Hello Ottawa
In Today’s Edition
→ Convoy coörganizer Tamara Lich’s requests to visit the White House or go on a Caribbean cruise while serving time denied
→ Aero Gatineau Ottawa takes off at Gatineau Airport tomorrow
→ Deals of the Day: tickets to the next Signatures Handmade Market and Canadian made lighting fixtures from Lambert & Fils
– Martha and Darren
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STATISTICS OTTAWA
NUMBER
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503
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The number of homes newly acquired by Ottawa Community Housing from the Minto Group. The non-profit purchased 12 one-bedroom, 122 two-bedroom, 328 three-bedroom, and 40 four-bedroom townhouses in South Centrepointe. All residents are welcome to stay in their homes.
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— Ted Raymond at CTV
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QUOTE
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– Aisle 24 patron Cassidy Vilawchuk of her experience shopping in the store. Aisle 24 has three locations in Ottawa, all unstaffed. Shoppers must download an app to open the door and pay for their items.
— Emma Weller at CBC
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SPORTS
Yesterday
⚾ FRONTIER Ottawa Titans 6 at New York Boulders 3
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WHAT’S GOING ON AT CITY HALL
Ottawa Investment Board
Friday, September 18 at 9:30 am
- Investment Performance Review: Q2 2026
- Investment Plan – 2026 Annual Review
Agenda
Whose flag is flying at City Hall today? None
City Hall flies the flags of embassies and high commissions on their national days.
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WHAT OTTAWA IS TALKING ABOUT
🛻 Convoy coörganizer Tamara Lich’s requests to visit the White House or go on a Caribbean cruise while serving time have been denied. Lich was sentenced to 12 months of house arrest for her role in the 2022 occupation of downtown Ottawa. However, after accepting a job from Rebel News, she had, with court permission, travelled all over the country as part of her duties. Upcoming plans to cover press events at the White House and go on a news cruise with the media outlet have now been quashed by a judge. – CBC
🥤 The City is seeking someone to sell cold beverages at 66 municipal facilities, including O Train stations. Called a ‘pouring right’, the successful candidate will be permitted to sell ‘carbonated and noncarbonated soft drinks, juices, flavoured or carbonated water, sports drinks, and other alcohol-free and cannabis-free cold beverage products’. Not included are Lansdowne or any of the three Sensplexes. – Josh Pringle at CTV
🪑 Home furnishing stores Williams Sonoma, West Elm, and Pottery Barn are moving into the former Nordstrom space at Rideau Centre. Signs on the windows announced the imminent opening, and they are looking for staff. – Ted Raymond at CTV
📚 Two local authors make the 2026 CBC Non-fiction Prize shortlist. We mentioned the longlist the other week; it has now been cut down to five nominees: Ottawa’s Jenna Timmons-Oikawa for Wawa Indian and Lanark Highlands’ Jacky Sawatzky for Radiation Nights: Voice memos to a friend. – Daphné Santos-Vieira at CBC
🗳️ Ottawa Civic Election
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THE DAILY POLL
How would you feel about Canada becoming an associate member of the European Union?
Commentary
▪️ “I take the train about 2x a year.”
▪️ “Use to take it more regularly when work called for it. Don’t mind it but it can be pretty costly if you don’t buy tickets well in advance or on special. Prices are off the rails!”
▪️ “I haven’t taken it in 20 plus years.”
▪️ “My BFF lives in Montréal & VIA makes regular trips both feasible and reasonably pleasant.”
▪️ “Every time I have to work in Toronto, but that’s more quarterly or every six months, which weren’t options. But I would not bother flying. The train is amazing.”
▪️ “Used to take it more often but it has become unreliable with frequent delays.”
▪️ “Once in my 25 years here, to and from Montréal.”
▪️ “I would if it was faster.”
▪️ “In 2019, before we moved here, we flew in and out of Toronto for our visit. We borrowed an Ottawan’s car to get here and took the train back. The kids liked it, but it was almost as long as the car ride and quite expensive.”
▪️ “I have only heard and seen horror stories of delay after delay, so I continue to drive. Reliability is crucial to making a decision on which means of transportation to use and it is lacking with VIA.”
▪️ “Monthly, if not more and the routes they’re changing are all the ones I take. Might be time to save some money and switch to the bus because VIAs service just keeps going downhill.”
▪️ “Although I take the train infrequently, I am so ready for that high speed Alto. I know there are a lot of environment issues, but this is the 21st century and we need to get ‘ on board’! BTW I am 75 years old.”
▪️ “To Montréal many times.”
▪️ “VIA’s right — no one wants to get up that early.”
▪️ “The trains from Ottawa to + from Montréal and, especially, Toronto often get delayed and/or breakdown so an unreliable service.”
▪️ “Great way to go to TO!”
▪️ “Take it to visit family/friends in Kitchener-Waterloo and Montréal—5 or 6 times a year. Best way to travel!”
▪️ “VIA rail service could be improved if VIA and CN Rail resolve the signal gate issue. Instead of trying to come up with a solution to the problem that slows VIA trains, the 2 sides are suing each other!”
