Hello Ottawa

STATISTICS OTTAWA

NUMBER

• 1

• – Where Ottawa is found in the Globe & Mail’s third annual ranking of Canada’s most livable cities. Headlined as ‘A cool old town’, the paper quotes Ottawa Charge player – and hometowner – Rebecca Leslie as saying ‘You can do a bunch of different things in the city, but it still feels like you have your tight-knit community’. 

• The Globe & Mail 🔒 Alas, it is paywalled. You’ll need a subscription, Apple News, or possibly find it in bits of newsprint distributed in shops around town randomly

•  

OTTAWAN OF THE DAY

• Jessie Cullen   

• After starting work at Beavertails at age 14 in 2013, Cullen is the next chief executive officer of the company. Her immediate predecessor was her father, Andy – who will stay on as president. Andy himself started with Beavertails when he was 17.

• Mia Jensen in the Ottawa Business Journal
   

QUOTE

• You spend a lot of time clearing the driveway out. Then the plow comes by and puts it all right back

– Resident Terry Mackay on that shared annoyance, having one’s driveway end blocked by the plow. The City has a word for the snow and ice – windrow.

Some cities are conscious of how this affects residents. Mississauga, for one, has created an opt-in plan at $52 per year in which a city worker will come and clear the windrow after the plow goes by. 

Beacon Hill-Cyrville ward councillor Tim Tierney says Ottawa has looked at the idea and ‘we were talking $20 million’. While that does seem like an outlandish number, do remember that City Council deliberately approved the Lansdowne 2.0 financial plan.

• Tyler Fleming at CTV

 

SPORTS

• 🏒 PWHL Ottawa Charge 4 – Seattle Torrent 2, yesterday

• 🏒 NHL Ottawa Senators 5 – Colorado Avalance 2, yesterday

• 

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  WHAT’S GOING ON AT CITY HALL

  No meetings tomorrow.

  Agenda

  

  WHAT OTTAWA IS TALKING ABOUT

  🛫 Starting May, new routes to Sudbury, Windsor, and Kelowna take flight from Ottawa. Porter Airlines will operate daily return flights to Sudbury and Windsor using turboprop Dash 8s starting May 1. Flights to Kelowna begin May 13, five days per week. And Winnipeg lovers take note, Porter will increase its flights to the 'Peg to 12 times per week – up from seven.

  Interestingly, the Sudbury and Windsor flights have been moved to Ottawa from Toronto’s City Airport, bolstering YOW as a Porter hub. – Ottawa Business Journal

  ↪ A small plane slid into the snow off the runway at Ottawa International Airport after its landing gear failed. There were no injuries.

   

  🗑️ Some tidbits have come out about the City’s purchase of the Taggart-Miller family’s landfill in the east end.

  • It’s $95 million (but we knew that)
  • The City will pay $5.5 million per year to finance the deal starting 2027, for an average $23 increase on everyone’s property tax
  • Land appraisals put the value of the property at $23 million, $72 million less than the City paid but it comes with preapproved permits which do have value
  • The property is not an operating landfill. The City will still need to develop it as one.  – Arthur White-Crummey at CBC

   

  🏗️ The new zoning bylaw has been passed by City Council. Some of the changes that will go into effect this September are an increased number of units allowed everywhere without specific approval, mandatory parking spaces are removed, and height limits have been increased. 

  The official City website on the zoning changes is here but it’s intentionally oblique.

  This site, also by the City, allows you to enter any address and it will display a 3D map of the area but also let you compare the difference between the current zoning in the area and what the new one will be.

    – Arthur White-Crummey at CBC

  

  THE DAILY POLL

  Is Ottawa the #1 large city in Canada?

  🔘 Of course! There was never any doubt!

  🔘 Sorry, but no. Wishful thinking.

  🔘 My heart says yes but my mind, which has been to Vancouver, Toronto, and Montréal, is a little more hesitant

  🔘 If Toronto says we are #1, then we are #1

  • 
    Previously in ottawan polls:

  • We asked, ‘Should the City give a rebate or refunds for the poor service by OC Transpo lately?’

    • 44% Yes, running the transit system is a business like any other

    • 36% No, running a transit system is not a business like any other

    • 11% The City should negotiate a huge discount with Uber for residents

    • 9% I’d like a rebate for food I consume when I walk or take a bike instead of transit

  • 
    Commentary

  ▪️ “Train service is lousy. Bus service is horrendous. Riders deserve compensation for long delays. Many would have been late for after work activities, a second job, pick up from child care services etc. Why should riders always have to bear these costs?”
  
