Podcasts about oc transpo

On this show the guys talk about the impending implementation of congestion pricing in NYC, OC transpo extensions, Beg button controversy and the tragic plane crash in south Korea and how it relates to traffic deaths.Send us a question: radiofreeurbanism@gmail.comPatreon: patreon.com/RadioFreeUrbanism Instagram: https://rb.gy/ezn9rzX(Twitter): https://x.com/RFUrbanism?s=20Alex: https://www.youtube.com/@humanecitiesEthan: https://www.youtube.com/@climateandtransitNic: https://www.youtube.com/@nicthedoorSource: Snob Protectionism in Vancouver: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-7UrpXq-Ek&t=1s OC Transpo: https://www.octranspo.com/en/o-train-extension/ride/lines-2-4-transition/

In this special episode we have guest host, and past guest, Dr. Kaan Yildizgoz hosting a live CEO roundtable from the Modaxo booth at the UITP MENA Transport Congress and Exhibition. Kaan is joined by:Renée Amilcar: President of UITP & General Manager of OC Transpo, CanadaAbdulla Al Marzouqi: Director General – Integrated Transport Centre (ITC), Abu DhabiMohammed Obaid Al Mulla: Member of the Board of Directors of Roads and Transport Authority & Chair of UITP MENA Division, DubaiKaan and his guests talked about not only public transport in the Middle East post-COVID, but also the exciting future in what has been a very car-centric region. In previous episodes of Transit Unplugged from the Middle East, one of the most interesting things has been the interweaving of taxis into the larger public transport system. Now with autonomous taxis becoming a reality, even more exciting opportunities are happening in the region.Now with metro systems being built across the region, as well as zero emissions fleets, the Middle East is showing its colors as one of the most innovative regions in the world.If you have a question or comment, email us at info@transitunplugged.com.Transit Unplugged is brought to you by Modaxo and these fine folks:Dr. Kaan Yildizgoz, guest hostJulie Gates, executive producerTris Hussey, editor and writerTatyana Mechkarova, social mediaFollow us on social media: LinkedIn - Twitter - Threads- Instagram - FacebookSign up for the Transit Unplugged Newsletter00:00 Welcome to the Transit Unplugged CEO Live Roundtable00:03 Introduction from Kaan Yildizgoz00:51 Introducing the Panelists: Leaders of Global Mobility02:32 Exploring Post-COVID Mobility Trends and Priorities04:18 Focusing on the Middle East: Challenges and Innovations in Mobility10:38 The Future of Mobility: Digitalization and Autonomous Taxis19:10 Concluding Remarks and Future Aspirations in Mobility23:42 Thank you for listening

A recent TELUS Health Mental Health Index indicates that employees experiencing workplace conflict lose up to 55 days in productivity per year. The impacts of conflict at work are clear - lost productivity, but also stress and lower mental health scores for the staff who experience it. In this episode, we explore the factors that contribute to workplace conflict, including power dynamics, racism and microaggressions, and mounting workloads, outline an organization's legal requirements to take action, and provide some practical tips for leaders and staff to address conflict when it happens in your workplace. Meet Our Guests in Order of Appearance ·         Paula Allen, Global Leader, Research and Client Insights, TELUS Health·         Eileen Chadnick, Principal, Big Cheese Coaching·         Sarah Albo, Founder, Novel HR·         Rensia Melles, Manager, Clinical Operations Canada, Lyra Health·         Donna Marshall, CEO, Workright Ltd.·         Jackie Laviolette, Partner, Mathews, Dinsdale & Clark LLP About your HostMary Barroll, president of CharityVillage, is an online business executive and lawyer with a background in media, technology and IP law. A former CBC journalist and independent TV producer, in 2013 she was appointed General Counsel & VP Media Affairs at CharityVillage.com, Canada's largest job portal for charities and not for profits in Canada, and then President in 2021. Mary is also President of sister company, TalentEgg.ca, Canada's No.1, award-winning job board and online career resource that connects top employers with top students and grads.CharityVillage eLearning Courses Mentioned in this Episode·         Mental Health and Psychological Safety at Work Master Certificate Program·         OHSA and AODA Compliance Training Package for Employees·         OHSA and AODA Compliance Training Package for Leaders and SupervisorsRelated CharityVillage eLearning Courses·         Communicating Internally·         Working in Teams·         Developing Emotional Resiliency & Self Care·         IDEA Fundamentals·         Introduction to Unconscious BiasAdditional Resources from this EpisodeWe've gathered the resources from this episode into one helpful list:·         TELUS Mental Health Index reveals workers lose 55 working days per year due to workplace conflict·         Warring Egos, Toxic Individuals, Feeble Leadership: A study of conflict in the Canadian workplace (Psychometrics Canada Ltd)·         Nonviolent Communication: A Language Of Life: Life-changing Tools For Healthy Relationships by Marshall B. Rosenberg·         Workplace harassment and violence impacts over 70% of employees in Canada, study shows (CBC)·         Black Canadians feel their employers are making headway in eradicating anti-Black racism (KPMG)·         Remembering the fatal 1999 OC Transpo shootings: 'I only wish I got to know him better' (Ottawa Citizen) ·         Federal court certifies $1.1B class action against RCMP over alleged bullying, harassment (CBC)·         Canadian Human Rights Commission·         Twenty per cent of Canadians experienced increased workplace conflict or aggression (LifeWorks, now TELUS Health)Learn more and listen to the full interviews with the guests here.

In episode 90 of the Zubcast, we bounce between recent Sens games trends. We talk about Jalen Chatfield, John from Vancouver's incredible OC Transpo post-game call, Connor Ingram's recent stellar play, and revolutionize goaltending in the modern NHL.Thank you all so much for listening and stay tuned for future episodes!

In episode 90 of the Zubcast, we bounce between recent Sens games trends. We talk about Jalen Chatfield, John from Vancouver's incredible OC Transpo post-game call, Connor Ingram's recent stellar play, and revolutionize goaltending in the modern NHL. Thank you all so much for listening and stay tuned for future episodes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After spending the bulk of her 20 year career in public transport in Montreal at STM, Renée Amilcar has been at the helm of OC Transpo in Ottawa for almost two years and leading the effort to move OC Transpo to zero emissions by 2036. But that's only the tip of the iceberg for this dynamic transit leader. Join Paul in conversation with Renée in an interview recorded at the UITP Global Summit in Barcelona the day before she took office as the President of UITP. OC Transpo serves the City of Ottawa, which isn't just your regular city, it's the capital city of Canada. Known for it's history, beauty, and canals, it also has famously harsh winters. OC Transpo has the difficult enough job of keeping a city moving, but also helps keep the wheels of government going by making sure government workers get to their jobs as well. On the road to zero emissions, Renée talks with Paul about the electric bus trials in the city that have been very successful thus far. She's also responsible for the multi-billion dollar light rail expansion to create more transit options for people in the city of Ottawa. Renée is an example of the new generation of leaders who are transforming and re-energizing public transit. As the new President of UITP, Renée wants to build bridges across agencies, countries, and continents to help all transit systems meet the challenges we all face in the 21st century. Also on the show Mike Bismeyer talks about his recent visit to a school to talk with kids about careers in transit as part of CUTA's Mentorship Program. If you'd like to have Mike visit your school, reach out to him on LinkedIn. Coming up we have a special two-part series on Canadian technology innovation with experts on planning, cybersecurity, safety management, and more. Technology is crucial to transit, get an inside look into some of the newest innovation and how agencies like TransLink are piloting them. If you have a question or would like to be a guest on the show, email us at info@transitunplugged.com. Transit Unplugged is presented by Modaxo. At Modaxo we're passionate about moving the world's people, and Transit Unplugged is passionate about telling those stories. Enriched by Vizzy (00:00) Renée Amilcar, President UITP (00:17) Interview with Renée Amilcar, GM of OC Transpo, Ottawa, ON (25:29) Mike's Minute with Mike Bismeyer (26:14) Mike in the classroom (26:56) Mike in class talking (27:42) Coming up next week on Transit Unplugged Chapters, images & show notes powered by vizzy.fm.

We have two very complementary episodes this week on Transit Unplugged. We start off with Alex Esposito, Co-founder and CEO of Circuit, who took a passion for solving traffic problems and turned it into a business. In our leadership segment Paul talks with Marinma Dorado, Founder and Passion Catalyst of Mindset Results, about connecting the things you're passionate about with your work. On demand transit is an innovation born out of a simple premise: just because it isn't cost-effective to run a 40 foot bus somewhere, doesn't mean those people don't need transit. On demand transit can fill the first mile-last mile gaps and provide service where buses--even small ones--don't make practical sense. Circuit's approach to on demand transit is focusing on short trips. Trips just long enough someone might drive their car, but too short for a bus. Partnering with cities and businesses Circuit provides free or low cost on demand, shared transit to get cars off the road, people where they need to go, and fill buses with people. Interestingly, and a direct connection to our second guest, this passion project was born from Alex and his friend looking for a better parking solution around their hometown on Long Island. In our leadership segment, Marinma Dorado talks about one of the most critical parts of managing your life and career--making sure you focus on doing what you love. A lot of us can do things, and do them well, but they also tend to pull us away from the things we love. And according to Marinma and her own experience, focusing on the things you're passionate about, the things you love to do, makes you more successful in the long run. Also on the show, Elea Carey talks about what transit agencies should think about when picking which community events to attend. Coming up next week we have a very special interview with Renée Amilcar, GM of OC Transpo in Ottawa, ON and the new president of UITP. Renée is the first woman, and first North American, to hold the office. Paul recorded the interview with her while at the UTIP Global Summit the day before she took office. Her passion for transit and global cooperation cross-agencies and cross continents should make her two-year term very exciting! Enriched by Vizzy (00:00) Transit Unplugged News and Views with Alex Esposito and Marinma Dorado (00:23) Interview with Alex Esposito. Co-founder and CEO of Circuit (16:56) Marketing Minute with Elea Carey (19:07) Interview with Marinma Dorado (33:37) Coming up next week on Transit Unplugged Chapters, images & show notes powered by vizzy.fm.

