By: Magdalene Carson
The CAFES network is delighted to welcome one our very latest new organizational members, the Wild Arts Collective (WAC). As we continue to grow our network in exciting new directions, this partnership with WAC is a way to strengthen environmental communication in Ottawa and to learn from the experience of others working in the arts and culture sector toward a sustainable future.
The WAC was formed in 2023 with a shared goal: to use art as a clear, accessible way to spark conversations about the environment. The eight Ottawa-based artists work in different mediums, united by the belief that creativity can move people toward practical, local environmental action.
Grounded in the idea of “think global, act local,” WAC focuses on issues that shape life in our city - for example, the protection of trees and green spaces, the risks of waste-to-energy incineration, and the shift toward renewable energy. WAC engages with broader concerns as well such as single-use plastics, consumption habits, and the everyday choices that either harm or help the planet.
Most of WAC’s current pieces take the form of 2×3-foot posters, inspired by Bill McKibben’s insight that "the poster is where art meets organizing most powerfully". WAC's work aims to meet people where they are — in cafés, markets, and community spaces — and hopes to open a moment of curiosity and reflection.
Since then, WAC has shared their work in several venues and community events, including gallery cafés and neighbourhood gatherings. Their current exhibit is on display at Happy Goat Coffee Co. in Sandy Hill and runs until the end of December 2025. Several additional exhibits across Ottawa are planned for the coming months, including a new series focused on reducing plastic use. WAC also includes musicians, and they plan to explore sound-based environmental work in upcoming projects.
Learn more about WAC by visiting their website.
PS. If you are curious about who all are organizational members of the growing CAFES network, Mitzi regularly updates the list at this obscure but public-facing spot on the website: https://chrisl335.sg-host.com/about/organizational-members/
On Saturday, October 18th, 2025, CAFES, the Mechanicsville Community Association and MP Yasir Naqvi are planting 50 new native tree saplings at our Mother's Day Woods site at Tunney's Pasture! We are looking for volunteers to help out - all are welcome, no prior planting experience required. Planting equipment and snacks will be provided.
Date: Saturday, October 18th, 2025
Time: 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Location: Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa - we are meeting in the field between Goldenrod Driveway and Kitchi Zibi Mikan, on the North end of the Tunney's Pasture area. We will have signs put up to direct where to go.
Parking: There is a paid visitor parking lot at the corner of Parkdale Avenue and Goldenrod Driveway, near the Brooke Claxton Building. Alternatively, there is street parking on Emmerson Avenue, and on other nearby streets in the Mechanicsville neighbourhood.
This project is part of CAFES' annual Tree Initiative to increase tree canopy in Ottawa neighbourhoods that need trees the most. Read all about the Tree Give-Away we organized earlier this year on Mother's Day weekend to encourage kids and families to plant trees on private properties in the city. This planting event on October 18th is planned as a follow-up activity to support Ottawa residents to participate in tree stewardship.
Thank you to TD Friends of the Environment for your generosity in making this project possible. Thank you to MP Yasir Naqvi for your continued annual partnership with CAFES on tree planting in Ottawa. Thank you to MPP Catherine McKenney for your support towards this event.
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On Wednesday, September 3rd, 2025 CAFES hosted a successful in-person community dialogue event in partnership with Councillor Marty Carr on the management of invasive plant species in Ottawa, at the Jim Durrell Recreation Centre in Alta Vista. Thank you to Councillor Carr for your generous support towards this event, and thank you as well to Councillors Brockington, Menard, Hill, Johnson and Curry for your sponsorship.
This dialogue event followed Councillor Carr's staff inquiry at the February 18th, 2025 Environment and Climate Change Committee (ECCC) meeting to review the City's invasive species programming and community stewardship opportunities. Staff released a report in July 2025 outlining existing invasive species efforts, and plans to hire a new temporary staff position to focus on invasives programming, mapping and reporting, as well as community/stakeholder relationships. This item came to the September 16th ECCC meeting agenda, where CAFES gave a public delegation and presented the outcomes of the September 3rd dialogue.
To follow suit from Councillor Carr's inquiry, the dialogue event gathered community input on invasive species removal/management methods, public education, mapping and tracking, identifying species of concern, volunteer stewardship, and more. We had opening presentations, a community panel, breakout table conversations, table presentations, lunch, and networking.
