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Hello Ottawa

In Today’s Edition

→ ‘This tipping culture is getting out of control’ – readers comment on the City asking for donations to pay for services

→ Busy weekend ahead 

→ Deals of the Day from the Bare Home and Zinnia Textiles

 

Best of Ottawa Awards 2026

This is it, deadline day! Vote by 5:00 pm this evening!

Check out the nominees and get voting. 

 

– Martha and Darren

STATISTICS OTTAWA

NUMBER

  • 50

  • The number of years that the Carleton University-based student radio station CKCU 93.1 FM has been broadcasting its unique brand of news and music.

  • In recognition of that anniversary, the City has declared tomorrow, November 15, as ‘CKCU 93.1 FM Day’. It was ‘one of the first ways I got involved in Ottawa’s broadcast community’, says former volunteer Mayor Mark Sutcliffe.

  • City of Ottawa

  •  

OTTAWANS OF THE DAY

  • Lee Valley Tools 

  • Until tomorrow, the garden and hardware tools company is handing out $1 in cash to anyone who picks up their Christmas catalogue in person at their store on Morrison, near the IKEA. The company does not trust Canada Post to deliver their catalogues this year, so it is shifting the postage costs to hard currency. 

  • However, anyone who agrees to donate the $1 to the Ottawa Food Bank will find it matched by the company.

  • Peter Szperling at CTV 

 

QUOTE

  • “

  • In like the most cruel twist of fate, we sit here today seeing the absolute reverse, where an arena is being built that is too small for women and perfect for the men

  • – The Professional Women’s Hockey League’s executive vice president of business operations, Amy Scheer, quoted in the New York Times after Ottawa city council approved Lansdowne 2.0 and the replacement of the TD Arena hockey rink, which will be one thousand seats smaller.

  • Hailey Salvian in the New York Times

  •  

    SPORT

  • 🏒 NHL Ottawa Sentators 5 – Boston Bruins 3, yesterday

  • 🏒 CHL Gatineau Olympiques 0 – Cape Breton Eagles 1, yesterday

  • PLEASE SUPPORT THE OTTAWAN

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    WHAT’S GOING ON AT CITY HALL

    No meetings Monday

    Agendas and meetings

    WHAT OTTAWA IS TALKING ABOUT

    ❓ A ‘student and family support office’ will be added to the Ottawa Carleton District School Board by the Province. The Ministry of Education has ordered all five school boards under supervision – like Ottawa Carleton – to create the office ‘to address issues previously raised by parents with their children's educators’. The office promises to respond to issues within five business days. The previously elected trustees are all considered suspended and have no role – or pay – while their Board is under supervision.  – Guy Quenneville at CBC 

     

    🚧 Kichi Zìbì Mìkan will be closed from 11:30 this evening until Monday morning for O Train construction. Pedestrians and cyclists can still use the area but will be detoured around construction.  – City of Ottawa

     

    💰 CTV has a list of 11 things that will cost more if the proposed City budget is passed. They are: transit fares, sports and recreation, parking permits, water and waste, first aid courses, police service fees like records check or collision reports, short term rental permits, hotel tax, patio permits, business licences, and marriage licences. – Josh Pringle at CTV

     

    🛒 Every week, @stromanker reads all the local grocery flyers and posts the deals on Ottawa Reddit. This week, he highlights bacon ($2.98/375g at Food Basics), frozen turkey ($1.44/lb at Maxi and Metro Québec), and pears (92¢/lb at Super C). – /Ottawa

    THE DAILY POLL

    How do you discover new music?

    🔘 The student stations like CKCU, CHUO, and CKDJ constantly unearth new music

    🔘 Ottawa’s commercial music stations are excellent in separating hits from the unlistenable

    🔘 People with good taste keep me informed (my own friends, or commenters under YouTube videos, for example)

    🔘 I don’t. Music is the opiate of the masses.

    🔘 Unless it is on CD, cassette, 33 1/3 rpm vinyl, or 8 Track, it is not real music

    ▪️ “For Pete’s sake, No! The city just voted yes to something that will be eating up our taxes and gaining us nothing. So now they need us to support things that our taxes should have supported.”

