STATISTICS OTTAWA

NUMBER

• $15,000

• – The amount of money that an Ottawa man has been awarded from Air Canada by the Ontario Court of Appeal for delaying his family of three’s flight to Portugal by 24 hours three and a half years ago.

• Back then, after the airline refused  to reimburse Rejean Landry for his children’s cancelled return flights as he booked replacement flights himself, Landry took the company to small claims court and won.

• Air Canada appealed, and has now lost, owing $15,000 for the initial delay, replacement tickets, and reimbursement for the children’s return tickets.

• Liam Baker at CBC

•  

OTTAWAN OF THE DAY

• Jessica Fleury 

• The artist has her ‘big and bold’ paintings of winter canal scenes featured at the Stittsville branch of the Ottawa Public Library this month. You can view her work online here.

• Leslie McKay at Stittsville Central
   

QUOTE

• Every 30 minutes rain or shine, flexibility to choose between early meetings or evening visits with families

• – Martin Imbleau, president of the Crown Corporation building the new high speed rail line, Alto, to the Ottawa Board of Trade. Inbleau said their will be 25 trains per day, including express service only between the largest cities.

• SPORTS

• 🏒 PWHL Ottawa Charge 1 – Montréal Victoire 2, yesterday

• 🏒 NHL Ottawa Senators 2 – Vancouver Canucks 1, yesterday

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  WEDNESDAY DINING + DRINKING UPDATE

  • 🥯 Edible Ottawa’s Méli-Mélo column speaks to the new New York style bagel makers Baci’s Bagels, empanada makers Delights by Mama, Sandy Hill resto Dinette Atomique, and coffee purveyor Ugly Monday.

  • 🎷 Mathew Lee at Stittsville Central has a profile of cajun flavoured restaurant Brews & Blues, located in the former Quitters Coffee.

  • Stittsville Central also notes there is a new coffee shop on Main Street, Cafe Vanille.

  • 🚲 Paula Tran in the Ottawa Citizen writes about new Ottawa service Foodeliver which brings food to newcomer families struggling with food insecurity in partnership with estaurants, farms, grocery stores that have surplus food.

  • 🥘 In Apartment 613’s Best Bites column, Kiersten Vuorimaki  ate at  the Turkish Kabab House (‘The service is next-level attentive’), Cooper’s Creative Kitchen (‘This is the perfect place for a quick, casual meal away from the bustle of Elgin, and super close to everything’), and  Ay Wey Mexican Street Tacos (‘heir al pastor meat is slow-roasted on a spit, like you would see in Mexico (and seen mostly in shawarma joints here)’).

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  WHAT’S GOING ON AT CITY HALL

  No more meetings this week

  Meetings and agendas 

  

  WHAT OTTAWA IS TALKING ABOUT

  ⚖️  Orléans East-Cumberland councillor Matthew Luloff’s drink driving trial will start Monday. Luloff was charged in July 2024 with ‘operating a vehicle while impaired and having a blood alcohol level above the legal limit within two hours of ceasing to drive’. His lawyer had attempted to have the case thown out over because of delays but this was dimissed today.  – Kristy Nease at CBC

  ↪ Several elected school trustees are considering running for city council now that they are sidelined by the Ottawa Carleton District School Board.

  ↪ Nineteen of the 24 incumbent Ottawa city councillors are planning on rerunning for their seat in this autumn’s municipal election.

  
  📊 StatCan is expected to lay off 12 per cent of executives and 850 workers. President of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada Sean O’Reilly says ‘It’s a really dark day for us here’. The cuts are part of the Federal government’s aim to reduced the Federal public employee count by 40,000.  – Catherine Morrison in the Canadian Press 

  
  💥 The Iranian embassy property on Metcalfe street has been breached and posters supporting the protests in that country put up. The property has been empty since 2012 when Canada cut diplomatic ties with Iran. Switzerland is currently responsible for maintaining the building in the meantime, and for providing consular services.  – Paula Tran in the Ottawa Citizen

  
  🚄 Alto, the High Speed Rail crown corporation, will have two open houses each day next Wednesday and Thursday. Alto says ‘Come meet the Alto team, share your ideas, and actively contribute to building the high-speed rail network. Your participation is essential to building a project that meets the ambitions of all communities.

