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HELLO OTTAWA

🚊 NO Train: Day 1️⃣5️⃣

Here are today’s updates on the closure of the Confederation Line.

  •  August 14 is the new date for a limited return to service of the O Train. In a best case scenario, that is. (Ted Raymond at CTV)
  •  Glen Gower, chair of the City’s transportation committee, says that he has brought up compensation to riders to the Mayor. The Stittsville ward councillor says that it is complicated because fares are an important source of revenue for the non-running service. (Guy Quenneville at CBC)

📨 Reader Mailbag

ottawan readers have advised of a some things over the past few days:

  •  Reader Andre notes that the Bicentennial of the City of Ottawa is coming up in 2026 and we should all start thinking about our plans now. He helpfully provided this article on how Ottawa partied on the 100th anniversary. We suspect there will be fewer cricket matches this time around.
  •  Reader Candice notes that Hawkesbury is not in Ottawa and ‘It is annoying (and disrespectful) to assign Eastern Ontario communities to Ottawa’. She also wrote ‘I imagine that was a simple error, not ignorance of geography’ but as the bit yesterday about Ottawa’s cheapest and most expensive neighbourhoods was written by West Coast native Darren, Candice imagined very, very wrong.
  •  Reader Fredy notes that only the first phase of Montréal’s new Réseau express métropolitain light railway opened on the weekend. While 67 km will be built, as we Darren wrote yesterday, just 16.6 km is in service now.

– Martha & Darren

 

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    Weather

    • ⛈️ 30% chance of thunderstorms. High of 23°, low of 10°. 

    Number 

    Ottawan of the Day

    Quote 

    • “
    • I think she wants us to reflect on these things and understand things from her perspective
    • – Mitia Rioux-Beaulne, chair of the University of Ottawa’s department of philosophy, on artist Deanna Bowen’s new exhibit displayed on the front of the National Gallery, ‘The Black Canadians (after Cooke)’. The piece includes ‘images portraying historical periods from Queen Victoria’s tenure, to the British and American abolition of slavery, to Black migration, to the First World War’ as well as the Group of Seven. (Catherine Morrison in the Ottawa Citizen) 

    🗳️ Third Party Advertising

    •  Campaigning group Horizon Ottawa may have contravened election rules. Horizon printed fliers promoting a festival during the last civic election campaign period in which candidates appeared before it registered as a third-party agent. Horizon did subsequently register a week later. The City’s election compliance audit committee suspects this may have contravened the rules and could result in a lawsuit.  (Elyse Skura at CBC)

    🌊 Mooney’s Bay

    •  Mooney’s Bay has been closed to swimming due to suspected algae bloom. Water quality testing shows that the Bay has the highest E. coli count of the City’s four beaches. The beach may be closed for up to two weeks. (Ottawa Citizen)

    🪧 Federal Public Service

    •  The Canada Revenue Agency has received a labour complaint over firing 1,700 workers. The Union of Taxation Employees says that it was ‘disrespectful and unfair’ to terminate the contracts of the workers immediately after signing a new agreement. The Union says that the Federal government did not indicate that it was planning on severing the employees during negotiation, ultimately denying the 1,700 from receiving $2,500 signing bonuses. (Catherine Morrison in the Ottawa Citizen)

    💸  Self Service

    •  The Walmart at Billings Bridge has removed its self service check outs. Signs are up saying the store is testing out a ‘full service experience’, also known as cashiers. There is speculation that this is a test to see if shoplifting can be reduced. (Ted Raymond at CTV)

    🏨 Hotels

    •  The Marriott Ottawa, the city’s second-largest hotel, has been sold. The 489-room property has been sold to Toronto-based Manga Hotels Group for an undisclosed amount. Pundits expect a major renovation but the sale does not mean a change of name is necessary.  (David Sali in the Ottawa Business Journal)

     

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    Send us your event listings for consideration in the newsletter

    Today

    Tomorrow 

    •  Festival Country Gatineau (until Sunday, August 6) kicks off with Gaspé Festive Evening, featuring David Pine and his Musicians at 9:00 pm.
    •  Josh & the Dirty Rags, Nix and Lightsmith play Songs from the Shed on Sparks St. 11:30 am to 1:00 pm.
    •  Montgomery Scotch Lounge transforms into a Barrel of Laughs Comedy Night. 750 Gladstone Ave.
    •  Hate to say it, but we’re kinda, sorta heading into late summer. One of the upsides, though, is sunflower season. Every Wednesday to Sunday you can wander through a field of them, take selfies to your heart’s content, and even pick other flowers like dahlias and zinnias for your table, all at Fields of Gold. 17650 Strathmore Rd, Monkland, ON
    •  The Ottawa Music Industry Coalition shares the music with City Sounds Live, a series of free outdoor concerts popping up around town this summer. Tonight, listen to Tristan Guay, Sophie D’Orléans, and Wassim at St. Charles Market, corner of Beechwood Ave and St. Charles St in Vanier from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

    Thursday

    Just Announced / Now Booking

    •  Celebrating 30 years, Ottawa International Busker Fest returns to Sparks Street August 4 - 7. Watch performers on the three stages and wandering the street, plus try your hand at juggling, plate spinning, and other free workshops, each day from 11:00 am to 3:30 pm. Sparks St. between Kent and Elgin.

     

    There are massive savings to be had at Parkhurst, who have deeply discounted summer items in the Summer Blowout Sale. All the items that we clicked on were Made in Canada.

    Buy three pairs of Anne Mulaire leggings and save 20%. Use the code FRIENDFORLIFE to save.

    Get discounts to many Ottawa attractions with the Visit Ottawa Pass. It's an easy peasy text pass (no messy app to download) that you present at many museums, the National Gallery of Canada, and more.

    Save up to 50% on sweat sets, camp shirts, and swim trunks at Bather.

    You may remember Beechwood Cemetery director of marketing, communications, and community outreach Nicolas McCarthy as our quote of the day yesterday.

    Noting that people visit Granary Burying Ground in Boston for Ben Franklin and the Père Lachaise in Paris for Jim Morrison, McCarthy says visitors could come to pay respect to some of these people resting at Beechwood:  first female Supreme Court justice Bertha Wilson, Second World War General Harry Crerar, residential school activist Dr. Peter Hendersen Bryce, head tax fighter Chow Quen Lee,  musician Violet Archer, and pioneering journalists Madge MacBeth, Rosa Shaw, and Bettie Cole.

    We will see you tomorrow  – Martha and Darren
     

    🗣️ Is there something that Ottawa should know about? Email to us at hello@theottawan.com. We read every single comment.

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