Welcome to Green Drinks - an informal, global tradition where environmental professionals, advocates, and the "green-curious" meet to chat over a drink, with sessions featuring speaker spotlights designed to celebrate wins, inspire action, and foster collaboration across Ottawa’s diverse green circles.
On Thursday, April 9 from 5:30 – 7:00 pm, CAFES is officially relaunching the Ottawa chapter of Green Drinks at our new home: The Prescott (379 Preston Street).
With this relaunch, we are swapping climate anxiety for community connection and hope. We are shaking things up with a new high-energy format designed to get you connected and inspired. Come out for some "Speed-Networking" to meet fellow change-makers, followed by a round of inspiring “Lighting Talks” featuring local environmental wins. Whether you’re a sustainability pro or just starting your journey, you’ll leave with fresh ideas, new allies, and a real way to take action.
After the launch on April 9, Green Drinks will continue to run from 5:30 - 7:00pm on the second Thursday of every month.
Check out our new Green Drinks page on our website, and RSVP for April 9th below!
CAFES, in partnership with the Ottawa Renewable Energy Co-operative (OREC) and with support from the Ottawa Climate Action Fund (OCAF), has launched Thumbs Up for Renewable Energy - a new initiative focused on community dialogue, and understanding and securing local benefits from renewable energy and battery storage in Ottawa.
Ontario’s electricity system is entering a period of rapid change. Electricity demand is expected to grow significantly as homes, transportation, and industries electrify. The Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) projects that electricity demand in Ontario will increase by about 75% by 2050. At the same time, climate-related disruptions such as extreme heat and severe storms are placing growing pressure on electricity systems, highlighting the need for a more resilient grid.
The IESO is procuring new electricity resources to ensure adequate supply in the coming years. These procurements are technology-agnostic and include a range of solutions, including renewable energy and battery energy storage. Distributed energy resources (DERs), such as local renewable generation and storage, can play an important role in strengthening grid resilience and improving local energy security. Through this project, CAFES will be advocating for a more enabling provincial regulatory environment for renewable energy and energy storage.
Ontario municipalities play a key role. Renewable energy and storage projects typically require municipal engagement and approvals such as zoning decisions and Municipal Support Confirmations.
The Thumbs Up for Renewable Energy initiative will focus particularly on rural areas of Ottawa, where many projects may be proposed. Through workshops, site visits, community events, and accessible information resources, the project will help residents better understand the electricity system, engage in discussions about local energy project planning with proper safeguards, and position us to maximize local benefits.
CAFES brings extensive experience in community engagement and climate education, while OREC contributes hands-on expertise developing and operating renewable energy projects in Ottawa and Eastern Ontario.
More information about upcoming project events and activities will be shared in the coming months!
For questions and comments please contact Zeenat at zmackwani@cafesottawa.ca
At the February 17th 2026 Environment and Climate Change Committee (ECCC) meeting, Councillor Wilson Lo moved to amend the Tree Protection By-law to permit residents to alter or remove trees on their property without restriction, essentially negating one of the City's most important tree protection policies. You can read the two motions here.
The first would allow any property owner to cut, alter, remove a tree and the tree roots from their property at their will regardless of the provisions laid out in the Tree Protection By-law and without any kind of restriction or permission needed. It would also permit the City to remove any municipal tree at its cost at the request of a resident without restriction if an arborist or engineer confirms the tree poses a risk to property.
The second motion is specific to the Gospel Oak Fairlop neighbourhood and states that the City would remove any tree in this neighbourhood at cost at the request of any adjacent property owner any time this year until the end of 2026.
We find this disregard for the urban canopy and existing protective measures to be quite alarming and problematic. As we know, as climate change intensifies our city - urban and rural areas alike - need strong regulations to protect canopy trees more than ever, not just for the ecological benefits they provide but for allowing residents to have clean air, flood mitigation, shade and cooler temperatures. Having a Tree Protection By-law in our City is enormously important in ensuring that distinctive trees with a 30 cm trunk diameter will be retained unless a permit is received.