This week we're back with more seltzers, this time chatting the TRULY PUNCH MIX PACK. We sampled the four flavours: Citrus, Tropical, Fruit and Berry. We spent some time discussing the Truly seltzer brand before digging into the drinks. Along the way we also chatted about: aspartame; codeine; Gen Z smoking; university parties; and John shares his legendary OC Transpo 95 Barrhaven story. We were somewhat mixed on the drinks themselves, but these are definitely a good option for those of you who like your sweeter, fruiter beverages. Next week we will return to the Edmonton craft beer scene with another brewery lineup! Timestamps: 8:33 Seltzer #1 (CITRUS PUNCH) 15:36 Seltzer #2 (TROPICAL PUNCH) 20:20 Seltzer #3 (FRUIT PUNCH) 28:41 Seltzer #4 (BERRY PUNCH) 39:44 Wrap up, final scores, and conclusion Credits: Intro and closing song: "Drink Beer (Till the Day That I Die)" by Dazie Mae (www.daziemae.com) Artwork: IG @natalierivetartist (www.natalierivet.com)

How Ottawa's dream of a world-class transit system became a nightmare.

Snow and ice were "too much for us to handle" says OC Transpo's GM. As the public service gets set to return to downtown after an absence of two years, our LRT has been broken down for six days and almost exclusively, no elected official in Ottawa has taken to social media to address it. Today I ask, just what does it take to piss you off citizens of Ottawa? Do you not expect more from council? The mayor? Even after just two months on the job? I do. But... It's your call. www.itsyourcall.com

Subscribe now (00:16) Good Morning! It's a Therapy Thursday - Here's what's coming up (03:00) More riders have been using OC Transpo (03:19) School boards are planning to switch to online learning if a strike happens (03:55) Gabby Barrett + husband welcome second child, Augustine – and makes a point on how to pronounce the name (06:21) Gwyneth Paltrow's ridiculous Holiday Gift Guide – The Goop Gift Guide is here! (11:35) Win Luke Combs tickets (12:57) Useless Question – 51% of parents say they're most focused on THIS during the school year (19:02) Therapy Thursday (29:15) Thousand Dollar Minute (32:07) Christmas movies filmed in Ottawa (33:08) New TikTok Trend: Crying breakup videos (34:08) Is Ryan Reynolds buying the Ottawa Senators?! (35:05) Therapy Thursday continues (40:53) Signs you're aging – the grocery store gets rearranged (43:59) Starbucks Holiday Menu is back! (44:23) Kelsea Ballerini returning as the host of the 2023 CMT Music Awards (44:45) Three things you should always tell your flight attendant (47:08) Pure Country Payroll winner (48:34) What we learned today

Three topics on the table today - firstly, should Doug Ford testify at the inquiry into the use of the Emergency Measures Act, even though that law is that of, and was imposed by, the federal government? Also… When asked WHO stayed in the $6,000 per night room in London for five nights, the PM responded by announcing he had more cheques for Canadians. And… Lowell continues to see empty OC Transpo buses, one after another, driving through residential neighbourhoods at night. With OC Transpo running an $85 million deficit, is there not a better plan we can put in place? Is there not a better plan that should have been put in place pre-pandemic? Lowell Green is live weekdays at 2pm ET on www.BTRradio.com Photo: John Mielke

Ottawa elects a new mayor and a new council on Monday. Most of the current councilors will not be returning. So... Lowell asks you what you believe their first priority should be. Roads? Bike lanes? Lansdowne? LRT? OC Transpo? You tell us! Lowell is live weekdays at 2pm ET on www.BTRradio.com - show links and more at www.LowellGreen.com PHOTO: City of Ottawa Facebook

The pandemic had a significant impact on public transportation ridership in North America. Currently, the ridership is ranging between 50-70% depending on the city and transit mode. Before the pandemic, ridership on Ottawa's transit system was among the highest per capita of any North American city, with 475,000 daily journeys in the city of 1 million habitants. OC Transpo (aka Ottawa-Carleton Regional Transit Commission) is the public transit agency for the city of Ottawa, the capital city of Canada. The agency is adapting to changing customer behavior and has launched many initiatives to bring back ridership. The transit agency is planning to convert the full bus fleet to electric by 2027 and working on Phase II of the Ottawa Light Rail system, to build a truly multi-modal transport network.Renée Amilcar became the first woman to be permanently hired for the role of General Manager of Transit Services with OC Transpo in the City of Ottawa. She joined the position in October 2021 after spending 19 years at Société de transport de Montréal (STM). During her stint at STM Montreal, she managed different departments, including the planning section, bus maintenance, and operation. She is also the winner of the exceptional woman leadership prize for large companies awarded by the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec (FCCQ) in 2018. She was also the first female bus committee chair of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP).

Subscribe now! (00:18) Good Morning! Happy Monday - here's what's coming up (03:11) OC Transpo warns of more expected bus trip cancellations this week (03:36) A severe thunderstorm didn't stop Shania from closing out Boots & Hearts (04:44) “Bullet Train” had the lead at the box office this weekend (05:16) Win tickets to see Tebey (06:33) Horoscopes with Jeff (09:33) Useless Question - 30% of singles have hooked up with THIS person (16:25) Here's how to be the MOST interesting at a party (19:36) Could you be the Pure Country Ontario Farm Family of the Year? (20:49) Thousand Dollar Minute (23:40) Why did Kim + Pete break up? (24:28) Dan Smyers of Dan + Shay says he can “never cut his hair” - here's why (25:28) Naomi Judd's death records sealed (26:38) Daily World Jumble for Reklaws tickets (29:53) Want to become a professional napper? Now's your chance (32:51) Carrie Underwood is celebrating 10 years with Sunday Night Football (33:15) Today is National Pickleball Day (34:41) Flyaway to the CCMA's contest winner (36:03) What we learned today

Today Lowell is back on the "why have we invested so much only to get so little back" green energy soap box. With empty buses driving through the city all day and all night, plus the news that they shut down LRT for a while during Canada Day, he wonders if you believe that OC Transpo The Worst Run Organization on the planet. And, finally, Lowell asks, with Patrick Brown gone, will this mess hurt the Conservative Party? We take your calls, read your social media comments, air some frustrations and have a few laughs along the way. Lowell is live weekdays at 2pm ET on www.WBTR.ca/lowellgreen

In her Central regional report, Karen Magee gives details about OC Transpo's training support for the Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind. She also chats about a new floating beach chair for visitors to enjoy at the Innisfil Beach Park. From the July 7, 2022 episode.

Today on NOW with Dave Brown, Shelley Adams from the CNIB shares some unique summer camping options available for youth in Nova Scotia. Dawn Dickinson previews The Guardian This Week and explains why there is not enough mental health support in Britain for people who fled Hong Kong. Steven Scott of Double Tap Canada discusses Humanware's newest GPS device ‘The Stellar Trek.' And in her Central regional report, Karen Magee gives details about OC Transpo's training support for the Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind. This is the July 7, 2022 episode.

On this edition of The Lowell Green Show we dive into the cost of gas, and it's affect on everything. Today it's at $2.09. We also discuss kids being kids when it comes to the clothes they wear. Were we any different? Speaking of young people, should the voting age be lowered to 16? We have a discussion on this as well. OC Transpo is seeing a massive decrease in ridership, yet, they're set to hire 80 more drivers. Why? And, as far is Lowell is concerned, there are a number of Liberal MPP's who "should be in jail" for their role in Ontario's acquisition of turbines and solar panels. A lot of moving parts to today's conversation and we cover a lot of ground! Lowell is LIVE weekdays at 2pm ET on www.BlastTheRadio.com/lowellgreen

Today Lowell discusses the city's plan to make transit free... And he asks "just what is the advantage to an electric bus?" Does it go faster? No. Does it provide better service? No. So why are we spending so much to switch to electric OC Transpo buses? Also... Why is Jean Charest running in a race he cannot win? And, we discuss the shocking, rising price of food. Lowell is LIVE weekdays at 2pm ET on www.BlastTheRadio.com/lowellgreen

Today Lowell vents his frustration with with The City of Ottawa and asks if there is anything this council can do right? A heated debate sees the mayor turn off a councilor's microphone, a vote on an inquiry into LRT never happens, but we do vote for more garbage disposal and to turn of gas fired electric. Not to mention the BILLIONS we're spending on a new library.   WHY? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today Lowell asks Premier Ford why it's ok to have capacity crowds at sporting events and concerts, yet still be punishing restaurants, gyms and other small businesses who have already taken a huge hit? Also... We discuss the need for an impartial, judicial inquiry into the LRT.   Of course the mayor is against it. And... Did you know that city staff get free parking, or free transit?   Oh, and those with electric cars get free charging stations too!   Well... Free for them, we pay for it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy Teriyaki Tuesday, everybody! How are you all doing? This week, Teriyaki and her guest, Peiton will discuss public transportation in Ottawa (OC Transpo). We all know that living abroad is full of unexpected events, and certainly taking public transportation is the cause of trouble. And we know that Canada will not surpass Japan's public transportation system (maybe). Listen in!! お久しぶりです。今週はペイトンとオタワのバスと電車について愚痴ります。海外に住み始めると何かと色々トラブルが発生するのですが、公共交通機関ももちろんその中の一つです。バスに乗るのにこんなに苦労したことないかも...というぐらい色々あったので是非聞いて海外に住む大変さをシェアさせてください。 あなたの海外公共交通機関あるある募集中です I was invited to speak as a guest on Most Xtreme Podcast to talk about Crocs! Check their wonderful podcats here! ゲスト出演してます。 Teriyaki Chicken Nugget is a show run by a bilingual Japanese, Teriyaki. The main themes of this podcast are learning English as a foreign language, unique Japanese culture, and experiences living abroad as a Japanese. Contact Teriyaki for any inquiries you have on Instagram (teriyakienglish), Tiktok (teriyakienglish),  Twitter (teriyakienglish), and Facebook (teriyakichickennugget). Email: teriyaki.english@gmail.com ! Teriyaki Chicken Nugget はバイリンガルの日本人が運営しているポッドキャストです。主なテーマとして英語学習や日本独自の文化、そして在外邦人エピソードを紹介しています。テリヤキのインスタ (teriyakienglish) とTwitter (teriyakienglish) もフォローお願いします！インスタでは英語学習に役立つミニ情報を投稿しており、Twitterでは留学の話や私の個人的な意見も発信しています。質問があれば、DM,メール(teriyaki.english@gmail.com)まで。 (This show is only created for entertainment purposes. Please be advised that you consume the content for those purposes and acknowledge that the content does not intend to target a certain group of people.) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/teriyakichickennugget/message

