See the 8 day forecast at the ottawan weather

HELLO OTTAWA

The Sno-Bus is running this season for Winterlude from both Ottawa and Gatineau.

Winterlude Sno-Bus Schedule

• On Elgin Street at Sparks Street and Jacques Cartier Park North
  • February 3 and 4, 10 and 11, and 17 and 18, from 10 am to 5:30 pm
  • Monday, February 19, from 10 am to 2:30 pm

STO Sno-Bus Schedule

• Between Robert-Guertin Park and Ride and Jacques-Cartier Park North
  • February 3 and 4, 10 and 11 and 17 to 19 from 10 am to 5:30 pm

Check out the full Winterlude calendar here.

– Martha and Darren

More Valentine’s Suggestions

• Keep it classic with Cyrano’s Restaurant: choose from dishes like Filet Mignon Au Jus, Grilled Lamb Chops, and Chicken Parmesan. Enjoy a three course meal with a complimentary glass of Champaign for $100 per person. Call 613-721-0510 to book.
   
• 1 Elgin’s new menu is all about Haiti. Resident Chef Paul Toussaint and Executive Chef are bringing warmth to winter nights with items like Haitian Snapper Ceviche, Haitian Fish Stew, and Haitian Hot Chocolate and Beigents.

Our Valentines Guides

❤️ 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 a mass produced greeting when these locally- and Canadian-made options are available.

❤️ 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

•  Food + Drink Update
•  Ottawa Stats
•  City Hall Agenda
•  What Ottawa is Talking About
•  Events
•  Deals of the Day

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FOOD + DRINK UPDATE

•  Peter Hum at the Ottawa Citizen raves about the pollo a la brasa at Lima Peruvian Rotisserie, the favourite restaurant meal of Peru. Chef Lizardo Becerra was previously chef at the Embassy of Peru over on Albert St and then the chef de cuisine at the Andaz Ottawa ByWard Market. 
•  The infamous but now-closed MacDonald’s on Rideau Street has a new tenant. The broker says, ‘The focus will be on fine Chinese/Asian cuisine with a highlight on dim sum and specialty seafood dishes’. Renovations will take several months.
•  Ottawa-based Bridgehead Coffee has been sold by faceless conglomerate Aegis Brands to Toronto’s Pilot Coffee Roasters for $3.5 million.
•  Chef Briana Kim, who served her final dish at Alice last Sunday, says of her new resto Antheia: ‘We are sort of envisioning it as going to a show or a theatre and a lot more engaging with the guests’. The new space will have 12 to 16 seats when it opens and will have way more fermentation. 
• Immerse yourself in the Tuscany region at Maker Feed Co’s Tuscany Discovery Menu, February 28 at 6:00 pm. Five Tuscan dishes, five Tuscan wine pairings. $149.99 per person.

Super Bowl Prep: Planning on watching the game at home? Stay out of the kitchen and focus on the game with one of these enjoy-at-home options:

•  Red Apron gets in the game with a Super Bowl Weekend Feast to pick up or have delivered (within the delivery area) on Friday February 9. Wings, Pierogies, Tortilla Chips, and a Veggie platter: ithey're all here.
•  Piggy Market is bringing back the Super Bowl Slider kit, available for pre-order now for pick up on Saturday February 10. It’s available for four, eight, or 12 people.
•  The Meatings Super Bowl Bundle takes care of everything you need for the game: it’s a four-to-six people feeder with wings, pork sliders, ribs, BBQ sauce, and beer. $105.

   

OTTAWA STATS

Sports

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

CITY HALL AGENDA

What’s going on at City Hall

Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee
Thursday, February 1 at 10:00 am

• Amendment to the master drainage plan for western development lands, Village of Richmond
• Zoning by-law amendment – 1867 Donald B. Munro Drive
• Zoning by-law amendment – Part of 1980 Phelan Road West
• Zoning by-law amendment – 1961 Sarsfield Road
• Zoning by-law amendment – 5812 Malakoff Road
• Zoning by-law amendment – 5084 Canon Smith Drive
• Zoning by-law amendment – 5497 Manotick Main Street
• Omnibus amendments – Q1 2024
• Rural Community-Building Grant program – Grant application review
• Status update – Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee inquiries and motions for the period ending January 19, 2024
• Motion – Ditch infill notifications for 4644, 4634 and 4652 Anderson Road
• Motion – Manure drag lines in Rural Ottawa

📋 Agenda

WHAT OTTAWA IS TALKING ABOUT

🌉 Alexandra Bridge

•  The Royal Architectural Institute will be part of the development of the new Alexandra Bridge. Public Services and Procurement Canada has brought in the Institute to evaluate design options and offer expert advice. Public consulations over the bridge will begin this summer. (Ottawa Construction News)

🚨 Carlington

•  Residents in the Carlington neighbourhood say crime has risen since a supportive housing residence opened. The Shepherds of Good Hope facility opened last summer. One resident said ‘You can't leave parcels on your porch, windows are being broken, and cars are being checked every night — if you leave your car unlocked, it's going to get broken into’. The Shepherd’s say ‘The Housing First philosophy is grounded in this reality, recognizing that people who use drugs require and deserve the same access to housing and health services as anyone else’. (Austin Lee at CTV)

