In Today’s Edition → The new Ottawa Police Station in Barrhaven hits a construction milestone → Last minute Mother’s Day ideas → Deals of the Day on beer and womenswear → ⛅ High 8° Low 4° and partly cloudy ☀️ 5:40 am 🌛 8:20 pm |
Mother’s Day Here are your last chance Mother’s Day ideas. We’ve collected the last few days worth of Mother’s Days ideas in our gift guide here. 🌹 🚗 Road Trip: Pembroke’s sweet boutique West on Main is holding its annual Mother’s Day Mingle from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Do some shopping, enjoy light refreshments, and maybe win a giveaway. 🌹 Shop for a last minute gift at the York Street Mother's Day Market. 🌹 Make time for Day 2 of the Vpop at Next Door Mother's Day Edition market on Sunday. 🌹 🚗 Road Trip: Visit Hummingbird Chocolate in the incredibly charming town of Almonte for Chocolate Fondue with Mom. 🌹 Head to Manotick for the Mill Tavern's Mimosas & Moms Mothers Day Brunch. 🌹 Stop by Ottawa Farmers Market for a gift or bouquet for your mother figure. 🌹 Jojo Coco has chocolate gifts from across Canada and even chocolate and tea bundles; whichever you choose they're sure to bring a smile to Mom's face. 🌹 Around the Block Butchers are raffling off a Basket of Goodies worth $250 in honour of Mother's Day. Proceeds will benefit Pinecrest Terrace Community House Food Bank. While you're buying a ticket, have a look at the Mother's Day meals to heat at home: quiches, roasts, charcuterie boxes, and desserts are all on the menu.
🌷 Tulip Festival Bulbs This is our annual reminder that the National Capital Commission gives away the bulbs to non-profit groups after the Tulip Festival, but they never really tell people about it. If your group would like some bulbs, send an official request with information such as ‘the name of the non-profit organization, the reason for the request, the contact information, and the quantity of bulbs requested’ to nccinfo@ncc-ccn.ca.
📬 Reader Mail Reader Adriano D comments on yesterday’s item about stolen Honda Civic airbags: ‘Yep, I was one of those 14 Civic owners in the East End. Worst part is that new airbags are on back order for 4 weeks!’
– Martha and Darren |
NUMBER - 45 to 60 minutes
- – The time it now takes to travel between downtown and the Ottawa International Airport by O Train. OC Transpo has removed the No. 97 Airport bus, which used to take 25 minutes..
- Xavier Sythe in the Ottawa Citizen
- ↪ Riders have been reporting that the internal screens on some Line 2 carriages show the opposite destination, causing passengers to take the wrong train. – Douaa Qadadia in the Ottawa Citizen
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Nikita James Nanos The chief data scientist and founder of the Nanos Research Group of Companies, as well as adjunct research professor at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, has been named as Carleton University’s 13th chancellor. He will take up the mantle July 1.
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SPORTS - 🏒 PWHL Ottawa Charge 3 – Montréal Victoire 2 last night
- (Game 1 of semi-finals)
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WHAT’S GOING ON AT CITY HALL |
WHAT OTTAWA IS TALKING ABOUT |
🚨 The Ottawa Police Service will hold a ‘topping off’ ceremony today to recognize the completion of its new Barrhaven station’s structural framework. The new building on Prince of Wales Drive will consolidate several leased properties, including the Leitrim and Greenbank police stations. The 911 Communication Centre will also relocate there.– Peter Szperling at CTV
🤑 The Presto card announced some new perks for those that use it for transit – but few will be surprised that almost all of the discounts are only for the use of people in the Toronto area. Even the Second Cup discount can be used only at Hogtown’s Union Station. However, there is one discount for cardholders in Ottawa: up to 20 per cent off on Broadway Across Canada shows at the National Arts Centre. Beetlejuice, Hamilton, and Mrs Doubtfire are the final three shows of the season and are all eligible. – Presto Perks ↪ Now’t to do with Presto Cards, but Cineplex Odeon is offering VIP tickets at the regular ticket price every Wednesday in May. VIP seating means comfier chairs, food and booze delivered to your seat, and access to the VIP lounge. – Cineplex VIP
🎓 Students from the Algonquin Anishinàbeg Nation will have their tuition waived by the University of Ottawa. Announced yesterday, the waiver is ‘one more step in our work to embed Indigenous priorities into uOttawa’s governance, infrastructure, pedagogy, and decision-making’. – Josh Pringle at CTV
🛒 Every week, @Stromanker reviews all the local grocery flyers and posts the deals on Ottawa Reddit. He finds a ‘couple of doorcrasher specials on beef tenderloin this week. Also, there are good deals to be had on apples, cucumbers, pears, pineapples, and canned tomatoes’. – r/Ottawa |
The Poll Last time, we asked ‘Which other body of water should be opened for swimming?’ 42% Rideau Canal 21% Morrison’s Quarry 26% Under the Wakefield bridge 5% Carlington Heights Reservoir 5% Other