Today we discover that Facebook has a policy that you may NOT post facts or statistics.   Producer John is in trouble with them again. Then... Some final words to the bombastic voices coming from the anti-vax camp before getting to the main topic of the day... What the hell do we do with the LRT?   A new GM is on her way in for OC Transpo.    Do we ditch it?  Replace it?   And that leads into our final topic of the day... Just what does it take to get Canadians pissed off about politics? Lowell is LIVE weekdays from 2:00 to 2:30pm ET on www.BlastTheRadio.com and on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Twitch!   Show links and more at www.LowellGreen.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

HUGE response on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Twitch and text to today's show as Lowell asks if you think Erin O'Toole should be replaced as leader of the Conservatives. He also wonders if it's time for a female at the helm.   Lisa Raitt, Rona Ambrose, Michelle Remple... Just a few of the names suggested today. Lowell also brings some of the voter numbers to your attention.   This could be one of the lowest voter turnouts for an election EVER.   And.... By the time you do the math, the Liberals won due to the votes of about 19% of eligible voters. Also... What a mess the LRT is.   One again, we ask, "where do we go from here?  What is the solution?"    Lowell Green is live on www.BlastTheRadio.com weekdays 2pm ET See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's election day in Canada... We spend a few moments discussing that. Then we dive into the problems with Ottawa's LRT.   Another derailment over the weekend.   Finally... We discuss the garbage issue in Ottawa. Some tech issues towards the end of the show - trust us when we tell you that we are addressing them.   We do apologize. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Producer John's lead in song prompts a walk down memory lane for Lowell and it's a VAX FREE ZONE on the show today! Lowell put three questions out to the audience: - Is the LRT worth the $??? - Does Jim Watson deserver another term? - If the Conservatives win the next election, should they change the location of the new Civic Hospital BACK to across from where it currently is? Join us live on Facebook, Youtube, Twitch and on BlastTheRadio.com/lowellgreen weekdays at 2pm ET - Also, you can now download the free app!  Search for BlastTheRadio (all one word) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today Lowell wonders just who the people are who feel the need to destroy police cars when their hockey team wins. Also... Lowell runs down the mess that has been Trudeau's cabinet... And a caller asks about the Liberals suing the House Of Commons. Plus... A quick conversation about Ottawa's purchase of electric buses. And finally... Some congratulations to Rob Snow in his latest ratings! Lowell is live at 2pm ET weekdays at 2pm ET on www.BlastTheRadio.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this show, Lowell says that spending $1 Billion to buy electric buses will reduce global co2 emissions by 2% of 3%of 1.6%. We hear your comments on that... Plus, Bill C10, which threatens the free speech Canadians enjoy on the internet, was passed at 1:30am.    Some serious questions about this bill and the government's reasons for it. We take your calls, texts, emails, and social media messages weekday at 2pm ET when Lowell is LIVE on www.BlastTheRadio.com/lowellgreen This podcast is available on your Alexa and Google speakers!  Just ask it to "Play the Lowell Green Podcast." See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's show addresses everything from Lowell's days doing The Twist, to how hard it is to find a good tomato... Along with a discussion on Ottawa's investment in 450 Electric OC Transpo buses, and the lack of leadership seen at the G7, not the least of which is our deputy PM walking around with no shoes on. Lowell is live at 2pm ET weekdays on www.BlastTheRadio.com/lowellgreen See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

