The Ottawan Newsletter

Hello Ottawa

Today is another mini-OTTAWAN. Today, we have a couple of news items, the calendar, the poll, One More Thing, Deals of the Day, and that’s about it.

We’ll do one more mini-edition tomorrow, then we’ll return with regular service on Monday, January 5.

🎂 Birthday Shoutout

But first, please give full - not mini - birthday wishes to OTTAWAN member Dave B, who celebrated his December 23.

– Martha and Darren

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WHAT’S GOING ON AT CITY HALL

No more meetings this year

Meetings and agendas

WHAT OTTAWA IS TALKING ABOUT

💲 The former Hudson’s Bay store on Rideau has been put up for sale. The 332,000 square foot building became a Bay in 1971 when the company bought out Freiman’s Department Store, which had moved to 73 Rideau Street in 1902. Real estate broker CRBE has not yet announced an asking price. – Jodie Applewaithe at CBC

🎄 The National Capital Commission wants your Christmas trees. The Commission uses them to create windbreaks for rest areas on the Skateway. (There is still no word on when the Skateway will open). Trees can be dropped off on Colonel By Drive, west of the Bronson Avenue Bridge. – Rideau Canal Skateway Twitter

🚌 The Whispering Point lookout shelter at Kìwekì Point was significantly damaged by a school bus that drove down the pedestrian pathway. The Commission’s video surveillance cameras captured the incident but there has been no explanation why the bus was there. – Adam Beauchemin at CTV

THE DAILY POLL

When does the Christmas season end?

🔘 Boxing Day

🔘 New Year’s Day

🔘 The first working day after New Year’s Day

🔘 Epiphany, January 6

🔘 Not everyone celebrates Christmas, OTTAWAN. Must I report you?

Previously in ottawan polls:
We asked, ‘What’s the best Christmas movie?’
- 8% It’s a Wonderful Life
- 8% Christmas Vacation
- 17% Home Alone
- 17% Die Hard
- 50% Other
Commentary

▪️ “Krampus (2015) all the way. It maintains the general Christmas message (keep the Christmas spirit, love your family, etc.) but does it in a much more fun way! You can never go wrong with Toni Collette.”

▪️ “A Christmas Story.”

▪️ “The Happiest Season. Superbly cast and very well written and directed. I’ve watched this several times a year each year since it came out in 2020. Brilliant every time.”

▪️ “Hard to chose between Die Hard and Christmas Vacation, but in the end Yippee Kye Ay wins!”

▪️ “Mixed Nuts (Allstar cast including Steve Martin, Adam Sandler, Juliette Lewis, Rob Reiner, Liev Schreiber, and Rita Wilson).”

▪️ “It is one of my favorites!! Jimmy Stewart was the best!”

▪️ “The Polar Express.”

▪️ “A Christmas Story.”

▪️ “Muppet Christmas Carol.”

▪️ “Christmas with the Kranks. A Charlie Brown Christmas. The Santa Clause. Miracle on 34th Street (the original). Elf.”

▪️ “Love Actually. Yes, it’s bad, because it’s just a showcase of toxic relationships. But it’s got such a great cast!”

▪️ “We watch Home Alone every Christmas Eve.”

▪️ “The Muppet Christmas Carol!”

▪️ “Die Hard 1 & 2.”

▪️ “It’s a Wonderful Life is a treasured Christmas tradition – as is my wife being in tears at the last scene even though she’s watched it maybe 20 times 🤣”

▪️ “The Holdovers! How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)! Christmas with the Kranks.”

▪️ “Re: It’s a Wonderful Life: I’m a grown-ass man. I cry at the credits. The opening credits.”

▪️ “What about the original? How the Grinch Stole Christmas? As well as the original Rudolph, the Red Nose Reindeer? Can't beat those for nostalgia!”

▪️ “Arthur Christmas! (no, not that Arthur). It’s available on CBC Gem. You won’t regret it.”

▪️ “The Ref.”

▪️ “Chevy Chase makes me laugh every time! A true classic!”

▪️ “A Christmas Carol – the Alastair Sim version from 1951.”

▪️ “Nothing says Christmas like a limousine ride after a long day's festivities.”

▪️ “Our family favourite has always been A Christmas Story. Miracle on 34th Street and The Muppets Christmas Carol are also excellent.”

