Hello Ottawa

In Today’s Edition

→ The man accused of leaving the scene of an accident in the death of a Barrhaven crossing guard has now been charged with responsibilty for the death

→  The Ottawa Grassroots Festival opens at First Unitarian Congregation tomorrow

→ Today's Canadian-made Deals of the Day are on Stubby's pizza, High Rise Joggers from Prana Vida, frozen meals from Urban Element, and everything from ReStore

— Martha and Darren

 

WEDNESDAY DRINKING AND DINING UPDATE ☕ A new free coffee event is coming. The Artery presents the Coffee Right Yow festival at Parkdale Market on Saturday September 12. They say we can expect ‘the best and most ethical roasters from Ottawa, Montreal, and beyond’. Makers, food vendors and some of your fave coffee shops will be there. (Hintonburg)   🍸 Pot and Pantry’s vermouth tasting courses with one of Ottawa’s top mixologists, Riviera’s Stephen Flood (@countbassie) are a go. Vermouth Tasting #1 is now May 5th (rescheduled from April 21st), while Vermouth Tasting #2 remains on May 20th.  🍫 We’ve recently learned that Vodkow Caramels are available from Hummingbird Chocolate, combining two of THE OTTAWAN's favourite foodstuffs. We will be trying these. (Almonte (and Ottawa retailers))  🌮 It started as a food truck, then lived at LeBreton Flats for a few years. Now Torta Boyz is already building legions of new fans at their new home on Preston Street. Please pass us that plate of Asada Fries. (Little Italy)   🌮 Torta Boyz will also be taking over the bar at Gitanes next Wednesday April 29 for a special Mezcal & Tequila tasting. (Golden Triangle)  ☕ The Future Dead Artist exhibit opens at Driphouse. (Hintonburg) 🐟 As its residence at Kitchissippi Brewing ended with the permanent closure of the brewery, the Ad Mare Seafood truck has resurfaced in the parking lot of East India Company at 1993 Robertson Road. 🍽️ Peter Hum in the Ottawa Citizen has ‘19 Ottawa restaurants where you can eat well for $20 or less’. He highlights:   Chicken Curry and Bulgogi Croquettes at JnJ Bakery Meat pies from British Pride Bakery Sandwiches from Dutch Groceries and Giftware Shrimp and pork wonton soup at Bite & Bite Candied club sandwich at 50 TWO Sandwiches & More Grilled chicken banh mi at Casa Bonita Coffee & Bakery Stunner sandwich from Ottawa Bagelshop and Deli Signature burger from Solomon’s Oven A dozen chicken and beef brochettes at La Zone 23 Cubano sandwich at Around the Block Butcher Korean Bulgogi and Fire Chicken Waffles at Sharpfle Waffle Goat birria at Tortilla Maker Dandan noodles with ground pork at Noodle’s Invitation Tonkotsu ramen at Kuma Takumi Ramen Small Jerk Chicken at Jerkies Beef suya and plantain combo from Mills Kitchen Pork belly sandwich from Tayanti Peruvian Restaurant Three-curry lunch combo with naan at Masala Trail Lobster roll at the Shop at Harmons

STATISTICS OTTAWA

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WHAT’S GOING ON AT CITY HALL

WHAT OTTAWA IS TALKING ABOUT

THE DAILY POLL

How often do you go out for dinner?

• 🔘 Pretty much every night

• 🔘 A few times per week

• 🔘 A few times per month

• 🔘 A few times per year

• 🔘 I haven’t been able to afford dinner out since the Green Valley restaurant closed

Previously in ottawan polls:

We asked, ‘Are you in favour of Metrolinx taking over the O Train?’

• 22% Yes, they run the GO Trains around Toronto and Hamilton and know what they are doing

• 19% No, they run the GO Trains around Toronto and Hamilton and don’t know what they are doing

• 14% O Train management should stay in Ottawa as a symbol of civic pride

• 19% O Train management should stay in Ottawa as a Scarlet Letter to everyone at City Hall

• 26% I support anyone who promises to bring back the Britannia streetcar

Commentary

▪️ “We know OC Transpo can’t run it so what’s to lose by letting Metrolinx take over our LRT disaster!”