As a network, we cannot accept such anti-environmental motions that blatantly oppose critical tree protection measures. We are anticipating the motions to come onto the agenda of the next ECCC meeting - scheduled for 9:30am Tuesday, April 21st, 2026. Did you know that you can come and witness these committee meetings in person and speak for 5 minutes?
CAFES is planning on mobilizing our members to take action with us:
For comments and if you are ready to engage on this, please contact Erica at eshardlow@cafesottawa.ca
The provincial government is continuing to move forward with their plans to consolidate Ontario’s 36 conservation authorities (CAs) down to only nine.
For the Ottawa area, the province is merging the three existing CAs into one huge eastern regional authority, comprising of both the Ottawa River and the St. Lawrence. The current CA boards are set to be dissolved with the 2026 municipal election with a target implementation of the new system by February 2027.
Many groups across Ontario have raised serious concerns. Currently, CAs play an important role in flood protection, erosion control, water quality monitoring and wetland health, and the lands owned and managed by the CAs are used for invaluable conservation, education, research, recreation and special projects including tree planting and clean-ups. CAs rely on their extensive local knowledge of the landscapes, and there is concern that the consolidated territories managed by the new regional authorities will be far too vast and varied to be adequately cared for and protected.
Further, the governance is still quite unclear. While the province has claimed the new nine CAs will remain independent organizations, they will fall within a new overarching Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency. CAs also currently receive the majority of their funding from municipalities, and it is unclear how these funds will be allocated across the new larger regional authorities; whether city budgets will be staying the same or whether cities will now be sharing costs evenly.
These changes bring even more concerns for wetland conservation, which especially in Ottawa has already been a point of contention. Recently, the city unanimously approved an expansion of the Tomlinson Quarry in Stittsville, and approved a Wetland Omnibus Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment which included removal of some Provincially Significant Wetland designations within the Goulbourn Wetlands.
On top of the province already weakening the Wetland Evaluation System in the last few years, making it harder for wetlands to receive "provincially significant" designation, there is fear the CA consolidation will further put wetlands at risk from development, urban expansion, contamination and loss of protective measures.
Friends of Stittsville Wetlands has been actively engaged on these files and are a great way to get involved in protecting Ottawa's critical wetlands.
Ontario’s Bill 60, passed by the Ford government in November 2025, contains legislation allowing the province to create new “water corporations” that can take over local drinking water and wastewater systems, shifting control away from municipal governments and into corporate-style entities that can increase the cost of water, while operating with less public oversight.
Evidence internationally and from other regions within Canada have shown that privatized water systems often lead to higher costs for residents, reduced transparency, and a decline in service quality. Water is one of our most essential resources. We have to take a stand to protect Ontario's access to safe, affordable water.
Learn more and take action through Keep Water Public. Contact your MPP, raise awareness in your community, and support efforts to repeal Bill 60 and keep water public, safe, and accessible for everyone!
Dr. Katharine Hayhoe is a globally renowned climate scientist who combines rigorous data-driven research with a deep commitment to public engagement. She studies climate change by analyzing observations and models, working with engineers, planners, and communities to understand real-world impacts. Her work makes clear that climate change is already affecting our lives, that human activity is the primary cause, and that the choices we make now will determine how much mitigation, adaptation, and hardship we face in the future.
Originally trained in physics and astronomy, Dr. Katharine shifted into climate science after realizing it relied on the same core principles—and carried far greater societal implications. Her research has focused on greenhouse gases, regional climate projections, and translating global climate models into locally relevant information. She has authored over 125 scientific publications and contributed to major U.S. climate assessments, with findings used by cities, states, and national decision-makers to guide long-term planning.
Today, Dr. Katharine is the Chief Scientist for The Nature Conservancy and a distinguished professor at Texas Tech University. She is also one of the world’s most recognized climate communicators, known for her TED Talk, PBS series Global Weirding, and bestselling books including Saving Us. Across her work, she emphasizes hope grounded in science—believing that the most meaningful impact comes when people feel empowered to understand climate change and take action in their own lives and communities.
CAFES is very proud to be hosting Dr. Katharine Hayhoe as the keynote speaker at our AGM on Tuesday, March 24th 2026. Register for the AGM for this amazing opportunity to hear Dr. Hayhoe speak on what's new in climate science in the Canadian context.