🏗️ Experimental Farm

•  City Hall staff are recommending that the City approve new towers despite fears they will cast shadows on the Experimental Farm. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has asked the City to not approve the towers as shadows will disrupt its research. City Staff believe that the shadows can be mitigated with coöperation between the developers and the Farm. (Ted Raymond at CTV)

🥫 Donovan Burey’s Weekly Grocery Review

•  Every week, Donovan Burey goes through all the flyers for the best grocery deals in Ottawa. Usually on Thursday, today is a rare Wednesday appearance. Blueberriesare $1.88 for a 170g basket at Food Basics, and Chicken breast (boneless, skinless) for $4.99 per lb at Super C in Gatineau. (/Ottawa)

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MORE FROM THE OTTAWAN

• 🍺 Our Ottawa-Gatineau Craft Brewery Map

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• 🏆 The Best Of Ottawa Awards 2023

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• 🎧 Best Podcasts from Ottawa

EVENTS

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

Today

•  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. As for prizes, 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

Tomorrow

•  National Ballet of Canada performs Helen Pickett’s Emma Bovary, Angels’ Atlas by Crystal Pite tonight through Saturday (February 3), with the National Arts Centre Orchestra providing the score.

•  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.

•  Meanwhile, at the Azrieli Studio catch Freedom: A Mixtape - Live and Unplugged. This performance of the NAC’s Hip Hop Theatre Festival features songs, poems, and spoken word from Niagara Region artists. This performance is the show’s in-person premiere.

•  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.

• Mayfair Theatre: The Iron Claw, Godzilla Minus One, Cry-Baby. 

• ByTowne Cinema: Anatomy of a Fall, Teachers' Lounge, The Zone of Interest
  
   

• Gigs

•  Garnet Rogers. Red Bird

•  Julzz, zeelle, Mwiza. LIVE on Elgin

•  Karaoke Thursday. Atomic Rooster

Friday

•  Unikkaatuarniq: Stories of the North Snowscreen returns with more Indigneous films from the circumpolar North, screened in a theatre made of snow. Screenings are free, shown one per hour from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm at Lansdowne Park. Tonight and tomorrow night (Saturday February 3). Presented by the Asinabka Film & Media Arts Festival.
   
•  Rising star (and Ottawan with Nigerian roots) Asuquomo takes to the NAC’s Fourth Stage, performing tracks from his debut album. With guest S.O.A.P. Part of the NAC’s Hip Hop Theatre Festival.
   
•  This weekend at the Diefenbunker, Winterlude programming includes an exhibition giving the Inuit view of the Cold War. The exhibition An Inuit Story: The DEW Line is accessible with the regular museum admission. Today through Sunday February 4. Later, take part the ongoing Snowflake Scavenger Hunt.
   
•  It’s the final weekend to view Wilfrid Flood (1904-1946): A Passion for Pictures at Ottawa Art Gallery. Wilfrid John Flood worked for the Department of Mines and Resources by day and painted scenes of Ottawa in his off hours in the 1930s and 1940s. His portraits, landscapes, and urban scenes capture a mostly vanished Ottawa of nearly a century ago.
   
•  Author and environmentalist Bill McKibben (“The End of Nature”) discusses current global warming and the growing global environmental movement. Free but registration is required.
   
•  Ambassade de France Au Canada and the City of Gatineau join forces to illuminate the Tour Eiffel Bridge aka Montcalm Street Bridge as part of Winterlude. The choreographed show in Gatineau is an homage to Gustave Eiffel, and will be projected from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm through February 19. 
   
•  Pibòn Festival (Winterlude Edition) brings Indigenous performances to Sparks Street tonight and tomorrow (Saturday February 3) from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Catch Pow Wow dancers, Throat Singers, and more.
   
•  Bring the family to Manotick’s Shiverfest, starting tonight at Centennial Park with a bonfire at 6:00 pm. The skating club exhibition, outdoor hockey, and magic show round out the evening. The festival continues tomorrow (Saturday February 3) with a pancake breakfast, curling, crafts for kids, a horse drawn sleigh ride, and chili cook off.
   
• Mayfair Theatre: Monster, The Iron Claw, Enterthe Drag Dragon
   
• ByTowne Cinema: The Teachers' Lounge, The Zone of Interest, Under the Skin 
  
   

• Gigs

•  Sam Roberts Band (relocated from EY Centre). Bronson Centre

•  Steve Stacey. Stray Dog Brewing

•  Alturna X. LIVE on Elgin

•  Finely Tuned Elephant. Irene’s Pub Restaurant

Just Announced / Now Booking

• This Sunday (February 4) bring your cross country skis and try out the Rideau Winter Trail’s first ever Loppet, to raise funds for the trail’s ongoing maintenance and activities.

• Brazilian Carnaval 2024 at Queen St. Fare is a one night only celebration of Brazilian culture with Marchinha, Samba, and Frevo, live music, and DJs. Wear a carnival costume or outfit for your chance at prizes. February 10.

DEALS OF THE DAY

BUT, ONE MORE THING ...

• Birds are in the news.
• Greenpeace has inflated a 20 foot tall owl at the gates of Rideau Hall to encourage Parliament to pass a new biodiversity law.
• But also, Carleton Place exotic bird sanctuary, Parrot Partners Canada, is at risk of closure due to the Canada Emergency Business Account loan. Parrot Partners borrowed $60,000 from the relief business programme to keep its doors open during COVID closures. However, like 200,000 other small businesses that accepted the loan, it is unable to meet the Federal government’s payment schedule.

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