▪️ “Anything is better than what we have now. OC Transpo is an embarrassment for the Nation’s capital.”

▪️ “They cannot possibly be worse than what we have now!!!!”

▪️ “I can’t say I even know why this change is being made still a more disastrous service implementation is hard to imagine. Was anyone even thinking of Ottawa winters? So yup scarlet letter it is!”

▪️ “City council and O Train management have caused this issue. It's been this way forever. If Metrolinx takes over, will Ottawa council still be able to screw up things?”

▪️ “Metrolinx can only mess up our bad situation and then fares will go up again to cover the losses they engendered.”

▪️ “As a scarlet letter and a comeback triumph. Trying to be positive here lol.”

▪️ “These are the same people that brought us the useless Presto card.”

▪️ “Yes long over due, it’s been shown that RTG isn’t up to snuff. I’m not saying snuff out everyone at RTG though. Let's not get carried away here.”

▪️ “My ideal answer would be: ‘Yes, how much worse could they do?’”

▪️ “Much as I would like to ride to a Britannia tram, yes, get this financial incubus off our back.”

▪️ “What, so they can re-name it the no-gO-train lol.”

▪️ “Anything is better then current state. Plus, if you decline the provincial offer, good luck to try getting money WHEN OC Trans report yearly deficit.”

▪️ “What exactly would Metrolinx running the O Train entail? Would they set up an office in Ottawa? Would this simply add another layer of bureaucracy? Why doesn’t the province just give OC Transpo the money instead? Why doesn’t anyone ask these questions?”

HISTORIC OTTAWA 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

WEDNESDAY

• Come on down to The Price is Right Live at Hard Rock Ottawa  

• Pianist Jonathan Cook will perform singalong Beatles hits on Robo Lounge's Bosendorfer grand piano. (The Glebe)  

• Indie recording artist Jane Siberry plays the first of two dates with her new album One Season: In The Thicket Of Our Own Unconsciousness. National Arts Centre (Downtown) 

• Organisers say that Fruit Cake, the Gay Ass Variety Show, is like if ‘Ottawa had a dyke bar for an evening’. (The Glebe)
   

Cinema

• ByTowne Cinema: The Christophers, Mile End Kicks

• Mayfair Theatre: Palestine ’36, Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie, The Big Lebowski 
   

Gigs

• Burning Witches, Thunderor, Feral Union.  Rainbow Bistro

• The Hip Trip. Bar Robo

• Open Mic hosted by Eliza. Night Oat

THURSDAY

• ✳️ 🆓 Discover how Canadian-born Eliza Reid coped with being catapulted into the spotlight as First Lady when her husband was elected President of Iceland in 2016. The launch of her memoir The First Lady Next Door gets underway at Library and Archives Canada at 7:30 pm. 

• ✳️ Find an affordable piece of original art at Santini Gallery's current exhibition, Works on Paper. The group exhibit features pieces by Isabelle Rivest, Sara Alex Mullen, Lynda Goldman, Jenn Thornhill Verma, Danielle Pare, Mary McIninch and more, all priced between $100 and $350, and all ready to frame and hang. (Little Italy)

• Sens bring the NHL Playoff action home to Canadian Tire Centre for Round One Game 3 against Carolina Hurricanes.  

• Ottawa Grassroots Festival opens at First Unitarian Congregation's soaring sanctuary with performances by Les Bilinguish Boys and guest Céleste Lévis. (Westboro) 

• Filmmaker Courtney Montour will be on hand at Arts Court Theatre for a Q&A following the screening of Rising Through the Fray, her inspiring documentary that follows the Indigenous Rising roller derby team.(Downtown)   

• Indie recording artist Jane Siberry’s tour for her new album One Season: In The Thicket Of Our Own Unconsciousness brings her to the National Arts Centre (Downtown)  

• Enter the draw to win a gorgeous handmade quilt at the Ottawa Humane Society Auxiliary Spring Craft Sale, today through Saturday at Carlingwood Mall. 