[Traduction française du résumé et de la transcription du podcast ci-dessous.] Public transportation remains one of the only ways to move large amounts of people quickly and sustainably, but if sustainability is the goal, there’s a lot more that needs to be done. A typical 18 meter bus consumes approximately 40,000 litres of diesel every year, which equates to 100 tonnes of CO2 for just one bus. That’s where the electrification of public transit comes in - an initiative that Canada, and the city of Ottawa, has been fast-tracking. In this episode, Ottawa Mayor, Jim Watson, shares what’s next for Ottawa as city officials strive to achieve their ambitious goal for 100 per cent net zero public transit by 2040. Transcript: Dan Seguin  00:42 Welcome back, everyone. This is the ThinkEnergy podcast. Many guests of this podcast have spoken at length about the important role that the transportation sector has on helping Canada achieve 100% net zero emissions by 2050. Without widespread adoption of transit electrification. decarbonisation simply can't be done. And we're not just talking about personal electric vehicles, but long haul trucking, construction vehicles and of course, public transit. Public Transportation remains the only way to move large amounts of people quickly and sustainably. Only a few years ago, Clean Energy Canada and its partners released a report stating that the transportation sector was responsible for 23% of Canada's greenhouse emissions. It found that of more than 15 million Canadians that commuted only 12% use public transportation. Nearly 75% of commuters drove a private automobile only a few years ago, clean energy Canada and its partners released a report stating that the transportation sector was responsible for 23% of Canada's greenhouse emissions. It found that of the more than 15 million Canadians that commuted only 12% use public transportation, the electrification of public transit, paired with green energy production and increase ridership will improve urban air pollution immensely. Did you know that a typical 18 meter bus runs up to 16 hours a day, and that one bus that consumes approximately 40,000 litres of diesel every year. That's the equivalent of 100 tonnes of co2 for just one bus. Canada is in a great position with 80% of the electricity produced is coming from non-emitting sources. That means that when the electrification of transportation happens, it will be plugged into an already green grid that is only getting greener year over year. It was in April 2019 that the City of Ottawa declared a climate emergency and that it was ramping up work on key climate change plans and initiatives. In fact, the City of Ottawa has an ambitious goal to have its entire municipal operations and services including transit 100% net zero by 2040. That's a full decade before the country plans to achieve this goal. Ottawa has already made significant strides with its launch of the city's light rail transit. A feat that Ottawa Transit Commission says has achieved the largest reduction of GHG emissions in Ottawa's history and changes happening incrementally. By the fall of 2021, the city will add four more electric buses to its fleet. There's no doubt that there's a movement happening. More and more urban dwellers are jumping on E scooters and E bikes as other ways to navigate a congested city. I see everyday as my wife and I share an electric car. And most recently, instead of taking our car, we ride our ebikes for errands within five to 10 kilometers from our home. So here's today's big question is Canada's public transit entering a new era of decarbonisation, transitioning away from diesel buses to low or zero emission electric buses, electric rail, and other cleaner means of mobility? How quickly can we achieve this. And how are municipalities like Ottawa, leading the charge? To help drive the conversation, I've invited the mayor of Ottawa, Jim Watson, to talk about the municipal goals related to climate change, and specifically the electrification of the city's public transportation. Welcome, Mr. Mayor, and thank you so much for being on our show today.   Jim Watson  05:30 My pleasure. Thank you very much.   Dan Seguin  05:32 Mr. Mayor. If I'm not mistaken, you were elected as the youngest mayor, in Ottawa's history in 1997. For our listeners, not from Ottawa, perhaps you could tell us a bit about yourself? And what fueled your passion for public service these many years?   Jim Watson  05:54 Sure, well, thank you for the opportunity to be on your podcast. That's right. My claim to fame was that I was the youngest Mayor elect, I think I was 35 or 36. And I was first elected as a city councilor when I was 28, or 29. For the Capital ward. And I served two terms on on city council as a councilor. And prior to that, I worked as Director of Communications for the Speaker of the House of Commons, and Press Secretary for the speaker as well. So I came from the federal political side into the municipal side and loved every moment of it. It's been a real honor to serve. I served as the last elected mayor of the Old City before amalgamation. And then from there we went. I went off to become President and CEO of the Canadian Tourism Commission, which is a federal crown Corporation, it's now called Destination Canada. And I did that for I guess, about three years. And then politics, lured me back into its web and I became the MPP for Ottawa West Nepean for two terms, and had the honor of serving in three different cabinet portfolios, the last one being Municipal Affairs and housing, and then got back into municipal politics in 2010, and was reelected in 2014, and 2018. So I'm now on my, I guess, 13th year as Mayor of the City of Ottawa, Lucky 13. And as I said, I've enjoyed every moment of it, it's been a great honor. And also, particularly these days dealing with things like COVID and the state of the economy a great challenge.   Dan Seguin  07:28 Mayor Watson, let's go back to April 2019, when you declared a climate emergency in the nation's capital, was there an inciting incident or a trigger that led to that moment? Or was it simply a built up of evidence that all pointed to the same conclusion?   Jim Watson  07:50 I think it was a gradual realization that more and more countries and cities and provinces were recognizing climate change is a global crisis that we're dealing with, and that we at the local level, being the most pragmatic level of government had an opportunity to not just declare, but also act on the climate emergency because it's one thing to simply pass a paper resolution saying, you declare it, you're going to do something about it. And we've worked very hard over the course of the last not just a couple of months, but last couple of years with our staff and advisory groups and outside environmental experts to do whatever we can both locally and contributes nationally through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to ensure that the senior levels of government that have the most influence when it comes to funding recognize that we need their help in order to meet our goals. So in Canada over 450 Municipal and regional governments have declared a climate emergency including big cities like ours, Montreal, Vancouver, Halifax, Toronto and Edmonton. And the assembly of First Nations has as well.   Dan Seguin  09:11 Okay. I've read that municipalities in Canada have influence over roughly 50% of greenhouse gas emissions in Canada. Through Ottawa's Energy Evolution initiative, you've set a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 100 per cent from all areas of municipal government operations by 2040. What does that mean and what kind of changes should residents expect to see over the next two decades?   Jim Watson  09:46 Our city operations account for only about 4% of total emissions in Ottawa so as you mentioned, council as a goal to reduce the admissions our target was to decrease them by 30% by 2025. And between 2012 and 2019, corporate admissions decreased by 34%. So we're actually making progress and we're doing a little better than we targeted for. And since the launch of LRT, diesel use and emissions for buses have decreased for the first time since 2012 - and that's something pretty significant. So we're gonna have to continue to do that good work. But when we talk about the corporation of the City of Ottawa, it's basically City Hall and, and the bureaucracy around the city. There's the broader City of Ottawa, obviously, and we have to work with them, the private sector and homebuilders and so on, to ensure that they meet their goals as well. But I'm very proud of the fact that , as I mentioned, for the first time, we've seen diesel use, emissions from buses decreased for the first time since 2012. So that's a good indicator of how we're doing.   Dan Seguin  10:52 I have to admit, Mayor, that I'm pretty excited to talk to you today about public transportation. I know you take public transit on a regular basis. Coming off a year, like 2020, where ridership was down due to COVID. What are the benefits residents should be aware of? And why is public transit important to invest in?   Jim Watson  11:18 Well, obviously, 2020 was a really tough year for every transit company around the world, not just Ottawa. Every transit system, at least in North America saw a significant you know, 60 to 80% drop in, in revenues and passengers for the simple reason that so many people were working from home, people lost their jobs as a result of COVID-19, people felt safer not going on transit. So all of those factors were front and center. And it made it rough for our transit system, particularly, since we just launched a new train system. And obviously, the first few months of that system, we had a lot of problems. Most of those have been resolved and the system's working really well, I think 98.5% of trips are on time, which is great. And, you know, the one good thing that's come out of COVID is the fact that transit ridership is down, that's a bad thing. And a good thing. The bad thing is it's we want to get the numbers up and make it financially sustainable. The good thing is people can take transit now and not be wedged into the train or the bus like sardines in a can because we have more space now because there's fewer riders. So we know that for instance, reducing greenhouse gases from transit, and the O train in particular is going to be one of our key tools in our toolbox to reduce our GHGs and make sure that we meet our standards, and meet our goals that we set as a community through the emergency resolution.   Dan Seguin  12:53 Mayor Watson, what investments are you looking to make in regards to the electrification of public transit in Ottawa? I understand we're getting four new electric buses by the fall of 2021. What are the short, mid and long term goals to electrify public transportation? When are you planning to have 100% electrification of the buses?   Jim Watson  13:24 Well, you know, some people have been critical over the fact that we're only getting, you know, a few buses in the first order. But I think what's wise on this on our staff's part is let's get a few in, let's test them and all of the different climates that we have, because as you know, we have four very distinct seasons. We're also unique and cities that were a very large geographic city - we're 2600 square kilometers, you can fit the cities of Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Montreal, and Toronto, all five of those big cities fit within the boundaries of Ottawa, and we're still bigger. So, I don't believe we have the technology yet where a bus can travel those long distances in a city like Ottawa without having to get charged and, you know, you send a bus all the way out to Carp or to South End in Barrhaven or to Cumberland and Orleans. It takes a lot of wear and tear on the battery and we have to have the capacity to make sure that the buses don't stall out because the battery is run run dry. So we're investing you know, several million dollars to get the infrastructure in place working with our partner, Hydro Ottawa, as well as the bus manufacturer and OC Transpo. To get these buses up and running so people can see them can experience them and we can test them out in the fall weather as well as in the winter weather coming up in the next year. But you know, the big, just going back to other aspects of transit, of course we have the O-train and you know, the LRT has to go and be expanded farther than it is right now. Right now it's 12 kilometers with I guess about 13 stations going from Tunney's Pasture in the East, Hurdman in the south end and Blair in the East End. And as you know, phase two of LRT is under construction as we speak. And it goes farther west to Algonquin College and Moody drive, just on the border of Kanata, and then it goes East to Trim road and Place D'Orleans. And it goes south to the EY center, the airport, and Riverside South, which is a very fast growing community. So those that's underway, and then this council is also approved the environmental assessments for Barrhaven's. LRT. Because Barrhaven is a very fast growing community, as you know, as well as Stittsville in Kanata. So we're working with the federal government: we need to secure the funding for phase three, we have the funding all in place, and it's being put to good use as we speak for phase two. But we need to go farther east west and south to make the system even more attractive and efficient.   Dan Seguin  16:08 So Mayor Watson, it's fair to say that the wide range of Ottawa's weather will play a factor on the feasibility of moving to electric?   Jim Watson  16:20 Well, I think we have to take that into account, you know, we have some really cold winters, and we want to make sure that the buses don't stall out, the last thing we want is a bus stranded on the side of the 174, the 417. Because the battery is not working properly. So we have to test them out, that would be the wise thing to do. You don't go and buy your whole fleet overnight without testing it and doing it the proper due diligence to make sure it works well. And you know, just as we're anticipating significant reductions in GHGs. From the O-train, we'll do the same from the buses, just give you an example by 2031 O-train reduction of greenhouse gas emissions will amount to about 94,000 tons and criteria air contaminant emissions by approximately 4600 tonnes. So it's a lot it's our single biggest weapon in our arsenal to fight climate change and to push down our GHG numbers is electrifying the system, as well as eventually, you know, my goal would be to have the entire OC transpo fleet if it's technically feasible to be electric over the next couple of decades.   