  ▪️ “Keep that money to get the system working as it should and do that quickly!”​​​
  
  ▪️ “Not a rebate but lower fares overall. The current fares incentivize driving.”​​​
  
  ▪️ “The city needs to make clients feel like they count for something. Instead of charging them more for non-existent service.”​​​
  
  ▪️ “It should be on the transit consortium to make up that difference – they make a profit off of the differential between ‘excellent’ and ‘acceptable’ service so they should pay the difference between ‘acceptable’ and ‘absolute dogshit’.”​​​
  
  ▪️ “Failure to provide the service I am paying for.”​​​

  

  HISTORIC OTTAWA LOGO T-SHIRTS

  Nortel T-Shirt Northern Electric was founded in Montréal in 1895, growing into one of the world’s largest and most important telecom companies. Nortel hung up the phone in 2013. It's campus on Carling Avenue became the new home 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

  THURSDAY

  • ✳️ On top of all of the excitement surrounding the competitions this weekend, the Canadian Culinary Championship Silent Auction is an exciting way to experience the cuisine, hospitality, and cultural attractions in Ottawa, all while supporting SpiritNorth, the charity that ensures Indigenous youth have access to sport opportunities. Auction items range from stays at the Chateau Laurier and Fairmont Mont Tremblant, to dinners for two at Ottawa and Gatineau hot spots, gift baskets from local retailers, and once in a lifetime experiences. Bidding is open right now (Online)

  • Dance Theatre of Harlem performs a repertoire of classic works by George Balanchine and contemporary pieces by Artistic Director Robert Garland at Southam Hall, National Arts Centre. Arrive early for the free pre-show talk with Garland. (Downtown)

  • One Small Misstep continues at the Gladstone Theatre. (Little Italy)  

  • Get inspiration for all your projects at the Ottawa Home & Remodelling Show at EY Centre until Sunday. (YOW) 

  • There’s no cover at the Stray Dog Brewing Open Mic (Orléans)

  Learn Something New

  • The Piggy Market presents another of its craft butchery sessions on Sausage Making. (Westboro) 

  • Get your hands dirty at the Introduction to Growing Microgreens workshop with Microgreens Ottawa. (Heron Park) 

  • Make your own Junk Journal with Recreated Designs (Hintonburg / Mechanicsville)

  Cinema

• ByTowne Cinema: The Choral, The Voice of Hind Rajab, Restoration: The Virgin Suicides 

• Mayfair Theatre: Mr. Nobody Against Putin, No Other Choice

Gigs

• Justin Rutledge. Red Bird

• Countdown 2 Earplugs, Four-Eyed Muscle Man, The Burningtree. House of TARG

• Elmer & Allan. Night Oat

• Will Cook. Elmdale Oyster House and Tavern

• Staycation. Rainbow Bistro

FRIDAY

• ✳️ GBurger will be serving up chili cheeseburgers, raclette potatoes, and other delicious offerings at the Dominon City Brewing Co’s taproom, starting at 3:00 pm. Don’t forget to wash those flavours down with beer (alcoholic or alcohol-free). (East End)   

• ✳️ 🆓 Explore Indigenous art, music, and culture at Pibòn Festival in the ByWard Market. Today through Sunday. Today's highlight include a hide scraping demo and Round Dance Songs. (ByWard Market) 

• The Canadian Culinary Championship’s Mystery Wine competition is uncorked tonight. (Downtown). 

• Winterlude is here. Pick your location and take in the activities, and plan to return next weekend for more. Tonight, Sparks Street comes alive with DJs, ice sculptures, and installations. (SOPA)  In Confederation Park's Crystal Garden, check out more ice sculptures, grab a warming dinner from a vendor, try Cold Yoga, or sing a belter at Karaoke. (Downtown) Jacques-Cartier Park becomes Snowflake Kingdom, where you'll discover a very large winter playground with slides, a zip line, and interactive games. (Gatineau) And of course, go skating on the Rideau Canal. 

• ✳️ 🆓 Move between sites with the Winterlude Sno-Bus.  

• Dance Theatre of Harlem performs a repertoire of classic works by George Balanchine and contemporary pieces by Artistic Director Robert Garland at Southam Hall, National Arts Centre.(Downtown)

• Metalheads: rejoice in the two nights of Boomarchy Fest at Dominion Tavern tonight and tomorrow night. Bands leading the way tonight include Lucidity, Chest Hair Eagles, and Acid Riot. (ByWard Market)

• It will cost you just a $5 to watch the Algonquin Wolves take on Centennial Cols in varsity basketball action. (CentrePointe)

• Bring the family out for the C*4 Wrestling Big Chill event at the Preston Event Centre. (Little Italy)  

• Nervous renovators should check out ‘How to Keep Your Reno From Going Off the Rails’ at the Ottawa Home and Remodelling Show. (YOW)

