🌊 Rural areas of Ottawa are under a flood watch. The three areas in particular are

• South Nation Conservation Authority: All waterways
• Rideau Valley Conservation Authority: North Gower area
• Mississippi Conservation Authority: Carp River

Road and pathway closures because of floods are:

• The pathway at Linda Thom Park, under Billings Bridge 
• Ray Wilson Road, between York’s Corners Road and Gregoire Road
• Pathway under Hurdman LRT Bridge

The City has published locations to pick up sandbags, road and pathway closures, and general flood information.

.– City of Ottawa

🚊 OC Transpo says that it has shifted its plans from merely putting sidelined O Train carriages back on the rails but fixing them permanently. 

As THE OTTAWAN has mentioned ad nauseam, most of the O Train fleet is out of service because of ‘spalling’, flakes of metal that get into the wheel assembly. OC Transpo has figured that the wheel assembly must be repaired every 100,000 kms.

While OC Transpo had calculated that it could return one carriage to service every five days. however, in reality it took much longer.  The agency is now working with the manufacturer for a real fix that will remove the 100,000 km limit. – Aedan Helmer in the Ottawa Citizen

🎧 The United Kingdom edition of the Politico podcast has a bit about the reconstruction of the Parliament buildings (the ones on Wellington Street). Like Canada found, the UK’s Parliament buildings are in dire need of a to-the-studs renovation. Politico’s Ottawa bureau chief Nick Taylor-Vaisey explains what our reno is doing right and why the UK should love it rather than list it.– Westminster Insider  

 

❓ The City wants your opinions on the design of two new recreation centres. Staff are ‘seeking input on how people would use the facilities, what programming needs exist in the community, and what types of features would best support residents. Concept renderings will be developed and shared at a later stage for additional public feedback’.

• Give your opinion on Riverside South Community Centre, Library and District Park here, and
• Give your opnion on Southeast Ottawa Recreation Complex and District Park here

– City of Ottawa  

 

💲Métis Nation-Saskatchewan has opened a gallery, shop, and office in ByWard Market. ‘Le Magazaen’ has ‘the feel of an 1880s general store’  to showcase Métis artisans from Saskatchewan.  453 Sussex Drive.  – Joy SpearChief-Morris at CBC  

SATURDAY

🍀 St Patrick’s Day Events

• The Barrow Gang bring the St Paddy’s Day party to the Carleton Tavern, where the cover is $5. (Parkdale) 

• Reserve your table at Broadway Bar & Grill Prince of Wales’s St Paddy’s Saturday, where Nate Hardy (during the afternoon) and The Lewis Boys (7:00 pm to 10:00 pm) will be playing.  

• Get in the mood for St Patrick’s Day with East Coast Experience. Live East Coast, Irish and Celtic Canadiana music will put the jig in your step. (Bronson Centre)  

• The Shamrock Shindig continues until Tuesday March 17 at Craft Beer Market (The Glebe) 

• Ukrainian Soul Roots will bring traditional foods like perogies, hot cabbage rolls, and European-style Beef Cutlets to the St Patrick’s Day Market at the Johnny Leroux Arena/ (Stittsville) 

• Road Trip: Wear your green to the Anrprior Life St. Paddy’s Party. Choose from 1:00 pm or 8:00 pm start times. (Arnprior)

• Road Trip: Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, Perth Brewery is launching its new Lights Out Stout alongside a stein lifting competition, live Celtic music, BBQ, and prize draws. (Perth)

 

• ✳️ National Lacrosse League team Ottawa Black Bears will play host to its first watch party at Local Heroes Sports Bar and Grill at 9:00 pm. 
• If you’ve registered your team in the Pride Capital Volleyball Tournament (March 14 and 15 at uOttawa and in Orléans) you’ll automatically receive seven tickets to the Midnight in the Guilded Garden Soirée tonight. If you're not registered to play you can still buy a ticket to the soirée. (Lansdowne) 

• It’s Round 3, Best of 5 and Manotick Mariners are currently tied 1-1 with North Dundas Rockets. (Manotick) 

• There are still a few tickets for the Pysanka Workshop at Ukrainian Orthodox Hall. (Carlingwood) 

• Come alone or bring friends to the Drop-in Board Game Night at Studio Staja (Downtown). 

