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HELLO OTTAWA

We have a new addition to our constantly curated Ottawa produced podcast list, and it’s from a scrappy newcomer: Robyn Bresnahan at CBC Ottawa.

In each weekly edition This is Ottawa will answer one question, such as ‘What's it like to live above the stadium at Lansdowne Park?’ and the upcoming ‘What will it take to allow swimming in the Rideau Canal?’.

The CBC launched six other similar podcasts this week: This is Vancouver Island, This is Calgary, This is Edmonton, This is Ottawa, Good Question Saskatchewan, Good Question Montréal, and Good Question PEI.

The Mother Corp also renamed its 6:00 pm Radio One newscast last Monday from The World at 6 to Your World Tonight in a podcast-friendly move for listeners who may be downloading it at different times.

You can listen to This is Ottawa here.

– Martha and Darren

Our Valentines Guides

❤️ More Valentine’s Day Experiences and Gifts

14 different ideas.

❤️ Valentine’s Day greeting cards

When you can’t find the words to express your feelings, a well chosen card can help. There’s no need to buy mass a produced greeting when there are so many locally- and Canadian-made options out there.

❤️ Romantic Gift Ideas for Your Valentine

Seven easy ideas.

❤️ 5 Food Gifts and Dining Ideas for Valentine’s Day

It’s not just chocolate. But chocolate is included.

TODAY’S LINE UP

•  Ottawa Stats
•  City Hall Agenda
•  What Ottawa is Talking About
•  Events
•  Deals of the Day

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OTTAWA STATS

Sports

• 🏒NHL Ottawa Senators 4 – Nashville Predators 3 last night

CITY HALL AGENDA

What’s going on at City Hall

Planning and Housing Committee
Wednesday, January 31 at 9:30 am

• Presentation – 3D Digital Twin project
• Motion – Vice Chair G. Gower – By-law 2008-250 to change the zoning of lands known municipally as 1835 Stittsville Main Street
• Zoning by-law amendment – 780 Baseline Road
• Zoning by-law amendment – 16 Edgewater Street
• Zoning by-law amendment – 991 Carling Avenue
• Omnibus amendments – Q1 2024
• Status update – Planning and Housing Committee inquiries and motions for the period ending January 19, 2024

📋 Agenda

WHAT OTTAWA IS TALKING ABOUT

💰 Katasa Group

•  The Katasa Group has reneged on it’s $300,000 donation to the City. The Gatineau-based developer said that ‘"We agreed to this donation as this was presented by a city official as a program that is typically asked of developers’ and ‘We believe this was part of the process, and now we know it's not’. Capital ward councillor Shawn Menard had originally announced that the developer would donate $300,000 to his ward for traffic calming and social housing. An uproar at City Council over the donation resulted in the decision to spread over all 24 wards. (Elyse Skura at CBC)

🚌 Société de transport de l'Outaouais

•  Dozens of buses in Gatineau are being cancelled due to lack of staff. The Société says that it has taken passenger numbers into consideration on which routes to cancel and that it may take three months before regular service resumes. (Marlo Glass in the Ottawa Citizen) (Updated cancellation list) (Bus driver jobs)

📺 Artificial Intelligence

•  Scammers took a CTV Ottawa video news story and changed it to an ad. CTV ran a story about two seniors who were conned into using their line of credit to buy cryptocurrency. Scammers used new artificial intelligence techniques to change the video into an ad where the seniors talked about how they now have financial independence. The video has been taken down off Facebook. (Austin Lee at CTV)

🚨 Ottawa Police Service

•  Ottawa Police have been cleared in the death of a pedestrian in a car chase by the Special Investigations Unit. A 46 year-old man was struck by a car driven by a man fleeing police in a car chase. The police had suspected the driver of being a drug dealer and started pursuit but then stopped. The driver pleaded guilty to flight from police and failing to remain at the scene of an accident causing death. (Blair Crawford in the Ottawa Citizen)

⚖️ City of Ottawa

• David White, the City Solicitor, has announced he will retire in April. White joined the then Regional Municipality of Ottawa - Carleton in 1993 as a law student. He was appointed City Solicitor in 2019, and took on the job as interim City Clerk following the retirement of Rick O'Connor. White’s last day will be April 13. (Ted Raymond at CTV)

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MORE FROM THE OTTAWAN

• 🍺 Our Ottawa-Gatineau Craft Brewery Map

•  

• 🏆 The Best Of Ottawa Awards 2023

•  

• 🎧 Best Podcasts from Ottawa

EVENTS

Is there an event we should know about?
Please use our easy event submission form
 

Today

•  Join Pitch (Im)perfect Singers for a Folk and Country Night. Bring $10 cash to take part. Trinity United Church, 1099 Maitland Ave.

•  The weekly Life Drawing session at Art House Café is a relaxed affair for artists of all skill levels. $15 per seat.

•  Experience the Four Seasons the way Vivaldi’s original fans did in the 18th century: by candlelight (sure, the candles at tomorrow’s performance by the Liesto String Quartet are actually LEDs, but you get the idea).

