🚲 Canada Post is stopping home delivery to 30,000 addresses in Ottawa. The six postal codes affected are K1B, K1G, K1H, K1J, K1K, whose residents will be assigned neighbourhood mailboxes later this year or early next year. The 30,000 is part of 136,000 cuts across Canada. – Ben Andrews in the Ottawa Citizen

🚊 Metrolinx has sent axles to OC Transpo to help fix sidelined O Train carriages. The provincial agency that runs the GO Trains around Toronto and Hamilton sent the parts to Ottawa in a bid to help get the carriages back on the rails faster. During last year’s provincial election, Premier Doug Ford made a campaign promise that the O Train would be transferred to Metrolinx from the City, but little movement has been made on that. – Natasha O’Neill at CityNews

↪ The City’s public works and infrastructure committee is considering spending $80 million to widen the Carling Avenue Bridge, connecting  Dow’s Lake Station to the future Civic Campus of the Ottawa Hospital. During the planning and building process, neither the City nor the Province made plans to connect the two.

↪ Eastern Ontario farmers are resisting requests to inspect their land by Alto highspeed rail engineers working out a route.

🚲 It isn’t easy being green: the Peace Tower’s replaced roof will be brown for years. The roof is currently green because the copper cladding has oxidized since it was installed just over one hundred years ago. The new roof – like the current one was upon installation in 1920 – will be brown for a quite a while. – Ben Andrews in the Ottawa Citizen

🚌 The Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board cannot rule out major floods next week because of rain and snowmelt. As it is, minor flooding can be expected to properties along the river starting in Pembroke. The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority asks residents at risk to ‘check sump pumps, generators, downspouts and culverts, and consider securing anything that could float away if flooded’ . – Andrew Foote at CBC

↪ The City has opened 14 sandbag stations for residents who require them.

THURSDAY

• ✳️ Morph Arts takes a fresh look at Jane Austen with a new, ‘wacky, absurd’ interpretation of Pride and Prejudice. Gladstone Theatre until Saturday April 18 (Little Italy) 

• The Canadian Improv Games National Festival & Finals 2026 Semi-Finals continue as Eastside Secondary (Kingston Team), Prince Edward Collegiate Institute (Online Wildcard Team), École Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School (Alberta Team), Grant Park High School (Manitoba Team), and Lower Canada College (Quebec Team) compete at National Gallery of Canada. (ByWard Market)

• The Ottawa 67s head into Game 4, Round Two of the 2026 OHL Playoffs.  (Lansdowne)  

• Ottawa’s Spring Shopping event is back April 16-19 at the Originals Spring Craft Sale. Find Made in Canada treasures for your home, pantry, and wardrobe as you visit more than 150 vendors. EY Centre (YOW) 

• Ottawa Film Society is the oldest in Canada, currently in its 91st year of screenings. Tonight the Society is screening All Stirred Up (Tous Toquès), a Canadian comedy from 2024, and Flow, both at the Mayfair Theatre. (Old Ottawa South)

• Be inspired and dazzled by the Ottawa Rock N’ Gem Show today through Saturday at EY Centre (YOW) 

• Creepy eco-thriller cicadas continues at National Arts Centre  (Downtown)  

Cinema

• ByTowne Cinema: Palestine 36, The Drama, Limited Edition: A History of Violence 

• Mayfair Theatre: H Is For Hawk 

Gigs

• Meshenka, Kim & Dro, Runner-Up. LIVE on Elgin

• Fotocrime, Unwell, Ultra Love. SAW Centre

• Pinksnail. House of TARG

• Mairi. Rainbow Bistro

• The Deserves. Night Oat

FRIDAY

• ✳️ With tickets going on sale this morning, Sens playoff fever has started taking over the city. Sens Mile opens today with all street signs between Laurier and Gladstone turning bright red. 

• ✳️ The Ottawa Rock N’ Gem Show continues today through Saturday at EY Centre (YOW)  

• ✳️ Morph Arts’ wacky and absurd interpretation of Pride and Prejudice continues at Gladstone Theatre (Little Italy) 

• ✳️  Originals Spring Craft Sale continues at EY Centre (YOW) 

• The Parenting Times Parent & Child Expo returns to Nepean Sportsplex with activities, meet and greets of characters from popular kids' shows, performances, and products and services for busy families. Continues Saturday. (Nepean)  

• It’s the nail-biting conclusion of the Semi-Final round of the Canadian Improv Games National Festival & Finals 2026. Tonight Holy Spirit High School (Newfoundland Team), RE Mountain Secondary School (Lower Mainland Team), Halifax West High School (Nova Scotia Team), Mark R Isfeld Secondary (Vancouver Island Team), Tommy Douglas Collegiate (Saskatchewan Team) compete at National Gallery of Canada. (ByWard Market)

• You’ve played the game (or maybe not) now experience Materia Symphony, an original work inspired by Final Fantasy VII. Ottawa Pops Orchestra will play the piece originally premiered by Orchestre de jeux vidéo in Montréal. Tonight through Saturday at Carleton Dominion Chalmers Centre. (Centretown)  

• If you like Sudoku, jigsaws, cryptic crosswords, and enigmas wrapped up in mysteries, the True North Kanata Puzzle Weekend is for you. Until Sunday at the Holiday Inn & Suites Kanata.   