• Meet the incredible team behind Holly’s Haven Rescue at Critter Jungle (Carling) 

• The West Carleton Garden Club and Horticultural Society, Stittsville Goulbourn Horticultural Society and Kanata-March Horticultural Society present Carp Seedy Saturday. Admission is $2, which will be donated to West Carleton, Stittsville, and Kanata Food Banks. (Carp) 

• Help Little Jo Berry’s celebrate 10 years in the vegan treats business. They’ll be holding a pop-up at 70B Beech St. (Little Italy) 

• More than 20 vendors will bring vintage wares in sizes XL and up to Vintage Plus Pop Up (Little Italy) 

• If you miss the nightlife but you can’t keep your eyes open past 11:00pm, try the Bed By 10pm event by 30+ Daytime Clubbing. (ByWard Market)  

• Watch talented people do amazing things with bikes at the Ottawa FMX World Tour & Xtreme BMX show. (Lansdowne) 

• Grab your last chance to see Blood Relations at the Gladstone Theatre (Little Italy) 

• Jesus Christ Superstar continues at Meridien Theatres @ Centrepointe (Nepean)

Cinema

• ByTowne Cinema: International Film Festival of Ottawa: The Track, Calle Málaga, Hamnet, Pillion

• Mayfair Theatre:  Marty Supreme, Nash the Slash Rises Again! Saturday Night Sinema 

Gigs

• Jennifer Noxon Album Release. Motel Chelsea

• Funk Night featuring Smelloship. Irene’s Pub

• The New Hires Talking to the Walls Tour. Club SAW

• Skizzly Adams, Braden Foulkes, Curtis Jones. Rainbow Bistro

• Steve Merriner. Red Bird

• Alicia Kaley Trio. Hard Rock Ottawa

SUNDAY

Where to watch the 98th Annual Academy Awards

• The Mayfair Theatre members-only watch party starts at 7:00 pm with the Oscars Pre-Show, and includes food from The SmoQue Shack and drinks from Beyond the Pale. Not yet a Mayfair member? Purchase an annual membership card at the box office for $16. 

• When the doors open to The Oscars at the ByTowne Cinema at 6:00 pm, you'll have access to local beer on tap, snacks, and popcorn. It's free for all to attend, but please come with a financial donation for Cystic Fibrosis Canada. 

Vintage and collecting

• 50 dealers, more than 100 tables, and vintage collections of many kinds await you at the Ottawa Nostalgia & Collectible Show. Whether your interest lies in advertising or ephemera, the Beatles or antique tools, anything related to railroads or teddy bears, it's all here. 9:00 am to 3:00 pm (Nepean) 

• 🆓 Across town at Beyond the Pale (City Centre location), Dr. Bob’s Wrestling Flea Market is for collectors of one thing: pro wrestling. 

• More than 20 vendors will bring vintage wares in sizes XL and up to Vintage Plus Pop Up (Little Italy) 
  
   

• Learn something new at the Antrim Bata (or Irish Stick Fighting) workshop. (Lowertown) 

• 🆓 Bicycle Craft Brewery is starting March Break off with a family friendly Bingo & Beer day. Bingo games will start every 30 minutes starting at 1:00 pm. (Industrial)  

• 🆓 Gather with more than 15 local authors at the Re-Read Used Books Romance Authors Event at Cardel Rec Complex Upper Hall (Stittsville) 

• The all ages Drag King Brunch at Irene’s Pub is fun for the whole family.  

Cinema

• ByTowne Cinema: Hamnet, the Secret Agent, The Oscars at the Bytowne  

• Mayfair Theatre: One Battle After Another, 98th Annual Academy Awards  

Gigs

• Jw Jones. The Black Sheep Inn (Wakefield)

• The Sunday Night Revue. Irene’s Pub

• Rod’s Blues Jam. Atomic Rooster

• St. Patrick’s Day concert with Kelly Sloan and JIG. Motel Chelsea (matinée)

• St. Patrick’s Day concert with Kelly Sloan and JIG. Red Bird (evening)

• Femininomenon - Ladies Love Live Music. The Laff

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

JUST ANNOUNCED / NOW BOOKING

• Road Trip: 🆓 The Mississippi Valley Textile Museum weavers will be on site all day on Wednesday March 18 for Drop-In Crafts All Day (10:00 am to 4:00 pm). Joining them will representatives of the North Lanark Regional Museum and Smiths Falls Heritage House Museum, who are participating as part of the March of the Museums, a series of March Break events in Ontario.

• Cosplayers, nail down the final details on your outfit for arguably the biggest event at Anime Ottawa:  the Masquerade & Cosplay-eh!, scheduled for Saturday April 4 at 4:30 pm.  If you haven't signed up to participate you might be out of luck. There is a waiting list, however.