Ottawa Environmental Directory

(1) Environmental Resource Centres & Networks in Ottawa-Gatineau

Green / Environmental Resource Centres

Ottawa Envirocentre & Enviroboutique, 366 Rideau Street, across from Loblaws (formerly at City Hall)
LandOwner Resource Centre (Manotick, just south of Ottawa)
Peace and Environment Resource Centre (PERC), Alta Vista Dr., by appointment
People and Planet, GoodWork Green & Environmental Jobs, Planet Volunteer and GreenOttawa.ca (downtown Ottawa)
Octopus Books, 116 Third Ave. (at Bank St., in the Glebe)
OPIRG-Ottawa, 631 King Edward Ave., 3rd floor (at the University of Ottawa)
OPIRG-Carleton, UniCentre Building, Carleton University

Environmental & Related Networks based in Ottawa

Canadian Environment Network / Réseau canadien de l’environnement (RCEN)
Climate Action Network Canada / Réseau action climat Canada
Community Energy Network of Eastern Ontario (2)
National Capital Environmental Network (2) (for environmental non-profits in the Ottawa area)
Sustainable Enterprise Alliance (sustainable business in the Ottawa area)
Coalition for a Healthy Ottawa
Faith and the Common Good Ottawa
Canadian Council for International Cooperation
Other Environmental Networks in Canada

Green / Environmental Social Networking

Green Drinks Ottawa (informal monthly gathering in Centretown)
Connecting Environmental Professionals, Ottawa (formerly YEP Ottawa)
Transition Ottawa (online sustainability networking & wiki)

Green Maps of Ottawa

Ottawa Buy Local Food Map | Ottawa Gatineau Watershed Atlas | Ottawa Cycling Map | OCTranspo System Map | City of Ottawa eMaps | World of Maps

(2) Environmental Groups & Organizations in Ottawa-Gatineau

Environmental and Peace Groups in Ottawa

Ottawa Environmental Groups & Organizations (source: Ontario Environmental Directory)
Ottawa Peace, Environment & Social Justice Groups (source: Peace & Environment Resource Centre)
Rideau Watershed Directory of Environmental Organizations (source: Rideau Roundtable)
Eastern Ontario Environmental Groups & Organizations (source: Ontario Environment Directory)
Environmental Organizations (source: Community Information Centre of Ottawa / CICO e-Blue Book)
Coalition for a Healthy Ottawa
Ecology Ottawa Links
Ottawa Science & Environment (source: the Open Directory)
Post a listing with the Ontario Environment Directory

Groupes Ecologistes à Gatineau et Outaouais:

Gatineau-Outaouais Groupes Écologistes (Réseau Québecois des Groupes Écologistes | voir aussi: RNCREQ)
Regional Council for the Environment and Sustainable Development in the Outaouais, Gatineau QC
Enviro Educ-Action, Gatineau QC
ACRE – Action Chelsea for the Respect of the Environment, Chelsea QC
Friends of Gatineau Park, Gatineau QC
Friends of the Gatineau River, Gatineau QC
Committee on the Gatineau River Watershed, Gatineau QC
Reseau Velo-boulot, Gatineau QC

Other Ottawa Community & Nonprofit Groups

NCF Ottawa Community Groups (source: National Capital Freenet)
Volunteer Ottawa Community Organizations (source: Volunteer Ottawa)

(3) Environmental Publications and Media based in Ottawa-Gatineau or Eastern Ontario

Environment-related Publications

Green Living Ottawa (online only – blog and e-mail)
Naturally Ottawa (blog, photos)
Peace and Environment News (PEN) (monthly)
Greenlife Ottawa (quarterly print magazine, since 2008)
Canadian Organic Grower (quarterly)
The Ram’s Horn (monthly journal of food systems analysis)
Ottawa Outdoors (quarterly print magazine)
Canadian Geographic Magazine (bimonthly)
Country Connection Magazine (quarterly)
Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators (Statistics Canada, annual)
Environmental Reviews (National Research Council, annual)
Heritage News (quarterly)
(more Environmental Publications across Canada and beyond)

Independent & Alternative Media (with an interest in environment)

Canadian Perspectives (quarterly, from the Council of Canadians)
Independent Media Centre Ottawa (online)

Ottawa Media Links (mass media and various topics)

Ottawa News and Media | Ottawa Media

(4) Green Business in Ottawa and beyond

Green Business & Retail in Ottawa:

terra20 eco store (2 locations: Westboro and beside Ikea)
All Eco, 857b Bank St (in the Glebe), Ottawa
Sustainable Enterprise Alliance (network of sustainable & green businesses in the Ottawa area)
Appleseed Organic Lawn Care (member of the Organic Landscape Alliance)
Mountain Equipment Co-op, 366 Richmond Rd. (Westboro)
Ottawa Bicycle Stores (see also Ottawa Outdoors, below)
Vrtucar Car-Share Network, 356 Maclaren (at Bank St.) (see also: Ottawa TravelWise | More)
The Green Door Restaurant, 198 Main St. (see also Ottawa Vegetarian Restaurants)
Ottawa Natural Food Stores (see also Ontario Natural Food Co-op)
Monterey Inn Resort & Conference Centre (2) (the first carbon-neutral company in Canada)
More: Green Living Ottawa (blog with links to many local businesses)
More: National Capital Region Green Pages 2012 (Older, pdf version: Ottawa Green Pages 2008-2009 ; 2012 newsprint edition is available at local centres such as PERC, OPIRG Ottawa, libraries in the Peace & Environment News)

Second-hand, Used & Rental:

Yellow Pages – Discount, Used & Rental Goods | Reuse It Network | Full Circles Ottawa | Ottawa Freecycle | Used Ottawa | Ottawa Craigslist | Kijiji Ottawa | Ottawa Start

Environmental Industry Associations based in Ottawa:

Canadian Association for Renewable Energies
Canadian Solar Industries Association
Canadian Wind Energy Association
Canada Green Building Council (see also Green Buildings section, below)
Canadian Organic Growers
Electric Vehicle Council of Ottawa
Fairtrade Canada (formerly Transfair)
Canadian Water and Wastewater Association

Greening of Business – links, resources, organizations

The Natural Step Canada (Ottawa based)
Questioning Business (across Canada and beyond)

(5) Environmental Events, Conferences, Activities in Ottawa and beyond

The People & Planet Calendar – Ottawa-Gatineau section (source: People & Planet)
Other Ottawa-area Calendars (source: Environmental Calendars Directory)
Post an Event, Course or Activity

Annual Green Festivals & Eco-Fairs in Ottawa:

Ottawa Green Expo (March in Lansdowne Park)
Seedy Saturday Ottawa (March at Brittania Park and across Canada)
Ottawa Eco Expo (April at the RA Centre)
Ottawa Veg Fest (May at the Glebe Community Centre)
Project Ecosphere / Projet Écosphère – Foire de l’environnement (August long weekend at Confederation Park)
Feast of Fields Ottawa (September)
Ottawa Eco Fair (September at Carleton University Fieldhouse)
More Ottawa Events

(6) Environmental Volunteering and Employment in Ottawa and beyond

Ottawa Environmental Jobs (source: GoodWork Green &amp Environmental Jobs)
Environmental Jobs by E-mail (source: GoodWork Green &amp Environmental Jobs)
Ottawa Environmental Volunteering (source: PlanetVolunteer.net)
Ottawa Volunteering (source: Volunteer Ottawa – at bottom, choose Job Interest: Environment)
Environmental Job Search Tips (more)
Post an Environmental Job (or other green job posting, contract, RFP, etc.)

