The Ottawan Newsletter

Hello Ottawa

In Today’s Edition

→ Dangerous levels of lead have been found the drinking water at some Ottawa Carleton District School Board schools, says a new report

→ Special March Break skating session at Canadian Tire Place tomorrow

→ The Deals of the Day are on wallets and purses made from reclaimed airline fabric at Mariclaro, tickets to the Originals Spring Craft Sale, and beads from Canada Beading Supply

– Martha and Darren

STATISTICS OTTAWA

NUMBER

70.6%
The occupancy rate in Ottawa – Gatineau hotels in 2025, an increase of 2.3 per cent over the previous year and noticably better than the Canadian average of 66.1 per cent.

Mia Jensen in the Ottawa Business Journal

OTTAWAN OF THE DAY

Morgan McKay
After one hour last Saturday in a Kanata gym, McKay set a Guiness World Record for ‘in-spot lunges’, completing 1,984. The previous record was 1800.
The rules are that ‘both feet had to face forward at the beginning before one leg came down forward at 90 degrees and the trailing leg touched the ground. The legs would then have to be returned to a straight, locked-out position’.
– Abyssinia Abebe in the Ottawa Citizen

QUOTE

Are there other examples where we would see a change order of this magnitude on a grant received being done without any committee or councillor opportunities for motions?

– College ward councillor Laine Johnson at last week’s City Council meeting. At issue is the pedestrianization of William Street in ByWard Market.

The City had received $11.8 million from the Province for the renovations, but now City Staff are recommending that it be put on hold and the money used elsewhere.

– Anna Dodd in Compass Ottawa

SPORTS

🥍 NLL Ottawa Black Bears 9 – Calgry Roughnecks 13, last Saturday
🏒 PWHL Ottawa Charge 3 – Vancouver Goldeneyes 2, last Saturday
🏒 NHL Ottawa Senators 7 – San Jose Sharks 4, yesterday
🏒 NHL Ottawa Senators 2 – Anaheim Ducks 0, last Saturday
🏒 OHL Ottawa 67s 6 – Niagara Ice Dogs 0, yesterday
🏒 OHL Ottawa 67s 5 – Brampton Steelheads 1, last Friday
🏒 CHL Les Olympiques des Gatineau 1 – Les Huskies de Rouyn-Noranda 3, last Saturday
🏒 CHL Les Olympiques des Gatineau 1 – Les Remparts de Québec 3, last Friday

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WHAT’S GOING ON AT CITY HALL

Accessibility Advisory Committee
Tuesday, March 17 at 6:00 pm

2026 City of Ottawa Municipal Accessibility Plan (COMAP) Update
2026-2029 OC Transpo Accessibility Plan

Agenda

Plus the Committee of Adjustment meets at 1:00 pm.

Whose flag is flying at City Hall today? None

City Hall flies the flag of embassies and high commissions on their national days.

WHAT OTTAWA IS TALKING ABOUT

🚰 New report says dangerous levels of lead have been found in the drinking water at some Ottawa Carleton District School Board schools. By Provincial standards, over 100 samples exceeded maximum levels. By Federal standards, over 150 samples exceeded the maximum. The Board says that it regularly tests its water and any fixture that is ‘exceeding provincial lead standards is immediately taken out of service and remediated’. The report was created by the Canadian Environmental Law Association. – Jacob Marion at the Investigative Journalism Bureau

💉 Two supervised injection sites in Ottawa will lose their provincial funding in June. Sandy Hill Community Health Centre and Ottawa Inner City Health were notified that the provincial government wants all clients of the sites to be transitioned to Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment hubs which ‘offer a more comprehensive and recovery‑focused alternative’. – Lucas Casaletto. at CityNews

🚄 The Alto high speed rail line should be built alongside Highway 401, says Premier Doug Ford. ‘Don’t start tak[ing] farmers’ land and everything else out; just follow the 401 corridor, it makes sense. And maybe make a stop in Kingston, because it’s a little too weighted on the other side of the border. They have a few stops, but we need a couple more stops here in Ontario’, he said. – Josh Pringle at CTV

🚌 The City of Clarence-Rockland is working with OC Transpo to create a bus link with Ottawa. While the two cities are only 40 miles apart, there has been no bus service since the private company Leduc ended it during the COVID 19 shutdowns. – Natalie van Rooy at CTV

🛟 There were two unusual rescues this weekend:

The Ottawa Fire Service Ice Rescue Team fished a golden retriever from the Jock River yesterday.
Crane operators working on the Centre Block reconstruction lifted a worker who had suffered blunt force trauma from the site. Paramedics attended to the worker but could not bring stretchers to the location.

