Hello Ottawa
In Today’s Edition
→ The Red Cross has launched an appeal to help victims of the Canada floods
→ Perth’s Stewart Park Festival opens tomorrow and runs all weekend.
→ Deals of the Day: Up to 50% off at Up! Pants
– Martha and Darren
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OTTAWAN OF THE DAY
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Alexander Shelley
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After 11 years as the music director at the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Shelley is leaving to become the music director of orchestras in Florida and Californa.
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Tom Power on CBC Radio One’s Q has a pretty good exit interview with him.
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QUOTE
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I really felt like I had Ottawa and Bluesfest and the whole community behind me on this and now I just feel like I might have been an idiot
– Local country singer Nayana on being told that her Bluesfest gig opening for Sheryl Crow and Ella Langley tomorrow has been moved to make way for suddently famous Québec polka dot sensations Angine de Poitrine.
– Lynn Saxberg in the Ottawa Citizen
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SPORTS
⚽ NSL Ottawa Rapid vs Halifax Tides
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WHAT’S GOING ON AT CITY HALL
No more meetings this week
Agenda
Whose flag is flying at City Hall today? None
City Hall flies the flag of embassies and high commissions on their national days.
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WHAT OTTAWA IS TALKING ABOUT
✈️ Look to the skies tomorrow at 11:00 am for a flyby of a Hercules in recognition of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s 100th birthday. The flyby will be over the National Memorial. – Zach McGibbon in Quinte News
🌊 The Red Cross has launched an appeal to help victims of the Canada floods. The Red Cross is providing help for residents who need housing, construction, or insurance assistance and is seeking donations from the public. – CBC
↪ City Manager Wendy Stephanson said it took days to learn the full extent of the flooding.
↪ City staff say College, Bay and Knoxdale-Merivale wards were the most heavily impacted by the July 1 floods.
↪ Ottawa Centre Member of Provincial Parliament Catherine McKenney and Somerset ward councillor Ariel Troster are criticizing US evangelical Christian group Samaritan’s Purse for assisting Ottawa flood victims as the group believes ‘marriage is exclusively the union of one genetic male and one genetic female’.
⚖️ After being thwarted by the courts, the City is now asking the province to stop the Kanata Golf and Country Club from developing homes on its property. The Club and the City have differing interpretations of the terms in a 1981 agreement between the two, with the Club arguing that it ultimately has the right to develop homes and the City arguing development would violate the minimum amount of greenspace required. After years of appeals, the Supreme Court found for the Club. City Council is now asking the province to use special legislation or a ministerial order to keep the greenspace. – Cameron Mahler and Justin Ball at CBC
💲 City of Ottawa parking tickets will change from white to yellow on July 28 to make them easier to see. Other changes are: the early payment period increases from 7 to 15 days, the grace period to pay at all increases from 30 to 45 days, and the ticket is considered in default at 76 days. There is now also a new City-run appeal process if you think the ticket is unfair. – City of Ottawa
🎃 Miller’s Berry Farm in Manotick will remain open after City Council approved zoning changes. The farm had been under threat by Ottawa Bylaw because its side hustles including trucking, snow removal, and excavating, required a rezoning that the City was not willing to give. However, an uproar from the public changed Council’s opinion and they voted for the zoning change. – Farmer’s Forum
🦠 The Alymer quarter of Gatineau has reported nine cases of legionnaires’ disease in the past month. The source of the waterborne disease is not yet known but the water towers supplying Alymer have been cleaned. – CBC
↪ Smiths Falls council has refused to hire engineers to see if its 100 year-old water tower can be preserved, almost certainly dooming it to be torn down.
🛒 Every week, @stromanker reads all the local grocery flyers and posts the deals on Ottawa Reddit. This time, he highlights ‘French’ steaks ($6.88/lb at Marché Richelieu and Metro QC), cauliflower ($1.95/ea at Super C), $1.99/ea at Maxi), and white sugar ($1.97/2kg at IGA). – /Ottawa
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THE DAILY POLL
How often do you see events at the National Arts Centre?
▪️ “Lost all appeal to Osheaga now that they try to avoid appealing to anyone younger than 40.”
▪️ “Bring back Muddy Waters!”
▪️ “Too difficult to get to and leave.”
▪️ “And I have been volunteering there for 15 years now. Love it and very glad that we – in Ottawa – get to see so many great bands over the last 32 years thanks to Bluesfest!”
▪️ “I love live music! It’s getting so busy that it’s difficult to use lawn chairs during the headliners though.”
