Tuesday April 12, 2022
What Ottawa is Talking About – 12 April 2022
▪️The Treasury Board is considering turning some of its downtown office space into housing. Treasury Board president Mona Fortier says that hybrid work is here to stay, and the Federal civil service will not need so much office space. When? Who knows, this is left unanswered. [CTV]
▪️The weekend birdnapping spree in Gatineau has ended. Last Friday, a man stole a conure from La Niche & Moi, later the same man – presumably – stole a bird from Aqua Zoo. Both feathered kidnappees have been returned safely. Maddingly, the is no word about the birdnappers’ motivation. [TVA]
▪️City staff want to add the green bin programme to downtown apartment buildings which use the municipal garbage service. This option has not previously been available to people in apartment buildings. Building owners themselves have the option of contracting private companies rather than the municipal service for trash. [Ottawa Citizen]
▪️Suspected abuse of a resident by a staff member at the Peter D. Clark Centre long-term care home has been turned over to the police. The City-owned facility investigated the allegation on its own initially after a family member complained on March 28. [CBC]
▪️A new programme is encouraging people to film police interactions on Ottawa and send their videos to the Red Coalition. The Red Coalition intends on creating a database of cases where people's rights are being breached. The Coalition asks that people add 438-505-2640 as RCWATCHDOG on their WhatsApp to keep it handy. Citizens have the right to film police as long as they’re not interfering with their work. [Global] [Red Coalition]
▪️Suspended deputy Ottawa Police chief received over $500,000 in pay before negotiating settlement during the Trucker siege. Uday Jaswal was suspended with pay in March 2020 over sexual harassment allegations. His settlement on Feb 26 this year was reached a week after Eli El-Chantiry was named Ottawa Police Services Board chair. [CBC]
▪️If you think there is no better idea than cruising up and down the Ottawa River in a Hawaiian-style Palapa Hu, then you'll want to watch Dragon's Den next month. Ottawa Palapa Tours will be on the show May 9, trying to raise money for their river excursions. [Newswires]
