The extra amount of time that Ottawa motorists spend driving 10 km now versus 2023. TomTom – remember them? – says that it takes an average of 16 minutes and 56 seconds to drive 10 km here, the ninth worst in Canada and 307th worst in the world. First place is Vancouver at 27 minutes and 3 seconds. Toronto is in second place at 25 minutes and 13 seconds.

Despite what you can see outside your window, Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend is coming in May. In his first year as race director, Vieira is already preparing for the event: ‘Canada’s capital is pretty iconic. Sometimes it helps people to experience it on the run’.

– Economist Neil Saravanamuttoo making a very rare positive statement about Ottawa transit. Saravanamuttoo says Mayor Mark Sutcliffe’s requests for funding from both the provincial and federal governments has paid off with new money.

No more meetings this week

▪️Rural City Councillors have delayed a discussion on buying a 223 acre farm with water frontage on the Ottawa River until April. While the City believes that the farm is ‘ecologically significant’ and its $2 million price already budgeted-for, rural ward councillors don’t see the point. West Carleton ward councillor Clarke Kelly says, ‘This land is not in danger and does not need protection’. 

▪️The free Sno Bus has returned for Winterlude. The National Capital Commission will run shuttles on the next three Saturdays and Sundays (plus Family Day on Monday February 17) from Sparks Street and the Robert-Guertin Park-and-Ride in Gatineau.

▪️Ottawa Police officers are to be assigned to school teachers without being stationed inside. The Ottawa Police Service Board is assigning four officers that teachers and principals can call. The Board says that Ottawa school were concerned about rising school violence. The old system of having officers stationed in school was ended in 2020 by the Ottawa Carleton District School Board after a study found that some students found the presence of fully armed officers intimidating.

▪️ Ottawa Winter Jazz Festival rolls out with gigs by Caity Gyorgy and George.

▪️ At the NAC, the Ottawa Jazz Orchestra presents Exotic Explorations. 

▪️ Enjoy all the fun of Family Feud without the fancy set and live studio audience. Broadway Bar & Grill Central’s Feud Time Trivia will have teams competing to find the top three survey answers to questions. 

▪️ It’s probably best not to bring the kids to Epidermis Circus: The Weirdest Puppet Show You’ve Ever Seen, what with its adult content, puppet suicide, and swearing. 

▪️ It’s Rockabilly Theme Night at Aspie Drummer’s Guiness World Record Attempt for Autism at the Brass Monkey. $10 cover; $2 will go to the Ability Dogs Fund. 

▪️ Road Trip: The Cold Bear Brewing Bingo night in Arnprior will support the Arnprior Optimist Club. Your $30 entry includes your first drink. 

▪️ Thrill your friends with your 90s knowledge at The Bridge Public House at RSC. Trivia Night: 90s Pop Culture gets underway at 7:00 pm. 

▪️ Learn to Salsa with Jose Sandoval Dance at the Hardini Community Centre. 

▪️ Dominion City Brewing welcomes Fire Box Pasta to the taproomfrom 5:00 pm. Then, don your round glasses for Harry Potter-themed trivia at 7:00pm. 

▪️ Escape Manor has been creating exciting escape room experiences in Ottawa for 10 years. This Thursday’s Manorversary Celebration is a gala party with food, drinks, games, and fun. 

▪️ Strip Joker puts the audience in the driver’s seat. If you laugh when the comic tells a joke, they continue. If you don’t, they remove one article of clothing. And so on. 

▪️ ByTowne Cinema: The Brutalist, The Room Next Door. 

▪️ Mayfair Theatre: The Last Showgirl, Breaking Social, Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens 

Gigs

▪️ Friendly Frogs Freak Show. House of TARG

▪️ Chris Breitner. Irene’s Pub

▪️ Shane Pendergast. Red Bird

▪️ Emma Fradd. LIVE on Elgin

▪️ The Canadian Culinary Championships’ Mystery Wine competition will see the contestants from restaurants across Canada creating meals from local ingredients to pair with an unknown wine. 

▪️Build snowmen outside the ByTown Museum, then head inside to learn about the history of the city and enjoy a complimentary hot drink. All weekend at 1 Canal Lane. 

▪️ If Winterlude is usually a bit too frantic for you, try the Relaxed Night Out: there’s a silent disco, large scale games, maker/craft spaces, and more quiet and reflective activities for a lower-key celebration of Ottawa’s winter festival. 

▪️ In Vanier, Anina’s Café is offering an evening of Tarot & Cocktails. 

▪️ Charcuterie, a craft cocktail, and murder are on the menu at the Unitarian House of Ottawa Killer Cocktails Murder Mystery fundraiser. 

▪️ Sample alcohol-free drinks from Collective Arts Brewery and Bicycle Craft Brewery at Maker House’s January THIRSTY First-Non-Alcoholic Tasting Event.

▪️ Beau’s All Natural Brewing combines an East Coast Shed Party with an Open Mic. Bring your own instruments. 

▪️ Tonight’s lineup at the Ottawa Winter Jazz Festival: Hilario Duran Trio, Nitroturtle, Don Byron Solo, Jocelyn Gould, and Tara Kannangara. 

▪️ You don’t need any experience to try out the Learn to Swing Danceat 174 Wilbrod St. 

