Hello Ottawa
In Today’s Edition
→ Bye bye Black Bears — another Ottawa team says goodbye
→ The Asinabka Festival celebrates Indigenous film and music starting tomorrow
→ Deals of the Day: swimwear from June and oils from Aurelius
– Martha and Darren
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STATISTICS OTTAWA
NUMBER
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$1 million
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The amount of money sought by two members of the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte against the Ottawa Police Service for arranging the evictions of their cannabis shops in Ottawa.
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At issue is the right of Indigenous businesses to operate off the territory of Indian Act reserves. The two members say that the Service is attempting to avoid constitutional issues by putting pressure on landlords, who then have the shops evicted.
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— Matteo Cimellaro in the Ottawa Citizen
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OTTAWAN OF THE DAY
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Gerald Jorgensen
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Four years ago, Jorgensen himself was homeless and living on the streets of Ottawa.
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Now he is the founder of Steps Off the Street, which ‘conducts outreach every four to five days and also provides support through peer-to-peer recovery meetings and other programs at local community centres and shelters’.
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— Tyler Fleming at CTV
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QUOTE
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Acting responsibly, we cannot set off a large fireworks display without informing the public. This would open up liability and reputational risk that affects the entire organization
– An email from Ottawa Bluesfest chief executive Mark Monahan to the City’s special events advisory team regarding the federal government’s plan to secretly set off the cancelled Canada Day fireworks on July 9. The City and federal government set them off in secret anyway.
— Ted Raymond at CTV
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SPORTS
Yesterday
⚽ NSL Ottawa Rapid 0 at Vancouver Rise 4
Saturday
🏈 CFL Ottawa RedBlacks 26 at Toronto Argonauts 23
⚽ CPL Atlético Ottawa 0 at Forge FC 3
⚾ FRONTIER Ottawa Titans 6 at New Jersey Jackals 0
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WHAT’S GOING ON AT CITY HALL
Built Heritage Committee
Tuesday, September 15 at 9:30 am
- Consideration of Objection to the Notice of Intention to Designate 575 Island Park Crescent, under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act
- Designation of 1837 Maple Grove Road and 756 Kinstead Private
- Heritage Permit and Easement—Saint-Marc United Church, 325 Elgin Street
- 1485 and 1495 Heron Road—Heritage Permit Application
Agenda
Accessibility Advisory Committee
Tuesday, September 15 at 6:00 pm
- Accessibility Advisory Committee End-of-Term Report 2022–2026
- Corporate Accessibility Policy Consultation
Agenda
The weather may be getting chillier, but the summer fun continues at Committee of Adjustment at 1:00 pm.
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
🥍 The Ottawa Black Bears lacrosse team has officially folded. The news comes as no surprise as the Canadian Tire Centre announced earlier this year that the Black Bears would no longer be playing there. The Philadelphia Wings are also folding. – Inside Lacrosse
↪ The Ottawa Titans advance to the Frontier League Atlantic Conference finals after beating the New Jersey Jackals over the weekend.
🏵️ The Embassy of Ethiopia is in a dispute with the City over its heritage designation. The City says the 1927 Island Park Crescent mansion is worthy of preservation; the Embassy says it is only worthy of demolition. While the mansion was purchased to house the ambassador, it has been empty for years. – Abyssinia Abebe in the Ottawa Citizen
↪ The European Parliament is opening an ‘antenna’ office in Ottawa. The European Union already has an embassy in Ottawa, but that is responsible to the Union’s executive.
🏗️ Developers propose a five-tower residential development near the O Train’s Blair Station. The high-rises would be between 12 and 16 storeys, containing 1,200 apartments. – Josh Pringle at CTV
🎓 Sessional lecturers at the University of Ottawa have voted to authorize a strike. But while the Association of Teaching Professors has the backing of the lecturers, it does not plan to strike yet. The previous contract expired in August 2025. – CBC
🗳️ Ottawa Civic Election
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THE DAILY POLL
What is your opinion on lacrosse?
Commentary
▪️ “We need bike lanes that make sense, safely connecting key areas of the city. The protected bike lanes that suddenly stop and merge with traffic are awful in my neighbourhood.”
▪️ “We need bike lanes along the parkway so people can have their walking lane and we can have our bike lanes. Also, too many folks are riding the wrong way on the roads on their bikes lately! Wise up!”
▪️ “Very minimal usage for the majority of the year given our winter climate. Ditto for family usage. Also, not useful in the suburbs.”
▪️ “Bike lanes are good. They are good for our healthy and our economy. Let’s make roads safer for everyone.”
▪️ “We need the bike lanes to be consistent in design so motorists get used to them and drive properly and, as we get volume on the cycling lanes, we need consequences for not using them. The bikes need to be where they are supposed to be.”
▪️ “Bike lanes are a necessity if you’re trying to reduce motor vehicle traffic. They improve cyclist safety. Now, if only all cyclists knew the rules of the road and that they’re supposed to follow them!”
▪️ “If we managed them like Nordic countries we’d be able to bike all year round.”
▪️ “In winter they can be places to pile snow.”