(7) Food: Local, Sustainable, Organic in Ottawa and beyond

Local Food Sources / Ottawa Area Farms

Ottawa Buy Local Guide (organic/sustainable food, gardening, agriculture) (source: Justfood.ca)
Ottawa Organic Food Directory (source: Canadian Organic Growers, Ottawa Chapter)
CSA Farms and Food Box Programs serving Ottawa (about CSA: Community Shared Agriculture)
Ottawa Valley Food Cooperative
100 Mile Radius – Ottawa Area Farmers
Buy Local Food Project
Ottawa Local Food Programs (source: City of Ottawa)
Why Buy Local?
Youth Now Farm (Carlsbad Springs, just east of Ottawa)

Vegetable Gardening/farming within Ottawa:

Farmers Markets:

Ottawa: Ottawa Farmers Market | Main Farmers Market | Ottawa Organic Farmers Market | More
Ottawa Valley: Ottawa Valley Farmers Markets
Outaouais: Outaouais Farmers Markets / Marches publics (2) | Marche Outaouais
Ontario: Farmers Markets Ontario — note that not all “Farmer’s Markets” are actually run by and for local farmers. Be sure to ask around.

Food Groups and Organizations based in Ottawa

Ottawa Restaurants & Cafés (local, organic, vegan & vegetarian restaurants)

The Green Door (vegetarian restaurant & bakery, 198 Main St., across from St. Paul’s University)
The Table (vegetarian restaurant, 1230 Wellington W., at Holland Ave.
Wild Oat Bakery & Cafe 817 Bank St., in the Glebe
Green Rebel, 4 locations (downtown, Market, Elgin)
Pure Kitchen, 3 Ottawa locations: Elgin, Preston, Richmond
Chickpeas, 2 Ottawa locations: Trainyard, Glebe
Peace Garden, 47 Clarence, Byward Market (2)
Copper Branch, 350 Albert, Downtown (Mon-Fri)
Selfmade, 261 Laurier E, Sandy Hill
Bread and Sons (bakery & cafe, 195 Bank St., at Gloucester St., downtown)
Bridgehead Cafes (cafes, various locations in Ottawa)
Simply Raw Express (Hintonburg, Ottawa)
La Belle Verte (Hull, Gatineau)
Grow Your Roots Cafe (Kanata)
South Branch Bistro (Kemptville, fresh, locally sourced)
More Vegetarian & Vegan Restaurants in Ottawa | reviews

(8) Ottawa Parks, Greenspace & Attractions in Ottawa-Gatineau and area

Ottawa-Gatineau Parks and Greenspace:

Ottawa Parks (2) | The Capital Pathway | Fletcher Wildlife Gardens | The Arboretum (2) | Experimental Farm | Friends of the Farm | Organic Demonstration Garden | Ottawa Community Gardens | Ottawa River (2) | Ottawa Greenbelt (2) | Gatineau Park (2) | Rideau Valley Conservation Areas | Rideau Trail | Ville de Gatineau (2)

Related Groups & Organizations

City of Ottawa Parks & Recreation | National Capital Commission | Ottawa Forests and Greenspace Advisory Committee | Greenspace Alliance of Canada’s Capital | Save our Greenspace | Canada Parks & Wilderness Society – Ottawa Valley Chapter | Ottawa Field Naturalists Club | Ottawa Horticultural Society | Ottawa Community Garden Network

Eco-Retreats & Outdoor Centres in and near Ottawa

Outdoor Education Centres | Carp Ridge Learning & EcoWellness Centre | Eco Echo | New Life Retreat | Northern Edge Algonquin (2) | Rendezvous Rupert | Stillwaters Retreat | Tucker House Renewal Centre | Torbolton Institute | Wolf Den (Algonquin) | Wwoof Canada (volunteer retreats, Ottawa area | About)

Other Attractions

Canadian Museum of Nature | Canada Agriculture Museum

(9) Ottawa Outdoors

Human-Powered Outdoors Activities (various): Ottawa Outdoors Magazine | Mountain Equipment Co-op | Ottawa Hostel Outdoors Club | Ottawa Cycling: Capital Pathway | Cycling Map | RentaBike | Bike Stores in Ottawa (2) | Re-Cycles Bike Co-op | Cycling Groups & Clubs: Citizens for Safe Cycling | CAN-BIKE Courses (2) (3) | Derailleurs | Ottawa Bicycle Club | Human Powered Vehicles Operators of Ottawa | The Otesha Project | Bikes for Humanity | Ottawa Mountain Bike Association | Ottawa University Bike Club (2) | Critical Mass Ottawa | Ottawa Cycling Links | Ontario Cycling Orgs | Walking & Hiking: Trails Canada | Hike Ontario | Rideau Trail Association | Ottawa Rambling Club | Oxygène – Club de randonnée de l’Outaouais | Canadian Volkssport Federation | Ottawa Orienteering Club | Alpine Club of Canada – Ottawa | Ottawa Voyageurs | Seniors Walking Clubs | Canoeing & Kayaking: CanoeKayak.ca | more | more | Gardening: Canadian Organic Growers, Ottawa Chapter | Ottawa Community Gardens | Organic Demonstration Garden | Fletcher Wildlife Gardens | The Arboretum (2) Tree Canada | Ottawa Horticultural Society | Lawns, Trees & Gardens | More: More Ottawa Recreation & Sports (2)

(10) Green Buildings and Neighbourhoods in Ottawa-Gatineau and area

Green Realtors / Green Real Estate Agents & Mortgage Agents in Ottawa:

Wayne Bowness, Green Real Estate Agent
Don Houston, Green Real Estate Agent
Jeff Scullion, Green Real Estate Agent
Claire Schumacher, Green Real Estate Agent
Sustainable Foundations (commercial & investment properties)

Green Builders, Designers, Developers & Planners in the Ottawa area:

Vert Design (Ottawa)
Riversong Design (Ottawa)
Richard White, Architect (Ottawa)
Monica Kalistar – Strawbale Builder (Ottawa) | more Strawbale Builders in Ontario
Dwellings (Perth, Ontario)
Living Sol (Killaloe, Ontario)
More Green Building & Sustainable Architecture (2) (across Canada and worldwide)

Eco-Renovation, Restoration & Supplies in Ottawa:

Certified Energy Advisors in Ottawa (source: Envirocentre.ca)
Eco-One Renovation & Restoration (Ottawa)
Healthiest Home and Building Supplies, 1523 Laperriere (exit 417 at Carling)

Green/Sustainable Houses and Developments in Ottawa area:

Wakefield PassivHaus | Canada | About Passive Houses / Passivhaus (beyond Passive Solar)
Terra Firma Co-housing | About Cohousing (2) (3)
Conservation Co-op | About Cooperative Housing (2) (3)
WindMill Developments – The Currents (Wellington & Holland), White Water Village (Roche Fendu Lake)
EcoCité on the Canal (2)
Orville Station, eco-condos in Stittsville (news)
CFB Rockcliffe Redevelopment (“Eco-Town”) (2)

Commercial Green Buildings in Ottawa:

Mountain Equipment Co-op, 366 Richmond Road, Ottawa
Ottawa Paramedic Service Headquarters, 2465 Don Reid Dr., Ottawa
Great Canadian Theatre Company, new theatre at Wellington & Holland, Ottawa

Green Building & Real Estate – More Information:

Green Building in Canada, (guide to green building, low-energy building, sustainable architecture, natural building, etc., across Canada)
Canada Green Building Council (based in Ottawa) | CaGBC Ottawa Region Chapter
EcoProperty Canada (eco-homes and properties for sale or rent, across Canada)
Green Real Estate Conference (Toronto)

(11) Sustainable Transportation in Ottawa

Public Transit: OC Transpo | Travel Planner | Bikes on buses | Rural Partners Transit Service
Wikipedia on OCTranspo: OC Transpo (more) | Routes | Rapid Transit | O-Train
Public Transit in Ottawa – community sites, groups, discussions: OC Transpo’s Bus Fan Club | Public Transit in Ottawa | OCTranspo Community | Friends of the O-Train | OttawaStart | Ottawa Transit Riders’ Association | Ottawa Pedestrian & Transit Advisory Committee | OC Transpo News | Make OC Transpo an Essential Service (2) (3)
Inter-city Buses: Ottawa Bus Station | Greyhound | About Buses & Bus Transport
Ottawa-area Buses: Rural Transit / Rural Partners (2) (click Rural Transit)
Inter-city Trains: VIA Rail | Ontario Railways | Passenger Trains in Canada | Search | News
Local Trains: O-Train (2) | Friends of the O-Train | Rapid Transit | Wakefield Steam Train
Biking/Cycling & Human-Powered Vehicles: Capital Pathway | Cycling Map | RentaBike | Bike Stores in Ottawa (2) | Re-Cycles Bike Co-op | Cycling Groups & Clubs: Citizens for Safe Cycling | CAN-BIKE Courses (2) (3) | Derailleurs | Ottawa Bicycle Club | Human Powered Vehicles Operators of Ottawa | The Otesha Project | Bikes for Humanity | Ottawa Mountain Bike Association | Ottawa University Bike Club (2) | Critical Mass Ottawa | more Ottawa Cycling Links | Ontario Cycling Orgs
Walking: Pedestrian-friendly Ottawa | Active and Safe Routes to School (2) | Jane’s Walk | Ottawa Walking Clubs | Hiking Clubs | City of Ottawa: On the Move | Travelwise | Physical Activity | Pedestrian and Transit Advisory Committee | Walking Shoes: Mountain Equipment Co-op | Trailhead | Bushtakah | The Bay | Letellier | Ottawa Shoe Stores (2) | Hitchhiking safely (2)
Cars: Car Sharing (Vrtucar) | Ottawa Ridesharing | Ottawa Ride Match | Ottawa Carpooling (2) (3) | Ottawa Car Rentals | Electric Vehicle Council of Ottawa | Smart Car Dealerships (2) (about) (microcars) | Ottawa Taxis (2) | Car Rentals | Anti-idling bylaw
Electric Scooters: Green Pedal
Car-free Living: Car Free People | Car-Free Events, Websites, Organizations | Wiki | Car-free in Ottawa | Auto-Free Ottawa | Green Ontario | Telecommuting | Flextime | Start your own business at or close to your home
Transportation Information & Advocacy: City of Ottawa (2) (3) | Envirocentre | EcoMobility | Commuter Challenge | Against Queensway Widening | Transport 2000 | Citizens for Safe Cycling | Auto-Free Ottawa | Ecology Ottawa | Imagine Ottawa | City Repair Ottawa | Google Directory
Transportation Resources: Sustainable Transportation Links | Wikipedia | Google Directory | more

(12) Ottawa Environmental Education Environmental, Outdoors & Sustainability Education in Ottawa-Gatineau and area

All Ages, ‘Informal’ & Continuing Education:

Ottawa-Gatineau Eco-Events, Workshops, Courses
Eastern Ontario Eco-Events, Workshops, Courses
Alba Wilderness School (Lanark ON)
Carp Ridge Learning Centre (Carp ON)
Eco Echo (La Peche QC)
Little Black Bear Earth Wisdom Centre (Golden Lake ON)
Northern Edge Algonquin (South River & Algonquin ON)
The Potter’s Earthhouse (Gilmour ON) | about Earthships (2) (3)
Tucker House Renewal Centre (Rockland ON)
Wwoof Canada | Wwoof Hosts in Ottawa & Ontario | About Wwoofing (multiple locations across Canada)

Mostly Primary & Secondary Education:

Post-Secondary:

University of Ottawa – University of Ottawa

Carleton University – Carleton University

Environmental Studies, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies
Environmental Science
Environmental Engineering
Public Affairs and Policy Management
School of Public Policy and Administration, Innovation, Science and Environment (Masters & PhD)
SIGNALS – Students, Interested Parties, and Graduates Networking And Liaising around Sustainability
Norman Paterson School of International Affairs (Masters)

St. Paul’s University – St. Paul’s University

Algonquin College – Algonquin College

Willis College – Willis College

Clean Energy

Environmental Education Links, Organizations, Resources (across Canada & worldwide)
More Ottawa Education Links (general)

(See also: Environmental Education Links across Canada (primary, secondary, post-secondary, ongoing) (Other related programs: Political Science, Law, Ethics, Psychology, Sociology, Journalism, Communication)