    ▪️ “They are increasing our taxes by 3.75% That’s all the ‘donation’ I can afford.”

    ▪️ “My annual donation is called ‘property taxes’.”

    ▪️ “Already feel overtaxed and not happy with the Lansdowne 2.0 decision so NO!”

    ▪️ “Maybe if they stopped wasting money unnecessarily on Lansdowne, they wouldn’t need this pathetic little cry for help.”

    ▪️ “Is this real? Perhaps the city should start and then pump and dump their own cryptocurrency ...”

    ▪️ “LITERALLY what taxes are for. TAX THE RICH! Why are we begging? We all owe something to the greater community.”

    ▪️ “Seriously? The city that has just pledged $419 million – to OSEG plus add overruns – and has increased property taxes now wants ‘donations’? WTF? The City is NOT a charity. Fully expect developers to be making the ‘donations’. Grifters everywhere ...”

    ▪️ “No. It’s the same response I give to the university, for which I’m still paying off student loans, when the alumni call/write asking for money. I already give or have given money. You'll get no more from me!”

    ▪️ “Instead of financing ridiculous projects like Lansdowne 2.0, the City should invest in affordable housing, police services, food security, and other urgent needs...”

    ▪️ “Ha!”

    ▪️ “If only there were a way to collect money from those with donations to spare for the City.”

    ▪️ “The city ignored a whole whack of taxpayers on Lansdowne 2.0 and it ignored the women and girls in this city. I’ll ignore them as much as I can.”

    ▪️ “This tipping culture is getting out of control.”

    ▪️ “Why doesn’t the City just turn over all money to OSEG or any other developer ... they are running the show.”

    ▪️ “Taxes is traditionally how we collectively fund things we all benefit from. God I hate this neoliberal late stage capitalism hellscape.”

    ▪️ “Invest the $$$ the city is donating to OSEG for Lansdowne in essential city servives. Let OSEG demonstrate their public support by raising those funds through donations. Public services should not have to rely on donations so rich men can get richer.”

    ▪️ “What a joke to beg residents for cash rather than force the mcmansion owners to pay their fair share.”

    ▪️ “If we ever needed more proof of just how our of touch with reality city hall is, this is it.”

    ▪️ “If the City has the funds to waste on Lansdowne 2.0 then they definitely do not need a donation from me. Besides I'll be paying more taxes for the rest of my life and in return will get than we already have.”

    ▪️ “The City can have a donation from me of 1/2 of whatever reduction they apply to my property tax bill or perhaps they’d like to give me a donation towards my weekly grocery bill? I can set up a link for them to do that if they like.”

    ▪️ “Sutcliffe is allergic to just raising taxes by a couple of percent.”​​​​

    HISTORIC OTTAWA LOGO T-SHIRTS

    T-shirt example

    Ogilvy’s Department Store T-Shirt

    Charles Ogilvy Limited began as dry goods shop on Rideau Street in 1897, and ended its reign as Ottawa's greatest department store in 1992.

    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

    FRIDAY

    Darren and Martha attended an event featuring Crispin Hellion Glover (of Back to the Future and River's Edge fame) around 30 years go in Vancouver, at which time, if memory serves, he presented a slide show and an intriguing film. The passing of time has not dulled our impression of a strange (but fun) evening. He’ll be at the Mayfair Theatre tonight and tomorrow night for the Canadian premiere of his new work No! YOU'RE WRONG. or: Spooky Action at a Distance, and we’re pretty sure it's going to be another memorable evening.  Actually, Glover will be in town all weekend so he can also present a 35mm screening of It Is Fine! Everything Is Fine. on Sunday November 16  and What Is It? on Monday November 17. 

    SATURDAY

    • Update your gear at the Mount Pakenham annual community ski swap 9:00 am - 5:00 pm and Sunday 10:00 am - 3:00 pm. 

