🚊 The O Train’s 100,000 km limit will remain after new damage found to carriages. OC Transpo had hoped that repairs to the wheel assemblies would be a permanent fixes to its carriage collection, however, it has found at least two cars were more damaged than expected. OC Transpo takes carriages out of service every 100,000 km and repairs them as a safety measure, a requirement that is not needed on other transit systems.   – Arthur White-Crummey at CBC

↪ City Council has approved a plan to add bus lanes to Bank Street through The Glebe. Beginning next year, buses will run on four permanent 24-hour bus lanes between Fourth and Woodlawn avenues. 

🚨 Don’t stop for turkeys on the Queensway advises the Ontario Provincial Police. A wild turkey that got caught in traffic was killed yesterday, despite drivers stopping and trying to catch it. Eventually, OPP officers intervened and tried to catch it on their own without success.  – Ted Raymond at CTV

↪ Here’s a video of some smarter turkeys trying to use the O Train at Carleton station yesterday.

🤐 Ottawa City Council spent two hours in closed session discussing their own safety. While the specifics were not divulges, RCMP, CSIS and Ottawa Police Service representatives were invited.  – Joanne Laucius in the Ottawa Citizen

🏒 The Sens have extended their agreement with Bell Media for another 12 years. Games will continue to be heard on TSN 1200 AM locally and broadcast on sports channels TSN and RDS, by our reckoning, on days chosen by a magic eight ball.  – Connie Thiessen in Broadcast Dialogue

🛒 Every week, @stromanker reads all the grocery flyers and posts the deals on Ottawa Reddit. This week, he highlights eggs ($3/12-pack at Maxi), oranges (99¢/lb at Adonis, Foodland), and boneless chicken ($4.99/lb at Loblaws and Provigo) – /Ottawa

THURSDAY

• ✳️ There is still availability in Ottawa School of Art's spring programs for adults, kids, and teens. Choose from in-person sessions in the ByWard Market, Kanata, Orléans, and online . Many start this weekend. 

• Workshop & Flock’s annual Trunk Show - a four day extravaganza of Canadian-made shopping - returns today. Like last year, the 2026 edition will be sharing space with Vpop Vintage Market at Next Door Market and Event Space. Through Sunday April 12. (Little Italy) 

• Ottawa Senators meet the Florida Panthers at Canadian Tire Centre (Kanata) 

• 🆓 Canadian Museum of Nature, Canadian Museum of History, National Gallery of Canada, and Canadian War Museum all offer free admission on Thursday evenings. You must book your free ticket, however. 

• Maple season is quickly winding down but you can still take a wander at Fulton’s Sugar Bush from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. 

Cinema

• ByTowne Cinema: The Drama, Ciné-Club d’Ottawa: L’histoire de souleymane, Ciné-Club d’Ottawa: Deux femmes en or 

• Mayfair Theatre: ‘Wuthering Heights’, Nirvana the Band the Show the Movie 

Gigs

• Suzanne Nuttall & Friends (folk). Night Oat

• Moonbeam. House of TARG

• Omnivide. Dominion Tavern

• Tim Bedner. Gigspace

FRIDAY

• ✳️ The Fifty-Five Plus Lifestyle Show (today and tomorrow at EY Centre)  offers produces and services for the mature crowd, and this year they're also offering the chance to win a South Africa Wine and Food Tour for Two. (YOW)  

• ✳️  Workshop & Flock’s annual Trunk Show continues at Next Door Market and Event Space through Sunday April 12. (Little Italy) 

• Book a visit to the Poppy Barley Pop-up at Chateau Laurier, where you’ll try on seasonal best sellers. (Downtown)  

• Peter Hum plays the Robo Lounge in a tribute to Herbie Hancock. $10 at the door. (The Glebe) 

• You’ll be dancing to a live jazz band at the monthly Friday Swing Dance Night. Learn the basics in the beginner workshop from 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm, then boogie the night away. (Sandy Hill) 

• It’s going to be loud and fun as Bytown Sea Shanty visits Stray Dog Brewing Co (Orléans) 

• The Cottage Life and Backyard Show is back today through Sunday. Make this the year you build a new dock or level up your summer entertaining. Through Sunday at EY Centre (YOW) 

• Dueling Pianists Tyler Kealey and Dave Kalil bring along guitarist Todd Huckabone for an evening of classics, audience requests, and a Friday night party vibe at Overflow Brewing.  

