In Today’s Edition

→ Eight win Ottawa Tourism’s Shine On awards

→ The spring edition of the Pique Art and Music Festival launches tomorrow.

→ Deals of the Day on macarons, wall art, and Bluesfest passes 

→ ☁️ High 2° Low -8° and overcast.  ☀️ 6:31 am 🌛 5:57 pm 

The Poll

Yesterday, we asked ‘If you had plans to vacation in the US this year, have you changed them?’

7% Yes. I will be staycation-ing in the Capital region
39%  Yes. I will be visiting other parts of Canada
11%  Yes. I will be travelling south to Mexico or beyond
17% Yes. I will be heading overseas
5% No change; it’s America the Beautiful for me, baby
21% I have no plans to visit anywhere and you can’t make me

Today’s question:

FORWARD the ottawan TO A FRIEND

STATISTICS OTTAWA

OTTAWANS OF THE DAY

• Madison Roszell-Johnston (Beyond the Pale), Pirami Anandasundaram (Andaz Ottawa Byward Market), Elisa Jurca (The Westin Ottawa), Raphaël Fitzgerald-Biernath (Fairmont Château Laurier), Robin Courtiade (Parc Oméga), Colin Lemire (Royal Canadian Mint), Sarah Lightizer (Holiday Inn and Suites Kanata), and Roxanne Eisener (Ottawa Sports & Entertainment Group)

• These eight were each recognized at the Shine On Awards for their contributions to the Capital’s tourist industy in a gala ceremony last night at the Canadian Museum of History.  The Ottawan attended the awards, which were preceded by cocktails and tasty appetizers in the Grand Hall.  Awards were given respectively for Exceptional Leader, Exceptional Hotel Service, Exceptional Service Heart of House, Exceptional Service Guest Relations, Exceptional Service Restaurant/Culinary, Exceptional Service Tour Services / Shopping, Exceptional Service / Festival / Banquet / Event and Exceptional Service Attraction.

• Fairmont Château Laurier’s Raphaël Fitzgerald-Biernath was also chosen as the Shine On Grand Prize Winner.

• Ottawa Tourism

QUOTE

• “

• When I felt downcast, people said there was a place called the YMCA. I just wanted to be at the Y

• – Joy Oare, a resident of the Argylle Street YMCA since last June, who stopped short of reciting a lyric from the Village People song, surely much to the disappointment of the reporter. The Y had been attempting to sell the building but has now resolved to continue on site for the next five year.
• Joanne Laucius in the Ottawa Citizen

SPORTS

• 🏒 NHL Ottawa Senators 4 – Chicago Blackhawks 3 last night

WHAT’S GOING ON AT CITY HALL

WHAT OTTAWA IS TALKING ABOUT

♀️ International Women’s Day

• Somerset ward councillor Ariel Troster and Mayor Mark Sutcliffe will cohost the annual International Women’s Day celebration at City Hall.  Special guest will be Dr Vera Etches, former chief medical officer of Ottawa and new president of CHEO.
  
  The celebration will be broadcast on Rogers 22 at 8:00 am tomorrow and streamed at rogerstv.com/womensday2025.

  
  City of Ottawa

🐦 Make a Little Birdhouse in your Significant Conservation Lands 

•  The Mississippi Madawaska Land Trust is seeking builders of birdhouses and birdbaths to create items to auction. This happens annually and the eventual reveal of the avian apartments is always great fun. The trust is seeking to raise $7,500 to ‘acquire and protect significant conservation lands, conserving habitats for birds and other species that call them home’. The deadline for the bird-related creations is March 31, the auction itself is April 15 to April 30.
  
  View the auction as it comes together here.
  
  Mississippi Madawaska Land Trust

🎵  Hit Parade

Three music notes: 

• A new venue, called Gridwrks, is taking over the old Mavericks space at 221 Rideau. Gridwrks will be run by the the people behind underground electronic music venue City at Night and corporate venue Afterlight. Gridwrks is hiring, by the way.
  