Dan Seguin  17:35 I'm looking forward to your response on this next one Mayor Watson. Nationwide, cities are grappling with how to best reduce transportation emissions, better public health and lower government spending. Will the electrification of city fleets present an attractive proposition that has the potential to address all three concerns? What are the benefits that you hope Ottawa will reap from going electric and funding these types of projects?   Jim Watson  18:14 Well, you know, Dan that Ottawa already has good air quality. Going to zero emissions, transit will obviously improve it further. And quieter transit also improves the experience for those living and working on the routes. You know, if you look at Slater and Albert street that used to be a major transit way, lots of emissions. No one could ever have a cafe or patio on Slater/Albert, just because there are too many fumes coming from the buses, and the noise, quite frankly, of the engine. So that's going to improve the quality of life of people who live along bus routes as well. We know that battery electric buses do have a high upfront costs. So the more cities and governments around the world started investing in it, the price starts to go down, which makes it more economically feasible. But you know, as many of us found out during the pandemic, increasing our use of active transportation modes, like cycling and walking also has a positive impact on our physical and mental health. You know, more people are out at skating rinks now, for instance, than I've seen in some time. So, you know, we have still a lot of work to do. But this is the first time City Council in the history of the city of Ottawa has invested in electric buses. And obviously the first time we've invested in electric trains, I guess you could go back to the streetcars that were electric back a long time ago before you and I were born.   Dan Seguin  19:40 Now, can you help me understand what will determine the success of transit bus systems in North America? Could it be around promoting transit buses as an environmentally friendly, convenient and economical mode of transport? And what about our case: light rail transit, if it expands, can environmentalists or doing the right thing help bring more ridership and encourage a switch from personal to public transportation?   Jim Watson  20:15 Yeah, it's a very good question. I think it's a little of everything that you mentioned, I think it has to first and foremost be convenient for people. People don't want to be waiting for, you know, 50 or 60 minutes between trains or buses, it has to be comfortable and safe and secure for them. And it has to be affordable. You know, we froze the rates for most of last year, because we're not satisfied with the level of service that we're getting from RTG. And we try to keep the the rate going up at a roughly the rate of inflation, for passes and so on, we introduced the equi-pass for those people who have an income of less than I believe $20,000. So that makes it much more affordable for them, they save almost 50% off of regular adult pass, we brought in, you know, no charge service for seniors on Sundays, in addition to what we already offer on Wednesdays. And obviously, from an environmental point of view, that is another key selling point, I think, to a segment of our society that want to be good stewards of the environment. They want to make sure that, you know, they're getting on a vehicle and it's, you know, zero as close to zero emissions as possible.   Dan Seguin  21:27 Mr. Mayor, the transportation sector accounts for approximately a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions, and is one of the major sectors where emissions are still rising. Ottawa is closer to 44% if I'm not mistaken, electrification is widely considered an attractive solution for reducing the dependency and environmental impact of road transportation. Where does the city stand with EV infrastructure like public charging stations? And maybe let's throw in some wildcards like electric scooters and E-bikes?   Jim Watson  22:11 Yeah, the corporate policy with respect to EVcharging is requires charging stations be installed at new facilities that are undergoing major retrofits or if it's a new facility, EV chargers have to be part of that. So that's a policy that we instituted a little while ago, we have a charger here, for instance, at City Hall and you see them at some of the new recreation centers that we've built around the city. Energy Evolution doesn't discuss electric scooters, or ebikes. That's going to be part of the transportation master plan. We did have an E-scooter program with three companies on a pilot basis this past summer, we're waiting on the results of that. A lot of people love the system. There are other people that were not happy with those scooters, you know, being thrown and tossed across sidewalks, it was an impairment issue for people who had physical and visual disabilities. So we have to, obviously take that into account if we're going to make the program permanent. But you know, we see examples around the world and sometimes you don't have to reinvent the wheel. If the scooter program works. That's another mode of transportation that it's suitable for some people, but we want to make sure obviously, it's safe for everyone the scooter riders themselves as well as the people who use the sidewalks and the roadways for either cycling or walking.   Dan Seguin  23:37 We know that zero emission fleets tend to have higher upfront costs than comparable internal combustion engine vehicles. But the fueling and operating costs are lower over the lifetime of the vehicle, which can offset the higher sticker price. So will constituents in Ottawa see the cost savings from electric municipal fleets? And what about infrastructure for their own personal electric vehicles?   Jim Watson  24:12 Yeah, we're not planning on subsidizing home EV chargers. That's not part of our plan. I don't think people would would expect us to do that. Our main focus is public EV charging stations, such as right of way and community centers. I know, for instance, national Natural Resources Canada, the Federal Department have a project underway to install 24 on street chargers and at 12 sites across the city, which we appreciate. We're also funding to install three charging stations at the bottom of quarry Rec Center in Orleans. And this project is currently underway. And I think when residents will see the cost savings when switching obviously to electric vehicles. Electric vehicle drivers save upwards of 60% on maintenance costs. And obviously 50% on fuel costs, gasoline, and above and beyond it being a good deal financially, it's a great deal from our mental and ecological point of view.   Dan Seguin  25:04 Mayor Watson, as charging demand for fleet grows, the city will need more efficient and scalable charging systems. Where do you stand with the electric charging infrastructure to serve this mass electrification of transportation?   Jim Watson  25:24 Well, you know, we're lucky, we have a Member of Parliament, who's also a minister of infrastructure, Catherine McKenna, and Catherine is, is worked very hard to help us with some of these projects, particularly when she was minister the environment. So we're hoping to see increased support for both electric buses and electric charging stations from the federal government to help us because obviously, at our level of government were of the three levels were the poorest of the three and we need from time to time help from upper levels of government. And this is a great project that's very tangible, understandable by the public, to ensure that as more and more electric cars are sold, we're going to need more and more electric charging stations. And I just saw on the news the other day, that, fortunately for them, I think Norway now sold more electric cars than conventional gas cars for the first time in any country's history in the world, which I think is great for them, and something we should aim for.   Dan Seguin  26:32 Time for the crystal ball. Mr. Mayor, what is your ideal future for the electrification of public transportation, especially when it comes to reducing congestion and improving driver and rider experience?   Jim Watson  26:50 I think, you know, first and foremost, it's getting phase two up and running: getting more people on the train system and the bus system that plugs into the train system. The first phase of phase two will open in the fall of 2022, which is not that far away. That's the the existing O-train diesel line, not the electric line. But then the Confederation line, which is east-west. The next phase, I think, will be in 2025, I believe, for the East End and 2026 for the West End, around those times. So that's my preoccupation, and focus is to get that done. And then to secure the funding for phase three, which will bring us to Barrhaven and Stittsville and Kanata. And then if you can call it phase four, how do we work with Gatineau to get some kind of connectivity between their new tram system that they're working on? And our LRT system in the downtown core? Because we have so many people that work in Gatineau and live in Ottawa and vice versa.   Dan Seguin  27:58 Okay, are you ready to close this off with some rapid fire questions?   Jim Watson  28:03 Sure.It sounds like reach for the top.   Dan Seguin  28:06 Mr. Mayor, what is your favorite word?   Jim Watson  28:10 "thanks." We don't do that enough.   Dan Seguin  28:20 What is your ideal electric vision for Ottawa's future?   Jim Watson  28:25 Well, that we continue our progress on LRT, electrification of the system, and obviously, the bus fleet and our own corporate fleet here at the city are 100% Electric.   Dan Seguin  28:40 What is the one thing you can't live without?   Jim Watson  28:44 Water - I drink a lot of water. And I need you need to as well.   Dan Seguin  28:49 What habit or hobby have you picked up during shelter in place?   Jim Watson  28:53 Oh, probably, you know, being attached to Netflix - watching a lot of really bad movies to pass the time.   Dan Seguin  29:04 If you could have one superpower, what would it be?   Jim Watson  29:08 I guess to bring people back to life.   Dan Seguin  29:11 Okay, if you could turn back time and talk to your 18 year old self, what would you tell him?   Jim Watson  29:18 Probably go to law school so I have something to fall back on and not rely just on politics because there's no job security.   Dan Seguin  29:24 And lastly, what do you currently find most interesting about public life?   Jim Watson  29:33 There's a lot of good in the community it's often overshadowed by the negativity and and social media tends to be a pretty negative medium for people to attack one another but I see a lot of the good side of the city of Ottawa you know, neighbor helping neighbor, stranger helping stranger whether it's during the flooding or the tornado or COVID-19 there's a lot of good in the world unfortunately gets overshadowed by some of the negativity that you see in the media.   Dan Seguin  30:05 Well, Mr. Mayor, we've reached the end of another episode of The ThinkEnergy podcast. Thank you so much for joining us today. It was a pleasure.   Jim Watson  30:15 Thank you very much that it's been an honor. Appreciate the offer. Take care.   Dan Seguin  30:22 Thank you for joining us today. I truly hope you enjoyed this episode of The ThinkEnergy podcast. For past episodes, make sure you visit our website hydroottawa.com/podcast. Lastly, if you found value in this podcast, be sure to subscribe. Anyway, this podcast is a wrap. Cheers, everyone. -------------------------------------------------------------- Épisode no 46 – Accélération du transport en commun électrique Résumé de l’épisode : Le transport en commun demeure un des seuls moyens de déplacer de grands nombres de personnes de façon rapide et durable, mais si la durabilité est l’objectif, il y a beaucoup à faire en ce sens. Un autobus de 18 mètres consomme environ 40 000 litres de diesel par année, ce qui équivaut à 100 tonnes de CO2 juste pour un autobus. C’est là qu’entre en jeu l’électrification du transport en commun, une initiative que le Canada – et la Ville d’Ottawa – s’efforcent d’accélérer. Dans cet épisode, Jim Watson, maire d’Ottawa, discute de ce qui s’en vient à Ottawa alors que l’administration municipale s’efforce d’atteindre son ambitieux objectif : un réseau de transport en commun à consommation énergétique 100 % nette zéro d’ici 2040. Transcription : Dan Séguin  00:42 Bonjour tout le monde et bienvenue au balado ThinkEnergy. De nombreux invités de ce balado nous ont parlé en long et en large de l’importance du rôle du secteur des transports dans la quête du Canada d’atteindre la carboneutralité d’ici 2050. Sans l’adoption à grande échelle de véhicules électriques, la décarbonation ne sera tout simplement pas possible. Et on ne parle pas seulement des véhicules électriques personnels, mais aussi du camionnage sur longue distance, des véhicules de construction et, bien entendu, des réseaux de transport en commun. Le transport en commun est le seul moyen de déplacer de grands nombres de personnes de façon rapide et durable. Il y a quelques années à peine, le programme Clean Energy Canada et ses partenaires ont publié un rapport qui révélait que le secteur des transports était responsable de 23 % des émissions de gaz à effet de serre (GES) au Canada. Le rapport révélait aussi que sur les quelque 15 millions de Canadiens qui se déplacent pour aller au travail, seulement 12 % empruntaient le transport en commun. Près de 75 % des usagers de la route conduisaient un véhicule personnel. L’électrification des transports en commun, alliée à la production d’énergie verte et à l’augmentation du nombre d’usagers contribueront toutes immensément à l’amélioration de la pollution de l’air dans les villes. Saviez-vous qu’un autobus de 18 mètres roule jusqu’à 16 heures par jour et qu’un seul de ces autobus consomme environ 40 000 litres de diesel par année? C’est l’équivalent de 100 tonnes de CO2 pour un seul autobus. Le Canada est dans une excellente position puisque 80 % de l’électricité qu’on y produit provient de sources non émettrices. Cela signifie que lorsque les transports seront électrifiés, ils