Latest news with #Menard
Ottawa Citizen
6 days ago
- Politics
- Ottawa Citizen
Which Ottawa parks will councillors pick for alcohol pilot project?
Ottawa is launching a four-month pilot project allowing personal alcohol consumption in public parks. Article content The initiative, which starts July 1, was approved last week. Councillors will be able to propose in which — if any — parks or portions of parks in their wards they would like to see a project, or veto the idea if their communities are not interested. Article content Article content Under the Liquor Licence Act of Ontario, municipalities have the authority to designate public places where the consumption of alcohol is allowed under bylaws, which has prompted municipalities to consider amending their bylaws. In Toronto for example, 27 parks were authorized for alcohol consumption between August and October, expanding to 45 parks last year, with seven additional parks added this year. Article content Article content Based on councillor responses to a Postmedia survey about which parks they would like to see a pilot project, few are showing much enthusiasm. Of Ottawa's 24 councillors (minus George Darouze, whose Osgoode ward seat is now vacant after he departed for Queen's Park), nine councillors responded. Article content Article content Some were interested in giving the idea a try, some said they needed more consultation with residents and city staff, while others were full-out opposed. Article content Menard asked the city about doing a pilot project in March 2024. He was the only councillor responding to the survey to suggest a park in his ward for the project. Article content Councillors have to do their due diligence with city staff to determine which parks make sense for the pilot based on recommended criteria, such as parks that are well-lit and have bathrooms and water available, Menard said. Article content Article content 'Right now, we think the Great Lawn at Lansdowne would make a good candidate as a pilot, but we have yet to exchange full information with city staff on this,' he said. Article content Article content 'There are other parks in the ward we are considering as well, but this will be subject to discussion with community associations and city staff before a determination is made in advance of July 1.' Article content 'I am not prepared to speculate until I see which parks meet the criteria and do some outreach with our community associations,' Troster said in response to the survey.
CBC
27-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
Designating parks for legal drinking pilot to be left up to councillors
Legal drinking is set to debut in some Ottawa parks this summer, after a city committee unanimously approved a four-month pilot project Tuesday. With some restrictions on timing and location, drinking will be allowed in parks chosen by the city councillor who represents the area. If it passes at council, the pilot project will run from July 1 to Oct. 31. "As long as people properly dispose of their cans and are not acting in a way that is harmful to other people, I really don't care what they are consuming," Troster said at the committee meeting. "We should be quite clear that this is a bylaw that is largely not being enforced unless there are other factors involved, whether it's harassment, public intoxication, music, yelling — and there are other bylaws and laws for those things." Drinking in Ottawa public parks could be allowed this summer The current bylaw prohibits anyone from possessing alcoholic drinks in parks, except at events with a proper permit. Menard introduced a motion last year to launch a pilot program, citing other cities where alcohol consumption is allowed in designated parks, such as Toronto. Ottawa's pilot project will limit the legal consumption of alcohol to between the hours of 11 a.m. and 9 p.m. It will also forbid drinking within five metres of playgrounds, parking lots, beaches and sports fields. Bylaw not expecting uptick in complaints Roger Chapman, the city's director of bylaw and regulatory services, said he isn't expecting to see a significant increase in bylaw complaints related to drinking in parks after the pilot comes into effect. "It will be more of the responsible consumption of alcohol, where you have families or couples that are visiting parks and picnicking," he said. But both Ottawa Public Health and the Ottawa Police Service voiced concerns with the proposed bylaw. In a letter, Ottawa police Chief Eric Stubbs said "permitting alcohol consumption in public parks presents risks that could compromise public safety and strain our resources." A letter from Ottawa Public Health (OPH) discussed the risks of underage drinking, and the link between alcohol consumption and several types of cancer. At Tuesday's meeting, Trevor Arnason, interim medical officer of health at OPH, raised the possibility of broken bottles on beaches. "Of course, with water, you have the potential for drownings if people are intoxicated," he added. Rules on climbing trees dropped The city made other changes to its parks bylaw, which was enacted in 2004. Previous rules that have been stripped from the updated bylaw include a ban on kids climbing trees, and a prohibition on the use of canes on ice rinks, said Dan Chenier, the city's general manager of recreation, cultural and facility services. "We've deliberately taken an approach to try to be more permissive," Chenier said. The bylaw review goes to council for final approval on June 11.