Below are some of the most widely-shared ideas from the dialogue participants:
At the September 16th ECCC meeting, Councillor Carr gave a direction to staff to consider our report as community input.
Check out our final event report below, which details all the feedback received at the dialogue. You can also see our public delegation presentation, which presented the report. Lastly, you can see the report provided by City staff in response to Councillor Carr's inquiry.
Thank you to all the event volunteers who helped out, and thank you to the participants for sharing your input!
On Saturday, October 18th, the Mechanicsville Community Association in partnership with CAFES volunteers planted over 70 new native tree saplings at our Mother's Day Woods site at Tunney's Pasture! It was a glorious fall day. We were thrilled to share this exciting day with over 30 volunteers. Thank you so much for everyone who came out to help increase Ottawa's urban tree canopy!
This event is part of CAFES' annual tree programming to increase tree canopy in Ottawa neighbourhoods that need it most. Read all about the Give-Away we organized earlier this year on Mother's Day to encourage kids and families to plant trees in backyards.
Thank you to TD Friends of the Environment for your generosity in making this event possible. Thank you to MP Yasir Naqvi for your continued annual partnership with CAFES on tree planting in Ottawa, and to MPP Catherine McKenney for your support towards this event. Thank you to the City of Ottawa CEPGP.
Interested in becoming a tree steward? We are still looking for a few volunteers to return to the Tunney's Pasture planting site periodically to help water the new trees in the spring, summer and fall of 2026 using our on-site water tote. These trees will need weekly waterings next year to ensure their health and survival. If interested, please contact Erica at eshardlow@cafesottawa.ca. A huge thank you to those who have signed up so far.
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Mark your calendars for a powerful climate-themed performance coming to Ottawa in October!
CAFES is excited to bring to you Wanting to Start Again, a unique musical experience that addresses climate change concerns in a poignant and powerful violin-piano performance.
DoSi, a duo of exceptional musicians, pianist Tong Wang and violinist Maitreyi Muralidharan, will deliver this deeply moving program born out of the artists’ experience with the devastation of the Banff and Halifax wildfires, the climate crisis, immigrant stories, and discovering identity. This interactive concert featuring works by Fu-Tong Wong, Nick Bentz, Fazil Say, Joe Hisaishi/Wesley Chu and Kevin Lau, provides a space for audiences to reflect, sit with difficult emotions, and ask: how do we start again when we feel at our lowest?
DoSi will be touring through Ottawa from October 17-19th 2025 and CAFES is honoured to be co-hosting a number of performances - see below!
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Check out the trailer below! We can't wait to see you all there.
CAFES had a fantastic time tabling at the annual Carp Fair from September 25th to 28th!
The Carp Fair is a wonderful agricultural fair celebrating community, family, local artisans, farmers, businesses, and agricultural learning and education. This year's theme was "Celebrating Our Best", which was all about what can be created when we come together as a community.
CAFES enjoyed speaking with folks at the fair all about our climate and environmental advocacy work. We were partnered up with and right next to the Electric Vehi cle Council of Ottawa (EVCO), who had an EV Ford 150 Truck on display and answered all sorts of questions about electrical vehicles in Ottawa.
We had lots of fun handing out free snacks, and asking kids and families exciting environmental trivia questions with our spinning wheel. We even had solar powered popcorn, and coffee and tea powered by EVCO's electric truck!
CAFES has recently been expanding our membership network and community outreach/engagement into Ottawa's rural neighbourhoods, and the Carp Fair is always a wonderful opportunity to chat with our rural residents about transitioning to renewable energies and other climate-friendly actions.
We also want to give a huge thank you to the wonderful CAFES volunteers who helped out at this event!
City Environment and Climate Change Committee Meeting - Tuesday Sept 16th at 9:30am
The City of Ottawa's next Environment and Climate Change Committee Meeting (ECCC) on Tuesday, September 16th will be important. While the agenda has not yet been posted, we are anticipating a belated release of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventories from the past several years, an update to the City's implementation of the Climate Change Master Plan (CCMP) as well as its audit, which should include recommendations on prioritization and accountability.
We are also anticipating a report on the urban tree canopy (fingers crossed) and discussion on the management of invasive plant species by the City, which follows a staff inquiry by Councillor Marty Carr at the February 2025 ECCC. Staff have come back with a short report on the inquiry, outlining existing City efforts on invasive species and plans for new staff positions to manage an invasive stewardship program. On Wednesday, September 3rd, CAFES is hosting an in-person community dialogue event on invasive species at the Jim Durrell Centre to gather community input ahead of the Sept 16th ECCC. RSVP here!