pourront compter sur un réseau d’électricité déjà vert – et qui le devient toujours plus au fil des ans. En avril 2019, la Ville d’Ottawa a déclaré l’état d’urgence climatique et a annoncé dans la même foulée qu’elle accélérait les travaux liés aux plans et aux projets clés pour lutter contre les changements climatiques. D’ailleurs, la Ville d’Ottawa a un objectif très ambitieux : la réduction des émissions de GES de 100 % d’ici 2040, et ce, pour toutes ses activités et services municipaux, y compris le transport en commun. C’est 10 ans de moins que l’objectif fixé par le Canada pour atteindre le « zéro émission ». Ottawa a déjà fait de grands pas avec le lancement du train léger sur rail (TLR) de la ville. Selon la Commission du transport en commun d’Ottawa, le TLR a donné lieu à la plus importante réduction de GES de l’histoire d’Ottawa et, pourtant, les changements surviennent progressivement. D’ici l’automne 2021, la Ville ajoutera quatre autobus électriques à son parc de véhicules. Il ne fait aucun doute qu’un mouvement est en train de se préciser. De plus en plus de citadins se déplacent sur des scooters électriques et sur des vélos électriques pour éviter les écueils de la congestion de la ville. Je constate ce mouvement tous les jours alors que ma conjointe et moi-même partageons une voiture électrique. Et tout récemment, au lieu de prendre notre voiture, nous avons pris nos vélos électriques pour faire nos emplettes dans un rayon de cinq à 10 kilomètres de chez nous. Alors, voici la grande question du jour : est-ce que les réseaux de transport en commun du Canada sont en train d’entrer dans une nouvelle ère de décarbonation, en délaissant les autobus au diesel au profit d’autobus électriques et de trains électriques à faible ou zéro émission, ou encore d’autres modes de déplacement plus propres? À quel rythme pouvons-nous effectuer cette transition? Et comment les municipalités comme Ottawa mènent-elles la charge? Pour alimenter la conversation, j’ai invité le maire d’Ottawa, Jim Watson, pour discuter des objectifs de la municipalité au chapitre des changements climatiques et, particulièrement, de l’électrification du transport en commun de la ville. Monsieur le Maire, bienvenue et merci d’avoir accepté de participer à notre émission aujourd’hui.   Jim Watson  05:30 Le plaisir est pour moi. Merci beaucoup.   Dan Séguin  05:32 Monsieur le Maire, si je ne me trompe pas, lors de votre élection en 1997, vous êtes devenu le plus jeune maire de l’histoire d’Ottawa. Pour nos auditeurs de l’extérieur d’Ottawa, peut-être pourriez-vous nous parler un peu de vous? Et de ce qui alimente votre passion pour la fonction publique depuis toutes ces années?   Jim Watson  05:54 Bien sûr et merci de me donner l’occasion de participer à votre balado. Vous avez raison. À mon élection en effet, je suis devenu le plus jeune maire, je pense que j’avais 35 ou 36 ans. J’avais précédemment été élu comme conseiller municipal à l’âge de 28 ou 29 ans, pour le quartier Capitale. Et j’ai fait deux mandats au conseil municipal à titre de conseiller. Auparavant, j’ai travaillé comme directeur des communications pour le président de la Chambre des communes, et aussi comme attaché de presse. J’ai donc fait le saut du fédéral au municipal, et j’ai adoré chaque instant. C’est un véritable honneur de pouvoir servir la population. J’ai servi à titre de dernier maire élu de l’ancienne ville, avant la fusion. Et là, les choses se sont succédé. Je suis devenu président-directeur général de la Commission canadienne du tourisme, qui est une société d’État et qui s’appelle aujourd’hui Destination Canada. J’ai occupé ce poste environ trois ans. Ensuite, la politique m’a repris dans ses filets, et j’ai été député provincial durant deux mandats pour Ottawa-Ouest—Nepean. J’ai eu l’honneur de diriger trois portefeuilles différents, le dernier étant les Affaires municipales et le Logement. Je suis revenu en politique municipale en 2010 et j’ai été réélu en 2014 et en 2018. J’en suis maintenant à ma 13e année, je pense, comme maire de la Ville d’Ottawa. Treize ans, un chiffre chanceux je suppose. Et comme je l’ai dit, chaque journée me passionne, c’est un grand honneur. Et particulièrement par les temps qui courent, avec la COVID et la situation économique. Ce sont de grands défis.   Dan Séguin  07:28 Monsieur le Maire Watson, revenons à avril 2019, lorsque vous avez déclaré l’état d’urgence climatique dans la capitale nationale. Est-ce qu’il y a eu un incident particulier ou un élément déclencheur qui vous a poussé à faire cette déclaration? Ou était-ce simplement une accumulation de preuves qui pointaient toutes vers la même conclusion?   Jim Watson  07:50 Je pense qu’on a graduellement réalisé que de plus en plus de pays, de villes et de provinces reconnaissent que les changements climatiques sont une crise mondiale dont il faut vite s’occuper. Et nous, au palier municipal, comme nous sommes le palier de gouvernement le plus pragmatique, nous avions l’occasion non seulement de déclarer l’état d’urgence, mais aussi d’agir concrètement pour l’urgence climatique. C’est une chose d’adopter une résolution sur papier, mais en déclarant l’état d’urgence, il faut passer aux actes. Nous travaillons très fort depuis une couple d’années avec notre personnel, des groupes consultatifs et des experts indépendants en environnement pour faire tout ce que nous pouvons à l’échelle régionale. Nous contribuons aussi à l’échelle nationale par l’entremise de la Fédération canadienne des municipalités pour nous assurer que les instances supérieures du gouvernement, qui ont le plus d’influence en matière de financement, reconnaissent que nous avons besoin de leur aide pour atteindre nos objectifs. Ainsi, au Canada, plus de 450 administrations publiques municipales et régionales ont déclaré l’état d’urgence climatique, y compris de grandes villes comme la nôtre, Montréal, Vancouver, Halifax, Toronto et Edmonton. L’Assemblée des Premières Nations l’a également fait. Dan Séguin  09:11 D'accord. J’ai lu que les municipalités du Canada ont une influence sur environ 50 % des émissions de gaz à effet de serre au pays. Avec le plan d’action Évolution énergétique, vous avez pour objectif de réduire de 100 % les émissions de gaz à effet de serre dans tous les aspects des activités municipales d’ici 2040. Qu’est-ce que ça signifie concrètement et à quels changements les citoyens doivent s’attendre au cours des deux prochaines décennies?   Jim Watson  09:46 Les activités municipales représentent environ 4 % seulement du total des émissions à Ottawa. Alors, comme vous l’avez mentionné, le conseil a pour objectif de réduire les émissions, et notre cible était de les réduire de 30 % d’ici 2025. Mais entre 2012 et 2019, les émissions municipales ont diminué de 34 %. Alors, nous faisons réellement des progrès, et les résultats sont un peu mieux par rapport à l’objectif fixé. Et depuis le lancement du train léger sur rail, la consommation de diesel et les émissions des autobus ont diminué pour la première fois depuis 2012 – et ça, c’est quelque chose de considérable. Nous allons donc continuer à faire ce bon travail. Mais lorsqu’on parle de la corporation de la Ville d’Ottawa, c’est principalement l’hôtel de ville et la bureaucratie autour de la ville. Cependant, il y a aussi la ville d’Ottawa au sens plus large, évidemment, et nous devons travailler avec eux – le secteur privé, les constructeurs résidentiels, etc. – pour nous assurer qu’ils atteignent eux aussi leurs objectifs. Mais je suis très fier du fait, comme je l’ai déjà dit, que nous ayons vu la consommation de diesel et les émissions des autobus diminuer pour la première fois depuis 2012. C’est un bon indicateur de notre performance.   Dan Séguin  10:52 Je dois admettre, Monsieur le Maire, que je suis très content de discuter avec vous aujourd’hui du transport en commun. Je sais que vous êtes un usager régulier. Mais après une année comme 2020, où l’achalandage a diminué en raison de la COVID, quels sont les avantages que les résidents devraient connaître? Et pourquoi est-il important d’investir dans le transport en commun?   Jim Watson  11:18 Eh bien, évidemment, 2020 a été une année très difficile pour toutes les sociétés de transport en commun, pas seulement à Ottawa, mais partout dans le monde. Chaque réseau de transport en commun, du moins en Amérique du Nord, a accusé une baisse considérable – entre 60 % et 80 % - des revenus et des usagers. La raison est simple : tellement de gens faisaient du télétravail, d’autres ont perdu leur emploi à cause de la COVID-19, et les gens se sentaient plus en sécurité en n’empruntant pas le transport en commun. Tous ces facteurs ont contribué à la baisse d’achalandage. Et ç’a été dur pour notre réseau de transport en commun, surtout que nous venions tout juste de lancer le train léger sur rail. Et bien sûr, les premiers mois du train léger, on a connu beaucoup de problèmes. La plupart de ces problèmes ont été réglés, et le réseau fonctionne vraiment bien. À ma connaissance, 98,5 % des trajets sont à l’heure, ce qui est excellent. Vous savez, ce qui ressort de la COVID, c’est que l’achalandage a diminué. C’est à la fois une bonne et une mauvaise nouvelle. Le côté négatif, c’est que nous aimerions que les chiffres augmentent pour la viabilité du réseau. Le côté positif, c’est que les gens peuvent maintenant utiliser le transport en commun sans être entassés comme des sardines dans le train ou l’autobus. Il y a plus de place aujourd’hui parce qu’il y a moins d’usagers. Alors, nous savons que la réduction des gaz à effet de serre générés par le transport en commun – et par l’O-Train en particulier – va être un outil très important pour réduire nos émissions de gaz à effet de serre et pour nous assurer d’atteindre les standards et les objectifs que nous avons établis, en tant que collectivité, dans le cadre de notre déclaration d’état d’urgence.   Dan Séguin  12:53 Monsieur le Maire, quels sont les investissements que vous envisagez de faire sur le plan de l’électrification du transport en commun à Ottawa? Je sais que nous allons recevoir quatre nouveaux autobus électriques d’ici l’automne 2021. Mais quels sont les objectifs à court, moyen et long terme pour l’électrification du transport en commun? À quel moment les autobus seront-ils électriques à 100 %?    Jim Watson  13:24 Eh bien, vous savez, certaines personnes critiquent le fait qu’on reçoive seulement quelques autobus avec notre première commande. Mais je pense que c’est sage de procéder comme ça. On se dit allez, on en reçoit quelques-uns, on les teste dans toutes les conditions climatiques qu’on a chez nous, car comme vous le savez, on a quatre saisons bien distinctes ici. Ottawa est également unique par la grande étendue de son territoire géographique, qui totalise 2 600 kilomètres carrés. Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Montréal et Toronto : ces cinq grandes villes pourraient toutes occuper le territoire d’Ottawa, et il resterait encore de la place. Alors, je ne crois pas qu’on dispose encore de la technologie nécessaire pour faire rouler un autobus électrique sur de grandes distances, dans une ville comme Ottawa, sans devoir le recharger à un moment donné. Voyez-vous, si on envoie un autobus jusqu’à Carp ou à Barrhaven-Sud ou jusqu’à Cumberland et Orléans, c’est très exigeant pour la batterie, et on doit s’assurer que l’autobus ne tombe pas en panne à cause d’une batterie à plat. Nous investissons donc plusieurs millions de dollars pour mettre en place l’infrastructure nécessaire avec notre partenaire, Hydro Ottawa, ainsi qu’avec le fabricant des autobus et OC Transpo. Pour que ces autobus puissent circuler et que les usagers puissent les essayer, il faut qu’on puisse les tester. Et cela se fera au cours des mois à venir, dans les conditions automnales, puis dans les conditions hivernales. Par ailleurs, il y a d’autres composantes de notre réseau de transport en commun : évidemment, nous avons l’O-Train, et vous savez que le train léger sera prolongé encore davantage. En ce moment, il fait 12 kilomètres et comprend environ 13 stations, qui vont de Tunney’s Pasture à l’est, à Hurdman au sud et à Blair à l’est. Et comme vous le savez, l’Étape 2 du train léger est présentement en construction. Avec le prolongement, le train ira plus loin à l’ouest jusqu’au Collège Algonquin et à la promenade Moody, juste aux limites de Kanata. Il se rendra aussi vers l’est jusqu’au chemin Trim et Place d’Orléans. Finalement, il se rendra vers le sud jusqu’au Centre EY, l’aéroport et Riverside Sud, une collectivité qui connaît une forte croissance. Ce sont les prolongements qui sont en cours de réalisation, et le conseil a également approuvé les évaluations environnementales pour le trajet jusqu’à Barrhaven. Car Barrhaven est en forte croissance, comme vous le savez, tout comme Stittsville à Kanata. Nous travaillons actuellement avec le gouvernement fédéral : il nous faut obtenir du financement pour l’Étape 3. Pour l’Étape 2, nous avons tout le financement nécessaire et il est utilisé à très bon escient. Mais nous devons nous rendre encore plus loin, à l’est, à l’ouest et au sud, pour que le réseau soit plus attrayant et plus efficace.   Dan Séguin  16:08 Alors, Monsieur le Maire, est-il juste de dire que les conditions climatiques très variées d’Ottawa vont être un facteur pour la faisabilité de l’électrification du transport en commun?   Jim Watson  16:20 Eh bien, je pense qu’il faut qu’on en tienne compte, il peut faire très froid l’hiver ici, et nous tenons à nous assurer que les autobus ne tombent pas en panne. Imaginez si un autobus se retrouve immobilisé sur l’accotement de la 174 ou de la 417 parce que la batterie ne fonctionne pas comme elle devrait. Alors, il faut qu’on teste les autobus, c’est la chose sensée à faire. Ce serait impensable d’acheter un parc complet d’autobus, du jour au lendemain, sans les avoir mis à l’essai et sans avoir la certitude qu’ils fonctionnent bien. Vous savez, nous prévoyons des réductions considérables de GES grâce à l’O-Train, mais nous obtiendrons aussi des réductions grâce aux autobus. Juste pour vous donner un exemple, d’ici 2031, la réduction des émissions de gaz à effet de serre de l’O-Train totalisera environ 94 000 tonnes, et les émissions des principaux contaminants atmosphériques seront réduites d’environ 4 600 tonnes. La meilleure arme que nous avons dans notre arsenal pour lutter contre les changements climatiques et pour réduire nos émissions de GES, c’est l’électrification du réseau. Éventuellement, mon but serait que le parc tout entier d’OC Transpo devienne électrique au cours des deux prochaines décennies, si c’est techniquement faisable.   