See the 8 day forecast at the ottawan weather

The remaining bits of Hurrican Debby may make tomorrow and Friday very wet.

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HELLO OTTAWA

• In today’s ottawan:

  → Eat fondue and find a new coffee hang out in Westboro

• → The midway is only $2 per ride at the Navan Fair tomorrow

  → Unvaccinated City employees lose bid to be compensated for mandatory COVID-19 rules

– Martha and Darren

WEDNESDAY FOOD + DRINK UPDATE

•  Bells Corners is the lucky winner as Almighty Cheese food truck opens a second location tomorrow (Thursday August 8). Be at 2130 Robertson Road between noon and 7:00 pm to try the Mac and cheese, poutine, and and fries. 
• It’s been almost a week since our region’s last rib festival, so can we get a fist pump for Brockville, please. Brockville Ribfest will answer the call for sticky fingers and full bellies from tomorrow (Thursday August 8) through Sunday August 11. The festival supports Big Brothers Big Sisters of Leeds and Grenville.  
• After 70 years, Saslove’s Meat Market in the ByWard Market is closing. A date has not been announced, but it will be in the autumn.
• Westboro has a new coffee shop, The Bower Coffee Co. on Richmond Road. Bower will be using beans from local roaster September.
• Peter Hum in the Ottawa Citizen divulges his top five best bars in Ottawa: Stolen Goods Cocktail Bar, The Staffroom, Soif – Bar à vin, Bar Lupulus, and Jackalope.
• Ameya Charnalia at Eat the Strip states ‘Rarely does one forget their first ever raclette’. This Swiss/Alpine specialty is basically cooking your meat in a fondue then scraping melted cheese on top, as enjoyed at Meule et Caquelon in Gatineau.
• Better late than really late, Ottawa Life has their list of ‘Patios To Check Out Before Summer Ends’: Banditos, Andaz Ottawa ByWard Market, Giulia, Umbrella Bar, Sir John A, Tavern on the Falls, and Working Title Kitchen + Cafe. 

STATS

Number

• 1915
• – The year that the Lemieux Island Water Purification Plant, the city’s first, was built. City Council has now dedicated it as a heritage building, noting the ‘ decorative walls, bronze doors, and geometrical patterns throughout the building and “high craftsmanship”’. (Natasha O’Neill at CityNews)

Ottawan of the Day

• Marial Shayok
• – The former Philadelphia 76er and current player for the Shandong Hi-Speed Kirin of the Chinese Basketball Association is instrumental in bringing respect to one of newest countries in the world, South Sudan, in the Paris Olympics. (Doug Smith in the Toronto Star) 

Quote 

• “

• To receive a memo on a Friday afternoon before a long weekend, it doesn't pass the smell test for accountability, does it?

• – College ward councillor Laine Johnson on OC Transpo informing council that O Train trips will be halved on weekday evenings beginning later this month. (Jackie Perez at CTV)

Sports

• ⚾ FRONTIER Ottawa Titans 5 – New England Knockouts 2 last night

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CITY HALL AGENDA

What’s going on at City Hall

No more meetings this week.

📋 Meetings and agendas

WHAT OTTAWA IS TALKING ABOUT

💉 COVID-19 

•  The Ontario Labour Relations Board has ruled against a City union in its bid to be compensated for those employees who would not obey the City’s mandatory COVID-19 vaccine policy. The Board ruled that requiring employees to be vaccinated was a reasonable request during the public health emergency. At the time all staff were required to show proof of vaccination or proof of a medical exemption. Those who did not show proof of vaccination were given the options of using vacation time, time off in lieu, or an upaid leave of absence. (Andrew Duffy in the Ottawa Citizen)

♨️ Gatineau 

•  Keep boiling your water, Aylmer. Testing today by the City of Gatineau showed some improvement but E. Coli is still present. The water is drinkable after boiling for one minute, and, as usual, this goes for pets as well. (Ted Raymond at CTV)
  
  ➕ Related Gatineau is changing its policy on ambulance cancellations after a Gatineau police officer cancelled a call when he decided the person was not injured, just old. The man later died. Decisions to cancel will now be made by the paramedic service.

