Hello Ottawa

WEDNESDAY DINING AND DRINKING UPDATE

• 🐟 One of the most fun of the fundraising dinners on the Ottawa social calendar, Able2’s Evening in the Maritimes promises a seriously good time. 

• We asked the event’s Honorary Chair for the third year in a row, Ottawa comedian and speaker Michael Lifshitz, what to expect at the 2026 edition.

• He said ‘The team does a fantastic job of really creating a submersive experience. The moment you get off the elevator, I guarantee you will think... Wait, Did I get lost? How did I end up the Maritimes? The LRT is really working well!" 

  Ticket holders can expect cocktails, auctions, mingling, and a fresh lobster dinner (the lobsters being flown in from Nova Scotia), and great networking, although he said ‘the serious business image does weaken a bit when you put on the lobster bib.’

• Lifshitz also told us that there will be a sea shanty singing competition, a communal dessert, and inspiring interviews with people who have benefited from Able2’s programs. 

  Lifshitz says ‘If you care for your community, and you like having fun, you need to come to this event. It's a chance to see a lot of people who are usually very businesslike, kind of kick up their heels and have a good time.’

  Ticket sales have now ended but you can join the waiting list events@able2.org. Plus, Ontario residents 18 years and older can participate in the online 50/50 raffle and silent auction that start tomorrow.

•  

• 🍖Meatings is teaming up with Orléans and Cumberland businesses for the entire month of May. They plan to launch on May 1st but here’s a sneak peek at the businesses taking part: Bad Alibi, Black Walnut Bakery, Broadhead Brewery, Golden Fries, and Louis’ Pizza. 

• 🔪 Top Chef Canada Season 4 winner Chef Rene Rodrigues is the new Executive Chef at Tavern at the Gallery.  (ByWard Market)

• 🍨 Alongside its excellent beer, Bicycle Craft Brewery has begun selling Ontario-made Reid's ice cream from the tap room. Vegan options are also available. (Industrial Ave)  

• Also in ice cream news, a new Kawartha ice cream parlour is opening at 2311 St Joseph Boulevard in Orléans. When will it open? We don’t know yet. 

• 🍪 Peter Hum in the Ottawa Citizen  says that at Ahh! Coffee in Hintonburg, these ‘weirdest, next-level cookies will win you over’. The cookies in question are things like chocolate-miso-gochugaru, sourdough toast and butter,  ube-white chocolate-lime-coconut.

• 😋 At Capital Eats, here is where editor Ralf Joneikies himself likes to nosh: Yang Sheng, Metropolitain Brasserie, Thali, Saigon Boy, Nagi, Orchid Sushi, Chez Lionel, Kuma Takumi, Del Piacere, Caravela, 50 Two Sandwiches, and Kitchen Maroo.

Promotion

• Best Fest Ottawa (Friday May 8- Saturday May 9) brings some of the city’s tastiest foods together at Aberdeen Pavilion.

• The festival’s creator Henry told us that the event is ‘an approachable festival that provides high quality food and drink without charging a fortune to participate as a guest.’  

• Expect food purveyors like Le Poisson Bleu, East India Company, Killer Buns, Tartlette, Tredici, Barrio, Ember, and more. Local breweries Flora Hall Brewing, Beyond the Pale, Kemptville Brewing, Orléans Brewing, Braodhead Brewing, and Spark Beer.

• We’ve got an exclusive promo code for Friday night. Get 100% off the ticket price using the code OTTAWAN and you’ll experience great food and drink, music, and fun times.  

STATISTICS OTTAWA

NUMBER

• $600,000

• The amount of money that the City is spending on local artists, cultural groups, and community events to celebrate Ottawa’s 200th birthday.

• – City of Ottawa

OTTAWAN OF THE DAY

• Jennifer Borrel-Benoit

• The former principal of  Longfields-Davidson Heights Secondary School is the new general manager of the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority.

• Borrel-Benoit is the fifth person to hold the position since 2023.

• – Joanne Laucius in the Ottawa Citizen

QUOTE

• I have been fully committed to this team, to the city, and it's just becoming a distraction and frustrating to deal with

– Sens captain Brady Tkachuk is getting a little annoyed about people asking if he’d rather be playing down south.

 – Lisa Wallace in the Canadian Press

PLEASE SUPPORT THE OTTAWAN

WHAT’S GOING ON AT CITY HALL

WHAT OTTAWA IS TALKING ABOUT

THE DAILY POLL

How will the Ottawa Charge do in the playoffs?

🔘 Out in the semi-finals

🔘 Win the semi-finals, but fall in the finals

🔘 All the way to the Walter Cup, baby!

🔘 No. Just no. Our hearts have been broken far too many times to allow hope

🔘 You know City Hall is praying for a quick ouster so people won’t remember it is cutting back the Charge’s arena seating by 1,500

• 
  Previously in ottawan polls:

• We asked, ‘Should the new Alto high speed line station be downtown?’