  Willemijn Bunskoek in Apartment 613
• Guitars and Gasoline is a new three day all-Canadian country and rock festival to be held in Calabogie at the motorsports park. Well known concert promoter, and 2024 Order of Ottawa recipient Ken Craig is backing the event.
  
  Ted Raymond at CTV
• As we mentioned in a previous edition of The Ottawan, the Wintertime Music Festival is a new celebration of indie music, with the first edition at the Gladstone Theatre March 9 to 15. Ticket and line-up at the Gladstone’s website. 
  
  Lynn Saxberg in the Ottawa Citizen

💰 Payments in Lieu of Taxes

• Chelsea has been turned down by the Supreme Court its bid to get the National Capital Commission to pay more money. Chelsea had sued and lost, appealed and lost, and now has been told by the Supreme Court that it won’t take up the case. Like most Federal agencies, the National Capital Commission is not required to pay municipal property tax but instead pays an equivilent amount in lieu. Chelsea says that some of the Commission’s lands should be calculated at a higher value because it is viable for housing or commercial use. The Commission says those lands will only ever be parkland so it is already paying the correct amount.
  
  CBC

HISTORIC OTTAWA LOGO T-SHIRTS

THE ROLLING THREE DAY CALENDAR

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✳️ Means change from previous edition

THURSDAY

• Canadian comedian Julie Kim bings her Doing Too Much Tour to Laugh Lounge

• Help raise funds for the Ottawa Food Bank while rocking out to the Bluestone Collective and Derecho Party at the Rainbow Bistro

• You’ll hear original music alongside covers at the Folk Jam Night happening at Art House Café. Gabriel Comba & The Barn Cats perform, with guests Meadow and Dana Dufour.

• 🆓 It’s Bingo Night at Broadhead Brewery.

• Orpheus Musical Theatre’s production of Beautiful: the Carole King Musical runs at Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe until Sunday (March 9).

• Ottawa Little Theatre presents The Shawshank Redemption until March 15.

• Bawdy Broadway Bodies offers pole dancing, aerials, burlesque, and live music. Today through Saturday March 8.

• Road Trip: Dress your door for the warmer weather with the Spring Wreath Workshop from Perth, Ontario florist Kelly’s Flowers

• Ottawa’s most intimate concert venue, GigSpace, brings the vibe for an evening of jazz guitar with Tim Bedner and Ben Di Millo.

• Road Trip: If you’re not a member of the Rideau Lakes Horticultural Society it will cost you just five bucks to attend Plant Propagation with Paul Pietsch in Elgin.

• ByTowne Cinema: A Complete Unknown, Parthenope, The Zone: Snowpiercer

• Mayfair Theatre: Sugarcane, Dune (1984)

  Gigs

• S.G. Sinnicks. Avant-Garde Bar

• Fire and Ice with violinist Karen Gomyo. National Arts Centre

• Elizabeth Royall. LIVE on Elgin

• Kristen Martell. Red Bird

• Love and Mayhem, Albion, Saturn Sunrise. House of TARG

FRIDAY

• ✳️ Your ticket to the Byward Beerfest includes a 16oz pour of Lowertown Brewery’s Winter Seasonal Beer.

• The Children at Gladstone Theatre.

• The Spring edition of Pique Art and Music Festival fills the spaces at Arts Court this weekend. Today’s programming kicks off at 5:00 pm and runs til midnight. If the festival’s self-description of “club futurism, intercultural ambient-electronic, jazz-hop vanguardism” piques your interest, you’ve got to go.

• Settle in for a night of down home country music as Ethan Mitchell celebrates the release of his first-ever record at Art House.

• Orpheus Musical Theatre’s production of Beautiful: the Carole King Musical continues.

• 🆓 See new works by Atticus Gordon and a group exhibition by Canadian artists at the De Montigny Contemporary Gallery Winter Edition Art Opening.

• Expect to rock out when Hellrager, Don’t Tell Sarah, and Hyena play the Brass Monkey.

• The Shawshank Redemption by Ottawa Little Theatre continues.