▪️ “Bike lanes = accidents waiting to happen.”
▪️ “The demand is there, it’s an overall good for the city and society (good for health, environment, local business, community-building). Just do it!”
▪️ “We need more walking space. Sidewalks are congested with patios, lamps, planters, sandwich boards, etc. And the bike lane surface is safer to walk on in winter. Walkers of the world cast off your bike chains!”
▪️ “Do the car addicts who hate bike lanes not realize that more options means less cars and thus less transit? So more bike lanes is actually good for car people even if they’ll never use them.”
▪️ “If we are ever going to become less car-centric, we must make biking safe!”
▪️ “We need to provide a variety of options for moving around the city, not just cars. Transit and cycling infrastructure should be prioritized. Cities around the world understand this.”
▪️ “Bike lanes also serve as safer passages for people with mobility devices (motorized wheelchairs and scooters).”
▪️ “Replace car lanes with bike lanes.”
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HISTORIC OTTAWA LOGO T-SHIRTS
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Ottawa Valley Ale T-Shirt
Long forgotten, Ottawa’s first craft brewery was Ottawa Valley Ale, incorporated in 1985.
Help support THE OTTAWAN by buying one of our historic logo T-shirts.
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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
MONDAY
Cinema
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ByTowne Cinema: American Doctor, The Samurai and the Prisoner, Late Fame
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Mayfair Theatre: Tony, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Full Contact
Gigs
TUESDAY
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Asinabka Festival celebrates Indigenous Arts in Algonquin Territory. Explore five days of screenings and music programming at Club SAW, Arts Court spaces, and Gallery 101. (Downtown)
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There are just three chances remaining to enjoy lunchtime yoga at Britannia Park with Rebecca White Raven. Suggested donation: $20. (Britannia Heights; read the Facebook event description for the exact location)
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Listen as Ottawa musicians Wild Remedy play an afternoon gig of chill harmonies at Shenkman Arts Centre. (Orléans)
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Today at the IWBF Wheelchair Basketball World Championships, catch the Classification and quarter-final games (Men) at Carleton University.
Cinema
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ByTowne Cinema: The Samurai and the Prisoner, American Doctor, Drawn In: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
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Mayfair Theatre: The Salt Path, Tony, La La Land
Gigs
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Blackberry Smoke. History Ottawa
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Comedy at the Carleton. Carleton Tavern
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Trivia Tuesday. Irene’s Pub
WEDNESDAY
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Harvest: A Feast of Fall is finally here. Taste bites from some of Ottawa’s top chefs and beverage brands, mingle with other foodies, and enjoy the gorgeous surroundings of the Ottawa Art Gallery. Harvest: A Feast of Fall benefits the vital work that YouTurn Youth Support Services provides for at-risk youth in Ottawa. (Downtown)
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Come From Away presented by Suzart Productions continues at l’École secondaire publique De La Salle and the Centre d’excellence artistique de l’Ontario.
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Compulsive harmonizers, take note of the drop-in choir that avoids the tedious audition process. Bronwyn’s Big Bad Beautiful Choir will take anyone with a desire to sing four or five songs in two- and sometimes three-part harmony, all in one evening. Red Bird. (Old Ottawa South)
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The new NAC Orchestra season launches with a performance by Japanese pianist Makoto Ozone, who will perform Rachmaninoff’s devilish Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. Second performance tomorrow. (Downtown)
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Today at the IWBF Wheelchair Basketball World Championships, catch the Classification and quarter-final games (Women) at a location to be confirmed.
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CityFolk gets underway at the Festival Grounds at the RA Centre with Alabama Shakes headlining. (Billings Bridge)
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Expect a movie and a whole lot more at the Reign-Bow Queer Cinema screening of To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar. LIVE on Elgin.
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Asinabka Festival continues at Arts Court. (Downtown)
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🆓 End the workday with Jonathan, who will play Beatles hits at the Robo Lounge from 5:00 pm.
Cinema
Gigs
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Tinariwen. Bronson Centre Music Theatre
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Hirs Collective, Crisis Party, Koffin Byrth. House of TARG
JUST ANNOUNCED
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The 50th Ottawa International Animation Festival is almost here (September 23–27), but the excitement is even stronger with the announcement of the new, free exhibition Frame by Frame: Animation in Ottawa, opening September 19 on Level 3 of the Ottawa Art Gallery and continuing until March 14, 2027. Presented by the festival and the Gallery, the exhibition will illustrate Ottawa’s vital place at the heart of Canadian animation.
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The Glebe holds many of Ottawa’s grandest and oldest homes, and you can check them out up close in the Glebe House Tour fundraiser on Sunday, September 20. You’ll tour six homes, enjoy tea and baked treats, and view gorgeous floral arrangements by Bloomfields.
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DEALS OF THE DAY
BUT, ONE MORE THING ...
Katherine Caspersz at Narcity has written about ‘7 breathtaking small towns and villages near Ottawa that transform into a fall dreamland’. If you feel like a road trip, they are Merrickville, Wakefield, Perth, Chelsea, Carleton Place, Mont-Tremblant, and Almonte.
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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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