Finally, the ECCC meeting may also cover updates on solid waste management.
We encourage everyone to mark your calendars for this date. Please consider making a public delegation on one or more of the above agenda items, to urge the City to do more.
Attend the CAFES Climate Caucus - Tuesday, September 9th 12-2pm
Want to learn more about the climate-related items, connect with like-minded others, or prepare your public delegation? Come to CAFES' next Climate Caucus on Sept 9th from 12pm-2pm via Zoom. Register here to attend. By this date the documents for the ECCC will be available, and our caucus will include updates and group discussions on the emissions inventories, CCMP and the audit.
Join CAFES and our members Fridays for Future Ottawa, Seniors for Climate Action Now (SCAN), World Changing Kids and Ecology Ottawa for the Draw The Line March Saturday, September 20th, 2025!
Draw the Line is a national Day of Action taking place on September 20th in communities across Canada. In Ottawa, this action continues the tradition of a September climate march. The Day of Action is also part of a larger international movement calling for climate action and economic justice worldwide. You can find out more about the march and its demands here.
There will be separate start locations in Ottawa and Gatineau, but the contingents will converge in downtown Ottawa. The Ottawa contingent meets at 11 am on the corner of Elgin and Wellington, while the Gatineau contingent meets at 11 am at Maison du Citoyen.
Draw the Line has brought groups together from across different sectors, joining forces to take united action toward the shared call - "For People. For Peace. For the Planet".
In Ottawa, this united approach is bringing together a broad coalition to help organize the march. The growing coalition includes seniors groups, labour unions, student associations, faith organizations, environmental groups, and many others from across the Ottawa-Gatineau region. Working with so many other passionate, action-driven organizations has been an exciting experience, and we are looking forward to sharing more details with you as we get closer to the march.
If you are part of a group that wants to join, or you individually are interested in volunteering, organizing, or making a donation - join up! Email fridaysfutureottawa@gmail.com for all inquiries.
RSVP here to attend the March on September 20th!
Every city park should have a pollinator meadow!
Wild Pollinator Partners (WPP) is partnering with the Ottawa Stewardship Council (OSC) to establish more pollinator habitat on city land - including parks, hydro corridors, and rights of way. If you or your community organization are near a city park or hydro corridor, WPP and OSC will help you create a wildflower meadow. OSC will handle the permission process, and WPP will provide advice, models, some polliantor plants, and lots of encouragement.
Your job as a project participant will be to:
This last step is not onerous - at Brighton Beach Park, Old Ottawa South's Environment and Climate Action Committee prunes shrubs in fall, digs out dandelions in spring (about 4 hours total), and maintains a mowing strip around the garden. Monitoring is important to see how various species are doing in your location and to stop invasive species early. Visit the link here to read about these two mini-meadows at Brighton.
WPP and OSC already have several individuals/groups who are interested in starting a pollinator mini-meadow as part of this project, but are looking for a few more to join. If you or your organization is interested, please reach out to info@wildpollinators-pollinisateurssauvages.ca
See the document below for a complete project description.
On Wednesday, June 11th, 2025 CAFES held a special Joint Caucus meeting to discuss ideas for the City of Ottawa's "A Green and Resilient City" service review feedback opportunity, and on July 29th CAFES submitted a detailed recommendations document to the City. The purpose of the City's service review is to examine municipal services that contribute to creating a greener, more resilience city - while focusing on service efficiency and identifying cost-saving opportunities.
CAFES' Joint Caucus on June 11th was organized in order to gather ideas and insights from our network on city services related to green infrastructure, tree canopy and greenspaces, waste reduction and diversion, the circular economy, urban density, emissions reporting, climate resilience, public transit, environmental stewardship, and equity. Following the caucus discussion, CAFES created a detailed submission outlining our recommendations - including specifying precisely which city services our recommendations fall under, and how they save the city money. Check out our submission below, and please feel free to use these recommendations to inform your own submissions on Engage Ottawa.
Members of the public are currently able to go online to Engage Ottawa and share your ideas - visit the link here to submit your comments. You will have to create an account or login to Engage Ottawa to contribute to this particular opportunity.