Dan Séguin  17:35 J’ai hâte d’entendre votre réponse à ma prochaine question Monsieur Watson. D’un bout à l’autre du pays, les villes sont aux prises avec les enjeux suivants : comment réduire les émissions générées par les transports, comment améliorer la santé de la population et comment diminuer les dépenses municipales. Est-ce que l’électrification du parc automobile des municipalités représente une option intéressante, qui a le potentiel de couvrir les trois enjeux? Quels sont les avantages dont vous espérez qu’Ottawa bénéficie en faisant le saut vers l’électrification et en finançant des projets de ce type?   Jim Watson  18:14 Comme vous le savez peut-être Dan, la qualité de l’air est bonne à Ottawa. En contribuant à atteindre le « zéro émission », le transport en commun l’améliorera encore davantage. Sans oublier qu’un réseau de transport en commun plus silencieux rehaussera l’expérience des gens qui vivent et qui travaillent à proximité des trajets. Si on pense aux rues Slater et Albert, à fort achalandage : ça fait beaucoup d’émissions. Personne n’aurait jamais imaginé exploiter une terrasse de café sur Slater ou Albert en raison de la grande quantité d’émanations s’échappant des autobus. Et honnêtement, que dire du bruit des moteurs! C’est un autre aspect qui va améliorer la qualité de vie des gens qui vivent à proximité des trajets. Nous savons que les autobus électriques à batterie ont un coût initial élevé. Mais plus des villes et des administrations municipales du monde investiront dans ces véhicules, leur prix commencera à baisser, ce qui rendra leur acquisition plus faisable. Mais vous savez, comme de nombreuses personnes l’ont réalisé durant la pandémie, le recourt plus important aux modes de transport actifs – comme le vélo et la marche – a aussi des effets positifs sur la santé physique et mentale. On le constate, les gens sont plus nombreux à aller patiner, par exemple, qu’ils l’étaient auparavant. Mais voyez-vous, on a encore beaucoup de travail à faire. C’est la toute première fois que le conseil municipal, dans l’histoire de la Ville d’Ottawa, investit dans des autobus électriques. Et, évidemment, c’est la première fois qu’on investit dans des trains électriques. À moins qu’on tienne compte du tramway, qui était électrique, mais son histoire remonte à tellement longtemps, avant même votre naissance ou la mienne…   Dan Séguin  19:40 Maintenant, pouvez-vous m’aider à comprendre ce qui déterminera le succès des réseaux d’autobus de transport en commun en Amérique du Nord? Est-ce que ce serait en faisant la promotion de ces autobus comme étant un mode de transport écologique, pratique et économique? Et qu’en est-il de notre cas : le train léger sur rail. Si ses trajets se prolongent, est-ce que les environnementalistes ou simplement la bonne conscience collective pourraient aider à accroître l’achalandage et réduire l’utilisation des véhicules personnels?   Jim Watson  20:15 Oui, c’est une très bonne question. Je crois que le succès repose un peu sur tous les éléments que vous avez mentionnés, mais je pense aussi que ce mode de transport doit, d’abord et avant tout, être pratique pour les gens. Les gens ne veulent pas attendre, disons 50 ou 60 minutes entre chaque train ou chaque autobus. Les véhicules doivent aussi être confortables et sécuritaires pour les usagers. Et le prix doit être abordable. Vous savez, nous avons gelé les tarifs pour la majeure partie de l’année dernière parce que nous ne sommes pas satisfaits du service que nous recevons du Groupe de transport Rideau (GTR). Nous nous efforçons de limiter la hausse du tarif des laissez-passer en fonction du taux d’inflation. De plus, nous avons lancé l’EquiPass pour les usagers dont le revenu est de moins de 20 000 $, si je ne me trompe pas. Pour ces usagers, l’accès au transport en commun est beaucoup plus abordable : ils économisent près de 50 % par rapport au tarif courant du laissez-passer pour adulte. Par ailleurs, nous avons lancé un service sans frais le dimanche pour les aînés, en plus de ce que nous offrons déjà le mercredi. Et bien entendu, d’un point de vue environnemental, c’est un autre argument de vente clé, à mon avis, pour une partie de la population qui tient à protéger l’environnement. Ces citoyens tiennent à ce que le véhicule dans lequel ils se déplacent soit le plus près possible du « zéro émission ».   Dan Séguin  21:27 Monsieur le Maire, le secteur des transports est responsable du quart environ des émissions de gaz à effet de serre du monde entier. C’est aussi l’un des grands secteurs où les émissions continuent d’augmenter. Si je ne me trompe pas, Ottawa est plus près de 44 %. L’électrification est grandement considérée comme une belle solution pour réduire la dépendance au transport routier et ses répercussions sur l’environnement. Quelle est la position de la Ville sur le plan des infrastructures pour les véhicules électriques, notamment les bornes de recharge publiques? Et qu’en est-il du potentiel des scooters électriques et des vélos électriques?   Jim Watson  22:11 En ce qui concerne la recharge des VE, notre politique exige que des bornes de recharge soient installées aux immeubles auxquels sont apportées d’importantes mises à niveau. Dans le cas des immeubles neufs, les bornes de recharge doivent faire partie des plans de conception. C’est une politique que nous avons adoptée il y a quelque temps déjà. Par exemple, nous avons une borne de recharge, ici à l’hôtel de ville, et on en voit à certains des nouveaux centres récréatifs que nous avons construits à différents endroits de la ville. Le plan d’action Évolution énergétique ne porte pas sur les scooters électriques ou les vélos électriques. Par contre, ces petits véhicules vont faire partie du plan directeur des transports. On avait d’ailleurs un programme de scooters électriques avec trois entreprises l’été dernier, en guise de projet pilote, et nous attendons les résultats. Beaucoup de gens ont adoré le système. Par contre, d’autres ont été mécontents parce que les scooters étaient souvent malencontreusement abandonnés sur les trottoirs et qu’ils représentaient des risques pour les personnes ayant un handicap physique ou visuel. Si nous décidons de rendre ce programme permanent, il va falloir tenir compte de ces aspects. Mais vous savez, on voit des exemples aux quatre coins du monde et, parfois, il est inutile de réinventer la roue. Si le programme de scooters fonctionne, il deviendra un autre mode de transport approprié pour certaines personnes. Mais évidemment, nous voulons la sécurité avant tout : celle des usagers des scooters et celle des gens qui empruntent les trottoirs et les rues à vélo ou à pied.   Dan Séguin  23:37 Nous savons que les véhicules « zéro émission » des parcs automobiles municipaux ont généralement un coût initial plus élevé comparativement aux véhicules à moteur à combustion interne. Mais les économies de carburant et de fonctionnement qui sont réalisées au cours de la vie utile du véhicule peuvent compenser le prix d’achat plus élevé. Est-ce que les citoyens d’Ottawa peuvent s’attendre à voir l’effet des économies de coût découlant des véhicules électriques municipaux? Et qu’en est-il de l’infrastructure adaptée à leurs propres véhicules électriques?   Jim Watson  24:12 Eh bien, nous ne prévoyons pas subventionner les bornes de recharge pour VE résidentielles. Cela ne fait pas partie de nos plans. Je ne pense pas non plus que les gens s’attendent à ce que nous le fassions. Nous préférons nous concentrer principalement sur les bornes de recharge publiques, par exemple aux centres communautaires. Je sais, entre autres, que Ressources naturelles Canada – le ministère fédéral – a commencé un projet consistant à installer 24 bornes de recharge « sur rue » et à 12 sites à travers la ville, ce que nous apprécions. Nous avons également dégagé des fonds pour l’installation de trois bornes de recharge au Complexe récréatif Bob-MacQuarrie, à Orléans. Ce projet est d’ailleurs déjà en cours. Je pense que les résidents verront réellement des économies de coût lorsqu’ils opteront pour un véhicule électrique. Les conducteurs de véhicules électriques économisent jusqu’à 60 % en frais d’entretien et, évidemment, 50 % en frais de carburant. Un véhicule électrique est bien plus qu’une bonne affaire sur le plan financier, c’est une excellente affaire d’un point de vue intellectuel et écologique.   Dan Séguin  25:04 Monsieur le Maire, au fur et à mesure que les besoins de recharge vont augmenter pour les véhicules municipaux, la Ville devra pouvoir compter sur des systèmes de recharge plus efficaces et évolutifs. Qu’elle est votre position quant à l’infrastructure de recharge électrique requise dans le cadre de l’électrification massive du secteur des transports?   Jim Watson  25:24 Eh bien, vous savez, nous avons de la chance. Nous avons une députée, Catherine McKenna, qui est aussi ministre de l’Infrastructure. Catherine travaille très fort pour nous aider avec certains de ces projets, particulièrement lorsqu’elle était ministre de l’Environnement. Alors, nous espérons obtenir davantage de soutien du gouvernement fédéral, tant pour les autobus électriques que pour les bornes de recharge. Car de toute évidence, des trois paliers de gouvernement, c’est le nôtre qui est le plus pauvre et, de temps à autre, nous avons besoin d’aide des paliers de gouvernement supérieurs. Il s’agit d’un excellent projet, très tangible et facile à comprendre pour la population : pour que de plus en plus de véhicules électriques soient vendus, il nous faut de plus en plus de bornes de recharge. J’ai vu l’autre jour aux nouvelles qu’en Norvège, il se vend maintenant plus de véhicules électriques que de voitures conventionnelles à essence. C’est le tout premier pays du monde où ça se produit, c’est super pour eux et c’est quelque chose que nous devrions avoir comme but.   Dan Séguin  26:32 Bon, c’est le moment de la boule de cristal. Monsieur le Maire, quel avenir idéal voyez-vous pour l’électrification du transport en commun, particulièrement au chapitre de la diminution de la congestion et de l’amélioration de l’expérience vécue par les automobilistes et les usagers?   Jim Watson  26:50 D'abord et avant tout, je pense qu’il est important de terminer l’Étape 2 et de la mettre en branle. Il faut qu’un plus grand nombre de personnes utilisent le réseau de trains et le réseau d’autobus qui est relié au réseau de trains. La première phase de l’Étape 2 sera prête à l’automne 2022, ce qui n’est pas si loin. Je parle de la ligne existante de l’O-Train au diesel, pas de la ligne électrique. Mais ensuite, il y a la Ligne de la Confédération, qui va d’est en ouest. La prochaine étape sera en 2025, je crois, pour le prolongement vers l’est, et en 2026 pour le prolongement vers l’ouest, dans ces eaux-là. C’est ma préoccupation pour l’instant, et tout doit être fait pour que les travaux avancent. Ensuite, il faut obtenir le financement pour l’Étape 3, ce qui nous amènera à Barrhaven, Stittsville et Kanata. Par la suite, si on peut appeler ça l’Étape 4, il faudra voir comment on peut travailler avec Gatineau pour établir une connectivité avec leur futur réseau de tramway. Comment ce projet va-t-il pouvoir s’arrimer à notre réseau de train léger au centre-ville? C’est important ça, parce qu’il y a tellement de gens qui travaillent à Gatineau et qui vivent à Ottawa, et vice versa.   Dan Séguin  27:58 Merci. Maintenant, êtes-vous prêt à terminer l’entretien avec quelques questions en rafale?   Jim Watson  28:03 Bien sûr. J’ai l’impression de me retrouver à un quiz populaire à la télé!     Dan Séguin  28:06 Monsieur le Maire, quel est votre mot préféré?   Jim Watson  28:10 « Merci », on ne le dit pas assez souvent.   Dan Séguin  28:20 Quelle est votre vision idéale pour l’avenir d’Ottawa sur le plan de l’électricité?   Jim Watson  28:25 Eh bien, il faut continuer de progresser avec le train léger sur rail, avec l’électrification du réseau de transport en commun et, évidemment, il faut que les autobus du réseau et que les véhicules appartenant à la Ville deviennent électriques à 100 %.   Dan Séguin  28:40 Quelle est la chose dont vous ne pouvez pas vous passer?   Jim Watson  28:44 De l’eau – je bois beaucoup d’eau. Et vous devriez en faire autant!   Dan Séguin  28:49 Quelle habitude ou passe-temps avez-vous adopté pendant le confinement?   Jim Watson  28:53 Oh, probablement le fait d’être attaché à Netflix, de regarder beaucoup de mauvais films pour passer le temps.   Dan Séguin  29:04 Si on vous offrait un pouvoir magique, qu’est-ce que vous choisiriez?   Jim Watson  29:08 Je choisirais de pouvoir ramener les gens à la vie.   Dan Séguin  29:11 OK, si vous pouviez retourner dans le temps pour parler à votre propre personne à l’âge de 18 ans, que diriez-vous à ce jeune Jim Watson?   Jim Watson  29:18 Je lui dirais probablement d’étudier en droit pour avoir des options dans la vie, de ne pas compter uniquement sur la politique, parce qu’il n’y a pas de sécurité d’emploi dans ce domaine.   Dan Séguin  29:24 Dernière question : actuellement, qu’est-ce que vous trouvez de plus intéressant dans la vie publique?   Jim Watson  29:33 Il y a beaucoup de bonnes choses dans notre collectivité. Elles sont souvent assombries par des sentiments négatifs, et les réseaux sociaux ont tendance à être négatifs, parce que les gens s’y attaquent les uns les autres. Mais j’ai souvent l’occasion de voir le bon côté de la ville d’Ottawa, vous savez un voisin qui aide un voisin, un étranger qui aide un étranger. Je l’ai vu durant les inondations, lors des tornades et depuis le début de la pandémie. Et il y a beaucoup de bonté dans le monde; malheureusement, elle est souvent éclipsée par la négativité qui ressort dans les médias.   Dan Séguin  30:05 Eh bien Monsieur le Maire, nous voici à la fin d’un autre épisode du balado ThinkEnergy. Merci beaucoup d’avoir été avec nous aujourd’hui. C’était un grand plaisir.   Jim Watson  30:15 Merci beaucoup à vous, c’était un honneur. Merci de m’avoir invité. À la prochaine.   Dan Séguin  30:22 Merci à tous nos auditeurs. J’espère vraiment que vous avez aimé cet épisode du balado ThinkEnergy. Pour écouter les épisodes précédents, n’hésitez pas à visiter notre site Web à hydroottawa.com/podcast. Et en terminant, si vous appréciez les sujets abordés dans notre balado, ne manquez pas de vous abonner. C’est tout pour aujourd’hui. À bientôt tout le monde.