At the February 17th 2026 City Environment and Climate Change Committee (ECCC) meeting, CAFES' Executive Director, Angela Keller-Herzog presented on proposed updates to the Community Environmental Projects Grant Program (CEPGP), especially the introduction of a dedicated waste reduction funding stream. Overall, CEPGP is a well-regarded program that supports community-led environmental initiatives across Ottawa with grants of $2,000 to $10,000, with an annual budget of $102,000. The City has now proposed to double this funding, through the addition of a separate funding stream dedicated to waste reduction initiatives.
While supporting the additional funding for waste reduction initiatives, CAFES identified some eligibility and administrative barriers that hamper the effectiveness of the program. We highlighted opportunities to strengthen the program by aligning its terms and language with existing City grant models, including allowing project-attributable wages and salaries as eligible expenditures; lowering the $5million liability insurance requirement on proponents by providing an access pathway to the City’s Community Program Insurance Program (CPIP); allowing multi-year projects for the waste reduction stream; and allowing planning for waste and circular economy related social enterprises as eligible projects.
The meeting concluded with a recommendation that Committee maintain the existing CEPGP structure, approve the funding increase of $102,000 in grants available for waste reduction initiatives, and consider the improvements proposed by CAFES in the planned program review in 2027.
You can find the CAFES delegation presentation below. The annual deadline for CEPGP proposals is usually at the end of March.
At the CAFES Climate Caucus meeting on February 10th 2026, special guest How-Sen Chong from the Toronto Environmental Alliance (TEA) explained how TEA launched a rapid, coordinated advocacy effort to preserve the Building Emissions Performance Standards (BEPS). TEA's experience offers a clear and practical example of how community mobilization can protect and advance strong climate policy at City Hall - and why similar action is possible in Ottawa.
BEPS became a cornerstone of Toronto’s climate strategy once buildings were identified as the city’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. Regulating emissions from existing buildings, not just new construction, was essential if the city was to meet its climate commitments.
In 2025, when BEPS were at risk of being delayed or cancelled, TEA and its partners demonstrated the power of organized, local advocacy. Key strategies included rapid mass outreach to supporters, coordinated messaging, and strong in-person presence at City Hall through deputations, emails, and phone calls to councillors. Importantly, the coalition extended well beyond environmental groups to include tenant organizations, labour unions, HVAC businesses, and large property owners. This breadth of support helped counter misinformation and showed decision-makers that BEPS were both publicly supported and economically viable. Although timelines were ultimately pushed back, the policy itself was preserved.
Equity and long-term strategy were central to this success. Advocates emphasized tenant protections alongside retrofit requirements. Chong noted that BEPS were the result of nearly a decade of research, relationship-building, and collaboration with city staff and councillors - not a last-minute proposal.
TEA's experience underscores a key lesson: ambitious policy changes are achievable when communities invest in credible research, broad coalitions, and sustained, organized engagement with local decision-makers.
After years of student pressure and negotiations, the University of Ottawa has decided not to renew its lease with RBC. RBC is one of the world’s leading financiers of fossil fuel expansion, directly contradicting the university’s climate commitments and the values of many students who rely on campus spaces. For the students of UOttawa, the issue was not just symbolic—RBC’s presence represented the normalization of climate harm within public institutions.
Over five years ago, a group of students at the University of Ottawa launched an initiative to get "RBC off-campus". After the bank, one of the largest climate financiers in the world, took over a 24/7 study space during COVID, students knew what they had to do.
Students, including CAFES alumna Mary Stuart, launched a campus club—Climate Justice Climatique uOttawa (CJCUO)—that would start a campaign ultimately resulting in RBC leaving campus. I had the privilege of being part of that work and witnessing the activism, organizing, and negotiations from the inside.
Understanding how this small, ragtag group of students was able to defeat one of the largest banks in Canada can help environmental activists and organizers across Ottawa win their own campaigns.
It started by building alliances. CJCUO reached out to the student union, the Indigenous Students Association (ISA), the Palestinian Student Association, University of Ottawa NDP, and others, many of whom took on the initiative in their own right. While the ISA and student union negotiated with the university, CJCUO with the support of other clubs organized sit-ins, protests, and information pickets, building public pressure and making RBC’s operation on campus a nuisance.