Reader Linda L writes to us, ‘I would have voted for the Wakefield Bridge but then that would take away a rite of passage for kids from the region who jump off the bridge to take that illicit swim. Not that I would know anything about anything that's not allowed, of course!’ Today’s poll: Dow’s Lake may open for swimmers this summer. |
Have you taken a ride on O Train Line 2 or 4 yet? |
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THE ROLLING THREE DAY CALENDAR |
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✳️ Means change from previous edition FRIDAY The Canadian War Museum will honour Second World War veterans with a new exhibition, Last Voices of the Second World War (May 9 2025 to January 18, 2026). The exhibition integrates more than 60 intensely personal and powerful perspectives from veterans of the Second World War and their family members in an intimate and warm exhibition space. Through a rich array of interview excerpts and quotes, artifacts, artworks, photographs, and design elements, visitors will embark on a compelling and poignant exploration of a broad range of experiences of life after conflict. The Ottawa Children's Festival continues. It is sad news that independent theatre organization TACTICS is closing down. However, there’s a full weekend ahead of remembrance and celebration of all that the independent theatre organization did in its 12 years of existence. The TACTICS Sunset Season Festival will include readings, performances and tributes, all taking place at LabO, 60 Waller St. 🆓 As the Canadian Tulip Festival gets underway, give yourself a free, self-guided tour of the gardens. Then, plan to watch one of the two free movies screening at the festival: Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (4:00 pm) and Twisters (8:00 pm) Check out the 1-800-Got-Junk? Upcycle Garden, made completely of, you guessed it, recycled materials. See more than 200 quilts on display at the Ottawa Valley Quilters Guild The Valley Blooms Quilt Show. The show continues tomorrow. Nepean Sportsplex, $10 admission. The Children’s Festival continues at Lansdowne Park. Twilight fans will be dressing up, talking back to the screen, and possibly swooning under the vampy influence of it all as the ByTowne Cinema runs Breaking Dawn - Part 1. Poet, actor, and singer/songwriter Tom Waits’ catalogue is explored and reinterpreted in Songs from a Drunken Piano. It’s Royal Oak Orléans turn to host Trivia Feud, where teams compete just like on the TV show. Kiwan Farms Season Opening (3485 Hawthorne Road off Hunt Club) will have Mother’s Day Specials (think hanging baskets) amongst the locally grown produce. ByTowne Cinema: Bonjour Tristesse, Maurice, The Way, My Way, Interactive: The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 Mayfair Theatre: Bob Trevino Likes It, The Ballad of Wallis Island, Kryptic Gigs Neon Ghosthouse, F!TH, Cardamom Years, Nakedburn. Rainbow Bistro Adrenaline 001, Arise, Hard Techno. City at Night Global Holocaust, Genetic Error, Acid Rot, Chilopoda. Dominion Tavern Lucky Songs Songwriters’ Round with Chrisine Graves, Elle Sherlock, and John Carroll. Meow! That’s Hot Sworn Enemy, Brick by Brick, War Nerve, Hyena. House of TARG German Sparkle Party. White Rabbit
SATURDAY ✳️ If your bicycle needs a tune up, or a new owner, bring it by Dominion City Brewing's Bike Drive from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm. ✳️ 🆓 It's World Migratory Bird Day and there are a number of free events happening at Ron Kolbus Lakeside Centre. Spaces are filling up for the day of Guided Birding Walks, Shoreline Bird Observation, and opportunities to meet local groups that are working to protect the birds. ✳️ 🆓 Friends of Stittsville Wetlands have similar events planned on Saturday May 10. Shared Spaces: Creating Bird-Friendly Cities and Communities will include an Interpretive Walk to learn more about the Goulbourn Wetland Complex. Free spaces are filling up fast. The Canadian Centennial Choir will be performing a program of nature-themed works at Centretown United Church. $25 for adults, seniors and students pay $20. After an absence of nine years, the Ottawa Tibet Film Festival returns with a day of screenings at Saint Paul University. 🚗 Road Trip: As Hardy Boys author Charles Leslie McFarland (under the nom de plume Franklin W Dixon) was born in Carleton Place, it's only fitting that the town has a Hardy Boys Scavenger Hunt & Mystery event. The Canadian Tulip Festival welcomes visitors to its first Saturday of programming and blossoms. Every Saturday, Apiverte in Sainte-Cecile-de-Masham holds three hour introductory Bee Basics sessions about beekeeping. If you’ve ever wondered what’s involved in raising bees in the backyard, this is the perfect introduction that will hopefully answer your questions. The Mom and Daughter Yoga session at Tanger Outlets is free, but you must register in advance. Vpop at Next Door Ottawa welcomes human and fur moms, dads, babies and everyone else to the Mother's Day Edition market (today and tomorrow). This market will feature a kids’ play/craft area for the whole family and a formal wear booth with proceeds going to Hope Cornerstone. Parkdale Market opens for its 101st season, beginning with the Flower Market from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm today (the regular Market is open until 5:00 pm). 