Hello Ottawa

STATISTICS OTTAWA

NUMBER

• 24

• The number of gas pumps that Costco wants to build at its location on Cyrville Road. 

• – Josh Pringle at CTV

OTTAWAN OF THE DAY

• Rod Phillips

• The Carleton University professor – and wine writer – has a new book coming out next month.

• Published by Johns Hopkins University Press, Cats: A History ‘places the tumultuous narrative of cats-humans relationships in the broad sweep of history’.

• Perfect Books will play host to a book launch on June 9.

• – Carleton University

QUOTE

• Our overall findings are stark. Almost no typical development scenarios currently pencil out

– A line from a report by Bloomberg Associates to the City’s finance and corporate services committee and the planning and housing committee. The report finds that residents in cheap apartments are not moving and expensive new apartments are staying vacant. 

– Campbell MacDiarmid at CBC

PLEASE SUPPORT THE OTTAWAN

WHAT’S GOING ON AT CITY HALL

WHAT OTTAWA IS TALKING ABOUT

THE DAILY POLL

Will you visit the Canadian Tulip Festival?

🔘 I do every year

🔘 I visit most years

🔘 I visit invariably just as the tulips are wilting at the end

🔘 No, I’m not interested in pretty flowers

🔘 I’m Princess Margriet

• 
  Previously in OTTAWAN polls:

• 
  We asked, ‘What industry do you think will provide the most jobs in future Ottawa–Gatineau?’

  • 20% The Federal government will always be the most important industry in the Capital

  • 11% The tech industry is expanding like crazy and will eventually exceed the number of jobs provided by the Federal government

  • 27% It’s a wash. Either through Federal job cuts or AI slashing tech jobs, it’s a race to the bottom

  • 13% Tourism is the dark horse, more and more people want to visit

  • 29% It’ll be some combination of vape / cannabis / cell phone shops. They are taking over the streets
    
    Commentary

▪️ “I expect gov and tech will share the main chunk.”

▪️ “Tech has been ready to take over Ottawa for several decades. Then the current fad dies. Manglement decides profits are most important and inovation dies, then the established companies are prime for takeover. and more jobs are cut.”

▪️ “Or Turkish barbers.”

▪️ “We can have another tech bust :D lets do Nortel 2.0 with AI.”

▪️ “Feel bad for all the young people who will be struggling to get decent paying jobs to establish themselves and start a family.”

▪️ “Don’t forget cuts to education and healthcare too! No jobs for anyone, huzzah. (And thus no money to pay for whatever service or trade work remains)”

HISTORIC OTTAWA LOGO T-SHIRTS

Club Zinc T-Shirt For underground Ottawa of 80s, Club Zinc was a short, dark light. Help support the ottawan by buying one of our historic logo t-shirts. Shop for t-shirts

THE ROLLING THREE DAY CALENDAR

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✳️ Means change from previous edition

WEDNESDAY

• This week Doors Open for Music at Southminster presents a program of unexpected musical pairings, performed by soprano Ellen McAteer and pianist Roland Graham. Admission by donation. 

• Bring your questions to Mother’s Day Propagation Bouquet and then create a meaningful gift for your mother-figure.(Barrhaven)

• Learn from a certified Pollinator Steward in the Petals & Pollinators: Growing a Garden that Gives Back workshop at Luma (Manotick) 

• Top Chef Joe Thottungal is whipping up something special to mark Ottawa’s 200th birthday. Listen as authors reveal their creative processes while you enjoy fine food and wine at Literary Feast 2026: Food With Wine and Words at the Horticulture Building (Lansdowne Park)   

• Join the Pitch ImPerfect Singers in exploring the songs of the British Invasion.(Nepean). 

• Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II opens a new season of A Bad Night at the Movies. OPL Main Branch.(Downtown)  

• Working drummer Mark Swan demos kit and spills how he nails gigs across genres at Long & McQuade Kanata. To register: email kanata@long-mcquade.com or andrewsmith@long-mcquade.com. 