I talk about being scared to ask about allergies and taking pictures of stuff. I also talk about Ottawa's transit system and my thoughts on it. Twitter: @PodBrainFart Instagram: @the_real_taha DM me if you wanna be a guest. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/brainfartwithtaha/message

Councillors Mathieu Fleury, Jean Cloutier & Rawlson King discuss today's hot topics.... Snow removal (and on-street parking bans), the latest LRT issues and affordable housing.

Check out what's happening at #Ottawa city hall. 3 questions, 3 councilors, 20 minutes. This week David Schellenberg talks to @Riley Brockington, Laura Dudas & Stephen Blais about the Salvation Army, OC Transpo, and snow clearing.

Councillors Luloff, Kavanagh and, making his first appearance, Allan Hubley, discuss New Year's Eve on the LRT, new routes for OC Transpo (in effect today) as well as the bike lane confusion at St. Laurent and Donald St., along with their impressions of snow clearing so far this season.

Fed up with no show buses, the Ottawa Transit Riders Association plans to crowd-source real-time data from passengers about the reliability of OC Transpo's bus routes.

Tim Tierney Councillor Ward 11 Beacon Hill-Cyrvill, Mathieu Fleury Councillor Ward 12 Rideau-Vanier, and Jean Cloutier Councillor Ward 18 Alta Vista discuss the latest LRT strategies, updates to the booking system for Para Transpo users and ideas for reducing congestion on our roads.

On this week’s host Dave Schellenberg is joined by Councillors Matt Luloff, Laura Dudas, and Riley Brockington. They discuss 1the city budget, OC Transpo, and winter clearing operations.

Another day of significant train delays due to jammed O-Train doors, another apology from OC Transpo. The City of Ottawa is putting new measures in place to try and prevent future door jams. We review them with citizen transit commissioner Leah Williams.

Since we all love to clown OC Transpo and their Mickey Mouse operation!

The origin of the "wanting smoke with goofs on the bus" rant.

In transit on OC Transpo. Ranting about the 2003 blackout and how people go buckwild during storms, blackouts, etc.

More bus ambience late night on quote unquote “Bus 95”.

WARNING: this is entirely ranting and rambling. Part 1 of 2. Capturing bus ambience as well. Bus 95 from Nepean (Woodroffe and Baseline) to Billings Bridge.

Info about the Equipass program. If you're on the come up and trying to get from what part of the city to another. https://www.octranspo.com/tickets-and-passes/equipass

Mark Blevis is a digital public affairs strategist with Full Duplex in Ottawa, Canada. He specializes in research, writing and speaking about public affairs, politics & advocacy. Mark co-authored the best-selling book, TOUCH: Five Factors to Growing and Leading a Human Organization with Tod Maffin. Mark is also known as a podcasting pioneer who co-hosted Canadian Podcast Buffet and ran the Podcasters Across Borders (PAB) Conference with Bob Goyetche. Talking about passion, podcasting and reinvention NBN 39 Show Notes Join the NBN Club today and meet 100 smart minds who want to help you achieve your professional goals. Listen to episode 39 in iTunes or Stitcher. Thanks to Margaret Lantz for her excellent networking tip. Record your own here. Congratulations to Pam Costas for winning a signed copy of my book, New Business Networking. Mark begins by sharing how attending meet ups led to launching Canadian Podcast Buffer and the Podcasters Across Borders (PAB) Conference. If you can't find a local meet up. Create your own. Find the hole and run to fill it. Go to where the puck is going to be - Wayne Gretsky. Bob and Mark chose Kingston, Ontario for PAB as a "mutually inconvenient location". If it's something you would enjoy doing. Why not do it? If you like it, you have to trust that somebody else will. How Jared Easley (interview here) used Kickstarter to validate the idea for the Podcast Movement Conference. Mark does his Digital Public Affairs Podcast and blogs as research tools. Join other listeners of NBN Radio to network and learn from one another in the NBN Club. Your membership supports this show. Mark explains how he reinvented himself. Idle No More TOUCH: Five Factors to Growing and Leading a Human Organization. The instant you put a piece of glass between you and the next person, you forget there's a person on the other side. If somebody says something and it's meaningful and valuable, give them something back. Mark shares examples of how people use Twitter to engage in a more meaningful way. Chris Hadfield and his Spade Odditiy video. People want to see themselves in the moment. Everyone talks about the home runs companies do. What about the base hits? OC Transpo using Twitter to connect with passengers. How companies can use Twitter more personally. My interview with C.C. Chapman. Mark writes someone a recommendation on LinkedIn every Sunday. On the importance of organizing your contacts. Instead of waiting for the change to come, try to invent the change. App Recommendation: Omni Focus and Oblique Strategies. Book Recommendation: An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth: What Going to Space Taught Me About Ingenuity, Determination by Chris Hadfield. Contact: Mark @ MarkBlevis.com or at FullDuplex.ca. Check out TouchtheBook.com. Submit your questions and comments by using #nbnradio. You can also record an audio comment at speakpipe.nbnradio.com. Click HERE to subscribe in iTunes Click HERE to subscribe in Stitcher   You can subscribe to the show by RSS, email or in iTunes and Stitcher Radio. You will never miss an episode! Affiliate links used, read the disclosure. Theme music, Urbana-Metronica (wooh-yeah mix) by spinningmerkaba.   Thanks for listening. You rock!