Cinema

• ByTowne Cinema: The Blue Trail, The Drama, Palestine 36, Dead Lover 

• Mayfair Theatre: Miroirs No. 3, H Is For Hawk, Nirvana the Band the Show the Movie 

Gigs

• Cook ‘n’ Hogg Duo. Hard Rock Ottawa

• Wine Lips 10th Anniversary & 7" release party. Rainbow Bistro

• Gary Louris. Red Bird

• Miina. National Arts Centre

• Cat Quintet. Night Oat

• Monach, Neon Ghosthouse, Passenger Princess, Futura Free. House of TARG

SATURDAY

• Hard Rock Ottawa hosts Live Championship Boxing, presented by United Promotions. On the card: Former world title challenger Sukhdeep Chakra, Ottawa top prospect Adrien Davin Carrasco, Undefeated cruiserweight Milad Zareian, Ottawa’s own Killa Cam Laing and more. (Gloucester)

• Workshop & Flock’s annual Trunk Show continues at Next Door Market and Event Space through Sunday April 12. (Little Italy) 

• Take a road trip to the seat of your pants. Wayward Improvised Theatre’s Wanderlust: Improvised Tales of Travel, Love & Longing will be a different show every night. Arts Court. (Downtown)  

• Recycle your electronics in Orléans. 

• Bring your gently used fashion items (and your own shopping bag(s)) to the Clothing Swap at Bob MacQuarrie Recreation Centre,  (Orléans) 

• Ottawa Record Fair is 40 vendor tables, new and second hand vinyl, CDs, and cassettes (where's my Walkman?), all under one roof. Early bird admission (10:00 am) is $10, general admission $5 from 11:00 am. (Centretown) 

• Try something a little different at Cumberland Heritage Village Museum: the Ghost Tour is more of a guided personal investigation. The Village will be closed to the public, the sky will be dark, and you will explore, alongside just a few other people, four of the buildings on site. Are you brave enough? (Cumberland)  

• Indulge your love of maple and breakfast with Cumberland Lions Club’s 55th annual Maplefest (also on tomorrow). 

• The New Orford String Quartet returns to Chamberfest with a compelling programme of works inspired by, and dedicated to beloved musical figures (specifically Ludwig van Beethoven, Leoš Janáček, Cecilia Livingston, and Felix Mendelssohn). (Westboro) 

• The Fifty-Five Plus show continues. 

• The Ten Thousand Hours acrobats are eight world-class performers from the Australian contemporary circus company Gravity & Other Myths and they're performing at the Shenkman Arts Centre today. (Orléans)  

• Bring your Scottish friends (or friends of Scottish friends) to Tartan Day Trivia (Centrepointe). 

Cinema

• ByTowne Cinema:  The Blue Trail, Palestine 36, The Drama, Dead Lover - Stink-O-Vision 

• Mayfair Theatre:  Nirvana the Band the Show the Movie, Taxi Driver, Saturday Night Sinema 

Gigs

• Dance then Bed. The Robo Lounge

• Jeff de Valk Duo. Hard Rock Ottawa

• The Low Profiles. Night Oat

• Class of '91, Stoby, Deadwell. LIVE on Elgin

• Modevile, Pith, Nicky Band. Irene's Pub

JUST ANNOUNCED

• Road Trip: Arnprior’s Cold Bear Brewing has a couple of Earth Day events that will appeal to your closet: First, on Saturday April 18, they're holding a Gear Swap (any sport, any season). You must sign up in advance here. 
  
  Next up: on Earth Day (Wednesday April 22), the Earth Day Clothing Swap is the perfect opportunity to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle your wardrobe. Please drop items off in advance per the event page.

• Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend is fast approaching (May 23-24) but there’s still time to register to run or volunteer.  

• John Cleese and the Holy Grail at 50 is a screening of the Monty Python classic film followed by a conversation and audience Q&A. October 9 and 10 in the Babs Asper Theatre (National Arts Centre). Use the code GRAIL to get presale tickets today from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm.