfetched as it first seems. "He's trying to generate some discussion because cars are destroying the quality of life for his residents," said Cullen. "It's the shape of things to come." Doucet argues cities don't have enough money to maintain hundreds of kilometres of roads and alternatives must be considered. In Doucet's motion to be introduced at the next transportation committee meeting in two weeks, he suggests council will spend about $145 million on new roads over the next three years and taxes it currently collects are not enough to pay for it. The city isn't on board yet, but hasn't dismissed the idea outright. Deputy City Manager Ned Lathrop said vehicular congestion is beginning to inhibit the movement of people downtown. "It's one of those things that have to be considered," he said, but added Ottawa's traffic congestion is nowhere near London's level. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.ottawaveg.com/pipermail/vegchat/attachments/20060302/85591760/attachment.html From v at vaalea.com Fri Mar 3 16:52:44 2006 From: v at vaalea.com (vaalea) Date: Fri, 3 Mar 2006 11:52:44 -0500 Subject: [VegChat] Fair Trade/Ottawa No Sweat Coalition's Public Campaign Launch Meeting: Message-ID: <00c401c63ee2$e4b95500$6500a8c0@v> Found this on the net... in case any of you are interested in attending: Ottawa No Sweat Coalition's Public Campaign Launch Meeting: Monday, March 6th Ottawa City Council Chambers 110 Laurier Avenue West 7 - 9 p.m. The purpose of the meeting will be to launch a public campaign to get the City of Ottawa to adopt an Ethical Procurement ("No Sweat") policy. Passing this Resolution and developing the City policy will start the process of ensuring that city staff will not be wearing uniforms that have been made in sweatshops or drinking coffee that has not been produced under decent working conditions. It's time for the City of Ottawa to catch up to other large cities in Canada, like Vancouver and Toronto, and other cities around the world who have already adopted ethical procurement policies. Please join us on March 6. All are welcome! We have an excellent program designed to educate you on this important issue and to give you some concrete ideas as to what you can do to help. Bill Hynd from Oxfam Canada, Roberto Miranda from Cafe Justicia, Catherine Vaillancourt-Laflamme from the Quebec Anti-Sweatshop Coalition and Anne-Marie Schryer-Roy from the Ottawa No Sweat Coalition will make presentations. Sean McKenny from the Ottawa and District Labour Council will be the moderator. There will be an action plan presented for getting our Resolution passed at City Council in May. as well as a slide show and displays with copies of petitions, sample letters to city councillors and much much more. For more information on the Ottawa No Sweat Coalition and this important issue, please refer to the Coalition's website at www.ottawanosweat.ca Anne-Marie Schryer-Roy Oxfam Canada, Ottawa No Sweat Coalition -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.ottawaveg.com/pipermail/vegchat/attachments/20060303/a5fc03b4/attachment.html From v at vaalea.com Mon Mar 6 17:24:50 2006 From: v at vaalea.com (vaalea) Date: Mon, 6 Mar 2006 12:24:50 -0500 Subject: [VegChat] Film Screening and Public Discussion on Transit Message-ID: <014a01c64142$e0757980$6500a8c0@v> Stumbled across this.... http://ontario.sierraclub.ca/ottawa/showevent.php?id=595 Film Screening and Public Discussion on Transit Date/Time: 2006, March 17th, 7 PM Location: Main Branch, Ottawa Public Library (120 Metcalfe), Ottawa Film Screening and Panel Discussion: Bus Rider's Union Cost: FREE! Film Bus Rider's Union Directed by Haskell Wexler and Johanna Demetrakas US 1999, video, color, 87 min. Award-winning cinematographer and director Haskell Wexler's (Bound for Glory, Matewan, Colors) documentary traces three years in the life of Los Angeles' Bus Rider's Union through its moments of joy, crisis, and victory. The film depicts the BRU's fight to improve bus service and halt fare hikes through lawsuits, demonstrations, and sit-ins. The Bus Riders Union seeks to promote environmentally sustainable public transportation for the entire population of Los Angeles, on the premise that affordable, efficient, and environmentally sound mass transit is a human right. The organizing and public policy work of the Bus Riders Union reflects the principle that the needs of low-income people, and oppressed nationality peoples and communities - Black, Latino, Mexicano/Chicano, Asian/Pacific Islander and Indigenous peoples must be given priority since they suffer systematic racial and national oppression in our society. Panel Discussion: Sharmeen Khan - organizer with Vancouver's