STATISTICS OTTAWA

NUMBER

• 250

• – The number of people who took part in the New Year’s Day Polar Plunge at  Britannia Beach. Today’s number could also have been the temperature, -15. 

• Peter Hum in the Ottawa Citizen

•  

OTTAWANS OF THE DAY

• James Moldaver, John Cameron Bell, Janice Charette, Stephen Beckta, Penny Collennette, Reesa Greenberg, Brenda Okorogba, Susan Phillips, Della Wilkinson, Kathleen Fox

• On the final day of 2025, Governor General Mary Simon appointed these ten to the Order of Canada. Technically, Kathleen Fox is a Gatinoise of the Day and Brenda Okorogba, as a non-citizen, – she’s Nigerian – is an honorary appointee. We’ll leave it to our readership to decide as to which is the more prestigious honour, OTTAWAN OF THE DAY or Order of Canada.

• Governor General of Canada
   

QUOTE

• “

• It’s gross. I didn’t know about the rates going up until just now, so that’s even grosser

• – Transit rider Rebecca Langley on the OC Transpo fare increases, in effect as of January 1. Langley says that it makes no financial sense to buy monthly passes for her children, driving them saves money.

• Kimberley Johnson at CTV
   

SPORTS

• 🏒 NLL Ottawa Black Bears 16 – Oshawa FireWolves, last Saturday

• 🏒 PWHL Ottawa Charge 5 – Minnestota Frost 2, last Saturday

• 🏒 NHL Ottawa Senators 4 – Winnipeg Jets 2, last Saturday

• 🏒 OHL Ottawa 67s 3 – Kingston Frontenacs 4, last Friday

• 🏒 CHL Les Olympiques de Gatineau 2 – Le Régiment de Terre-Neuve 3, yesterday

• 

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  WHAT’S GOING ON AT CITY HALL

  No meetings this week

  Meetings and agendas

  

  WHAT OTTAWA IS TALKING ABOUT

  ⛸️ Lace ’em up! The full skateway will be open today. All 7.8 km, from the MacKenzie King bridge to Carleton University, opened at 8:00 am. A smaller section was opened New Year’s Eve, the earliest opening since 2018. Beavertails staff will be on hand for your yeasty needs, and Dominion City and Dunrobin Distillers will be opening skateway-side on Thursday. – CBC     Rideau Canal Skateway website

   

  📽️ The Ottawa Film Office says at least five Christmas movies were filmed in the region this year. Known titles are Thank God, Christmas at the Keller Ranch [trailer], Comedy & Christmas Chaos [trailer], A Christmas Angel Match [trailer], Last Christmas Eve, and A Culinary Christmas [IMDB].

  The film office has also created this informative Google map, which shows all filming locations since 2018.  – City of Ottawa 

  
  🥌 If any bonspiel in the Capital is offering a bigger purse, we don’t know about it. The Carp Classic, organized by the Huntley Curling Club, is offering $12,000 in prizes and what the West Carleton Online calls a ‘magnificent’ trophy. If you’d like to raise a team, contact the Carp Classic here. If you want to watch, there is no charge for spectators over the January 23 weekend .

  The story is paywalled but make sure you click through anyway to view the trophy photo.  – Jakes Davies in West Carleton Online 

  

  THE DAILY POLL

  How long will your New Year’s resolutions last?

  🔘 Like the Rock of Gibraltar

  🔘 It’s a continuous struggle

  🔘 I can do the month

  🔘 I broke it as I was making it

  🔘 Ersatz psychological tricks are an insult to me

  • 
    Previously in ottawan polls:

  • We asked, ‘How will you celebrate New Year’s Eve’

    • 3% At a bar/restaurant/club

    • 16% At a house party

    • 35% In front of the television 

    • 39% In bed

    • 7%  Not interested; don't try to force fun on me

  • 
    Commentary

  ▪️ “I’ll be spending it at home with a friend, cheese fondue, delicious snacks and bubbly!”
  
  ▪️ “House party, although not a traditional one. One that has several kids and a ball drop happening much earlier than midnight.”
  
  ▪️ “Relaxing, stress-free evening, watching various New Year’s celebrations around the world!”
  
  ▪️ “At a spa.”
  
  ▪️ “Anytime is a good time when you have a nice dose of edibles.”
  
  ▪️ “Actually, 2 house parties like we have been doing for over 10 years now!”
  
  ▪️ “And raise a glass of alcohol free something at 10:30, midnight in Newfoundland and Labrador.”
  
  ▪️ “First year trying something new and daring: sleeping before midnight. ✨🍾”
  
  ▪️ “In Azeroth!”
  
  ▪️ “Some caviar and Champagne (my Christmas Gift) and a slew of bad action movies makes for our perfect New Year celebration!”
  