▪️ “If it was an ‘actual’ blues fest I might reconsider going but with the mix of music presented I will pass.”
▪️ “The last time I went there was cigarette smoke twirling around a babies head ... I was so mad that I almost wanted to grab the kid and run. I hate crowds and so no concerts for me anymore! I will watch on t.v with no one acting out in a crowd.”
▪️ “Meh.”
▪️ “I think I’m too old for the intensity of Bluesfest! 😅”
▪️ “It was a drunk fest. Will never go again. Someone peed on my husband’s shoes. Eww.”
▪️ “Not as much real Blues as before and the prices are so high.”
▪️ “Too expensive and too crowded. There is a lot of great free music outdoors in the summer in Ottawa that I enjoy!”
▪️ “I am a volunteer. Where was that option for voting?”
▪️ “Full pass, baby.”
▪️ “No festival lineup has yet been so exciting as to be a definite yes for the ticket price to me. This year there’s been a lot of great smaller acts playing in town and that’s where I’d rather go.”
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HISTORIC OTTAWA LOGO T-SHIRTS
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Talisman Motor Inn T-Shirt
The Beachcomber Room tiki bar at the Talisman Motor Inn was where Ottawa swingers could be found in the early 60s
Help support the ottawan by buying one of our historic logo t-shirts.
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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
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✳️ You’ll find three days of vibrant performances at Axé Summer Worldfest 26 (Downtown).
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Road Trip: St Lawrence Shakespeare Festival is expanding in unexpected ways this season. R&J And Joni is a new musical interpretation of Shakespeare's tragic love story, set to the music of Joni Mitchell. As for the Scottish Play, this season you’ll walk around the Maitland Tower in the immersive production of Macbeth.
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Beer and Bites brings pairings of beer from Brauwerk Hoffman (Rockland) and food from St-Estèphe to Vanier Sugar Shack.(Vanier)
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Festival Parasol opens at Hôtel-Casino du Lac-Leamy for four days of themed entertainment. Today's theme is country; you'll move like a pro when you take the line-dancing class at 6:00 pm (Gatineau)
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🆓 At today’s Songs from the Shed on Sparks St., May Davis and Jim Ray McDonald perform from noon to 1:30 pm. (Downtown)
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Today’s programming at Music and Beyond Festival begins with a recital by Lucy Landymore at noon (Centretown). At 2:00pm The Delinquent Monk: Paris through the eyes of Francis Poulenc explores the music of Paris between 1928 and 1945. (Church of St. Barnabas). Hear the big sounds of Hannaford Street Silver Band at Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre at 7:30pm. (Centretown). The Juno award-winning Pro Coro Canada choir performs at St. Matthews Anglican Church in the Glebe.
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The Speed Puzzle Competition is no genteel evening at the card table; this is competitive puzzle solving that is helped along with beer, food, and teamwork. At the Royal Oak at Bank and Maclaren.
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At Bluesfest, Lord Huron headlines.
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The Goulbourn Museum is offering the chance to create your own 19th century top hat or fascinator at the Village Hat Shop, today through Sunday.
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Ottawa Rapid plays Halifax Tides FC at TD Place. (The Glebe)
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🆓 This week Lansdowne Park Movie Nights is screening Night at the Museum. Be there round about sunset.(The Glebe)
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🆓 Next Door at Night’s Ottawa Mystic Market has vendors, readings, and, naturally, a mystical vibe. (Wellington West)
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Shop from the well chosen vendors at this week’s Hintonburg Night Market.
Cinema
Gigs
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The Burningtree, Emerg, The Son, Idioglossia. Avant-Garde Bar
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The Deserves. The Robo Lounge
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Sad Girl Café. GigSpace
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Irene’s Thursday Blues Sessions with Guest Host Terry Gillespie. Irene’s Pub
FRIDAY
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✳️ Road Trip: Ottawa Valley Lifestyle magazine voted it the Best Local Festival and the Best Local Event, and with live performances, a marketplace, a kids’ zone, and even adult-only after parties it’s not hard to see why. Perth’s Stewart Park Festival opens today and runs all weekend.