The Guardian
27-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Trump hates wind power. But these Texas Republicans are embracing it
As a Republican state lawmaker for 16 years, a Texas rancher and a staunch supporter of Donald Trump, John Davis's conservative credentials are impeccable. But Davis has become horrified at his party's assault upon an increasingly vital lifeline to many rural, conservative areas of the US – clean energy development. Davis allowed seven wind turbines to be situated on his ranch, in the rolling hill country near Menard, west of Austin, and has seen the income provide opportunities not only for his family but also his local community in what is one of the poorest counties in Texas. But a barrage of bills working their way through the Republican-held Texas legislature threaten to reverse the state's position as the US's clean energy superpower, even curtailing cherished private property rights by limiting a landowner's ability to host wind and solar farms. The bills come as Trump has ramped up anti-renewable rhetoric on the national stage, calling wind turbines 'ugly' and 'disgusting' and barring major clean energy projects on federal lands and waters. 'We don't want windmills in this country,' Trump, who has enjoyed strong electoral support from farmers, said shortly after being inaugurated as president. This backlash has left many conservatives, such as Davis, bewildered, with recent polling showing that most Republican voters in Texas oppose moves to squash the state's booming renewable energy sector. While climate campaigners see renewables as a crucial replacement for the fossil fuels that are overheating the planet, places such as Menard county, Texas – where Trump won more than 80% of the vote in last year's election – are more inclined to weigh other factors. 'We're supposed to be the party of common sense but we've shifted to be like the Democrats and that is what makes me mad. When you tell me what to do on my own property that sounds more like a Democrat,' Davis said. 'Some of the bills they are trying to pass would kill renewables.' Davis retired as state legislator in 2015 to spend more time on his ranch but has lately been donning a suit and traveling back to Austin to urge his former colleagues to reject the anti-renewables bills. 'I testify as a conservative and say: 'What are you guys doing? Have you lost your mind?'' he said. 'Some of these bills are attacking battery storage of all things. How dumb is that? It's sacrificing your core conservative value principles in order to protect the oil and gas industry.' Texas's traditional image may be of cowboy hats, steers and nodding oil wells, but in reality, the state today could just as easily be associated with solar panels, windmills and Teslas. Texas's combined wind and solar power output is nearly double that of its closest rival, California, it tripled the amount of new battery storage added last year compared to 2023 and is leading the way in emerging alternatives such as geothermal. This year, a third of all new renewable and storage projects in the US will be built in the Lone Star state. 'We are still firmly an oil and gas state and producing more than we ever have but that's not the full picture,' said Joshua Rhodes, an energy expert at the University of Texas. 'We produce and consume more energy than any other state, we have more wind than the next four states combined and regularly have more than 50% of our grid running on renewables. We are an energy state.' The stampede of new renewables has helped state energy demand that, fueled by data centers, is growing for the first time since the 1960s. It has also generated cash for struggling rural areas. Rhodes' research has found existing clean energy projects in Texas will pay more than $12bn in taxes to communities where they are located, funding schools, roads and hospitals, while paying out another $15bn to landowners to lease their properties. 'It's a hard life out here, there's rocks, mesquite and coyotes and not a lot else – if there's anything to make life easier, do it,' said Davis as he stood on his property under the whooshing blades of a wind turbine, one of a ragged line of turbines that make up the Cactus Flats wind project. 'See any dead birds here? I've never seen one,' added Davis, in reference to one of the most common complaints, voiced by Trump himself, about wind turbines. Places such as Menard, located in central Texas between two large oil and gas regions, have limited options for new income. Davis has several hundred goats and sheep and raises cattle for wagyu beef on his 1,300-acre property, but 40% of his income now comes from the wind turbines, money he hopes he can push back into the sleepy Menard community. 'I struck wind!' said the ebullient Davis, who likes to restyle Trump's 'drill, baby, drill' mantra into 'turn, baby turn' in recognition of his wind turbines. 'I done turned the money into my back ass pocket,' he said. Some locals still dislike the sight of wind turbines puncturing the prairie, with even Davis initially put off by them. 'I think they look angelic now,' he said. Another nearby rancher, Hoppy Murchison, who has a drooping handlebar moustache, cowboy hat and checked shirt, is less enamored with their appearance and mostly subscribes to Trump's worldview. 'But for me it made too much sense to not do it,' said Murchison, who now has several wind turbines on his own property, providing him a stable income. 'I don't think we can become totally dependent on renewable energy, but anything will help because we will run out of oil and gas at some point.' For leaders of poorer counties such as Menard, the aesthetics of wind turbines are beside the point. 'I literally have hungry children in my community, so I'm not turning my nose up at any kind of financial windfall,' said Brandon Corbin, the local Republican county judge. Corbin estimates that a proposed battery facility in the county could add as much as 30% to Menard's stretched annual budget of $5m. 'It's not productive or helpful when he spouts off like that,' Corbin said of Trump's comments on wind and solar. 'We are the ones on the ground here and he says and does things that puts fear and uncertainty out.' But senior Republicans in Washington have sought to ape Trump, pushing forward a budget plan that strips away incentives for clean energy and electric cars. Meanwhile, in Texas, there are three state bills that would severely restrict any new wind or solar installations. One that has already passed the Texas senate, SB819, calls for the 'police power of the state' to drastically limit new wind and solar projects by requiring permits not needed for gas, coal or nuclear plants. A wind turbine would have to be 3,000ft from a neighbor's property line, compared to just 467ft for an oil well. 'I've heard from many constituents with valid concerns regarding the reckless installation of these facilities,' said Lois Kolkhorst, a Texas state senator and one of the bill's sponsors. Kolkhorst, a Republican who calls herself a 'lifelong wildlife conservationist' said the legislation will provide 'a reasonable approach to the recent proliferation of wind and solar facilities encroaching across Texas with no consideration or safeguards for landowners or the environment'. While most Republicans don't share such enmity towards renewables, Kolkhorst has some powerful and wealthy allies, including the Texas Public Policy Foundation thinktank and the Stewards of Texas group, which opposes new clean energy development. The latter group has ties to Dan Friedkin, a billionaire businessman whose interests include owning hotels and whose roles include being the executive producer of the Paramount show Landman (which includes a notable scene critiquing clean energy) as well as being the owner of soccer clubs Everton and Roma. 'Renewable energy has a role in Texas's energy landscape, but it must be managed responsibly to ensure that our state's most cherished outdoor spaces are not adversely affected,' a spokesperson for the Friedkin Group, on behalf of Friedkin, said. Critics of the bills, though, argue that they are counterproductive political posturing designed to aid an oil and gas industry that feels threatened by the rise of renewables. Should the bills pass, 15% of Texas's wind fleet could shutter, raising energy prices to the point that the typical household's electricity bill would increase by $225 a year, according to one estimate. 'This would be extremely damaging to renewable energy and damaging to the whole Texas economy,' said Doug Lewin, a leading Texas energy industry expert. 'We desperately need new energy supply, and if we're saying, 'No, we don't want the sources that can be deployed the fastest' for ideological reasons, then the economy will stagnate. 'Some people have just decided that renewables are bad and they will fight them. To point at solar panels as an environmental problem when we have so many abandoned oil wells in Texas is just absurd.' While the fate of clean energy support in the federal budget will come down to how many moderate Republicans will fight to preserve the investment flowing to their districts, in Texas the main decider could be time itself. The Texas legislative session ends on 2 June and should the bills get gummed up enough in the system, Davis hopes they will be beaten by the clock, at least until next year's session. 'The system is set up to kill bills, to have less government,' he said. 'So there's a lot of advantages we have to kill these bills. We want to keep them bottled up. Delay, delay, delay.'
