HELLO OTTAWA đ€ âEnjoy the reportâ With those words, Public Order Emergency commissioner Justice Paul Rouleau peaced out and ended his oral statement on the release of the Emergencies Act report this afternoon. His inquiry found that the Federal government met the high threshold of calling the Emergencies Act and cabinet was justified in using it to roust the Convoy from downtown Ottawa. But he said that calling the act could have been avoided if not for failures in policing. Some recommendations were made, such as to clarify the use of freezing bank accounts and create a system to get them back, and to remove the line âthreats to the security of Canadaâ to be replaced with clearer language. Rouleau also recommended that a working group be formed to study the security of the National Capital region. Watch this space. The report is five-volumes, 2,092-pages, and we haven't read it yet â we just watched the TV show. We'll have more to say Tuesday. Have a great Family Day Monday. â Martha and Darren | ottawa historic logo t-shirts | Talisman Motor Inn t-shirt The Beachcomber Room tiki bar at the Talisman Motor Inn was where Ottawa swingers could be found in the early 60s Help support the ottawan by buying one of our historic logo t-shirts. | | Weather - âïž Periods of snow mixed with ice pellets. High of -6°, low of -16°.
Number - $2,034
- â The average rent for an apartment in Ottawa last month, up 11.5% over January 2022. The average rent in Gatineau is $1,733, up 1.3% from last year. (Josh Pringle at CTV)
Ottawan of the Day Quote - â
J'aime ma vie - â RenĂ©e Amilcar, general manager of transit for the City of Ottawa, to the Cityâs new O Train oversight subcommittee. Amilcar told the councillors that the train was safe and not only did she ride the train just yesteday, she'll ride it again. (Joanne Chianello at the CBC)
Sports - đ OHL Ottawa 67s 3 â Peterborough Petes 2 last night
| | đ Who Watches the Watchers? - The Cityâs new O Train overwatch subcommittee has accepted a proposal by Capital ward councillor Shawn Menard (Not Mendez! Not Mendez!) that it should be told when O Train decisions have been delegated to City staff. The rules permit City staff to use âdelegated authorityâ to make decisions, freeing up council from day-to-day issues. However, there is no existing requirement for council to be told when âdelegated authorityâ is used.
- Kanata North ward councillor Cathy Curry voted against the proposal, arguing that council would get bogged down in minutiae. Menard pointed out that council is always responsible, no matter who makes the decision.
The full council will look at the proposal next Wednesday. (Blair Crawford in the Ottawa Citizen) đ° Shopify - Local mom and pop business Shopify promises that there will be no more staff cuts. The company dismissed 1000 people, about 10 per cent of the staff, last summer. Shopify president Harley Finkelstein says the company is at the right size now. (Tara Deschamps at the Canadian Press)
â Question Time - The Nation municipality, an hour's drive east of Ottawa, is starting a form of citizen Question Time. Residents are invited to email â or use the form! â questions to City Council before a meeting. The questions will be read out and someone on council will answer. There are some guardrails â the questions can't be anonymous, the Clerkâs office will vet for taste, and the topic must be on that weekâs agenda. The experiment will last for six months. (The Review)
đ Horses, of Courses - A fire destroyed a paddock at Rideau Carleton Raceway Casino last Wednesday. While 80 horses were on site, this particular paddock is only used during racing season, which begins March 19, and no human or animal was injured. (Joseph Tunney at CBC)
đŸ Job Board - Aurelius Fine Oils & Balsamic Vinegars is looking for a part time Sales Associate to work two to four days per week. Send your CV to mike@aureliusfineoils.com.
| | Today - Red Apron will be closed on Monday for Family Day. Shop today and tomorrow from their well-stocked retail fridges and freezers (410 Gladstone Ave.), and head over to their YouTube channel for useful ways to stretch their fridge and freezer meals further.
- All weekend, Bicycle Craft Brewery will be collecting donations for relief efforts in TĂŒrkiye 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). Itâs going to be casual, cozy, and yummy. 5510 Canotek Rd Unit 15.
- Music & Beyondâs 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 today 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 today 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.
Tomorrow - Big Bang Festival is back at the NAC this Saturday and Sunday, and the schedule is packed with free and paid events (from $5) for the whole family.
- British a capella group The Kingâs Singers will be at the Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre, 7 pm. The group was to sing at Pensacola Christian College in Florida last Saturday but were cancelled two hours before showtime because of the inclusion of a gay member.
- Weaving Cultural Identities, the national touring exhibition from the Vancouver Biennale, opens at the Textile Museum in Almonte. From 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm, view the art and listen as curator Zarina Laalo discusses the projectâs exploration of heritage and diverse beliefs. 3 Rosamond Street East, Almonte.
- The Winterlude In-Studio: Clay Workshop with Sisko Capurro is a free, youth art drop-in at the Ottawa Art Gallery. 12:00pm to 3:00pm at 10 Daly Ave.
- Fultonâs 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. Itâs selling out fast. 1680 Vimont Ct Unit 106, OrlĂ©ans.
- Back Forty Artisan Cheeseâs (Almonte) Winterland event coincides with Family Day Weekend. From 10:00am to 4:00pm, enjoy winter activities like tobogganing, snowshoe trails, a 5k snowshoe race, and a cheese shop. The trail pass is $5, with snowshoe rentals and race registration extra. There will be 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.
Sunday Monday - Skate with the Mayor on Monday. The Mayorâs Family Day Skating Party is at City Hall from 11 am to 2 pm. The Ottawa Senators, Ottawa BlackJacks, and Ottawa Titans will also have non-skating games and activities.
Just Announced - Thompsontown Maple Products has been selected as this yearâs site of the Ceremonial Provincial First Tapping on Saturday March 4. The Ceremonial First Tapping will be conducted by Maple Hall of Fame Inductees Ray Bonenberg and Dave Chapeskie, after which visitors can experience sugar camp tours, maple taffy, fresh baking, and other sugar bush fun. 780 Black Rock Lane, Clayton Ontario.
- Merivale Roadâs hottest new shopping experience, Thrive Select Thrift, is holding a âGals and Pals Paint Nightâ on March 25. The event includes paint supplies and instruction, wine and cheese, an after hours shopping experience at the thrift store, door prizes, and giveaways. $65 per person or $250 for a game of four.
This shop not only supplies a terrific thrift store shopping experience, but as a social enterprise from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ottawa, all of the store profits support the organizationâs youth programs in Ottawa and Renfrew County. - Melissa Etheridge is among the artists who will appear at the 7th annual Kemptville LIVE Music Festival in July. Tickets are on sale now.
- Algonquin College Event Management Students present The Great Canadian Trivia Night, which will raise funds for the Dave Smith Youth Treatment Centre. Tickets cost $15 each, and teams of four to six people are encouraged. Saturday March 25. 6:30pm to 10:00pm.at Danbys Roadhouse 6127 Perth Street in Richmond.
| | Wear the only belogoed t-shirt authorized by the ottawan itself. | | Yesterday it was Tim Hortonâs new pizza, today itâs the nostalgic food of Zellers. The new inside-Hudsonâs Bay Zellers stores wonât have The Skillet kitchens like the old ones but will have food trucks outside. The food fare served by those trucks, as voted in by the public, will be the Big Z Burger, Hot Chicken Sandwich, Grilled Cheese, Chicken Fingers, and Fries and Gravy. The new Zellers, complete with trucks, will be at St. Laurent Centre, the Rideau Centre, and Les Promenades Gatineau and 22 other locations across Canada. | | | | |