Locally Made + Canada Made Luxury

🎁 A custom architectural artwork by Ottawa Urban Sketcher Étienne Rolland. 

🎁 Ash Posy luxury skincare made in Ottawa 

🎁 Cutting boards, carving boards, boards for table top games, spoons. Joseph Henri Cutting Boards (by appointment only) 

🎁 Knitting wool, soap, sheepskins from Mouflon Farm in Quyon

🎁 La Marcotterie’s French-inspired selfcare rituals in Chelsea

🎁 Traditional Shaving for Men by Henri & Victoria 

🎁 Locally produced sweet and savoury goods and gift baskets from Miss Marmelades 

🎁 Só Luxury’s Citrus Dish Capsules $18.99

– The amount of money spent, as of October 31, on building Stage 2 of the O Train.

The two staff members of the Château Laurier were awarded King Charles III Coronation Medals in a ceremony yesterday for ‘their decades of service, community contributions, and lasting impact on the iconic hotel’.

– ‘Sam’, the brother of a man who was misidentified by Montfort Hospital staff. The hospital told another family that the unresponsive patient was their son, and that family kept vigil and eventually arranged a funeral and organ donations. After discovering the mix-up, Montfort promised to inform the two families of how the hospital would change its policies but has not done so.

▪️Trustee Donna Blackburn has been sanctioned by the Ottawa Carleton District School Board and requires she take antisemitism training. Complaints were made to the Integrity Commissioner accusing her of antisemitism after Blackburn made comments decrying the Board pulling out of Capital Pride when that organisation released a letter opposing Israel’s fight against Hamas. 

Writing that the Board’s human rights policy ‘does not provide a definition of antisemitism upon which I can rely’, Integrity Commissioner Suzanne Craig found that Blackburn had not breached the Board’s code of conduct.

The Board disagreed and imposed the sanctions. 

▪️Some Sandy Hill residents want the City to stop funding a drop-in centre whose patrons, they believe, cause trouble in the area. Belong Ottawa runs three drop-in centres for homeless and street-involved people and receives $1.4 million annually from the City. Four residents spoke at Tuesday’s City budget meeting, telling councillors that a ‘wave of theft, violence and intimidation’ has ‘left them terrified’ and the centre’s clients ‘harass and threaten them, break into their properties, defecate in their gardens and use drugs on their laneways’.

▪️The Federal government has settled a class action lawsuit by non-unionized and casual federal public servants over the Phoenix pay system. The late, non-existent, wrong, or overpaid cheque errors by the Federal governments payroll system, Phoenix, has been ongoing since 2016. Those who worked between February 2016 and March 2020 and are otherwise eligible will receive $850. The settlement must be approved by a Québec judge.

▪️Otto’s Ottawa Power Crew is seeking super fans to join them for Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend – but not for running. Instead, the Crew is looking for people to write ‘helpful training experiences, excitement about their upcoming races, and details of their training — fundraising tips, yummy food pics, cool routes, and more’. Crew members get various perks and invitations to events. The deadline to apply is tomorrow.

▪️Every week, @Stromanker reads all the grocery store flyers and posts the deals on Reddit. This week, he finds ‘some nice prices on meat’ and ’some cheap 10lb bags of potatoes’.

▪️ Building Bridges, the seventh zine of the Ottawa Design Club launches tonight, as does the three day long companion art exhibit featuring Chris Glabb, Krisha Shaw, and Yuli Sato. 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm, Centre d'artistes AXENÉO7, 80 rue Hanson, Gatineau J8Y 3M5

▪️ Check the list of small businesses that are participating in the Hintonburg Holiday Shopping Nights, starting tonight and continuing through December 19. Shop small, shop local, and don’t even worry about the postal strike. 

▪️ The SpongeBob Musical sees the residents of Bikini Bottom searching for a way to save their community when a volcano threatens to erupt. This weekend and next at Gladstone Theatre.  

▪️ Happy 40th Birthday to the Rainbow Bistro. The party’s at tonight’s gig with Kingston’s Kasador and guests Noise Hotel. 

▪️ Learn how the NCC Urbanism Lab programs urban parks and public spaces at the in-person and virtual event Animating Capital Parks. Registration is required whether you plan to attend IRL or online. 

▪️ Today’s European Union Film Festival screenings:  Freedom(Libertate) (Romania), A Postcard from Rome (Latvia).

▪️ Versefest’s mini Fall festival opens at Red Bird tonight with an evening of poetry in English and French, and is hosted by Stephen Brockwell.  

▪️ Buy cool crafts and enjoy coffee and baked goods at Y’s Owl Christmas Holiday Craft Market, Y’s Owl Maclure Co-op Centre,1140 Morrison Drive

▪️ Join the authors of Decentering Epistemologies and Challenging Privilege: Critical Care Ethics Perspectives in a discussion at Irene’s Pub.  

▪️ ByTowne Cinema: Paradise is Burning, Bird, The Zone: Solaris 

▪️ Mayfair Theatre: Never Look Away, Blitz, My Old Ass 

Gigs

▪️ Jane Siberry. National Arts Centre

▪️ The Hunt Club. LIVE on Elgin

▪️ Rita Mae. Bronson Centre

▪️ Primary Colours. National Arts Centre

▪️ Thursday Blues Sessions. Irene’s Pub

▪️ Creative Mornings Ottawa presents Niqqi van der Aa, teacher of Sketching, Textiles and history Fashion at the Robinson Academy in Ottawa. 8:30 am to 10:00 am at Bayview Yards.  