🆓 Learn from the experts at the Nepean Horticultural Society Spring Flower Show. Find kids' clothes and toys, household items, books, and games at the Carp Co-Operative Nursery School's Yard Sale. 🆓 Alta Vista welcomes the 4th Annual Spring Art Festival. 🆓 Shop from more than 30 vendors at the May Blossoms Market. The dog-friendly market has free parking. Also in Orléans: not only can you shop at the Legion's Spring Vendors Market, but they'll be serving breakfast from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm (cash only). Taking place the first weekend of the Canadian Tulip Festival, the Preston Street Craft Market in the heart of Little Italy is the perfect spot to do some Mother’s Day gift shopping. 298 Preston St. The Valley Blooms Quilt Show continues at Nepean Sportsplex. Celebrate the Earth Goddesses and mother figures in your life at the Mother Earth Psychic & Craft Fair at Bronson Centre Metcalfe Farmers Market opens for the season. It’s SeedLing Saturday at the Just Food Community Farm (2391 Pepin Court near Blackburn Hamlet). You’ll find local produce, herb and flower seedlings as well as workshops, food, and live music. It’s free to attend. In a 20-year tradition, shop for plants, planters, and hanging baskets at the Plant Sale outside the New Edinburgh Fieldhouse from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. 🆓 613Flea heads back outside for the season. Shop with 150 local makers, artisans, and purveyors of vintage goods. ByTowne Cinema: Maurice, The Way, My Way, No Other Land, Possession Mayfair Theatre: Flow, The Ballad of Wallis Island, The Shrouds Gigs The Uninvited Guests. Overflow Brewing Soul to Squeeze. Carleton Tavern Mark Ferguson, Deniz Lim-Sersan. GigSpace The Blue Stones. Bronson Centre Kingfisher, Majors, Among Legends. 27 Club
SUNDAY 🚗 Road Trip: Once you've been inspired by the Canadian Tulip Festival, hop in the car and drive to Green Corners Farm in Russell for a pick-your-own-tulips session. It's highly recommended that you buy your ticket before you go. This afternoon's Adaptive Performance at Beechwood Cemetery is designed for those with Dementia or Alzheimer's disease. Stittsville's Market At the Barn opens for the season with more than 25 vendors set up alongside the Trans Canada Trail. The Ottawa Children's Festival continues. Visit the Ottawa Horticultural Society and other partners at the Friends of the (Experimental) Farm Plant Sale. Help Slay Society support caregivers of people with glioblastoma. The Palntopia! Sale at Broadhead Brewery will have all the herbs and veggies you need to get your garden started; meanwhile, the kids will enjoy the bouncy castle. ByTowne Cinema: High Tea Cinema: Shakespeare in Love, No Other Land, Bonjour Tristesse, Spectacle: There Will Be Blood Mayfair Theatre: Flow, The Ballad of Wallis Island, Kryptic
Gigs All Disco All 80s All Night. Queen St Fare Open Mic. Moose McGuire's (Orléans) Level Up Tour! With CHILIØ, Cawston, and Sudden Waves. LIVE on Elgin Richard Flohil and Jesse Green. Red Bird
MONDAY JUST ANNOUNCED/ NOW BOOKING The Kemptville Buskerfest festival takes over Kemptville's downtown streets for a full day of entertainment on Saturday May 17. Also on Saturday May 17, the All Things Bookish Market returns to Parkdale market. Local authors will be on site and vendors will have book selections to fill the blank spots on your shelves.
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MOST CLICKED FROM THE PREVIOUS OTTAWAN |
MADE IN CANADA DEALS OF THE DAY |
THE OTTAWAN is giving you permission to be sporty this weekend. And by sporty, we mean sitting down, enjoying a beverage, and watching The Home Team either out in the open air or in your living room. 🚲 The National Capital Commission’s Weekend Bikedays return tomorrow and run Saturdays, Sundays, and holiday Mondays until October 13. The parkways open to bikes and pedestrians are Kichi Zībī Mīkan, Sir George-Étienne Cartier Parkway, and the Queen Elizabeth Driveway. 🏉 Ottawa’s Australian rules football teams return tomorrow for a day of matches and an afterparty. Outdoors at the Manotick Polo Club, with a BBQ and drinks all day. The women play West Coast Saints at 10:00 am, DC/Toronto at 12:10 pm, and DC/Toronto at 2:20 pm. The men play West Coast Saints at 11:05 am, and High Park Demons at 1:15 pm and 3:25 pm. The afterparty is at the Royal Oak (Beechwood). ⚽ Atlético Ottawa takes on Valour FC at the The Stadium at TD Place at 2:00 pm tomorrow. ⚽ Newbies Ottawa Rapid of the Northern Super League visit Calgary FC for their third ever match. Sunday at 5:00 pm on TSN. 🏒 And, of course, the big show: Ottawa Charge visit Montréal Victoire for the Professional Women’s Hockey League semi-final, game 2. Sunday 2:00 pm and viewable on TSN. ↪ Hylands Golf Club has an official Watch Party from 2:00 pm.
If none of that is your cup of tea, Matthew Kupfer at CBC talks to some green thumbs about what to plant this weekend if you can’t wait until the Victoria Day long weekend.
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THE OTTAWAN is written and edited every working weekday by 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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