  • 16% Yes, if the train isn’t downtown-to-downtown, it loses most of its value

  • 17% No, the disruption of building track or tunnelling will be incredibly annoying

  • 50% We have two perfectly decent VIA Rail stations that could be used

  • 16% The line to the old downtown station was replaced by Colonel By Drive. I'm fine with digging that up and replacing it with track

  • 11% Such lack of imagination. Just slow the train down to escalator speed and let people hop on/off – no station needed
    
    Commentary

▪️ “Seriously, what sober mind is thinking that a high-speed train should run through downtown Ottawa? We have enough construction in this city as it is. The idea alone makes absolutely zero sense! Stop at Tremblay and let’s get this project started.”

▪️ “Where do they expect to put the track? Are we going to spend 3 years digging another tunnel like the LRT? There's no space downtown anymore, as nice as it would be, they burned that bridge a long time ago.”

▪️ “No Alto. Another non working 90 billion dollar white elephant.”

▪️ “IF it’s really necessary at all, downtown makes most sense. But do we really need it? Nah.”

▪️ “Two points: do we need a separate high speed rail, or just twinning of the regular rail system so that it’s faster and more reliable? Secondly, let’s all remember how it went the last time we dug a big tunnel under downtown.”

▪️ “Let’s get the LRT working before putting efforts elsewhere.”

▪️ “Those advocating for a downtown station are clueless/willfully ignorant as to what needs to be done to essentially retrofit an adequate train station there. Would it be best there or between the airport and there? Probably. Is that feasible? No.”

▪️ “Scrap the ALTO ALTOgether! Utilize what is available and improve it instead of spending God knows how many billions it will probably end up costing and stop spending to help other countries with their wars.”

▪️ “Not sure how they will do this but yes it should be downtown somehow and connected to the O train.”

▪️ “Would it not make most sense to have it interlink at an OTrain station – that way they could both remain incomplete for the next 2 decades.”

▪️ “I can’t even imagine the disruption downtown when we just finished the LRT construction!”

▪️ “It doesn’t lose ‘most of its value’ without the downtown station, but the connection to line 1, bus routes, and the planned connection to the Gatineau tramway makes it a better option than the other existing stations. And it’s a stunning building.”

▪️ “A lot of NIMBYs. lol.”

▪️ “Absolutely not. How much digging will be involved? What about the destruction of NCC property, Ottawa U buildings, etc.? How many more sink holes will be discovered?”

▪️ “Given that this Alto project is sheer idiocy + a colossal waste of $$$, it would much worse if the station is downtown where there is LOTS of traffic + limited parking. Should be at the existing main VIA Station.”

▪️ “No one is taking the train to come into town to enjoy the stroads of Barrhaven.”

▪️ “People can hop off high speed trains and jump on O train at Tremblay. No need to spend more $$$ to have yet another train go downtown. If anything eventually add a covered walkway and/or moving sidewalk between Via and OTrain at Tremblay.

▪️ “I think a downtown station would actually be best but no one in Ottawa will have the appetite to deal with the required construction after we are still dealing with all the LRT construction!”

▪️ “We have to decide if we're serious about the train or not. Montreal, Quebec City, & Toronto: downtown. We can either drop people off in the gulag that is the Tremblay station, or have a station downtown.”

▪️ “It is going to SUCK if they have to rip up downtown to put a train there but it should definitely be closer to downtown than Tremblay even if it doesn't end up around the corner from Parliament.”

▪️ “We’ve travelled a lot in Italy. The high speed lines run adjacent to the regular lines. Seems weird not to do it for the high speed lines.”

▪️ “While I would LOVE for the train to come downtown, it’d have to be done with tunnels which will cost a couple of bucks. Make it stop at Tremblay and Fallowfield. Also upgrade both of those stations.”

▪️ “Good grief you cannot park down town now. How in the world will travellers be able to park and leave their car for one day, never mind a week? Ludicrous and shortsighted of those organizations.”

HISTORIC OTTAWA LOGO T-SHIRTS

Nortel T-Shirt Northern Electric was founded in Montréal in 1895, growing into one of the world’s largest and most important telecom companies. Nortel hung up the phone in 2013. It's campus on Carling Avenue became the new home of the Department of National Defence. 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

WEDNESDAY

• Juno-award winning trumpeter and bandleader Ed Lister leads a five piece jazz ensemble in today’s Doors Open for Music at Southminster noon concert. (Ottawa South)  

• Carleton University instructors (also known as all-stars) bring their expertise to the stage at the Robo Lounge for a night of jazz improvisation.  