  ▪️ “Ridiculous prices, forced merriment, and drunks in the streets and on the roads. No thanks, I’ll stay home with my love.”
  
  ▪️ “We feel safer in our house. No worries about people drinking and driving. Also I feel like New Years is just a money grab!”
  
  ▪️ “There’s a fortune cookie joke here somewhere.”​​​

  

  HISTORIC OTTAWA LOGO T-SHIRTS

  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. 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

  MONDAY

  • VegOttawa Association’s Virtual Self-Care Workshop tonight aims to connect, empower, and prepare the veg community for the new year. With Michelle Petersen, Registered Psychotherapist, Sarah Meuh, (VegOttawa), Rick Lavoie, (VegOttawa) (Online)  

  • If you can’t wait 'til the weekend to do some fresh produce shopping, visit the Ottawa Street Markets Farm Store at 1805 Gaspe Ave, from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm (Manor Park) 

  Cinema

  • ByTowne Cinema: Marty Supreme, Resurrection 

  • Mayfair Theatre:  The Librarians, Frankenstein, Logan’s Run  

  TUESDAY

  • Laugh the January blues out of your head at Broadway Across Canada’s Clue, at National Arts Centre until Sunday (Downtown)

  • Dominion City and City Seltzer’s ‘Jananigans’ turns the dreary month of January on its head with alcohol-free releases, kitchen pop-ups, new beer releases, DCBC Run Club meet-ups, and more. (Gloucester)  

  • Whether you identify as a skeptic, atheist, humanist, freethinker or you’re simply curious, you’ll feel right at home at Skeptics in the Pub (Golden Triangle). 

  Cinema

  • ByTowne Cinema: Sentimental Value, Marty Supreme, My Own Private Idaho 

  • Mayfair Theatre: The Secret Agent, The Librarians, Aliens  

  Gigs

  • Swing & Spritz. Night Oat

  WEDNESDAY

  • Lou Ferrigno (the original TV Hulk) stars in Hercules, the A (Bad) Night at the Movies selection at Ottawa Public Library main branch (Downtown) 

  • ‘Ottawa’s piano prodigy’ James Greer plays the new Robo Lounge from 5:00 pm. (The Glebe)  

  • Singers of all levels are encouraged to attend the Singing Lessons: Iconic Music Legends series, where you'll experience songs by such luminaries as Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, Stevie Wonder, and Louis Armstrong (The Glebe). 

  Cinema

  •  ByTowne Cinema: Marty Supreme, Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair on 35mm 

  • Mayfair Theatre: The Librarians, The Secret Agent, Frankenstein 

  Gigs

  • Bluegrass Wednesdays featuring The Dusty Drifters

  • Prime Rib Big Band. Irene’s Pub

  • 70s Elton John Piano Hour with Dave Draves. The Robo Lounge

  JUST ANNOUNCED / NOW BOOKING

  • Ottawa City Woodshop’s February courses are now available to book. They always sell out. Fast. 

  • Get set for a summer of beekeeping with Gees Bees and Ottawa Beekeeping Supplies, who offer courses and sell everything you need to start the adventure. 

  • 🆓 Circle July 25, 2026 on the new calendar: VegOttawa Fest returns with a celebration of plant-based living. 

  

  MADE IN CANADA DEALS OF THE DAY

  Save 5% on rotisserie chicken or ready made dinners this week at The Piggy Market, when you order today (Monday). On Tuesday you could be eating Chicken & Mushroom Rigatoni, Wednesday's spesh is Grilled Hangar Steak, on Thursday you'll enjoy Country Fried Pork, and Friday's offer is Southwest Chicken Bowl.

   

  Use the code PROMO50 to save 50% off the entire Melissa Nepton site.

  

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  BUT, ONE MORE THING ...

  There is a popular Canadian-made show on Crave – and HBO down south – that we weren’t really paying attention to (actually, Darren, Martha has been kind of obsessed for well over a week now). It’s a hockey drama by one of the co-creators of Letterkenny, it’s a romance, it's got hockey podcasters and gay bars holding watch parties, yadda yadda yadda. 

  But now that it has been revealed that one of the main hockey players – who is in a secret, steamy relationship with a competing hockey player – is from Ottawa, we’re Darren's sudddenly all over Heated Rivalry.

  When is the last time you heard of a show hitting the zeitgeist with dialogue like: ‘Uh, I like Ottawa, ’cause it’s my hometown’, ‘And your dad is what — boring? Is that where you get your boring from?’, ‘He’s normal, OK? He works for the Treasury Board of Canada.’

  Hot lead Shane Hollander even promoted Dominion City’s City Seltzer in episode 4.

  Nicholas Kohler in the Ottawa Citizen has a great overview of the show and what fans are saying about it.

  

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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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