Hello Ottawa

STATISTICS OTTAWA

NUMBER

• $800 million

• The amount of money that the City has put into the stock market in hopes of getting a better return on investment. The money is reserve funds – cash put aside for some known future expenditure but not yet spent – which the City hoped would generate interest payments. The results so far have not been impressive, although the City has not lost money.

• – Arthur White-Crummey at CBC

OTTAWANS OF THE DAY

• François Jacques and Stephen Welsh

• The advanced care paramedic and primary care paramedic, respectively, for the Ottawa Ambulance Service have been honoured with the Ontario Medal for Paramedic Bravery.

• The award comes from an incident in October 2025 when the two came to the aid of two people attacked by a dog. Using a mirror, the paramedics corralled the dog and brought the two to safety. It ultimately took six people to remove the dog.

• – Ted Raymond at CTV

QUOTE

“

• What is Ottawa, chopped liver?

– Mohammed Adam in the Ottawa Citizen questioning Premier Doug Ford after he said recently that ‘Toronto “is the only city” in Canada capable of hosting the multinational [defence] bank’.

‘Doug Ford just threw Ottawa under the bus’

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WHAT’S GOING ON AT CITY HALL

WHAT OTTAWA IS TALKING ABOUT

THE DAILY POLL

Do you take VIA Rail?

🔘 Yes, if I’m going to Toronto, Montréal, or Quebec City it is my first choice

🔘 Yes, I take it for long trips rather than flying when I can

🔘 No, too unreliable or too costly or both

🔘 They pulled up the tracks to where I want to go

🔘 If it was $10 to Kingston, I’d take it all the time

• 
  Previously in OTTAWAN polls:

• 
  Are you in favour of supervised drug consumption sites?’

  • 86% Yes, they save lives

  • 7% No, they encourage drug use

  • 4% I’m fine with them – elsewhere

  • 3% Wherever they are located, they bring crime and chaos

  • 0% What do you mean? There are no plans to ban bars or vape stores ...

  • 
    Commentary

▪️ “As a society, we need to take a holistic approach and do much more for those so much less fortunate than us so that they have to – for whatever reason(s) – turn to drugs.”

▪️ “They are a necessity, more than ever, with a poisoned street drug supply. Without them, everywhere is a possible unsupervised consumption site. Closing them will result in death, serious injury ... lives of loved ones lost.”

▪️ “Fact: Supervised injection sites save lives. Fact: The government of the city and province think it’s the wrong people being saved, so lifting a finger is too much to do.”

▪️ “They’re proven to save lives, but it’s a NIMBY thing. They do attract so-called undesirables to the area they’re located. If there was a way to balance that, I think naysayers would get on board.”

▪️ “The science is clear on the benefits of supervised consumption sites. Anybody saying otherwise is more interested in pandering to our baser instincts than in truth.”

▪️ “We need to spend $ on mental health services too to address the addictions. It is not a simple problem to resolve.”

▪️ “Hey ... why the suggestion of banning vape stores? There is zero reason to do so.”

▪️ “I think that closing them down without an alternate plan is just typical of the Ford government! He is more concerned about selling alcohol at odd hours to hockey viewers! Don't get me started!”

▪️ “They do save lives, but additional security is required for the neighbourhood. Not a black and white issue!”

▪️ “If you're against a community resource like this I’m just going to assume you're selfish and entitled.”

▪️ “Harm reduction saves lives. Anything else is based in a moral judgment that people who use drugs don't deserve to live.”

▪️ “The step of trusting health clinics for supervised drug taking can be the first step towards trusting other steps for support.”

▪️ “Supervised consumption sites are needed, but without funding health care and affordable housing, they won’t fix the problem. Implementing only one part of the solution is a recipe for failure. Doing nothing is even worse.”

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THE ROLLING THREE DAY CALENDAR

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✳️ Means change from previous edition

THURSDAY

• ✳️ Ottawa Improv Festival opens three days of theatre on the seat of one's pants with acts from Ottawa, Toronto, and Montréal. (Downtown) 

• ✳️ At last count, at least eight trucks will be lining Sparks St for Ottawa Ribfest.  

• The exhibition by Japanese Canadian sculptor Judy Nakagawa at City Hall Art Gallery officially opens this evening (Downtown) 

• Games are taking over Art House tonight. Bring your own or use one of the house boards.(Centretown)  

• Tonight’s award for ‘most unexpected venue’ goes to the Ian Tamblyn gig upstairs at Watson’s Mill (Manotick). 

• Perfect for plant parents: at Planters n’ Plants Night you’ll design your own planter, then put a plant in it, then bring them both home. (Kanata)   

• 🆓 Metalheads will be gathering at Ten Toes for Hard ‘N’ Heavy Metal Vinyl Night. (Chinatown)

Cinema

• ByTowne Cinema: I Love Boosters, Chime and Serpents's Path Double Bill (Restoration) 

• Mayfair Theatre: The Drama, 40 Years of Fuckin’ Up, The Wicker Man  

Gigs

• Al Qahwa. National Arts Centre

• Mark Crissinger. Irene’s Pub

• Kenny Hayes. Night Oat

• Eau the Music. LIVE on Elgin

• Pete Roth Trio. Overflow Brewing

FRIDAY

• ✳️ Ottawa Improv Festival continues with two shows this evening at Arts Court (Downtown) 

• ✳️ Ottawa Ribfest continues on Sparks St. 