  
  Alto open houses are provided in English and French in locations accessible to attendees with reduced mobility. On-site interpretation services in Quebec Sign Language (LSQ) and American Sign Language (ASL) will be available’. The open houses are at 11:00 am and 5:00 pm next Wednesday and Thursday at Bayview Yards, 7 Bayview Station Rd, Ottawa, ON K1Y 2C5.  – Alto 

  

  THE DAILY POLL

  Are you a fan of  Heated Rivalry?

  🔘 Love it

  🔘 Not a fan

  🔘 I don’t subscribe to Crave, so I can’t watch it

  🔘 Never seen it but since a main character is from Ottawa, I love it

  • 
    Previously in ottawan polls:

  • We asked, ‘Where is the best view in Ottawa?’

    • 29% Kìwekì Point

    • 4% Britannia Beach

    • 33% Parliament Hill

    • 34% Other

  • 
    Commentary

  ▪️ “This spot is beautiful.”
  
  ▪️ “Too many lovely places in Ottawa. I found Britannia Beach and Kiweki Point underwhelming. Parliament Hill is overhyped. Looking up the Rideau River as the leaves change while crossing the Sheflin Bridge is more inspiring.”
  
  ▪️ “The National Gallery is the best, especially now that they have a setup outside with drink & food to enjoy summer.”
  
  ▪️ “While driving into the city from the west and you come up over the hump near Moodie.”
  
  ▪️ “This is the iconic view of not only Ottawa but Canada. Even during my morning commute, seeing the Parliament in the distance is always beautiful. Can't wait for the renos to be finished!”
  
  ▪️ “Stunning views from the middle of William Commanda Bridge — they are a favourite, although we have such beauty all around our city.”
  
  ▪️ “Even better now than it was before all the renovations and upgrades!”
  
  ▪️ “After it opened last year – yea, this is where I take anyone visiting us in Ottawa. Pretty special.”
  
  ▪️ “The view of the Gatineau Hills from Buckham’s Bay – it cannot be beaten!”
  
  ▪️ “The dams between the Canadian Geographic Society and the NRC.”
  
  ▪️ “I don't really like to pick the best anything, but the view from the Ottawa River Lookout is breath taking. (East end bike path at the east shore where Green's Creek empties into the Ottawa River).”​​​

  

  HISTORIC OTTAWA LOGO T-SHIRTS

  BNR T-Shirt Bell Northern Research was founded in 1971. In 1996, it was purchased by Nortel and eventually shared that companies fate. The BNR campus in Ottawa was fondly deemed the 'Big Nerd Ranch', and is now the headquarters of the Department of National Defence. Help support the ottawan by buying one of our historic logo t-shirts. Shop for t-shirts

  

  THE ROLLING THREE DAY CALENDAR

  Is there an event we should know about?
  Please use our easy event submission form

  ✳️ Means change from previous edition

  WEDNESDAY

  • Doors Open for Music at Southminster features the John Dapaah Trio, who will interpret beloved hymns in a jazz-contemporary style. 

  • First Student buses are holding an Open Hiring event this morning. Bring your resume for on the spot interviews for School Bus Driver positions. (Cyrville) 

  • Experience a yoga session in the indoor tropical water garden at Aquatopia. (West of Carp) 

  • 🆓 Tickets are going fast for the Beyond the Pale (City Centre) Wednesday Night Ottawa Euchre tournament. 

  Cinema

  • ByTowne Cinema:  No Other Choice, Father Mother Sister Brother   

  • Mayfair Theatre: La Grazia, The Secret Agent, She Killed in Ecstasy    

  Gigs

  • Happy Hour with Mike Manny. The Robo Lounge

  • Jazz Jam Session. Irene’s Pub

  THURSDAY

  • Pay one final visit to Play Food and Wine (1 York St) for the closing garage sale, where you’ll find deals on equipment, small wares, and ‘other goodies’. 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm (Byward Market).   