•  It’s the final Tuesday of the month, which means Pizza and Poetry night at Spark Beer. Bring your own poetry to read in the Open Mic or enjoy the performances, pizza, and great beer. 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm at 702 Somerset St W.

•  ByTowne Cinema: The Zone of Interest, Banff Mountain Film Festival (SOLD OUT)

•  Mayfair Theatre: Monster, The Iron Claw, Godzilla Minus One
  
  Gigs

•  Half-cocked Trivia. Atomic Rooster

•  Trivia Night. Royal Oak Orléans

•  Soul Night. Kaffe 1870 (Wakefield)

•  Karaoke at the Backroom of Il Vicolo

•  Trivia Tuesday. Irene’s Pub Restaurant

•  Open Mic Night. LIVE on Elgin

Tomorrow

•  The NAC’s Hip Hop Theatre Festival kicks off with The Cypher, a free display of rapping skill and competition. 8:00 pm at Peter A. Herrndorf Place.

•  Laugh Lounge (61 York St) hosts Nerdy Bingo, where geeks know all the answers. The big prize: someone’s going to win a $500 Visa gift card.

•  Chess players: It’s your night at Wizard’s Tower. Bring your own board or use one of the venue’s sets.

•  ByTowne Cinema: The Zone of Interest, Banff Mountain Film Festival (SOLD OUT)

•  Mayfair Theatre: Monster, The Iron Claw, Godzilla Minus One
  
  Gigs

•  Edra Silva. Royal Oak Pub at Kent

•  Spencer Scharf. Royal Oak Pub at Stittsville

•  Trivia Night. Royal Oak Pubs at Barrhaven and 318 Bank St

•  Jazz Night with Peter Woods. Queen St. Fare

•  Girls to the Front. Irene’s Pub Restaurant

•  Rare Groove Wednesday. Atomic Rooster

•  Trivia Night. Café Dekcuf

•  Bingo Night. Brew Revolution

•  Taproom Trivia. Stray Dog Brewing

•  Tuesday Trivia. Broadhead Brewing

Thursday

•  The NAC’s Hip Hop Theatre Festival continues with Can I Kick It Too?: An exploration of Queerness in Hip Hop, a conversation about what it means to be an LGBTQ+ artist in the Hip Hop genre. Free at 1:00 pm at Peter A. Herndorf Place.
   

•  EarlyON’s Winter Wonderland event is the perfect excuse for kids aged 1.5 to 6 (and their parents) to put on their snowsuits on and play outside. Walter Baker Park from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. Bring your own sled if you have one.

•  Restaurant e18hteen has dreamed up a new reason to love Thursday: Every week the ‘Bubbles & Pearls’ event offers oysters and Prosecco at reduced rates. From a half dozen oysters for $14, all the way up to a Centurion of molluscs (100) for $195 and select bottles of Prosecco at half price, Thursday just became a lot more glam. 18 York St.

•  PranaShanti Yoga Centre suggests a way to beat the winter doldrums: take the 29 day Yoga Challenge for a chance to win prizes. The idea: attend one PranaShanti yoga class per day during the month of February to experience benefits like “increased strength and flexibility, stress reduction and improved focus”. 950 Gladstone Ave.

Black History Month begins with activities and events across the city.

•  The OPL Main Branch will be screening a number of National Film Board films throughout the month, including The Road Taken, a 1996 film documenting the lives of Black sleeping car porters on Canadian railways during the first half of the 20th century; John Ware Reclaimed which explores the life of the 19th century Alberta cowboy and rancher; True North: Inside the Rise of Toronto Basketball; and other films. Check the OPL for screening times.
  
  Gigs

•  Garnet Rogers. Red Bird

•  Julzz, zeelle, Mwiza. LIVE on Elgin

•  Karaoke Thursday. Atomic Rooster

Just Announced / Now Booking

• Yarn store Wabi Sabi’s From the Heart II: Needle Felted Hearts workshop is for you if you want to dip your toes into the craft of felted wool. Everything you need for a calm afternoon of learning and making is included ($90). February 10 from 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm.

• Dress up for a great cause at the Snowsuit Fund Snowball, where you’ll sip creative cocktails and nibble at food stations overseen by Ottawa’s best chefs. As you wander the rooms of Ottawa Art Gallery and Arts Court, bid on silent auction items, listen to live music and maybe even hit the dance floor. $175 - $2,000.

• Tickets are on sale for Kemptville LIVE festival (July 18 - 21, 2024) and with acts like Burton Cummings (July 19), Dean Brody (July 20), and Glass Tiger (July 21) you know it’s going to be a sell out.

   

DEALS OF THE DAY

BUT, ONE MORE THING ...

• Dave Allston in the Kitchissippi Times takes a look at the 100th anniversary of Nepean High School, from its start with no water or sewer, to the married caretakers who lived in the basement, to that day in 1950 when Ottawa annexed parts of Nepean, taking the school out of that city.

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