ποΈ Mayor Mark Sutcliffe has announced his five point plan to make Ottawa the most housing-friendly city in Canada. The Mayor’s five steps are:
- Simplify the regulatory environment and expedite approvals processes
- Evolve city culture to be housing development friendly
- Introduce more flexibility in fees and charges
- Consolidate and strengthen capacity for Affordable Housing development
- Unlock urban intensification and Transit-Oriented Development
. – City of Ottawa
π Blue Line Taxi drivers have gone on strike today. The 494 drivers are members of the union, Unifor, which says the issue is over the taxi stand fee – the amount that cab owners must pay the taxi company, Coventry Connections. Cabs currently pay $435 per month to the company in order to pick up fares. Coventry wants to increase it to $550 per month now, $600 in 2026, and $650 by 2027. Other Ottawa services are not affected. – Nathan Fung and Jayden Dill at CBC
π¨ Expect traffic snarls downtown this weekend – pick your routes and travelling methods carefully.
The most number of street closures will be Sunday because of Canada’s Army Run. Closures will be in effect from 6:00 am to 2:00 pm. Check out the City’s page for details.
Whether or not the Draw the Line movement gets the 40,000 people it hopes to come tomorrow, it has asked those who want to ‘build a renewable future’, ‘uphold Indigenous sovereignty’, ‘fight for migrant justice’, ‘stand up for peace and democracy’, and invest in people and public services to bring their bikes to the corner of Elgin at Wellington at at 11:00 am.
And on Monday, the Assez c’est assez of Québec truck drivers will cross the Macdonald-Cartier Bridge to Boteler Street, turn around, and travel back to Gatineau. The rolling protest starts at 5:00 am and is protesting what the Québec trucking industry’s lax training standards and weak enforcement.
π« The US Air Force has an explanation about why one of its rare Boeing E3 Sentry airborne warning and control system planes was flying around Ottawa Tuesday. It was for training, ‘beginning in Bangor, Maine.’ said a US Air Combat Command spokesperson and included a Royal Canadian Air Force pilot ‘as a co-manner pilot on board with the training crew’. – Ted Raymond at CTV
When asked Wednesday about the distinctive looking plane, Defence Minister David McGuinty said ‘I know nothing about it’.
Former deputy commander of North American Aerospace Defence Command, retired RCAF Lieutenant-General Christopher Coate, said there are three reasons one of these planes would circle a city: ‘It may have been conducting a routine training mission, providing enhanced security for an event, or ensuring the military has an up-to-date ‘air picture’ of the region’. – CBC
βͺ While you can no longer fly Air Canada to England this winter, you will be able to take the airline to Fredericton and Moncton. Starting December 15, Air Canada will fly daily between both cities and Ottawa. Air Canada announced the other day that it would be ceasing Ottawa – London flights for the winter October 25.
βͺ One more ViaRail train on the Toronto – Ottawa route is dropping stations. Train 50, which originates in Toronto, won’t be stopping in Belleville or Kingston any longer. The new schedule begins September 29.
π The Museum of History has reopened after being closed for a few days due to two watermain breaks in Gatineau. The boil water advisory around Rue Laurier is still in effect. – The Ottawa Citizen