• Tonight’s NAC Orchestra program begins with the introspective Les Nuits d'été by Hector Berlioz, begins to build the drama with Mel Bonis' Ophélie, and reaches its peak with Symphony No. 9 by Franz Schubert. (Downtown)  

• A couple of years ago, Edmonton’s Catalyst Theatre debuted The Invisible: Agents of Ungentlemanly Warfare, an ‘unlikely’ musical about seven female operatives of the real-life Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare during WWII. The ‘genre-busting, multilingual, thrilling film-noir’ lands at the National Arts Centre’s Babs Asper Theatre tonight through May 9 (downtown)  

• Jade Circle continues at GCTC 

Cinema

• ByTowne Cinema: The Christophers, Staff Picks: Speed Racer  

• Mayfair Theatre: The Blue Trail, Modern Whore, Nirvanna the Band, the Show, the Movie  

Gigs

• Madeline Goldstein, Frissons, Dark Discothèque DJs. House of TARG

• Peniel Yares Debut EP release party. Avant-Garde Bar

THURSDAY

• The 6th edition of Axé Worldfest: Empowering Women in the Music Industry Conference begins three days of presentations and showcases with an Opening Networking Mixer followed by the Official Opening Artist Showcase. (Downtown)

• Mountains on Stage presents the best mountain sport films of the year at the Mayfair Theatre  (Old Ottawa South) 

• Road Trip: Wander the attractive streets of Almonte at the Spring Night Market. 

• The Mutchmor Book Sale has more than 20,000 books for browsing. (The Glebe)

• The Spring 2026 edition of Ottawa International Writers’ Festival brings readings, book signings and special events to the midcentury splendour that is Library and Archives Canada. Until Sunday.  (Downtown) 

• The Invisible: Agents of Ungentlemanly Warfare continues at the NAC (downtown)  

Cinema

• ByTowne Cinema: The Christophers, Ciné-Club d'Ottawa: Monsieur Asnavour. Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance - 35mm Screening  

• Mayfair Theatre: Modern Whore, Mountains On Stage 

Gigs

• Lynne Hanson. Red Bird

• The Casualties, The Drowns, The Rum Kicks. The 27 Club

• Steve Berndt "Heart of Hearts" album release party. The Robo Lounge

• Bingo night. Broadhead Brewery

FRIDAY

• Boutique Cornerstone is the annual two-day fundraising pop-up market of gently used high end and fashion forward items. Located upstairs at Thyme & Again (1255 Wellington St.) the event donates 100% of its profits to the Emergency Fund at Cornerstone Housing for Women. Expect an excellent shopping trip: items are priced to sell.

• Today at Ottawa International Writers Festival Spring edition: Author Yasuko Thanh talks about Pizza Before We Die, the collection of Reddit posts by Gaza citizen Hassan Kanafani. Later, Poetry Cabaret with Tareyn Johnson, Kaie Kellough and Jordan Abel. (Downtown) 

• Chamberfest presents a program of Italian and German baroque music performed by Lagrime and Le Consort laurentien. (New Edinburgh) 

• Helping with Furniture’s biggest fundraiser of the year is also its glitziest. Dancing Under the Stars is a night of celebration that makes a difference for families. It’s a night of cocktails, dinner, a silent auction, and of course dancing. (Confederation Heights)

• CBC’s Matt Gower hosts Friday Night Folk Night at Art House. (Centretown)

• If you’re all wound up, try the Flower Moon Flow & Kirtan: A Full Moon Experience, for music and movement under the May Flower Moon. (Orléans)

• It’s opera in a bar. Operatic Revelry returns to Rainbow Bistro to explore Moral Crossroads: the dilemmas faced by the genre’s biggest characters.  

• Learn to Swing dance with Ottawa Swing Dance Society, then put your newfound skills to the test with an evening of social dancing. 

Continuing

• Day 2 of the Axé Worldfest conference and showcase: Yoga by Yanira Heredia, Career Development Session with Natalie Bernardin, Artist Pitching Brunch, Meet the Axé Team, Breaking Into South America: Brazil & Colombia, Building Inclusive Music Ecosystems: Programming, Power & Representation (Europe, Canada & USA), performances. Arts Club and National Arts Centre (Downtown)  

• The Invisible: Agents of Ungentlemanly Warfare (downtown)  

• The Mutchmor Book Sale raises funds for the school. Cash and credit cards are accepted. (The Glebe)

Cinema

• ByTowne Cinema: Amrum, Calle Málaga, Erupcja

• Mayfair Theatre: Kontinental 25, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, Nirvanna the Band, the Show, the Movie  

Gigs

• 80s Dance Party. 27 Club

• The Ed Lister Group with Alex Moxon, Tribute to Woody Shaw. Night Oat

• 80s Dance Party. House of TARG

• Leith Ross: I Can See The Future Tour. Bronson Centre

JUST ANNOUNCED / NOW BOOKING

• Raconteur and essayist Fran Lebowitz brings her acerbic wit to the National Art Centre’s Southam stage on Saturday May 9.(Downtown)  

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MADE IN CANADA DEALS OF THE DAY

Mad About Patchwork tells us that today is National Zipper Day. To celebrate they've put everything  that you need to build a bag on sale: zipper pulls, zipper tape, bag hardware, interfacing, waxed canvas, and patterns. Spend $50 and save 10%. Spend $75 and save 15%. Spend $100 and save 20%.

BUT, ONE MORE THING ...

This is a fun article by Lynn Saxberg in the Ottawa Citizen on how one of the world’s hottests bands – from Saguenay, no less – played a concert for 200 select people at Bar Minotaure in Gatineau. 

The band is Angine de Poitrine.

It’s okay if you join  THE OTTAWAN in wondering who they are, and how it happened that huge bands can exist without us knowing anything about them.

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.