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
2 out-of-state men charged, connected to disappearance of 15-year-old Utah girl
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — As the search continues for Alisa Petrov, 15, who was last seen on April 21, charges were filed against two men from out of state in connection with her disappearance. Matthew Nicholas Menard, 35, of Miami, Florida, was charged with aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, enticement of a minor and criminal solicitation. Missing 15-year-old girl last seen in Provo may have communicated with Texas man, according to cyber tip Charges have also been filed against William Taylor Glines, 37, of Texas City, Texas. According to the South Jordan Police Department, he was charged with attempted aggravated exploitation of a minor, sexual exploitation of a minor, enticement of a minor, and criminal solicitation. South Jordan Police allege both Menard and Glines communicated with Petrov before she left school on April 21, 2025 — the day of her disappearance. Court documents for Menard say he communicated with Petrov while he was in Florida. The two allegedly 'discussed in detail about meeting each other in Las Vegas.' South Jordan police had previously said that Petrov had asked people to help her get to Las Vegas. Menard and Glines were identified after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children found a social media account for the victim that showed she was communicating with the suspects. Documents allege that both men had separately asked if the victim was 15, to which she reportedly said to one, '[y]eppers I'm actually in middle school.' Documents also said the conversations with the victim were 'largely sexual in nature,' with at least one asking her to send explicit photos and videos '[Menard] verified at different points throughout his conversation with [the victim] that he was aware [she] was a minor,' charging documents for Menard state. Even after learning that the girl was underage, both men allegedly continued with the sexual conversations and asked the victim to send them inappropriate photos and videos. Alisa Petrov, 15, was dropped off at school in American Fork on April 21, but family members said she boarded a train toward Provo, Utah. Family members said Utah Transit Authority (UTA) security footage shows the teenager walking away, and she hasn't been found since. She is said to be about 5'3″ tall and weigh about 122 pounds, with brown eyes and brown hair. She is listed as a runaway juvenile and is said to be endangered. It was later reported that she may have been trying to get to Las Vegas, and another tip revealed that she may have been communicating with a man in Texas. Officials in Texas City posted on social media on May 9 to ask for the public's help in the search for Alisa. As of May 16, Alisa's family was reporting that she still has not been found. When to shine up your vintage treasure, and when to leave it be Senate unanimously approves bill to eliminate tax on tips Get the cowboy boots, it's a Barn Party for a cause Comedian Michael Yo brings the funny to Cirque du Soleil's Mad Apple Trump outlines 3-year timeline, $175B price tag on 'Golden Dome' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBC
02-05-2025
- CBC
OC Transpo offers free weekend of transit, advocates say 'it's a good start'
OC Transpo is offering free service on all buses, trains and Para Transpo this weekend, which transit advocates have welcomed but argue doesn't redress ongoing concerns about service reliability. The free rides are to thank riders for their patience during a period of disruption, according to Renée Amilcar, the general manager of OC Transpo. "We know that we have been working hard to improve the service, and it was tough on you as a customers," she said. OC Transpo overhauled its bus routes on April 27 as part of its " New Ways to Bus" initiative, which it says aims to adjust service to post-pandemic ridership and realign routes with its expanded rail network. The transport provider hopes free rides will attract more users. "This is the new OC Transpo. Come and try it and you will love it," said Amilcar. But some transit users, feeling frustrated after a two year delay launching the Trillium line and problems with new bus routes, say two days of free rides is not enough. "It is a good start," said Sally Thomas, a board member with Ottawa Transit Riders. "There needs to be a lot more done." The changes have made regular commuting more difficult for some transit users and less accessible for people with disabilities, argued Thomas, whose group advocates for accessible and affordable public transit in the city. She said a free service from Monday to Friday would have had a greater impact, since more people rely on transit during the week. 'OC Transpo has to be responsive' says councillor Capital ward Coun. Shawn Menard agrees that a week-long free service period would have put the new route changes to the test and potentially attracted new transit users. "I think it's unfortunate that we didn't see some weekdays included, or a week or longer. Maybe that's a goal for us in the future," Menard said. "I'm glad we've got at least a couple of days for people to try it out and get back on it if they felt hesitant, just given the troubles that have been experienced the last couple years." Menard said the "New Ways to Bus" initiative will need adjustments as concerns are raised by users. He also stressed the importance of maintaining strong bus service alongside the LRT, expanding routes based on community demand to encourage more transit use. "I know that there's some school routes that have been cut that have been added back as a result of advocacy and pressure from residents," Menard said. "OC transport has to be responsive and make sure that we're not just cutting the bus budget. Because the LRT budget is so large, we need good bus service. It's the backbone of the system to then connect to those brand new LRT lines." Amilcar said a full week of free service was not possible due to budget constraints. She said the free weekend of service will cost approximately $285,000.