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✳️ Road Trip: Continue your tour of the Ottawa Valley with a stop at Pembroke’s Multicultural Festival on Friday and Saturday
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✳️ Axé Summer Worldfest 26 continues (Downtown)
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✳️ Festival Parasol continues at Hôtel-Casino du Lac-Leamy (Gatineau)
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The Music and Beyond Festival Closing Gala program was selected by audience members, and will be performed by a who's who of festival performers including Thirteen Strings, Matthew Larkin, Caelis Academy Ensemble, Kellylee Evans, Lara Deutsch, Marc Djokic, and Frédéric Lacroix.(Centretown)
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Ella Langley headlines on the RBC stage at Bluesfest. (LeBreton Flats)
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Toronto FC visits Atlético Ottawa (The Glebe)
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Shop from local vendors at the Gloucester Night Market (Earl Armstrong Arena)
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Orléans Unplugged brings live music to Centrum Town Centre every Friday night this summer.
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Get down on the open air dance floor at Metcalfe Plaza: Amashowza launches with Dynamite, Just Jenneh, Waklexx. (Centretown)
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A Company of Fools brings William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream to Beechwood Cemetery from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. Donations gratefully accepted. (Vanier)
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The St Lawrence Shakespeare Festival continues its 2026 season.
Cinema
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ByTowne Cinema: The Invite, La Rêve Américain (The American Dream), Friday the 13th the Final Chapter
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Mayfair Theatre: The Sheep Detectives, Michael, Sick Puppy
Gigs
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The Undercovers. The Carleton Tavern
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Douses de Kizomba. Club SAW
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Steve Forbert. Red Bird
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Jacob Barber and Melody Machine. Motel Chelsea
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Jeremy Olander. City at Night
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Blue Standard. The Robo Lounge
SATURDAY
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Road trip: The third annual Buttertart Festival returns to the Carleton Place Farmers’ Market. Doors open at 7:30 am, and THE OTTAWAN does not expect supplies to last.
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Ottawa Fanaticon is a single day of cosplay, guests, and exhibitors (Overbrook)
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The Canadian Society of Plant Biologists and the American Society of Plant Biologists will be visiting the Main Street Farmers’ Market. Also: collect stamps for your chance to win $500 Market Dollars. (Old Ottawa East)
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Stroll the curated outdoor gallery at Mad About Patchwork. (South of tittsville)
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Ottawa 2026 Ratha Yatra Chariot Festival rolls into Sandy Hill Community Centre Park for a vegetarian feast, music and dance performances, henna tattoos and face paining.
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Road Trip: Christmas lovers, we see you. The Christmas in July Metcalfe Farmers Market will serve up baked goodies, 70 local makers and producers, and all the decor ideas you need to make 2026 the best festival season ever.
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Ottawa Lebanese Festival continues (Rideau View)
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🆓 Baz Luhrmann’s stylish 1996 film William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet is the screening at Capital Pop-Up Cinema event at Beechwood Cemetery, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. (Vanier)
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Festival Parasol continues at Hôtel-Casino du Lac-Leamy (Gatineau)
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Gwen Stefani headlines at Bluesfest. (LeBreton Flats)
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A Company of Fools brings William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream to Patterson Creek Park. The show runs 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. It's free but donations gratefully accepted. (The Glebe)
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Axé Summer Worldfest 26 continues (Downtown)
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Join the White Rabbit party at Snider Park (Centretown)
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Bring your empty beer, wine, and liquor bottles and cans to the Bottle Drive for Operation Come Home (The Glebe)
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Road Trip: Cheer on the teams at Arnprior Dragon Boat festival.
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Road Trip: ClaytonFest is a day of music and fun, and serves as an important fundraiser for the residents-funded community centre.
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Road Trip: Perth’s Stewart Park Festival continues.
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Road Trip: Pembroke’s Multicultural Festival continues.
Cinema
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ByTowne Cinema: The Invite, Le Réve Américain, Rose of Nevada
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Mayfair Theatre: THROUGH THE WALL: A Film and Culture Event, Jurassic Park, The Room
Gigs
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Country Night. The Prescott
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Trenchfoot, Coppershop, Chaös, Runner Up, Leach. Dominion Tavern
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Superstar Crush. Rainbow Bistro
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Alma Matter. LIVE on Elgin
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World of Tomorrow. House of TARG
JUST ANNOUNCED / NOW BOOKING
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BUT, ONE MORE THING ...
In the Ottawa Business Journal, Marissa Galko has a great story on the Ottawa Film Office’s quest for film soundstages. Its ultimate desire is to have a dedicated soundstage but until then, it sniffs out potential locations wherever it can find them – including empty Hudson’s Bay stores.
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RAPID RESPONSE QUALITY CONTROL
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THE END
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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.
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