🚌 Ottawa Student Transportation Authority

•  A new report says that changing the start time of school would help fix the bus shortage problem. The independent review by Deloitte LLP commissioned by the Ministry of Education recommends having three different start times allowing for the resuse of buses. Any decisions would have to be made by the Ottawa Carleton District School Board and the Ottawa Catholic School Board. (Joanne Laucius in the Ottawa Citizen)

🗞️ Cottage Life

•  Take a look at the Rideau Lake cottage of a member of the Southam newspapering family. It was originally built from a Sears prefab kit and includes a pagoda-style lantern left behind at Alana Morrisette’s old apartment. Pictures! (Iris Benaroia in Macleans)

OTTAWA HISTORIC LOGO T-SHIRTS

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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

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Please use our easy event submission form

Today

• Broadway Across Canada brings Cameron Mackintosh’s Les Misérablesto the National Arts Centre tonight through Sunday August 11. Seen by millions since it opened in 1985, the show’s new staging has the Huffington Post calling it “Les Mis for the 21st Century”.
  
  Darren and Martha, who saw the show on last night were impressed by the talent – there was next-level singing by Nick Cartell in the lead role of Jean Valjean, Haley Dortch as Fantine, and Mya Rena Hunter as Éponine – and the full staging of the show (rather than a single backdrop with fancy lighting). The songs still stand up, but musicals fans who are only familiar with 21st century shows should read a plot synopsis before heading to the NAC. 

• 🆓 The Nepean Concert Band plays Andrew Haydon Park at 7:30 pm. Bring your own lawn chair. 

• 10 rounds, five questions, and one uniting theme; can your team guess what that is? Compete for glory at Outside the Box Trivia, from 7:30 pm at Beyond the Pale Brewing Company (250 City Centre Ave Bay 106, Ottawa, ON K1R 6K7). Call (613) 668 2337 to reserve your table. 

• 🆓 Moneka Arabic Jazz plays the Wood Terrace at the National Arts Centre. Tonight at 7:30 pm.

• Les Grands Feux du Casino Lac-Leamy returns to the region. It’s not just about fireworks, however. From 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm attendees will enjoy multi-sensory programming including fantastic food, digital and art installations, live performances, and more.Tickets from $16.60
   

• ByTowne Cinema: Crossing, Touch, Kneecap

• Mayfair Theatre: Widow Clicquot, The Fabulous Four, MaXXXine

   

• Gigs

•  Trivia. Royal Oak Pub Bank St. @ MacLaren and Orléans

• Trivia Night. Café Dekcuf

• The Prime Rib Big Band. Irene’s Pub Restaurant

• Suspersonic Heats Band. Atomic Rooster

• Jazz Nite with Justin Duhaime. Queen St Fare

Tomorrow

• Summer 2024 Fair season is heating up. Today, gates of the Navan Fairopen at 4:30 pm. Today only the Midway is just a toonie per ride. We can’t help you decide whether to attend the Mini Demolition Derby or the Ayrshire and Holstein Cattle Show, which both start at 7:00 pm, but we can almost guarantee that you’ll have fun either way. The Navan Fair continues Friday through Sunday at Navan Fairgrounds 1279 Colonial Road, Navan, ON. K4B 1N1 

• 🆓 Tyler Cochrane and Kalàscima play the Cinq à Sept concert series at the George Street Plaza, 55 ByWard Market Square. 

• Learn the West Coast Swing with a lesson and social dance, all in one night and all for $15 at the door. Presented by Rideau Swing Collective. 7:30 pm at the Bridge Public House, 1 Donald St K1K 4E6 (Centretown).

• Ottawa’s newest weekend market pops up for a Thursday evening shopping experience. Shop, dine and enjoy a cocktail at the Greely Good Night Market from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm at 5770 Bank St, Ottawa, ON K4P 1B9. 

• Les Misérables continues its limited run (until Sunday August 11) at the National Arts Centre.

• ByTowne Cinema: Thelma, Crossing, Blade Runner: The Final Cut

• Mayfair Theatre: The Fabulous Four, Widow Clicquot, MaXXXine 

  Gigs

• Irene’s Blues Sessions. Irene’s Pub Restaurant

• Sheridan Ruitin. LIVE on Elgin

• Moonfruits, Nyx and Lightsmith. Red Bird

• Karaoke Thursdays. Atomic Rooster

• Woods of Light. Montgomery Scotch Lounge

• Yes Ma’am. House of TARG

• Nate Silva. Overflow Brewing

Friday

• You like the outdoors and you love to laugh. The Great Outdoors Comedy Festival is made for you. Tonight’s lineup is headlined by Tom Segura, with guests Bobby Lee and Jessica Kirson. Tickets from $99.50, with chair rentals available for an extra fee. 

• The Navan Fair continues. Today’s highlights: the Ultimutts Stunt Dog Show (multiple times throughout the day), the Heavy Horse Harness Classes at 7:00 pm, and the Kids Crafts from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Navan Fairgrounds 1279 Colonial Road, Navan, ON. K4B 1N1 

• Unitarian House of Ottawa, the city’s not-for-profit Retirement Residence and Seniors Apartments, is holding a Beer Garden Fundraiser from 4:30 pm to 9:00 pm. Okay, so it’s a fundraiser, which our readers love, and there will be beer, which many of our readers also love. Also, the poster says it’s sponsored by Broadhead Brewing. It’s $20 to get in, and the cash bar will have beer and cocktails at reasonable prices. Here’s that ticket link. 
   

• 🆓 It’s all happening at Merivale Mall this evening. Check out the kids’ activities, like the bouncy castle and face painting. At 8:30 pm they’re screening The Wizard of Oz. Donations accepted for Nelson House of Ottawa-Carleton women’s shelter. https://www.nelsonhouse.on.ca/

• Les Misérables continues at the National Arts Centre. 

• ByTowne Cinema: Dance First, Firebrand, Kinds of Kindness, Cuckoo

• Mayfair Theatre: Mother, Couch, Touch, Big Shark

  Gigs

• The Aphelion Album Release Party with Raphael Weinroth-Browne and Soverign Council. Rainbow Bistro

• F!TH. Club SAW

• ¡MAYDAY!. Berlin Nightclub

• Area Resident. Irene’s Pub & Restaurant

• Steve Forbert. Red Bird

Just Announced / Now Booking

• The Heart & Crown ByWard Market screens the best movie of all time*, The Big Lebowski, for free on the Courtyard Patio on Tuesday August 13. Expect a bar sponsored by Dominion City Brewing, and free popcorn. Doors open at 8:00 pm with the movie starting at 8:30 pm. 67 Clarence St. *And that’s not, uh, just our opinion, man.

• Midway tickets are now on sale for the Capital Fair August 16-25 but don’t stop there. If you’re proud of your biceps, you can register for the Arm Wrestling Competition on the closing Sunday (August 25, $40 per arm) or the Cornhole Tournament (back in Darren and Martha’s childhoods, the board had multiple holes, each worth a different score, which in our opinion added more tension to the high stakes game. Why do modern cornhole boards only have one hole?). The Fair will also have a line-up of Blues music, a petting zoo, a kids’ tractor pull, and lots more family friendly activities. It’s all happening at the Rideau Carleton Raceway at 4837 Albion Road. 

• Red Bird presents Rum Ragged, Daniel James McFadyen, and Mia Kelly live at the Ottawa Tennis and Lawn Bowling Club on Sunday August 18.Tickets $59.95 

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DEAL OF THE DAY

BUT, ONE MORE THING ...

In the Almonte Millstone, Carolyn and Bruce Waddell cruised the rivers from Ottawa to Kingston and Kingston to Quebec City and described the wildlife seen, including house sparrows, mute swans, herring gulls, snow geese, zebra jumping spiders and, in Tadoussac, beluga whales.

the ottawan was vaguely aware that one could cruise the St Lawrence but we really didn’t think any passenger boats had cruised the Ottawa River for decades. What a mistake! St Lawrence Cruise Lines has been doing this forever.

RAPID RESPONSE QUALITY CONTROL