THE DAILY POLL

Do you think the Alto high speed line should follow Highway 401?

🔘 Yes, it will follow the natural path of population

🔘 No, towns along the 401 already have both VIA Rail service and the 401

🔘 Farmland and cows can’t vote, let the route go where it is fastest not politically expedient

🔘 Oh bless, OTTAWAN. You believe that Alto will actually be built.

Previously in ottawan polls:
We asked, ‘Should Wellington Street in front of the Parliament buildings be a pedestian-only district?’
- 20% Yes, it will probably be extremely popular
- 40% No, it will become as bleak as Sparks street
- 10% Even though Wellington Street existed decades before cars were invented, drivers have a God given right to drive it
- 30% Give it over to OC Transpo, we’re guaranteed to not have any vehicles on it
- Commentary

▪️ “People driving on Wellington past Parliament don’t bring any value to the area. Pedestrians and other active folks do. Grass, trees, and possibly a linear park would be good use of the space.”

▪️ “People should be able to drive past the Parliament buildings and say ... WOW! It is an especially lovely drive when the Christmas lights are on display.”

▪️ “And run a tram on it. It’ll be just like Europe, which is cool!”

▪️ “While pedestrian only would likely be the best option, how will the traffic that is currently being funnelled towards downtown be handled? Most of the buildings are Fed owned – like Sparks Street – why would I go again. Can’t even get decent coffee.”

▪️ “Build The Loop!”

▪️ “Continue to let cars cruise by Parliament Hill and enjoy the view in summer and in winter.”

▪️ “Fvck cars.”

▪️ “How about make Sparks Street a two-way vehicle street (cars not bus and bicycle) and Wellington pedestrian and bicycle. 🚲 Imagine that if you will!”

▪️ “Stop with the war on cars. It is one of the major thoroughfares in the city and one of the prettiest.”

▪️ “The city core is enough of a nightmare together as it is! I mean really!”

▪️ “It’s crazy that we let cars run rampant over every square inch of what could be a nice city.”

▪️ “During the winter we could use it as a snow dump as we have few tourists and Parliament is on winter holiday.”

▪️ “Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington never rode in a car. Accordingly Wellington St. should be restricted to horses.”

▪️ “It’s hard enough to drive across the city without Wellington Street being open to cars. And it's hardly a cozy pedestrians-only walk like on Sparks St.”

▪️ “Queen Street is a nightmare. Stop & start buses compete with rideshare drop-offs, parkade access. At rush hour it crawls. Wellington should have been made a transit-only street when re-opened, to relieve the pinch.”

▪️ “I think it would be popular. And Sparks is only bleak because there’s no draw there. Give people a reason to go and they will.”

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THE ROLLING THREE DAY CALENDAR

Is there an event we should know about?
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✳️ Means change from previous edition

MONDAY

Take a trip to the Arctic without leaving Ottawa this March Break. Until Friday (March 20) Discover Nunavut’s National Parks at the Canadian Museum of Nature showcases the landscapes and ecosystems of Nunavut's Sirmilik, Auyuittuq, Ukkusiksalik, Qausuittuq, and Quttinirpaaq National Parks, as well as Inuit culture and its connection to the land.
The National Gallery offers activities for kids and families all week (ByWard Market).
🆓 Bank of Canada Museum invites curious kids and their parents to find out interesting facts about money, economics and even how the Bank helps to prevent counterfeiting.(Downtown)
Take the kids (or your full-sized friends) to see the fleet of huge steam trains at the Canada Science and Technology Museum.
Make a Morse Code bracelet at Nepean Museum.
Road Trip: Osgoode Museum is doing Paper Bag Book Binding today.
Watch movies in your pjs, discover how maple syrup is made, learn about the birds in the backyard, and spend time making crafts at Canada Agriculture and Food Museum. (Experimental Farm)
March Break is all about the Moon at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum. (Rockcliffe)

Cinema

ByTowne Cinema: Space Cadet, Hamnet, Calle Málaga
Mayfair Theatre: Marty Supreme, Sinners, THX 1138