    • Catch the inaugural Ottawa Outdoor Film Festival from the comfort of the ByTowne Cinema. 

    • Although it’s been serving already, Gloucester’s newest Equator Coffee gets a grand opening shindig from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Enjoy specials, live music, and vendors. 

    • It’s a big day at Re-Read Used Books in Stittsville: from 10:00 am the shop will be selling its popular Book Advent Calendars. 

    • 🆓 Not ready for the glitz of the festive season? Go analogue and enjoy the November Puzzle Social at Greenboro Community Centre. It's a friendly event but there are also "mini speed puzzle challenges" if you're feeling competitive. 

    • Tuck into the second day of Crave Food and Wine Festival

    • ByTowne Cinema:  Wrong Husband (Uiksaringitara), Albert Number One, Outdoor Ottawa Film Festival, Nouvelle Vague 

    • Mayfair Theatre: Left-Handed Girl, No! YOU’RE WRONG. or: Spooky Action at a Distance. 

      Gigs

    • Acrobat (U2 tribute band). Hard Rock Ottawa

    • The Strumbellas. Bronson Centre Music Theatre

    • St. Stephens, Tilda. LIVE on Elgin

    • Allan Rayman, Hannah Vig. Overflow Brewing Co

    • Guest Room Status, Dart Trees, Avec Plaisir, Weekend Goodbye. Rainbow Bistro

    • Abigail Lapell. National Arts Centre Fourth Stage

    • Kurtis Conner. National Arts Centre Southam Hall

     

    Support local artisans at these Christmas Markets and Craft Fairs: 

     

    Take the littles to a Santa Claus Parade:

     

    Find big deals at these Christmas bazaars:

    SUNDAY

    •  Check out the Camp Fortune Job Fair 

    • Wrap up the weekend with the Barrhaven Santa Claus Parade 

    • Escape the stress of the season with Linden House Theatre Company, who present a special matinée of their upcoming production of Noël Coward's Hay Fever at Elmwood School.  The $35 ticket includes a wine and food reception starting at 1:00 pm, with the comedy getting underway at 2:00 pm. Get tickets at Books on Beechwood or by emailing treasureriodelaurentian@gmail.com 

    • The 40th European Union Fim Festival  brings the usual high calibre mix of work by new and established filmmakers to the Alma Duncan Salon at Ottawa Art Gallery. Single film and six-screening passes are available. 

    • Storytelling, a free pancake breakfast from A&W, crafts, and decorating ornaments? They're all part of the experience at Santa’s Grand Arrival at St. Laurent Shopping Centre at 9:00 am.

    • Book your team into the 3rd Annual Trivia Fundraiser: Bird Nerd Edition, and help the Ottawa Valley Wild Bird Care Centre to continue its work (Note: you don't need to be a bird expert to take part). 

    • Olivier Laurent becomes Jacques Brel in the show that has wowed audiences from Paris to New York. Brel! Le Spectacle is an unforgettable journey into the "raw emotional power" of the Belgian singer and actor (who died in 1978).

     

    Sunday’s Bazaars and Markets: 

    MONDAY

    JUST ANNOUNCED / NOW BOOKING

    • How would you celebrate 20 years in business? Flock Boutique is throwing a Cinqt à sept on Thursday December 4 with srinks, good vibes, and excellent shopping of Made in Canada fashion. 

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    MADE IN CANADA DEAL OF THE DAY

    Zinnia Textiles’ Rainy Days Splash Sale will save you 25% on select regular priced items. The discount will be applied automatically at checkout.  

     

    Get up to 25% off site wide in the Bare Home Black Friday sale. 

    BUT, ONE MORE THING ...

    The description of the new book by social scientist Tonya K Davidson, Ottawology, should start any Ottawa-lover’s blood pumping: ‘a wide-ranging journey through a city populated not only by power brokers, but also workers, students, seniors, trees, eels,  turtles, skaters and rabble rousers’.

    Willemijn Bunskoek has an interview with Davidson in Apt 613 about her thoughts on the city. 

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    THE END

    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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