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Club Zinc T-Shirt
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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
Cinema
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ByTowne Cinema: The Samurai and the Prisoner, Ciné-Club d’Ottawa — Le faux-monnayeur: L’affaire Bojarski
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Mayfair Theatre: The Salt Path, 40 Years of Fuckin’ Up, Tony
Gigs
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Opal In Sky, Filth, Feels Like Home. The 27 Club
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The 20th Century Boys. Rainbow Bistro
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Halfway to St. Paddy’s Day. The Barley Mow (Merivale)
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Vancamp, Jessica Pearson and the East Wind. Akoustik (Vanier)
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Supersonic Hearts Band. Manor Lounge
FRIDAY
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Richmond Fair’s first full day of country fun includes agricultural demos, home craft displays, the midway, and the demolition derby.
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See sky-high performances by aircraft at the Opening Night of Aero Gatineau Ottawa at Gatineau Airport. Canadian Forces Snowbirds, vintage aircraft, and Canadian Forces Skyhawks will perform.
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Yowfest, Ottawa’s multicultural urban music festival brings two days of Urban French, International, and Urban English sounds to the capital. Continues tomorrow at the Hellenic Event Centre (Carleton Heights / Rideauview)
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Manor Park’s Rock the Block is a community party with a pie-baking contest, a free movie screening, local vendors, and food and drink.
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The Main Event in Old Ottawa East entertains the kids with a Movie & Pizza Party from 6:00 pm, followed by Family Movie Night at 8:00 pm (Springhurst Park, Old Ottawa East).
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End another busy week with a visit to the weekly Gloucester Night Market.
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Third Eye Blind headlines CityFolk Festival. (Billings Bridge / Riverside South)
Cinema
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ByTowne Cinema: Restoration: Le Notti Bianche, Reading Lolita in Tehran, Rédemptions, Drawn In: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
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Mayfair Theatre: Tony, The Samurai and the Prisoner, The Room
Gigs
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Kate and Konah + Leighton. Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa
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UB40. History Ottawa
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80s Dance Party with DJ Remi Royal and The Start. House of TARG
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Jon Q Public, Broken by Friday, Audio Visceral, Heavy Lies. Avant Garde Bar
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Joe McLeod & The Public Service Duo. Red Bird
SATURDAY
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It’s Dog Day at Carp Farmers Market.
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Icelandic indie folk-rockers Of Monsters and Men headline CityFolk Festival. (Billings Bridge / Riverside South)
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To mark Suicide Awareness Month, the Ottawa Blues for Youth fundraiser offers an evening of chat, music performance, door prizes, and auctions. Proceeds will support Parents Lifeline of Eastern Ontario and The Royal’s programs for youth mental health. Gladstone Theatre (Little Italy).
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This year’s West End Studio Tour will benefit Parkdale Food Centre. Visitors can contribute gently used art supplies and financial donations at each stop on the tour. Take the tour today or tomorrow in Westboro, Wellington West, and Hintonburg.
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Ottawa’s tiniest of intimate venues, Gigspace, will be the perfect room for A Tribute to Henry Mancini.
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Visit the Orléans Legion’s Artisan Fall Market for one-of-a-kind items created by local makers.
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🆓 Put the pieces together at the September Puzzle Social. (Greenboro)
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Enjoy a night of music and stories in support of Story Book Farm Primate Sanctuary (Westboro)
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The Main Event continues with the Community Party and the Community Garage Sale (Old Ottawa East)
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Aero Gatineau Ottawa continues. (Gatineau Airport)
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Buy something sparkly at Ottawa Lapsmith & Mineral Club’s 58th Annual Gem, Mineral & Jewellery Show and Sale. Nepean Sportsplex.
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Expect all things apple, from cider to pies, plus contests, awards, and door prizes at the 5th annual Stittsville Applefest FUNdraiser.
Cinema
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ByTowne Cinema: Klassic Kids: Labyrinth, 2026 Cat Video Fest, Restoration: Le Notti Bianche, Reel Drag: Mean Girls ft Sunshine Glitterchild & Saltina Shaker
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Mayfair Theatre: The Samurai and the Prisoner, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma
Gigs
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The Kathleen Edwards gig is cancelled. Refunds where you bought your ticket. History Ottawa
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Hammerfall, Evergreen, Don’t Tell Sarah. Overflow Brewing
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Cargo Cult. Brew Revolution
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The Unreliable Narrators of Canada. The Robo Lounge
JUST ANNOUNCED
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The annual Parents Lifeline of Eastern Ontario Art of Support Soirée is more than just bites of fine dining in beautiful surroundings. You’ll also engage in some art making, watch live painting, and participate in a silent auction, all to support the Lifeline’s programs for parents of children and young adults with mental health and addiction issues. October 8 at Ottawa Art Gallery (Downtown).
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What’s the story? Ottawa StoryTellers have an entire season of performances lined up from October until June. They hold open mic events (both online and in person) to help you find your own voice.
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DEALS OF THE DAY
BUT, ONE MORE THING ...
As a Vancouver boy, Darren had never heard of Pure Spring ginger ale. But those who grew up in Ottawa are very aware of the local pop company, which not only produced ginger ale but cream soda and minted grape from the 1920s until 1987. Here’s a 2020 article by Jan Kurman about the pop’s history.
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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 weekday by Martha and Darren.
Is there something that Ottawa should know about? Email us at hello@theottawan.com. We read every single email.
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