▪️ ByTowne Cinema: The Brutalist, Hard Truths 

▪️ Mayfair Theatre: The Room Next Door, Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story, The Substance 

Gigs

▪️ The Low Profiles. Night Oat

▪️ The Bluestone Collective, Derecho Party. Avant-Garde Bar

▪️ Indiepop post-punk alt 00s New Wave. 27 Club

▪️ Big Shiny Tunes Live. House of TARG

▪️ Bronson Novella. LIVE on Elgin

▪️ Groove Society. Poa Tiki Bar

▪️ The Groovebug. Irene’s Pub

▪️ Road Trip: As we reported yesterday, Ice Cream for Breakfast Day is back. For the occasion, Arnprior-based Mallards Milk Bar has thoughtfully combined flavours like Fruitloops breakfast cereal, Maple Blueberry Pancakes, and Banana Nut with its locally crafted ice cream. Wear your pyjamas for extra fun as you enjoy the cold stuff, plus cartoons in their side room, starting at 9:00 am. 

▪️ Today at Ottawa Winter Jazz Festival: Local legend Yolande Laroche, the Don Byron & Michael Occhipinti Quartet, The 33z play Quincy Jones, the Virginia MacDonald Quartet Julian Selody, Ben Wendel Duo, Sarah Neufeld, Richard Reed Parry, Rebecca Noon, and the Urban Science Brass Band all light up the stages at Arts Court. 

▪️ Celebrate the Year of the Snake at the Lunar New Year 2025 Dinner, Karaoke, and DJ Dance Party. 

▪️ Yuk Yuk’s welcomes Jeff Elliott at 7:00 pm and The Horrible Show at 10:00 pm. 

▪️ Visit Nita Beer from noon to 5:00 pm for their 10 year anniversary celebration. 

▪️ The littles will love the Rona Kiddos Workshop at the Hunt Club location. 

▪️ The Manor Park neighbourhood is holding a Skating Party and Chili Cook-off with food, music, and fire. 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm on Thornwood Road. 

▪️ More than 20 vendors are waiting to serve your spiritual and occult needs at the Ottawa Mystic Market. 

▪️ Ottawa Organic Farmers Market runs year round at 3191 Riverside Drive (Riverside United Church), which means that you can eat local produce even in the depths of winter. 

▪️ Black Box Competition: In the final day of the Canadian Culinary Competition, catch the Black Box Competition at 8:00am at Collège La Cité and the Grand Finale Competition starting at 6:00 pm at Rogers Centre Ottawa. A portion of proceeds supports music education, sports opportunities and healthy food for Canadian youth through MusiCounts, Spirit North, Ottawa Network for Education (ONFE) and BGC Ottawa (formerly Boys and Girls Club).

▪️ Shop from more than 50 vendors and check out the free workshop at Square Lemon’s Love Is In The Air Valentine’s Craft Market at Glebe Community Centre. 

▪️ ByTowne Cinema: Babygirl, Vermilgio, A Real Pain

▪️ Mayfair Theatre: The Last Showgirl, The Lodger

Gigs

▪️ Metro Jazz. Art House Café

▪️ Kingfisher, The Lookout, Positive Change. House of TARG

▪️ Donovan Woods. National Arts Centre

▪️ The Lucky Ron Show 39th Anniversary. The Laff

Winterlude’s first Saturday of programming has something for everyone:

▪️ On Sparks Street, art by Abenaki and Métis artist Jessica Somers will be transformed into a majestic ice carving. Sample traditional tea and bannock at noon. Hear the story of the Discovery of Sinzibuckwud (Maple Syrup).

▪️ If you’re in the ByWard Market for Winterlude fun, be sure to visit Adaawewigamig’s Pibòn Fest, where you’ll find Indigenous vendors and food, a hide tanning demo, a winter fashion show, and live performances. 

🆓 Bring a gently used article of clothing to the Rideau Hall Winter Celebration. It’s an afternoon of family fun that includes skating on Canada’s oldest outdoor rink plus winter games from around the world. 

▪️ Enjoy the other kind of skating with the Winterlude 2025 City of Ottawa Roller Skating Day at Lansdowne Park. 

▪️ Road Trip: Sugar Fest at Parc Omega in Montebello, QC welcomes the maple season with activities for the whole family. 

🆓 The free tickets are going fast for Happiness Habits 613’s Community Winter Pentathlon. Book now. 

▪️ Cheer on the participants in the Winterlude Triathlon as they skate 8K on the Rideau Canal, run 5K from Dow’s Lake to the Terry Fox Facility, and ski 6K from Mooney’s Bay to the Terry Fox Facility. 

▪️ Cash prizes of $2000 are up for grabs in the OHS For the Love of Animals Lottery Early Bird Draw. Buy your ticket by 11:59 pm on February 5 for your chance to win the cash or the grand prize of a brand new Audi SUV. 

▪️ Running in July and August 2025, National Arts Centre week-long Summer Creative Camp for Kids equip 5-11 year olds with dance and theatre basics. 

In 2021, residents of Trump Avenue in the Central Park neighbourhood had a referendum on renaming their street. It tied 21-21. Insert your own stolen vote joke here.

Now in 2025, some residents want to try again. 

The thing is: the street really is named after Donald Trump. In the 90s, Ashcroft Homes, the developer of the site on the other side of Merivale Road from the Experimental Farm, named the streets after New York icons: Bloomingdale, Fordham, Gotham, etc. Someone in the firm was really taken by a brash, middle aged property developer in New York who was decades from getting into politics, and decided to honour him with an Ottawa street name.