  • Learn everything from meat selection to stuffing and linking in the Piggy Market Sausage 101 workshop. You'll also take home 5lbs of sausages. (Westboro) 

  • Guitarist Pablo Sáinz-Villegas and the National Arts Centre Orchestra perform Mozart and, for the first time, pieces by Serbian composer Isidora Żebeljan. (Downtown)  

  • Ottawa’s newest comedy venue, Exit Lounge, presents an evening of laughs hosted Alex Wood.(1101 Baxter Road) 

  • 🆓 National Gallery of Canada’s usual free Thursday night admission gets a glow up courtesy of the annual Glow Party. Wear neon or white to dazzle under the black light (Sussex Drive).

  Cinema

  • ByTowne Cinema: No Other Choice, Ciné-Club d'Ottawa: La petite et le vieux  

  • Mayfair Theatre: The Secret Agent, La Grazia, She Killed in Ecstasy  

  Gigs

  • Supersonic Hearts Band. Manor Lounge

  • Lloyd Spiegel with Lisa Baird. Les Lye Studio Theatre

  • Open Mic. Moose McGuire's (Hunt Club), Stray Dog Brewing Co (Orléans)

  • Live & Local: James Leclaire. Motel Chelsea

  • Alex Tomkins, Nick Dyson Duo. Night Oat 

FRIDAY

• Ottawa folk singers Nick Bellerose, Catherine D Kong, Gabriel Comba, and Austin Campbell perform in the Snowdrift Sessions at Art House. 

• Natasha Mumba’s Copperbelt takes audiences from a high-powered mining firm in downtown Toronto to Zambia's Copperbelt region for a story about secrets, power structures, and familial expectations. Until January 24 at the National Arts Centre (downtown) 

• Road Trip: Drive to quaint Pakenham for the Frost Festival, which opens with a family dance tonight. 

• Nine female and gender-nonconforming artists present works in a new photo-based show, Slumber Party, at SPAO. (Little Italy) 

Cinema

• ByTowne Cinema: The Choral, No Other Choice 

• Mayfair Theatre: Nuremberg, Father Mother Sister Brother, Vampyros Lesbos

Gigs

• Ska Night with Sound One, The Oscillators, DJ Bjorn Late. House of TARG

• SNAFU, Throne, Sunset Hate, Blood Moon Occulation. Dominion Tavern

• Cara Q. Carleton Tavern

• Bent Up Good. Night Oat

JUST ANNOUNCED / NOW BOOKING

• The spotlight will be on local artists and arts leaders at the Arts Ottawa Award Ceremony on February 5. Tickets are on sale now. (Downtown) 

• Packed with free and affordable programming, the Big Bang Festival is coming back to the National Arts Centre on February 14 and 15. 

• The Ottawa Jazz Festival released its first lineup of the summer 2026 event, at the very top of which are Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra. Tickets go on sale tomorrow morning (February 15) at 10: 00 am. 

MADE IN CANADA DEALS OF THE DAY

Road Trip: Get ready for (next) Christmas. Holiday items are 40% off at Cheerfully Made in Almonte (or shop online).

 

Try something new without breaking the bank. Yoga on a Dime classes at Next Door are just $10 when you book in advance.

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BUT, ONE MORE THING ...

• It must be nearly a week since THE OTTAWAN has written about a cat, dog, or wayward turtle so – good news. The citizens of Wakefield are raising money for their village cat, Titan.

• The brown and white male tabby has allegience to no villager in particular and has free run of the town, however, recently Titan has had recent emergency visits to the vet for  abscesses on his chin and testicles removed. 

• ‘Toonies for Titan’ are being collected at Kaffe 1870, Tempol, and the Wakefield General Store, and 100 per cent of the proceeds from the sale of handmade dishcloths at Wakefield Antiques will go into the fund. – Madeline Kerr in The Lowdown (To Hull and Back news) 

RAPID RESPONSE QUALITY CONTROL

THE END

the ottawan is written and edited every working weekday by Martha and Darren. Is there something that Ottawa should know about? Email to us at hello@theottawan.com. We read every single comment.