• The third installment of Jazz Dialogues brings Steve Boudreau, Ottawa bassist John Greggie, and renowned New Zealand-Canadian jazz trumpet player Lex French to 10,000 Hours Rehearsal Studios.

• Get up on stage at Stray Dog Brewing’s Karaoke Night.

• Students from Algonquin, La Cité, Conestoga, Fleming, Sheridan, and St. Claire compete in Ontario’s Got Talent.

• Bawdy Broadway Bodies continues.

• ByTowne Cinema: The Brutalist, Seven Veils, I’m Still Here, Nosferatu

• Mayfair Theatre: I’m Still Here, A Complete Unknown, The Room

  Gigs

• Thievery Corporation. Bronson Centre

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

• Our Lady Peace 30th Anniversary Tour. Canadian Tire Centre

• Victor Calderone. City at Night

SATURDAY

• There’s a lot to celebrate at Beyond the Pale. The brewery is holding a market at the 250 City Centre location today, featuring female artisans and women-led businesses in their community. They’re also releasing Kanpai Japanese Inspired Rice Lager, a speciality beer that “was brewed with the intention to celebrate female brewers, women in craft beer, and the imperative role of women in the history of beer in general.” Finally, BTP staffer Madison Roszell-Johnston took home the Excptiional Leader gong at the Shine-On Awards on March 5.

• Meanwhile at Bicycle Craft Brewing the International Women's Day release, Freedom Machine, will be available alongside Nonna’s Famous Pizza and a women-themed trivia match. The fun starts at 2:00 pm.

• Stray Dog Brewing Co plays Musical Bingo

• Get ready for the garden with a visit to Seedy Saturday in Carp

• NCC invites ix to 12 year olds with ambitions to be city planners to the Urbanism Lab for Kids.

• Dogs are welcome at 613Flea, where you’ll find more than 150 vendors of vintage and antiques ready to serve you. Aberdeen Pavilion.

• The Femme Fest market celebrates women-led businesses, and throws live entertainment and family activities into the mix. Next Door Market & Event Space.

• With renovations complete, Giant Tiger reopens today in Hintonburg with giveaways, treats, and fun. 1085 Wellington St W

• Demo more than 30 brands of bikes, take in the conferences, and visit the exhibitors at the Gatineau-Ottawa Bicycle Show.

• Don a mysterious mask for the Mardi Gras Masquerade Social at Rabbit Hole (208 Sparks St)

• Mystara Women of Rock at Sonny’s Bar and Grill celebrates International Women’s Day with an epic live music show. $5 admission.

• Pique Art and Music Festival Day 2 starts at 4:00 pm .

• It’s your final chance to check out Bawdy Broadway Bodies  

• The Children continues at the Gladstone Theatre.

• Orpheus Musical Theatre’s production of Beautiful: the Carole King Musical continues.
   

• The Shawshank Redemption by Ottawa Little Theatre continues.

• ByTowne Cinema: Looney Tunes Cartoon Party, I’m Still Here, Seven Veils, Detour: Josie and the Pussycats

• Mayfair Theatre: Saturday Morning All-You-Can-Eat-Cereal Cartoon Party, Volume 36, Mukadderat, A Complete Unknown, Nosferatu

  Gigs

• Elliott Brood. Red Bird

• The Scally Cap Brats. House of TARG

• Aurora’s Reef. Night Oat

• Weiner Kebab. Rainbow Bistro

• Ashwyn Singh. LIVE on Elgin

• Nick Beaton. Yuk Yuks Ottawa West

JUST ANNOUNCED / NOW BOOKING

•  Two wheels aren’t the only way to enjoy the Navy Bike Ride (June 14). This year there’s a 5km Run/Walk, a non-competitive Family Ride, and a series of virtual rides to complete at your own pace in addition to the official Ottawa race.

• With influences like 60s/70s rock, 80s ballads, and 70s disco, we suspect that missing the Les Hay Babies show at the NAC next Thursday would cause feelings of intense regret. Watch the video for Jacqueline and tell us if you agree.

DEALS OF THE DAY

BUT, ONE MORE THING ...

RAPID RESPONSE QUALITY CONTROL

THE END