Bus Riders Union Cam Johnstone - President of CUPE 5500 TBA - organizer with Under Pressure Collective Ottawa's public transit system is increasingly becoming unaffordable, unavailable, and unreliable. In 2005, Ottawa's transit users were subjected to two fare hikes in a five-month period, resulting in the highest fares in Canada. Ottawa City Council has announced its intention to raise fares by 7.5% each year through to 2010. While riders are paying more and more, the service that they're paying for is being reduced. OC Transpo is a popular target for councilors looking to ease budget pressures; resulting in reductions in schedule, cuts to bus routes, and privatization of services. The struggle for safe, affordable, and reliable public transit is picking up momentum in cities and towns throughout Canada and the U.S. One strategy that has emerged is the formation of "bus riders unions", groups of transit users who have organized themselves to fight for the services which they depend on. It is our hope that this panel and film will serve as a catalyst for a similar public transit movement in Ottawa. For more information, contact . -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.ottawaveg.com/pipermail/vegchat/attachments/20060306/a7f00997/attachment.html From v at vaalea.com Wed Mar 22 02:59:42 2006 From: v at vaalea.com (vaalea) Date: Tue, 21 Mar 2006 21:59:42 -0500 Subject: [VegChat] and now... Toms of Maine goes to Colgate Message-ID: <015101c64d5c$ab44ca60$6500a8c0@v> I just posted in 4animals at ottawaveg.com about the Body Shop being bought by L'Oreal (http://lists.ottawaveg.com/pipermail/4animals/2006-March/000087.html).... and now there is news that Colgate is buying control of Toms of Maine. At least, I suppose, Colgate in the past has shown a little effort.. http://www.peta.org/Living/AT-Summer1999/actions.html but then again so did L'Oreal once.. http://www.askcarla.com/answers.asp?QuestionandanswerID=458 Anyway http://today.reuters.com/investing/financeArticle.aspx?type=mergersNews&storyID=2006-03-21T191107Z_01_N21314789_RTRIDST_0_MANUFACTURING-COLGATE-UPDATE-4.XML -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.ottawaveg.com/pipermail/vegchat/attachments/20060321/d71c2d08/attachment.html From edandrea at magma.ca Thu Mar 23 13:57:12 2006 From: edandrea at magma.ca (Edelweiss D'Andrea) Date: Thu, 23 Mar 2006 08:57:12 -0500 Subject: [VegChat] Ban the Terminator Message-ID: Please consider sending the letter below. It was shared with me by my friend, Dr. Martha Ruben, and I added a few sentences to it. Please email the letter (with changes if you like) to pm at pm.gc.ca or send it by land mail, NO postage required to: Stephen Harper Prime Minister House of Commons PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE Wellington Street Ottawa, Ontario Canada K1A 0A6 Dear Right Honourable Stephen Harper, I just found about "Terminator technology," a form of genetic engineering designed to produce plants with sterile seeds, forcing farmers to buy seeds every year. I am horrified by the destructive and selfish philosophy behind the use of such a technology. Billions of people around the world depend on farmer-saved seeds for a living; it has been like this for ages. Terminator technology is a direct threat to this cornerstone of food security. I also learned that, in recognition of the importance of farmer-saved seeds, a global de facto moratorium on testing and commercialization of Terminator technology has been in place at the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) since 2000. However, I also learned that, in February 2005, the Canadian government tried to overturn this global de facto moratorium at CBD meetings in Bangkok. Under pressure from the United States, Canada has joined Australia and New Zealand to undermine the current United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity meeting, which is taking place between March 20 and 31 in Brazil. Unless the international community succeeds in getting a strict ban on the technology, the genetically modified suicide seeds will force farmers into buying seeds every year and destroy the natural biodiversity of farmer-saved seeds. Farmers will face economic run, while multi-national seed companies laugh all the way to the bank. It's horrific and shameful. I urge you to support the work of the Canadian Ban Terminator Campaign Steering Committee (ETC Group, Inter Pares, National Farmers Union and USC Canada) and many other organizations. The Canadian CBD delegation must reverse their efforts to undermine the de facto moratorium and work with other countries to push for a global ban. I hope I can count on your support. Sincerely Name ------------------------------------- Martha Ruben, M.D., Ph.D. Biomedical Consultant, Biomedical Writer, Editor, and Translator (EN<>SP) 25-2415 Southvale Crescent, Ottawa, Ontario, K1B 4T9 Tel: +1 (613) 523 3011 Tel/Fax: +1 (613) 248 1004 martha.ruben at sympatico.ca Sent: Sunday, March 12, 2006 9:43 PM Subject: The Terminator (March 20, 7 pm, Ottawa Congress Centre) > Public events: Terminator on Trial > > March 20 Ottawa Public Forum > > "TERMINATOR ON TRIAL": Suicide Seed Technology, Implications for Global > Food > Security and Farmers' Rights > > THE CRIME: The Canadian government is attempting to lift the "de facto" > global moratorium on Terminator technology > > THE JUDGE: Gerry Barr (CEO Canadian Council for International > Co-operation) > > THE HOST: Bob Carty (CBC journalist and documentary producer) > > THE KEY WITNESSES: Dr. Vandana Shiva (scientist from India), Percy > Schmeiser > (Canadian farmer who took on Monsanto); industry and government > representatives have been invited > > THE JURY: YOU! > > With a LIVE Link to the UN Biodiversity Convention meeting in Brazil > > Monday March 20th > 7:00pm - 9:30pm > OTTAWA CONGRESS CENTRE, (Hall A/B) > 55 Colonel By Drive at Rideau Street > Everyone Welcome - Free Admission - Donations Welcome > > Sponsored by the Ban Terminator Campaign Steering Committee: ETC Group, > Inter Pares, National Farms Union and USC Canada > > MORE INFORMATION: > http://www.banterminator.org > Ph: (613) 241-0817 > > BACKGROUND: > Terminator technology refers to the genetic manipulation of plants that > renders seeds sterile at harvest. Over 1.4 billion people rely on > farmer-saved seeds. The Canadian government is currently working to > overturn > a long-standing United Nations de facto moratorium on the use of > Terminator > technology. Would we rather see our government working with other > countries > to support a global ban? Please come explore the issue with farmers, > scientists, journalists, government and industry representatives, > indigenous > leaders and activists, and make up your own mind about this important > issue. > > TAKE ACTION: > Please click here to find out what else you can do: > http://www.interpares.ca/en/action/ > > From edandrea at magma.ca Thu Mar 30 01:42:06 2006 From: edandrea at magma.ca (Edelweiss D'Andrea) Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2006 20:42:06 -0500 Subject: [VegChat] Stand In For A Victim In Darfur Message-ID: We often don't appreciate how lucky we are to live in Canada, a country where there is peace and prosperity. Please sign a petition to urge the United Nations to take action to protect the people of Darfur. Villages are being razed, girls are raped in front of their families, and babies are sometimes burned alive by the Janjaweed, the government's militia. Please go to the web site, http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/hope.asp, to see a good animation and to sign the petition. Edelweiss Dear Person of Conscience, Our work on Darfur is making a difference. Together, we successfully pressured the US government to allow the International Criminal Court to investigate the masterminds of the genocide, and DarfurGenocide.org members also helped win the fight for an African Union peacekeeping mission to help protect Darfurians. But while there has been progress, it has not been enough, and the killing continues. Over the weeks our team spent in Darfur, we learned that what Darfurians need and want is a strong peace agreement between them and their government, that makes sure that the government never again has the power to exterminate their people. But peace talks have gone nowhere, largely because the international community has paid little attention to them. Our partner organization, Human Rights First, has a good idea for how to make the peace talks work better for Darfurians. They are calling for a high level United Nations envoy to reenergize the process. Click the link below to sign their petition: http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/hope.asp Human Rights First is hoping to gather hundreds of thousands of signatures ? one person for every Darfurian killed in the genocide. By signing the petition, you will give voice to one of Darfur?s victims. You will be ?standing in? for them. This petition can make a difference. The Bush administration is currently deciding it?s next steps on Darfur. A strong popular demand for a peace envoy will help. With hope, David, Ricken, Tom, Julia and the DG.org Team To remove yourself from this mailing list, please click here. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.ottawaveg.com/pipermail/vegchat/attachments/20060329/215b8821/attachment.html