After years of this work, RBC’s C-suite requested to meet with students. Representatives from CJCUO, the ISA, and the student union met with senior RBC executives, including John Stackhouse, in a discussion moderated by the university. Concerns were raised and shared, and frankly, the unprepared RBC leadership embarrassed itself. The meeting marked one of the first times RBC apologized for its staff calling the police on students, for derogatory comments made toward organizers, and agreed to abide by university policy.
Negotiations with the university continued, led by the ISA and student union, while CJCUO turned up the pressure. In one instance, police were called to a massive sit-in, during which officers told students they ‘they had to skip a home invasion to be here’. The comment sparked immense backlash and mobilized many previously unpolitical students.
After years of negotiations and sustained pressure, the University of Ottawa decided not to renew RBC’s lease—marking one of the first major student-led victory against the bank. It was the result of a two-pronged approach: building grassroots disruption and "nuisance actions" through sit-ins and protests, paired with institutional negotiations led by the ISA and student union. For organizers in Ottawa, the lesson is clear: without negotiations, the sit-ins likely would have accomplished little—but without the disruption and nuisance actions, there would have been no urgency for negotiations to happen or be taken seriously.
You can read more about the story here:
https://thefulcrum.ca/uncategorized/rbc-branch-set-to-be-removed-from-campus-spring-2026-ending-a-long-fought-battle-by-indigenous-students/
Written by James Adair (former CAFES staff and student at the University of Ottawa)
On Wednesday, January 28th, 2026, City Council approved the final draft of the New Comprehensive Zoning By-law, along with a number of motions and amendments that are to be incorporated by staff in the new year.
A noteable greenspace-related motion that passed on Jan 28th included Riley Brockington's motion to revert the prized McCarthy Woods and Southern Corridor lands back to the more protected zoning designations from the first draft, getting rid of the "Developmental Reserve" designation that these lands were slated for in the most recent draft. An additional win: the staff-initiated motion brought forward in December to increase front yard setbacks to 4.5m in subzone B, with the intent to provide more space for tree planting, was accepted in the approval of the by-law. One of CAFES' core recommendations was to align minimum front yard setback sizes with the volume/space required for a canopy tree to thrive.
Councillors King and Dudas moved on electric vehicle readiness - staff are directed to monitor EV ownership and report back to Council in 2029 and earlier if new information is available regarding the ZBL setting requirements for new multi-unit residential building parking lot EV preparedness, and that staff explore market-driven incentives and potential partnerships as a means to encourage greater implementation of EV-ready infrastructure.
The Zoning By-law is a huge achievement for staff, Council and the community as it has been in the works for almost 5 years - bringing forward incredible community-led advocacy and hard work by staff to create a by-law that reflects our City's Official Plan, provides new and improved housing opportunities and creates a livable, green and compact city for all residents.
CAFES has been engaged on the new by-law since City planners began working on the first draft in 2023. To date, we have submitted a CAFES Trees and Zoning position paper, followed by three detailed submissions on drafts 1, 2 and 3 (the first two with the People's Official Plan Coalition).
Most recently, in December 2025, CAFES delegated and provided a written submission when the final draft was being tabled at the Joint Planning and Housing and Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee. We continued to push for researched-based metrics on how zoning can regulate spaces for trees, for instance through soil volume. While we received feedback that zoning cannot necessarily regulate soil volume, Councillor Leiper provided a direction to staff to conduct a study on how this may be enforced and implemented through zoning, which we may hear back on in early 2027. Raymond Leury also delegated in December on behalf of CAFES, EVCO and the Federation of Citizens Association (FCA) on parking lot Electric Vehicle readiness; in particular, that zoning should require all new parking spaces to be constructed with electrical conduits and wiring to support long-term projections and the City's 2050 net-zero goal. See CAFES' news post from December for the delegations and a recap of the December Committee meeting.
Visit the Engage Ottawa zoning page for updates and links to the approved By-law. You can watch the recording of the Jan 28th City Council meeting on YouTube here.
