Friday, December 10, 2021

HELLO OTTAWA 
 

Martha here, taking over today’s editorial so Darren can take it easy. I thought I would share a bit about us, even though we’re both introverts who loathe the spotlight. 

the ottawan is a project that Darren and I started planning in the Fall of 2019, and which we launched smack dab in the midst of the first COVID wave on April 1st 2020. Darren took on the lion’s share of the daily news bits, while I wrote about Ottawa’s small businesses and how they could be supported by our fair city during the pandemic. the ottawan also been a terrific way for the two of us to become acquainted – and reacquainted – with the city; Darren’s a West Coaster, and before we moved back in October 2019 we had been living outside Canada for a long time, making me a virtual stranger to my home town.

We have a history of entrepreneurship, Darren and I, and while owning your own business is incredibly rewarding, we understand the sheer bloody-mindedness it can require just to keep the lights on sometimes. So, our congratulations go out to anyone who’s weathered the pandemic and is still finding creative ways to bring in business. We’ll keep on supporting you the best way we know how: with this newsletter. 

That said, the ottawan is a labour of love, and up until now we’ve treated it like our hobby. However, our day jobs and family obligations on both sides mean that it’s becoming more challenging to keep the newsletter gears shifting. Initiatives like the ottawan Best of Ottawa Awards require funds to design, print, and post winners’ certificates (by the way, 2021 winners can expect their packages in January 2022, sorry for the delay), as does business registration (even a hobby business like ours).

So, like the store that sells everything at a loss but hopes to make it up in volume, we have a favour to ask you: tell people about us.

We'd like to have 1,000 new readers by New Year’s Eve. 

You can help make this happen by forwarding us to a friend, Tweeting out a link, or even make a TikTok. We're nothing without you.

Have a great weekend, Ottawa. We’ll see you Monday

Yule Foodie things

▪️Need a break from Christmas prep? Head to e1ghteen for Yule Holiday Brunch on Sunday December 12th or 19th from 10:00am to 2:00pm. Call (613) 244-1188 or here to book your table. $55 per person. 

▪️Taking care of loved ones and number one: Zolas Restaurant is doing a cool thing with gift certificates tomorrow only: During the Annual Gift Certificate Blitz, you can buy a $50 gift card, and get a bonus $25 gift card for yourself. Even better: buy a $100 gift card and get two $25 cards for yourself. It’s only happening tomorrow, Saturday December 11th, online and in-store. 

▪️Fraser’s take home Christmas dinner features a half turkey and dazzling sides like Porchetta with caramelized pineapple, roasted squash, celeriac and carrot stuffing, and rosemary & sage butter rolls. The whole shebang (which includes dessert) will feed four to six people and is available for pick up on Thursday December 23rd. $270 + HST.

▪️If you’re one of those organized people who’ve already wrapped the presents and put them under the tree, you might now be thinking about New Year’s Eve. Play Food & Wine is taking reservations for a three course menu with optional wine pairing and optional upgrades. A vegan option is available. Call 613.667.9207

? Is there something that Ottawa should know about? Email to us at [email protected]. We read every single comment.

STATS

Weather: ☁️ Cloudy. High of 0°, low of -1°

Number: 7. The number of Christmas movies filmed in Ottawa, and it's ten movies if you count the Ottawa valley. The Film Office says we're aa popular film location because of professional crews and our cute buildings. [Stittsville Central]

Ottawans of the Day: Margherita and Julianna Marcone. The mother-daughter duo have raised thousands of dollars for community organizations through their baking business, Julianna Banana. [Kitchissippi Times]

Quote: ‘I genuinely thought there would be another half dozen steps between going from the previous limitation to just being full capacity’ – Josh Stafford, co-owner of the Mayfair Theatre, on the patrons coming back to the cinema.  [Capital Current]

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE

Data is from this morning, comparisons are with yesterday
 

ONTARIO

Ontario COVID Page    Ontario Vaccine Rates 

QUEBEC

Quebec COVID Page     Quebec Vaccine Rates

OTTAWA

NOTE: Ottawa Public Health is now reporting 5 years +, instead of 12 years +

Ottawa Public Health     Ottawa Vaccination Rates.    Ottawa Wastewater 
 

OUTAOUAIS

As of December 3, 2021 Updated Weekly

Outaouais Public Health    Quebec Vaccination Rates
 

EASTERN ONTARIO HEALTH UNIT

Eastern Ontario Health Unit  Eastern Ontario Health Unit Vaccination Rates

COVID-19 NEWS

⭕ For the first time since May, Ottawa has reported more than 100 cases in a day. Today. [CBC]

⭕ The first two cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 have been found in the Outaouais. A total of five cases have been found in Ottawa. [CBC]

⭕ Canada's Auditor General finds that the Public Health Agency of Canada does not know if most travellers ordered to quarantine in hotels acually did so. [Maclean's] 
 

WHAT OTTAWA IS TALKING ABOUT

▪️Mayor Jim Watson will not run in the next election. Watson has been this version of Ottawa’s mayor for 12 years, and before Ottawa absorbed all its neighbours, was mayor from 1997 to 2001.The next election will be next October. [CBC] [Statement from Jim Watson] [Twitter roundup]

▪️Two of mom and pop business Shopify's children have launched a new Ottawa startup. Not literal children but don't let anyone say we don't commit to a bit. The two former employees have launched Gadget, which allows app developers to create their e-commerce projects in hours rather than weeks. They have received $8.5 million investments from US venture funds. Gadget plans to move into new Chinatown offices in the new year. [Ottawa Business Journal]

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