▪️ Make it an old time-y festive season with the Cumberland Village Museum’s Vintage Village of Lights. Fridays though Sundays until December 22. 

▪️ Experience Upper Canada Village at Christmas with Alight at Night Festival, opening tonight and continuing on select evenings until December 26. 

▪️ Stop by the St. Paul’s Christmas Bazaar in Kanata for bargains, Christmas gifts, and more. The event opens today at 4:00 pm with a chilli supper, then continues tomorrow. 

▪️ Road Trip: The 4th Annual  White Lake Santa Claus Parade starts at 7:00 pm.

▪️ Ottawa’s own pro wrestling turns 17 this year. Experience the C4 Edge of Seventeen Anniversary Celebration at Preston Event Centre tonight. 

▪️ Road Trip: Do some in-person Black Friday shopping in Downtown Brockville. 

🆓 613Flea presents the 613Holiday Night Market, 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm tonight and every Friday until December 13. 

▪️ Manotick’s Christmas in the Village weekend begins tonight with a parade of lights down Main Street. 

▪️ You and the kids will never be bored at Saunders Farm’s A Country Christmas. Until December 30. 

▪️ Cocktails, new people, and Latin rhythms are all on the menu at Il Vicolo tonight. 

▪️ Urban Legends start the Friday night programming at Versefest’s mini Fall festival. Poets Apollo The Child, Billie Nest, and Playto Aka Panos take to the stage. Then, the festival continues with an evening of readings by former directors of ULPC. Hosted by Ben Ladouceur. 

▪️ Shop the Carp Farmers Market Christmas Market today from 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm and tomorrow morning from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm. 

▪️ Today’s European Union Film Festival screenings: A Hundred Sundays (Italy), Un Amor (Spain) 

▪️ Ottawa Black Bears vs. Toronto Rock lacrosse. 

▪️ ByTowne Cinema: Memoir of a Snail, The Outrun, Maria, Drawn In: Akira  

▪️ Mayfair Theatre: Blitz, Flow, The Room, Big Shark 

Gigs

▪️ Michael Dubue with Chime of Wrens. Irene’s Pub

▪️ Spitfire91. Aberdeen Plaza, Ottawa Christmas Market 

▪️ 80s Dance Party with DJ Remi Royale and The Start. House of TARG

▪️ Friday I’m In Love Indiepop Dance Party. The 27 Club

▪️ Journey to Boston. Overflow Brewing

▪️ Fever Pitch Hot Jazz. Art House Café

▪️ Gamer Con is everything game related, at more than 90 tables, all under one roof. Nepean Sportsplex today only. 

▪️ If you’ve been wondering where you’ll find your perfect tree, you just might find it at the Royal Mental Health Centre’s Annual Christmas Tree Sale. It kicks off today and if 2024 is anything like last year we can expect the collection of gorgeous Nova Scotia Balsam Firs to sell out within the week. 1145 Carling Ave. 

▪️ Road Trip: The Crate in Arnprior is a small town boutique with big time charm. Find something for everyone on your list at the Christmas at the Crate event. 

▪️ Find incredible locally made gifts and baked goods, a silent auction, and your choice of large and small tourtières at The Good Companions Craft Studio Sale & Christmas Bazaar. 670 Albert St. 

▪️ Road Trip: Shop for the bibliophiles on your list at the Mississippi Mills Public Library Christmas Book Sale in Almonte. 

▪️ The opening concert of the Ottawa Bach Choir’s 23rd season focuses on Bach’s Weihnachts-Oratorium (Christmas Oratorio).

▪️ Make an afternoon of it at Calabogie Brewing’s Kanata showroom, where the Holiday Market will feature curated vendors, live music, and the chance to win a gift basket. 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm 

🆓 Visit the intimate Manx Pub for today’s festival Versefest closer. David O’Meara will host the poets Armand Garnet Ruffo, Chimwemwe Undi, and Erik Lindner. 5:00 pm. 

▪️ The European Union Film Festival closes with Icarus and the Minotour (Luxembourg), The Hardest Hour (Ukraine), and My Dad is a Sausage (Belgium). 

▪️ The Brass Monkey presents the return of Montréal pop rockers The Box. 

▪️ Savour bottomless mimosas and all the Taylor Swift and Florence + The Machine you can handle at the Red Lungs Drag Brunch at Bar Robo.

▪️ ByTowne Cinema: Maria, The Outrun, Memoir of a Snail, Drawn In: Akira 

Mayfair Theatre: Sunset Boulevard, Blitz, The Room, Big Shark 

Gigs

▪️ Good2Go. Atomic Rooster

▪️ Dwayne Gretzky. Bronson Centre Music Theatre

▪️ Any Good Reason. The Carleton Tavern

▪️ The First Wives Comedy Club plays Yuk Yuk’s Ottawa West(downstairs at Biagios) on December 5. 

🆓 Listen as more than 150 young musicians perform festive favourites from around the world in the OrKidstra Centre Hub Holiday Concert. Tuesday December 17 at Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre. 

🦃 Happy US Thanksgiving to those Americans and Americans-to-be in Ottawa today. Better late than really late, eh? Yanksgiving™ isn’t really our bailiwick – too much football with too many downs on such a tiny field – but you’ll find fellow celebrants and turkey dinners at the Carleton Tavern in Parkdale, Chances R on Woodroffe, plus all the gridiron matches on TV at The Prescott on Prescott and at Southside Tap and Grill on Lorry Greenberg Drive.