Web-extra (June 28, 2018): Imagining a Greener Hintonburg; Ottawa’s first community sustainability plan.

Web-extra (June 28, 2018): Imagining a Greener Hintonburg;
Ottawa’s first community sustainability plan.

By Carol Paschal, Hintonburg resident.

Kermit the frog once proclaimed, “It’s not easy being green.” One might wonder if this applies to Hintonburg. Well, let’s take a look. Long-time residents know that Hintonburg has had a history of re-using, repairing and repurposing long before it was fashionable.

The pawn shops and second-hand shops are gone, along with the appliance recycling store, but there are still an impressive number of shops who continue to carry on this tradition. JR Perry Electronics and the Audio Video Centre are two long-time Hintonburg businesses that come to mind, along with newer ones such as Maker House Co. (locally handcrafted items) and Nu Grocery (zero waste grocery store).

Hintonburg is known as a very walkable neighbourhood. The steady stream of people along Wellington St. West, and the constant bumping into neighbours, attests to the fact that it’s more than possible to get by without a car while doing errands.

The local bus routes are quite convenient and the advent of the LRT will further improve getting around. Residents and businesses alike have taken steps to improve cycling safety through bike-specific signage and infrastructure such as bicycle parking. The neighbourhood is lucky to have two large parks (Parkdale Park and Hintonburg Park), as well as many “pocket parks” and a farmers’ market. So why imagine a greener Hintonburg.

As a neighbourhood in transition, Hintonburg is undergoing significant changes, many of which have a negative impact on the environment. The number of demolitions and renovations is striking. Some of the recently built (or underway) infill developments and renovations have contributed to problems such as fewer trees, less public green space, more cars and traffic, more garbage and — although it is against City by-laws — paving over front yards for parking.

Walk down any street in Hintonburg and you will see dumpsters filled not only with construction debris but also other materials that could be repurposed (e.g., wood and metal) or recycled (e.g., cardboard and paper).
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Knowing all this, it would be easy to throw up one’s hands and ask, “What’s the use?” But, as it turns out, there were 40 people who didn’t feel that way and recently came together to discuss ways to make Hintonburg a greener place to live and work.

Through a project of the Ottawa Biosphere Eco-City (OBEC), this group created Ottawa’s first community sustainability plan based on 10 themes including transportation, energy, design, food, waste and recreation. Simply put, sustainability means using the resources that we need for a good life but leaving enough for others, including future generations, to have a good life too.

Ideas ranged from simple things like using LED lights and buying local food to more ambitious projects like creating affordable housing. The next step is to put the plan into action. You can help by downloading the sustainability plan, choosing any project that interests you (including ideas that are not in the plan) and then reporting on what you are doing. I think Kermit would approve.
For further details, check out: tinyurl.com/y9g7vb4.
[ http://obec-evbo.ca/hintonburg-community-sustainability-plan .
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Photo Caption: The manager from the local GT Express Store (second from left) on Wellington West joins in with the Transportation Group