Cinema

• ByTowne Cinema: Amrum, 100 Sunset, Erupcja 

• Mayfair Theatre: Kontinental ’25, Rushmore, Forbidden Fruits 

Gigs

• Switch-on Synths. House of TARG

• James Greer Happy Hour. The Robo Lounge

• Sugarcane Hangover, Love + Mayhem. Rainbow Bistro

• Bleeker, Texas King. 27 Club

• Chances au Minotaure

THURSDAY

• ✳️ Learn the Lindy Hop with Ottawa Vintage Swing’s six week series. (Centretown)

• ✳️ The Invisible – Agents of Ungentlemanly Warfare continues at the National Arts Centre.

• The Canadian Tulip Festival officially begins tomorrow but the displays in  Commissioner’s Park are worth a sneak peek today. 

• This item comes courtesy of our friend Laura at Ottawa Road Trips. People with a favourite scientific topic are invited to register to speak for up to 15 minutes at North Grenville Public Library’s  Nerd Out.  

• Cranium Conference and Showcase brings local, national, and international artists, presenters and leaders of the music business to Ottawa for three days of workshops and performances.  

• Urban Art Collective’s new season of Hintonburg Night Markets gets underway with vendors selling everything from vintage and pre-loved finds to ephemera and zines, plus drinks and other fun stuff. 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm at 1088 Somerset St. West.

• 🆓 The 2026 edition of the German Language Film Festival opens with the comedy Two to One and the documentary Sky Like Silk - Full of Oranges. Registration is required. (Downtown)

• Roam Flora will be selling dozens of varieties of Dahlia tubers, today tbrough Saturday at the farm. Visit from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm 107 Mantil Side Road.  

• 613BookExchange will meet at the Green Door Vegetarian Restaurant & Bakery. (Old Ottawa East)  

• The Overflow Brewing taproom becomes a battle ground…for artists. Art Battle Ottawa is three rounds of fierce competition between 12 artists. Mingle and watch as they create something amazing before your eyes.

Cinema

• ByTowne Cinema: Amrum, Detour: Messiah of Evil  

• Mayfair Theatre: Mile End Kicks, Animation Show ’N’ Tell Ottawa 4 (sold out)

Gigs

• Switched on Synths. House of TARG

• NECROTICGOREBEAST, Atoll, Carrion Vael, Hatred Reigns. Dominon Tavern

FRIDAY

• No matter what the weather’s doing, there’s no surer sign of spring than the opening of the Canadian Tulip Festival at Commissioner’s Park. Capture the brilliance of thousands of tulips in the Ottawa Tourism Photo Walk tonight between 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm. (Little Italy) 

• 🆓 The Object/Project Book Fair by Possible Worlds is a two-day affair with more than 60 exhibitors, talks, workshops, and performances, all celebrating artists’ publishing. Who should go: the public is invited, as are zine fanatic and people who love art, publishing, and the magic that can happen when the two converge. (Centretown)  

• Cranium Conference and Showcase continues.    

• The Best Eats 613’s new Best Fest food event opens at Aberdeen Pavilion. Use our code OTTAWAN to access the evening slots for free. 

• Winnipeg filmmaker Guy Maddin and installation artist David Hoffos present works primarily in the discipline of analogue collage in Maddin / Hoffos, a new exhibition at De Montigny Contemporary. (The Glebe)  

Cinema

• ByTowne Cinema: Holy Days, Palestine 36, Montréal, My Beautiful (Montréal, Ma Belle), Interactive: The Hunger Games 

• Mayfair Theatre: Mile End Kicks, The Christophers, Middle Life 

Gigs

• Altar of the Fuzz. Dominion Tavern

• Duelling Pianos. The Robo Lounge

• Deecracks, The Riptides, Thee Soreheads. House of TARG

• Claude Munson. Irene’s Pub

JUST ANNOUNCED / NOW BOOKING

• Elevator Theatre Company is moving to Halifax. Before they go, see their final Ottawa production: Once, at the Gladstone Theatre (June 3-13). Be quick though; it’s already 75% sold out. 

• City of Ottawa summer activities and Before and After School Programs open for registration on Tuesday (May 12). View them now and make your plans. 

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BUT, ONE MORE THING ...

Don Brennan in the Ottawa Citizen asks the question that vexes us all: Why is there a six-day break between Ottawa Charge-Boston Fleet PWHL playoff games?

You won’t like the answer.

RAPID RESPONSE QUALITY CONTROL

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.