HELLO OTTAWA

Start thinking New Year’s Eve

Christmas is still a week away but it’s going to pass in a flash, and then what do we have to look forward to? New Year’s Eve, that’s what. Thanks to COVID-19, however, it’s not going to be your average end of year celebration. Some restaurants will be starting dinner service in the afternoon, and all must be empty of customers by 10pm, so it’s likely that even their staff will be back home tucked up in bed by the time the clock chimes midnight. Yes, in 2020, even the final night of the year is going to be weird.

▪️ Beckta is running a five course tasting menu for tables of up to four people, with time slots starting at 4:30pm. From $175 per person. Call 613-238-7063 to book.

▪️ “Dine in the Sky” at The Westin is a five course dinner at TwentyTwo restaurant and a two hour show with Ottawa’s Dueling Pianos. Available for tables of two and four people, the night includes red carpet arrival, stunning panoramas 22 floors up, and the show.From $240.90.

▪️  If you plan to stay home on New Year’s Eve, it doesn’t have to be a boring evening. Bangin’ Balloons has personal size balloon drops for ringing in the New Year for $50. They’ve also got cute, gold "F&!# 2020" balloon banners and New Years balloon bouquets, starting at $25.

▪️ The Soca Kitchen is offering glam take home dinners for four people. Available for pick up on December 30th only, the meal includes starters, a coconut lamb main, sides, and a dessert, as well as full reheating instructions. $220.

Curl away the COVID blues

▪️ One Saturday years ago, a friend took Martha curling in Vancouver. Martha still remembers how much fun it was, and she hopes to curl again one day. Luckily, she won’t have to travel to Vancouver to do it. The City View Curling Club at 50 Capilano Drive is offering a 50% discount on league memberships “for individuals looking for a way to beat the COVID blues.” This includes the “Learn to Curl Program,” which is definitely what Martha needs.

Lucky Carrie

▪️ If you nominated and voted in The Ottawan Best of Ottawa Awards back in October, you were entered into a random draw for $100 to spend at an Ottawa business. Congratulations to Carrie of Westbeau Cottage! We selected Carrie’s name at random, and she chose a gift certificate to the renowned fine dining restaurant, Beckta. We hope you have an amazing time, Carrie! 

Thank you to Carrie and everyone who nominated and voted in thIs year’s awards.

We'll see you Monday – Martha and Darren

#STATS

Weather: ?️ 30 per cent chance of snow. High of -10°  

Number:  $1,000,000. The amount of surplus money that the Royal Ottawa Golf Club boasted of at their annual general meeting, crediting the Federal COVID-19 emergency wage subsidy programme for the amount. The president of the club points out returning the money ‘is not only wrong but is not at all consistent with the CEWS criteria.’ [CBC]

+ Related Self-employed people who received the $2,000 per month CERB have been told to return it if they had legitimate business expenses that reduce last year's pay to under $5,000. People eligible for CERB must have had $5,000 in income in the 12 months before the CERB start date but the Canada Revenue Agency retroactively amended the web page to say it's $5,000 clear after all business deductions have been made. 

Ottawan of the Day: Nathan Gravelle. Known as Thrilla, Gravelle has been reporting on Ottawa hip hop for 12 years at CapCityHipHop. [Shifter] [CapCityHipHop]

Quote: “I’ve found cart corrals, phone booths, reflections, geometric perspectives, and iconic establishments all super interesting” – Photographer Jason Fournier who spends his nights documenting Ottawa’s not-so-abandoned streets. [Apartment 613] [Jay Fournier]

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE

Public Health Reports: 

OTTAWA

Ottawa Public Health Dashboard

Ottawa Wastewater Dashboard

Ottawa-Carleton District School Board

Ottawa Catholic School Board

Conseil des ecoles catholiques du Centre-Est

Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario
 

There have been 9211 confirmed cases of COVID‌-19, an increase of 52 since yesterday, and 388 deaths, one new report.
 

OUTAOUAIS

Outaouais Public Health dashboard

There have been 4136 confirmed cases of COVID-19, an increase of 47 since yesterday, and 96 deaths, no new reports.
 

EASTERN ONTARIO

Eastern Ontario Health Unit dashboard

There have been 1164 confirmed cases of COVID-19, an increase of 11 since yesterday, and 32 deaths, no new reports.

Sometimes the number of cases or deaths are lower from one day to the next. This is usually because the powers-that-be reassigned a case to a different health authority.

⭕ British researchers have found a new strain of COVID-19 but think existing vaccines can cope with it. [Macleans]

⭕ A 107 room hotel has been procured for people who must self-isolate but would put other people at risk by staying at home. The location is secret but contact Ottawa Public Health if you need it. [CBC]

⭕ Southbridge and Rykka Care Centres have the highest death rates per 100 residents for all care home chains in Ontario. [CBC]

⭕ Canada will donate unneeded vaccines to developing countries once ‘we're all right, Jack,’ says International Aid minister [Ottawa Citizen]

⭕ Hockey practice led to 89 cases of COVID-19 says Ottawa Public Health [CityNews]

 ? The Canada COVID Alert App

Be alerted if you have come in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. The app now works in Quebec as well as Ontario.

? How It Works       [Apple App Store]      [Google Play Store]

#WHAT OTTAWA IS TALKING ABOUT

▪️ The Ottawa Public Library has made good on their promise and late fees will gone as of January 1. Charging late fees keeps away people who need the library but can’s afford the fines. The new system will utilize the most powerful technique available to humanity: guilt from librarians. The new rules also figure that items 21 days past the due date will be considered lost and the borrower will be charged the replacement amount. Should the item make its way back, that fee will be waived. [CTV] 

▪️ Senate Tavern locations get their liquor licenses back, with conditions. The Alcohol and Gaming Commission pulled the licenses of the two pubs after a staffer was charged with assaulting a police officer, who was in one of the pubs for a public health check. The staffer says that he did not assault the officer but was himself the victim of assault. The Commission has returned the licenses on the condition, besides good behaviour, that the staffer not return to the premises. [Ottawa Citizen]

▪️ Parks Canada is building an 88,000 square foot building in Gatineau to house its archive. Parks Canada has 25 million historical and archeological objects in its collection to which Indigenous peoples, researchers, institutions, and community groups will gain access in 2023. [Ottawa Business Journal]

▪️ You.i TV has been bought by the parent company of HBO for their streaming services. WarnerMedia has paid US $100 million for the company, which has made streaming apps for Direct TV GO, FOX, and A&E networks. You.I TV has 200 employees in Kanata. [Reddit discussion] [Light Reading]

▪️ Yesterday we talked about how Ottawa smash burger purveyors Burger n’ Fries Forever have opened a location in Toronto. A Toronto-informed reader tells us that BnFF already had a location in Toronto, they just moved. We apologize for providing less than interesting information. BnFF has now moved to red on our 'Hey, we've got our eye on you...' watchlist. They were already previously at level orange for their dodgy use of an apostophe in their name. [Newswire]

THE OTTAWAN

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? Holiday Gift Guide, Historic Ottawa Logo T-Shirts

? Maps: Ottawa-Gatineau Craft Brewery Map, Heated Patio Map, Black-owned Restaurants Map 

?️ The Best Of Ottawa Awards 2020 

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