▪️ “White Christmas, Holiday Inn, Polar Express, Original Scrooge ... something with substance please!”

▪️ “Muppet Christmas Carol. We need to be reminded Christmas includes terrorising rich people.”

▪️ “Miracle on 34th Street.”

▪️ “Love, Actually. I love it because its partly funny, partly sad, partly, romantic. Just like life. Its hopeful and redemptive at the same time.”

▪️ “Favourite Christmas movie: Scrooge, starring Alistair Sims. A true classic.”

▪️ “Muppet Christmas Carol.”

▪️ “Pride & Prejudice 1995 BBC edition – all 6 hours.”

▪️ “Love Actually.”

▪️ “‘Atta boy Clarence’. Makes me cry every time!”

▪️ “Elf and Sound of Music.”

▪️ “Scrooge, played by Alistair Sim.”

▪️ “I haven’t watched many Christmas movies, but my husband votes for Polar Express with Tom Hanks. (He's actually shocked it isn’t on your list!).”

▪️ “Klaus.”

▪️ “Elf!!! I love Will Ferrell in that movie. It still makes me laugh after all these years.”

▪️ “Miracle on 34th Street.”

▪️ “The BEST Xmas movie, of all time, is Love Actually!”

▪️ “Die Hard is pretty much a perfect xmas movie; family fights, drugs, drunk people, rich people talking down to others, explosions, gunfights, and heroic family re-uniting with a cool sound track.”

▪️ “A Christmas Carol with Alistair Sim.”

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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

We don’t know what day it is either. Keep that Christmas season confusion alive with a Winter Wander on Sparks St.
Watch the Ottawa Senators take on Columbus Blue Jackets at Canadian Tire Centre.

Cinema

ByTowne Cinema: Rental Family, Marty Supreme, Memories of Murder
Mayfair Theatre: After the Thin Man, Roofman

Gigs

Jeremy Fisher. Red Bird
The 5-Star Monday Band. The Laff

TUESDAY

Let’s have brunch: visit Hintonburg Public House every day from now til Sunday (January 4) for brunch and board games (bring your own or choose from the house collection). 10:00 am to 3:00 pm (Hintonburg)
Ottawa 67s look to extend their winning streak as Guelph Storm visit the Arena at TD Place.

Cinema

ByTowne Cinema: Marty Supreme, Restoration: Pride & Prejudice, Rental Family
Mayfair Theatre: Nouvelle Vague, Roofman, Nuremberg, Alien

Gigs

Trivia Tuesday. Barley Mow (Merivale, Orléans), Broadhead Brewery, Moose McGuire's (Orléans)
Birds of a Feather. Hard Rock Ottawa
The Cat Quintet. Night Oat

WEDNESDAY – NEW YEAR’S EVE

Go Out:

Do a day party at Broadhead Brewery where there you'll enjoy no-cover live music and New Year countdowns from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm (Orléans)
Spark Beer is keeping it lowkey in the taproom with a dinner for two featuring two beers, a pizza of your choice, a big salad, dessert, and sparkling wine pours. $50 per person. (Chinatown)
All 90s all night: ring in the New Year at Stray Dog Brewing with Mixtape Magic.
Jashan Royale NYE 2026 brings the Bollywood and Punjabi bangers to the dance floor. (Southeast Ottawa)
Lavender Grill keeps it refined with a four course dinner and jazz (Byward Market)
Visit Ottawa Christmas Market for one final night of music and magic.
Get glittery at the New Year’s Eve Disco Bash at Rainbow Bistro (Byward Market)
Brew Revolution is splitting the occasion into two sessions, so book the early one if you want to be home and tucked up in bed by 10:00 pm (Stittsville)
The dress code at Gridwrks’s Glitter Ball is ‘sparkly, futuristic, or celestial attire’.

Stay In:

The Piggy Market has a three course Roast Beef dinner for two that's 5% off right now.

Cinema

ByTowne Cinema: Marty Supreme, Phantom Thread
Mayfair Theatre: Nouvelle Vague, Nuremberg, Stranger Things 5: The Finale

Gigs

Dayglo Abortions. Dominion Tavern
Club Mustang: The Year of the Horse. Avant-Garde Bar
Planet Funk NYE 2026: Hardcore Jollies (Live Funkadelic Tribute) + Space Disco Dance Party with DJ bRAD. House of TARG (tickets at the door from 9:00 pm)