Weather

• ☁️  Mainly cloudy. High of 1°, low of -8°. 

Number 

• 75
• – The number of years that Comerford’s Cigar Store had operated on Bank Street. After decades of providing stogies to customers such as Ed Broadbent, Mordecai Richler,  Harry Connick Jr., and Dan Aykroyd, sisters Ann and Lucie Comerford have closed up the shop opened by their grandfather in 1948. (Bruce Deachman in the Ottawa Citizen) 

Ottawan of the Day

• Aedan Helmer
• The Ottawa Citizen reporter recalls the day on Sept. 22, 2015 when three women across Renfrew County had been murdered by the same man. Helmer tells the story in the ‘An Unthinkable Tragedy in the Ottawa Valley’, the newest podcast in the Postmedia chain’s new series True Crime Byline. (Podcast)

Quote 

• ‘Put the dog in the trunk’
• – What performer Kim Kilpatrick was told by a Calgary cabbie who refused to admit her guide dog. Kilpatrick is starring in a  show about living with guide dogs in that city.  (Michael Rodriguez at the Ottawa Citizen) 

❗ Orléans Explosion

• Eighteen families have returned to their homes after the natural gas explosion in nearby construction. Fifteen families are still unable to return. (Alex Black at CityNews)

💰 Shopify

• Local mom and pop business Shopify increased their revenue during the Oct - Nov 2022 period but still lost US $623.6 million.  (Tara Deschamps at the Canadian Press)

🛻 Convoy

• The first anniversary of the Trucker siege was a bust, but Ottawa ByLaw issued 89 parking tickets to vehicles parked in no stopping zones downtown and towed 18 vehicles. The department would not say if any were Convoy related. (Ted Raymond at CTV)

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Today

• It’s sugar bush season once again. La Cabane à la Masion, an initiative of multiple Québec maple syrup producers, opens today, offering meals to reheat or cook at home. Find the producer(s) closest to you, order your meal, and select how you want to receive it. Select Metro locations in Gatineau are once again serving as pickup points this year, if you can’t make it to the producer’s sugar shack.
• House of Targ opens its doors to the Targ Community Clothing Swap #6 today. Bring your clean and in-good-condition clothes, shoes, and accessories; anything remaining at the end of the event will be donated to shelters. 45:00pm to 7:00pm at 1077 Bank St. All ages welcome.
• Polaris Music Prize winning Congolese-Canadian musician Pierre Kwenders plays Club SAW tonight. 67 Nicholas St. 
• Get your fill of House music at Vibes & Stuff at Underground, tonight from 10:00pm to 2:00am. 56 Byward Market Square.
• The snowshoeing season begins at Mādahòkì Farm today. The Legacy Trail and acres of other new trails will be open, and you can rent snowshoes at the site or bring your own. Watch for signs identifying animal tracks, and learn their Algonquin names. The trails are open Thursdays to Sundays from 11:00am to 4:00pm. 4420 West Hunt Club Road. 

Tomorrow

• All weekend, Bicycle Craft Brewery will be collecting donations for relief efforts in Türkiye and Syria for the Canadian Red Cross. The brewery will be open on Family Day from 11:00am to 5:00pm.
• Hintonburg Public House is planning a whole lot of fun for Family Day Weekend. Brunch is served today through Monday from 11:00am to 3:00pm, the bar is prepped with family board games, the kids will have colouring pages to work on. Drinks and dinner will be availale until late all weekend. 1020 Wellington St. W,
• North & Navy and Cantina Gia are popping up at Dominion City Brewing for a no-reservations night of North Italian cuisine (and great beer, of course). It’s going to be casual, cozy, and yummy. 5510 Canotek Rd Unit 15.
• Music & Beyond’s Ottawa Wine Auction returns in another hybrid event, so you can participate in person or from the comfort of your own home. In person tickets are $50, which include refreshments and snacks. 7:00pm at the Centre Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre Woodside Hall
• Ottawa mayor Sutcliffe has proclaimed Friday to be Snow Angel Day, in support of The Snowsuit Fund. Make a snow angel and share images on your social channels using the hashtag #SnowAngelOttawa. There will be random draws for prizes from Giant Tiger and other merchants. 
• Blondie Apparel is holding a pre-launch party for their new collection this Friday and Saturday. Tickets are $25 and include a swag bag and the opportunity to shop the collection before it hits the racks. Hurry though; tickets are going fast.

Saturday

• Fulton’s Sugar Bush opens today for the season. You can visit every day until April 16, 10:00am to 3:00pm for snow shoeing, cross country skiing, and hiking. On the weekends the fun includes horse-drawn sleigh rides, trail games, maple syrup including taffy on the snow, and, new for 2023, a Tasting Bar. Hot beverages are also available. The day pass costs $10 per vehicle. 399 Sugar Bush Road in Pakenham.
• Remix Wrestling presents No Sleep Till Broadhead, a Pro wrestling experience at Broadhead Brewery. It’s selling out fast. 1680 Vimont Ct Unit 106, Orléans.
• Back Forty Artisan Cheese’s (Almonte) Winterland event coincides with Family Day Weekend. 10:00am to 4:00pm Enjoy winter activities like tobogganing, snowshoe trails, a 5k snowshoe race, cheese shop. Trail pass $5, snowshoe rental and race registration extra. Food and drinks for purchase to enjoy by the fire. 1406 Gulley Road, Mississippi Station.
• It's Frost & Fire Winter Festival on Family day Weekend in Perth. Activities include: outdoor skating, axe throwing, horse and carriage rides, outdoor laser tag.

Just Announced

• Heritage Day at City Hall is returning for the first time since 2020, on Tuesday at 12:00 pm. It's a chance to Ottawa residents to explore the city’s heritage through celebrations and activities at regionally significant buildings neighbourhoods, and areas of nature. Explore the Heritage Showcase at City Hall (110 Laurier Ave. W).