Gigs

Saxophonist Rowen Bell-Petrusic and bassist Kent Religa Nesrallah play an evening of improvised music at the Robo Lounge. 5-Star Monday Band. The Laff
Karaoke Mondays. Atomic Rooster

TUESDAY

FREE Reserve your spot at Pistols Brewery's St Patrick's Day Trivia Night. Reservations are required.
Music & Beyond’s online lecture series is back for a 2026 edition. The Concerto covers four centuries over six Tuesdays and features guests like renowned pianists Angela Hewitt and Stewart Goodyear, and percussionist Lucy Landymore, 2:00 pm (virtual)
Book a slot at the March Break Public Skating sessions at Canadian Tire Centre.
Tap your toes to live tunes at St. Brigid’s Well from noon to 11:00 pm. (Lowertown)
Whether you choose the Heart & Crown locations in Barrhaven, ByWard Market, Preston Street, or the Aude Dubliner on William Street, you’ll find live music and great St. Patrick’s Day vibes, people wearing lots of green, and Guinness stout flowing from taps.

Cinema

ByTowne Cinema: Space Cadet, Hamnet, The Secret Agent
Mayfair Theatre: Sirāt, Marty Supreme, Sinners

Gigs

Tuesday Night Trivia. Broadhead Brewing Company
Evan Honer: It’s a Long Road Tour. Bronson Centre Musical Theatre
P.S. Lucas. Avant-Garde Bar
Dopamine: St. Patrick’s Day. City at Night
Séan McCann Sings the Great Big Songbook. Meridien Theatres @ Centrepointe.

WEDNESDAY

Catch tonight’s programming at Youth Infringement Festival: Negative Space, The Fire in Which We Burn, and Angsty Puppet Play. (Downtown)
🆓 Acclaimed classical pianist Roman Timofeev performs Mozart’s Sonatas in C (K. 309) and C minor (K. 457), and Fantasia in C minor (K. 475) at the next noon time Doors Open for Music at Southminster
Enjoy junior men’s hockey as Ottawa 67s meet Oshawa Generals on home ice in a 3:00 pm game (Lansdowne)
Jaeden Izik-Dzurko plays Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No 3 and Aaron Copland’s Suite from Appalachian Spring with the National Arts Centre Orchestra. (Downtown)
A new exhibition at Ottawa Art Gallery ‘explores the intersection of art and science through the life and work of Faith Fyles (1875 – 1961), the first woman to be appointed as a botanist with Canada’s Department of Agriculture.' View the exhibition on Level 4 until September 27. (Downtown)

Cinema

ByTowne Cinema: Space Cadet, Hamnet, Staff Picks: The Strada, Pillion
Mayfair Theatre: Sirāt, One Battle After Another, THX 1138

Gigs

Girls to the Front. Irene’s Pub
Here Comes the Sun: Happy Beatles Hour with Jonathan Cook. The Robo Lounge
Lights: Come Get Your Girl Tour. Bronson Centre
Hip Hop Jam. Red Bird

JUST ANNOUNCED / NOW BOOKING

Ottawa Humane Society’s Pet First Aid course (Sunday April 19) covers topics like recognizing household toxins, dealing with injured and orphaned wildlife, and what to do in emergency situations. This adult course runs on select Sundays through November.
An enchanting evening of Spanish cello and piano music performed by Luxe Duo awaits on April 21. The event, which supports Ronald McDonald House Ottawa, will feature wine, tapas, and a silent auction featuring unique items and experiences.

MADE IN CANADA DEALS OF THE DAY

Mariclaro, the local company that creates one of a kind messenger bags, passport cases, backpacks, and wallets from airline chair fabric and other reclaimed materials, is holding its Spring Sale. You'll get 25% off site wide but only for a limited time.

Save 25% when you purchase Early Bird tickets to the Originals Spring Craft Sale at EY Centre (April 16-19)

Canada Beading Supply is offering a 17% discount in the St. Patrick’s Day Sale. Save on everything green, orange, gold, and/or white.

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BUT, ONE MORE THING ...

There was no Ottawa connection to yesterday’s Academy Awards as far as THE OTTAWAN can discern, but the Oscar winner for Best Animated Short Film did taken home gold at last year’s Ottawa International Animation Festival. Close enough, we think.

As it’s a National Film Board production, you can watch Montréal’s The Girl Who Cried Pearls for free here.