• The Singles Red Flag Party is mingling with a difference: you'll be writing your biggest red flag on your nametag (i.e., "deplores singles events", "perfers wall-to-wall carpet to hard wood floors", etc.) in place of your job title.  (The Glebe )

• Nova Scotian singer-songwriter Kristen Martell performs in a special double bill with Ottawa’s Rory Taillon (Golden Triangle)  

• Chocolate alert: the Lindt Warehouse Sale runs through Sunday at St. Laurent Shopping Centre. (Overbrook)   

Cinema

• ByTowne Cinema: The Art of Adventure, The Christophers, Miile End Kicks

• Mayfair Theatre: Two Strangers Trying Not To Kill Each Other, Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie, Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die

Gigs

• Thursday Trivia. Overflow Brewing

• The Twentieth Century Boys. Rainbow Bistro

• Thursday Blues Sessions with guest host Michael Ball. Irene’s Pub

• Sam Wood. Night Oat

FRIDAY

• For bibliophiles, today is Christmas. The Ottawa Indie Bookstore Crawl runs through Sunday at nine local shops. Just pick up your passport at a participating store and visit at least seven of the stores by the end of Sunday. Then, submit your passport for your chance to win the grand prize of $225 to spend at the stores. Each store will have its own activities, author meets, and giveaways, all in celebration of Canadian Independent Bookstore Day.
  
  Here's where to go: Octopus Books and Evermore Booktique (The Glebe), Books on Beechwood (Vanier), Perfect Books (Golden Triangle), Singing Pebble Books (Old Ottawa East), Love Lyla Books (Westboro), The Spaniel’s Tale  and World of Maps (Hintonburg), and in Almonte, Mill Street Books.   

• The Irish Film Festival opens with Christy (2025). All screenings happen at the Canadian Museum of Nature Theatre (Centretown).

• Two icons of Canadian music will be performing an intimate concert of their hits tonight. Dan Hill & Andy Kim bring their In Story & Song tour to Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe for one night only. 

• Celebrate the release of Sean Murphy’s book Echoes From the Pit: Ottawa's Heavy Metal Underground, 1988 - 1995 at the release party, featuring bands you might not have seen in a long time. (ByWard Market)

• The aroma of gravy and cheeseacurds will be drifting westward from Orléans Poutinefest & Street Food Frenzy starting today and continuing all weekend at 255 Centrum Blvd.  It's more than Poutine; visit the food trucks and get down to the live music. (Orléans)  

• 🆓 Find a one-of-a-kind Mother's Day gift at the Out of the Box Fibre Fling today and Saturday at Kitchesippi United Church. Bring a donation for Ottawa Food Bank. (Britannia) 

• Saunter up to the Deacon Brodies bar where you'll sample Perth Brewery's Honey Lager and non-alcoholic Play Lager. (Golden Triangle) 

• Strong Towns gathers at Braumeister Bierhalle for its Ottawa Monthly Social. (Hintonburg)

Cinema

• ByTowne Cinema: Folichonneries (Follies), The Christophers, Drawn In: The Night is Short, Walk On Girl 

• Mayfair Theatre: The Blue Trail, Modern Whore, The Rocky Horror Picture Show  

Gigs

• Wry and Ginger. Hard Rock Ottawa

• Minor Gold. Red Bird

• Kozé. National Arts Centre

• Serene Dark. Dominion Tavern

JUST ANNOUNCED

• Stephanie Kalinowsky of Wildest Horse will help you to level up your thrifting skills Habitat ReStore (Hintonburg) on Thursday May 28 

• Learn the art of flower arranging in the Japanese way at Lume Club’s Spring Ikebana Workshop next Thursday April 30. (Manotick) 

• Tour 12 exceptional private gardens in The Glebe and Westboro in the Abbotsford Garden Tour 2026 Edition. Proceeds of the $35 ticket will go to Abbotsford retirement residence. Saturday June 20.  

DEALS OF THE DAY

Stubby’s, the new pizza purveyors at Dominion City Brewing, are offering $5 off your next pie when you sign up as a member of the Cheese Club. We see no downside.

Save 30% on Made-In-Vancouver Prana Vida Cloud-Modal High Rise Joggers.

Save 30% on everything in the Earth Week sale at the Habitat ReStore.

Stock up your freezer. UE@Home frozen meals from Urban Element are 20% off for a few days only.

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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 us at hello@theottawan.com. We read every single comment.