• Karaoke is big in Orléans tonight. Connor’s Irish Pub & Eatery  and Stray Dog Brewing are both heating up the mics for you. (Orléans)

Cinema

• ByTowne Cinema:  Arco, Vie Privée (A Private Life), Drunken Cinema: Repo! The Genetic Opera 

• Mayfair Theatre: Sound of Falling, No Other Choice, Faceless 

Gigs

• Funk Nite with Smelloship, Friendly Frogs Freak Show, DJ The Full Time Groove. House of TARG

• Sailing in January with The Fake McCoys, Rob Lauzen, Mike Murphy. Nepean Sailing Club

•  Beats’n Keys. Council Oak Stage, Hard Rock Ottawa

• The Sink album release party with guests Salem Trials. The 27 Club

• Kathy Griffin: New Face, New Tour. National Arts Centre

• Eddie Griffin: Live and Unleashed. Hard Rock Live

• Like A Rock as Bob Seger. Hard Rock Cafe

SATURDAY

• 🆓 Having started on Friday, the Winterlude Ice-Carving Exhibition continues under the big tent in Confederation Park.(Downtown)

• Bag a wedding dress at reduced prices as Opportunity Bridal - Wedding Dress Sale comes to Kanata. 

• Ottawa Celtic Choir will perform music from the Celtic nations and Canada. (Carleton Heights) 

• You’ll find more than 150 vendors at 613Flea. (Lansdowne Park) 

• 🆓 Performances start at noon and Indigenous fashion is featured in the fashion show at 3:00 pm as Pibòn Festival continues (ByWard Market)  

• Bring your work in progress to the Goth Colouring & Art Meet up, presented by Outsider Collective. Ottawa Art Gallery (Downtown) 

• Road Trip: Bring the kids for the colouring contest running all weekend at the Montague Winterfest, and enjoy skating, a sleigh ride, and other outdoor activities for the entire family. (Montague Township, Lanark County)  

• 🆓 Road Trip: Gather with likeminded souls to create a massive piece of art dedicated to nature at La Fab sur Mill’s DIAL - Dialogue with the Land. (Chelsea)  

• Even if you’re not particularly outdoorsy, there’s something at Winterlude to intrigue you. Visit the Winterlude Art Show at Capital Art Fair.(Sparks Street) 

• Ottawa Mystic Market at Next Door is marking Imbolc, a festival that somewhat optimistically celebrates the start of Spring. Continues tomorrow (Hintonburg or Little Italy, depending on your point of view)  

• The Parkdale Orchestra explores the work of William Shakespeare (The Othello Overture by Antonin Dvořák, Romeo and Juliette by Sergei Prokofiev and excepts from Midsummer Night’s Dream by Felix Mendelssohn) (Parkdale)  

• Local author Mary Hogan-Finlay signs copies of her new book The road Once Taken at Books on Beechwood (Vanier). 

Cinema

• ByTowne Cinema: Arco, Vie Privée (A Private Life), Iron Lung 

• Mayfair Theatre: Khartoum, No Other Choice,  Misery,  Saturday Night Sinema 

Gigs

• Just Us - Robert Claret and Diana. Hard Rock Ottawa

• The Pharcyde. Bronson Centre

• Justin Rutledge. Red Bird

• OK Naledi. The Robo Lounge

• Blues Double Bill: Angelica Jones Band and Joel Dupuis Blues Band. Rainbow Bistro

• Boomarchy Fest (Day 2). Dominion Tavern

• Mentallica (Tribute to Metallica). Overflow Brewing

JUST ANNOUNCED / NOW BOOKING

• It’s going to be spicy at the Canadian Museum of History on February 6 and 7 as local vendors offer vintage lingerie, saucy gifts, art, treats, and more at the Naughty Night Market.  For an extra thrill, catch the optional ticketed cabaret performance by Iron Cabaret. (Gatineau)

• Make something fun with your besties at the Next Door’s Galentine Craft Night on February 13.

• ‘Canada’s Queen of R&B Soul’ Jully Black will perform at National Arts Centre's Babs Asper Theatre on Saturday February 21. (Downtown)

• 🆓 The first one sold out, so a second session of Keppel Garden Centre’s Sow & Grow workshop has been added on Saturday February 28. (Gloucester)

SHARE THE OTTAWAN

BUT, ONE MORE THING ...

• Darren thinks these ‘pancake ice’ photos in Almonte’s The Millstone look cool. 

• ‘Ice pancakes aren’t that common; they form when slabs of ice break off and get caught in the right sort of eddy so they spin around and bang on the main ice mass. Bits chip off them until they become circular,’ says the publication.

• You must realize that Darren is from Vancouver where ice and snow is made from oat milk and is usually only experienced via sound bowl meditation. So cut him slack, this is all new to him.

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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.