Ottawa Insider

Natasha Bulowski reports from Ottawa with a slant on how federal policy is impacting British Columbians.

Canada's National Observer is a proud participant of the Local Journalism Initiative, which supports the creation of original civic journalism that covers the diverse needs of underserved communities across Canada.

790 Articles

Site C builder fined $1.1 million as dam gets closer to completion

The contractor building the Site C hydroelectric dam in B.C. pleaded guilty to one charge of releasing contaminated water into the Peace River on the same day the megaproject hit a big milestone.

Natasha Bulowski

August 3rd 2023

Indigenous communities need better emergency preparedness. NDP calls on feds to do more

The NDP is calling on the federal government to invest in emergency preparedness for Indigenous communities in the midst of a devastating wildfire season.

Natasha Bulowski

July 31st 2023

a blue bus that says "100% electric" driving on a road beside a body of water at dusk

B.C. set to buy electric buses for public transit networks

British Columbia is set to grow its electric bus fleet by 115 vehicles thanks to a combined investment of nearly $400 million from the provincial and federal governments.

Natasha Bulowski

July 28th 2023

Canada ends government subsidies for oil and gas, with exceptions

Canada now has a set of guidelines to restrict federal subsidies to the fossil fuel sector, albeit with numerous exceptions.

Natasha Bulowski

July 24th 2023

Proposed toll hikes won’t cover Trans Mountain’s price tag

Trans Mountain wants to charge oil shippers more to use its expansion pipeline, but those increased tolls wouldn’t cover even half of the project’s $30.9-billion price tag.

Natasha Bulowski

July 24th 2023

If you’re not terrified, ‘you’re not paying attention’

This week, average global temperatures are smashing records left and right, which “should fill everyone with anxiety,” says Green Party deputy leader Jonathan Pedneault.

Natasha Bulowski

July 6th 2023

A bearded man stands in front of a small shipping terminal in Vancouver

Unions and environmentalists team up in bid to sink B.C. port expansion project

Labour unions are joining forces with environmental organizations to oppose a massive Metro Vancouver port expansion greenlit by the federal government earlier this year.

Natasha Bulowski

June 14th 2023

air pollution coming from smoke stacks against a blue sky

Canada’s main environmental law gets a facelift

A long-awaited update to Canada’s main environmental law is set to come into force after passing through both the House of Commons and the Senate.

Natasha Bulowski

June 14th 2023

Bloc hammers Liberals on climate change as wildfires rage

The Bloc Québécois used its last opposition day to hammer the Liberals on climate change as forest fires rage across the country, forcing people from their homes and darkening the skies with smoke.

Canada burns

Natasha Bulowski

June 10th 2023

Trudeau warns of ‘especially severe wildfire season’ as petition calls for fossil fuel phaseout

The federal government’s modelling indicates this may be an “especially severe wildfire season,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters in Ottawa as smoke clouded the nation’s capital.

Natasha Bulowski

June 5th 2023

Privatization concerns grow as feds push forward with public-private model for rail megaproject

The NDP and Unifor are sounding the privatization alarm after documents reveal the federal government is only entertaining public-private partnership funding models for a mostly electric rail megaproject in Canada’s busiest service corridor.

Natasha Bulowski

June 1st 2023

A woman with long, curly red hair and glasses, wearing a light-grey checkered blazer and light pink shirt stands to ask a question in the House of Commons

Parliament to make Imperial Oil tailings documents public

The public will soon be able to read a lengthy document Imperial Oil submitted to a parliamentary committee studying the recent tailings leaks at its Kearl oilsands mine in northern Alberta.

Natasha Bulowski

May 15th 2023

Bill threatens transparency: Concerns raised over weakening oil and gas regulations

Multiple Bloc Québécois MPs are concerned a bill currently being debated in the House of Commons threatens to weaken transparency around changes to Canada’s oil, gas and petroleum regulations.

Natasha Bulowski

May 8th 2023

Imperial Oil faces federal probe over northern Alberta tailings leaks

Imperial Oil is officially under investigation to determine whether the company broke federal law with recent tailings leaks from its Kearl oilsands mine in northern Alberta.

Natasha Bulowski

May 4th 2023

Arctic security should be viewed through a climate lens, says NDP MP

A recent parliamentary report on Arctic security missed the mark, according to one MP, by failing to recommend solutions tackling a huge threat to the Arctic: climate change.

Natasha Bulowski

May 1st 2023