• Find VHS tapes, vinyl, games, books, electronics and other obsolete technology at the Dead Media Maniacs event at House of TARG (Old Ottawa South)

• Preston Event Centre opens its doors to the C*4 Wrestling Frenzy, featuring Donovan Dijak,  The Blade, Evil Uno, and more.(Little Italy) 

• Kick up your heels at Royal Oak Pub’s Deejay Nash All-Request Country Night (Orléans)  

• Bring your fur baby to the Ottawa Humane Society Microchip Clinic, and they’ll be permanently and easily identifiable if they're found outside their home.  

Cinema

• ByTowne Cinema: The Christophers, Mile End Kicks, Drunken Cinema: Scooby-Doo

• Mayfair Theatre: Two Strangers Trying Not to Kill Each Other, Nirvana the band the Show the Movie, The Room 

Gigs

• The Jenova Projekt, The Struggles Over, Dethrone, Groa Willing, Punishing Grip. Dominion Tavern

• Roddy Elias Trio. The Robo Lounge

• Devin Cuddy. Red Bird

• 80s Dance Party. House of TARG

• Highway Sunrise. Hard Rock Ottawa 

• Pimienta. Night Oat

• Raven, Slackjaw, Infrared, Enforcer. Rainbow Bistro

• Garret Mason. Irene’s Pub

SATURDAY

• The National Improv Homecoming Show at 2:00 pm  featuring alumni from The Canadian Improv Games and Second City, will serve as a warm up to the 2026 Canadian Improv Games grande finale. Those fearless young people who made it through the semi-finals will tough it out on the National Arts Centre’s Babs Asper Theatre stage at 7:30 pm. (Downtown) 

• Arteast Fine Art Show will bring 41 artists to Pine View Golf Club today and tomorrow (Gloucester) 

• The eery eco-thriller cicadas concludes its run at the NAC today.  

• Get a tattoo from pre-drawn dog designs and help the pups at Rocky Road Rescue. (Centretown) 

• Morph Arts’ wacky and absurd interpretation of Pride and Prejudice concludes its run at Gladstone Theatre (Little Italy) 

• Award-winning actor, director, vocalist and conductor Micah Jondel DeShazer invites singers of all abilities and lovers of the musical Rent to an afternoon of a cappella singing. Arts Court (Downtown) 

• The Parenting Times Parent & Child Expo continues at Nepean Sportsplex with activities, meet and greets of characters from popular kids' shows, performances, and products and services for busy families.(Nepean)  

• 🆓 Bring that sad and broken small household appliance and or hole-y sock to the Ottawa Tool Library Repair Café at Jim Durrell Recreation Centre. Don't forget a donation to help fund the volunteer workers. (Ridgemont) 

• If you like Sudoku, jigsaws, cryptic crosswords, and enigmas wrapped up in mysteries, the True North Kanata Puzzle Weekend is for you. Until Sunday at the Holiday Inn & Suites Kanata.    

• 🆓 Find that rare piece for your home or wardrobe at Ottawa Retro & Antique Market. Next Door (Little Italy). 

• 🆓 Bring your gently used Goth clothing and accessories to the Goth Clothing Swap at Bronson Centre from 1:30 - 4:30 pm in Room 103. (The Glebe) 

• 🆓 Elevate your date night with dinner then ballroom dancing at the Broadway Bar & Grill Central. Ballroom Dancing With The Mathew Falvai Jazz Trio starts at 7:00 pm(Fisher Glen) 

• The Bytown Antique & Bottle Club Antique & Vintage Show is one day only at Nepean Sportsplex. (Nepean)  

Cinema

• ByTowne Cinema: The Christophers, Mile End Kicks 

• Mayfair Theatre: Palestine 36, Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die  

Gigs

• The Freshwater Pearls. Night Oat

• James Gordon and Katherine Wheatley. Motel Chelsea

• Pink Snail and Thee Male Nurse on April 18th. Mallards Milk Bar

• Big Trout, Four-Eyed Muscle Man, Mellow Casualty. Rainbow Bistro

• Katie and Konah. Hard Rock Ottawa

JUST ANNOUNCED

• Step into a vibrant night of celebration, impact, and a whole lot of orange. An Evening of Warrange™ honours Warren Creates and his extraordinary legacy of community leadership and global humanitarian work. Taking place on May 19, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. at the Hellenic Event Centre, this unforgettable event supports the Can-Go Afar Foundation and the Ottawa Dragon Boat Foundation. Enjoy an elevated evening featuring gourmet cuisine from some of Ottawa’s top chefs, live entertainment, a tribute presentation, and exciting silent and live auctions. Dress code: Cocktail, business, or smart casual with a hint of orange. (Carleton Heights / Rideauview) 

• Road Trip: After a two year hiatus, Heirloom will run hat making workshops once again, starting with Learn to Make a STRAW hat June 6 and 7. This experience includes two four-hour bilingual sessions at the Heirloom studio in Montréal.