• Be a tourist in your own neighbourhood with the Let’s Bike Ottawa ‘Discover Your Ward By Bike: Centretown’ ride on Friday May 29. (Downtown)

• Ottawa Pops Orchestra performs in a brass choir, a string quartet, and more in its Spring Concert Fundraiser. (Sandy Hill) 

• Urban Legends Poetry Collective presents another evening dedicated to Truth to Power, a writing and performance workshop on wellness ‘through the lens of community, solidarity, advocacy, and activism’. Led by Van Essa. (Tunney’s Pasture) 

• If you haven't nailed down plans for today's World Lindy Hop Day the Ottawa Swing Dance Society can help. They've put together an entire evening that celebrates the birthday of Lindy Hop Ambassador Frankie Manning. 

Cinema

• ByTowne Cinema:  Backrooms, Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Silent Friend 

• Mayfair Theatre: Holy Days, I Swear, The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Gigs

• 80s Dance Party with DJ Remi Royale and The Underground. House of TARG

• Fenix, Pop Culture Icons, This Disaster, Venosta. Rainbow Bistro

• Judy Collins. National Arts Centre

• Abijah. Night Oat

SATURDAY

• A walk in the neighbourhood today could lead to spontaneous treasure hunting in the City of Ottawa Hidden Treasures - Giveaway Weekend. When you see household goods by the road (and there's a clear "FREE" sign), feel free to dive in. If you're staying home: do a declutter and put out items that you no longer want, but that are still useable. (City-wide) 

• The worlds of photography, publishing, and print merge in Colophon: A Photo Book Showcase at SPAO, from Saturday May 30 through September 11, 2026. 

• Road Trip: Spend an afternoon admiring the artistry of the Arnprior and District Quilters’ Guild Quilting in the Valley 2026 show. Shop from talented vendors and sit for a spell in the tea room. (Arnprior) 

• Road Trip: See fellows jousting, birds of prey flapping their wings, cosplayers striding about at the Glengarry Renaissance Festival. (Maxville) 

• Road Trip: Incredible Edible Plant Festival in Cornwall

• Dance to the Brit-Pop hits with Ottawa’s The Start, live at Overflow Brewing.(Heron Gate) 

• Road Trip: Hoof it to the cutest little beer spot, Switzer’s, for Maifest 26. Beer collabs with Cold Bear Brewing and other breweries from the region, food from Mallards Milk Bar, and live entertainment are all a go in the Backyard Patio at 55 John St. North (Arnprior).  

• Kids of all ages can get up close and personal with big vehicles at the Navan Touch-A-Truck Event. 

• Add Wakefield Market to your regular route of farmers markets in the Ottawa Gatineau area. Every Saturday from now until October, 30 vendors gather with fresh produce, self-care products, food and drink, and crafts. Today’s theme is Biodiversity Day. (Wakefield)  

• More than 200 homes are expected to take part in the Riverside South Community Garage Sale. Bring cash. 

• 🆓 Artist Ally takes cult fandom to the next level. It’s a place where artists and fans converge and celebrate their passions for comics, sci fi, gaming, animation, and more. Today and tomorrow at Next Door (Little Italy) 

• Ottawa Improv Festival rounds up three days with two shows at Arts Court (Downtown) 

• Ottawa Ribfest continues on Sparks St. 

Cinema

• ByTowne Cinema:   Backrooms, Silent Friend, Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity  

• Mayfair Theatre: I Swear, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Saturday Night Sinema 

Gigs

• Matthew Goode, I Mother Earth. Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa

• Rebecca Noelle Trio. GigSpace

• Daby Touré. National Arts Centre

• Smelloship, Mecca of Stank. Black Sheep Inn

• Macmono and The Stereotypes, Tin Constellations. Motel Chelsea

JUST ANNOUNCED / NOW BOOKING

• Registration is now open for the 19th Annual Hintonburg 5K and 1K Kids Runs. Be one of the first 325 to register for the 5K and receive a commemorative t-shirt. Sunday July 12 in Parkdale Park. (Hintonburg)

DEALS OF THE DAY

Adult 5-day passes to the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival are available at a reduced price right now.    Apparel including hoodies, tees, sweat pants, socks is priced from $10 to $80 in the Aanïn Flash Sale.

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BUT, ONE MORE THING ...

The Today In History Twitter @historigins account is always enjoyable, and yesterday’s contribution was about something in our balliwick,  Morrisburg, in 1979.

(The fact that yesterday was May 27 and the event described as ‘Today In History’ happened on an October date should in no way distract you from the tale)

On that day, Ken ‘The Mad Canadian’ Powers had raised $1 million to attempt a one-mile jump across the St Lawrence River from Morrisburg to Ogden Island, NY in a rocket powered Lincoln Continental.

Believing Powers had lost his nerve, his backers arranged for American stuntman Ken Carter to do the jump instead while Powers was in his hotel room in Ottawa.

In spectacular fashion, Powers and his Lincoln left the ramp, basically went nowhere, and landed in the drink after activating the parachutes. The headline in St Petersburg Times was ‘Rocket car explodes in flight over St Lawrence River’.

You can watch the National Film Board documentary about the escapade,  The Devil At Your Heels, for free. 

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.