HELLO OTTAWA | 🎁 This edition of THE OTTAWAN makes it a wrap for 2024. In past years we have published mini-OTTAWANs during the Christmas and New Year’s week but, looking at the calendar this year, that schedule would just be weird. | So our plan is to see you again Monday, January 6 with whatever epiphanies we came up with in our down time. If something of note happens in the interim, we might surprise you with a mini THE OTTAWAN or a social media post. | Thank you everyone for joining with us each morning as we discover something new about Ottawa, Gatineau, and our surrounding bailiwick of varying size, depending on our mood. | → We wish you all a Happy Christmas | → A Hanukkah Sameach | → A bright winter solstice | → And a prosperous New Year | → ☁️ High -5° Low -8° and overcast | – Martha and Darren | | STATISTICS OTTAWA | | 1,200 | The number of holds placed on the ebook edition of Kristin Hannah’s The Women, of which the Ottawa Public Library has only 75 copies. The ebook edition of Louise Penny’s The Grey Wolf, has 750 holds for 50 copies. Patrons can keep ebooks for a maximum of 21 days. | | | | Ben Andrews at CBC |
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| OTTAWAN OF THE DAY | Jelle Kooijman | The Dutch native has found his dream job as coach of the Algonquin College men’s volleyball team, combining ‘his love for sports and his passion for his studies in sports and exercise psychology and human movement science`. | | | | Agrani Tiwari in the Algonquin Times |
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| QUOTE | | ❝ | | | I was like seven when I got the moon shoes. I remember thinking it would be the best thing ever |
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| | SPORTS | 🏒 PWHL Ottawa Charge 2 – Minnesota Frost 2, last night | 🏒 NHL Ottawa Senators 3 – Calgary Flames 2, last night | | PLEASE SUPPORT THE OTTAWAN | THE OTTAWAN was launched in 2020 as the daily answer to the questions: What’s going on? What should I do? Where is somewhere good to eat? | Please consider joining the many other readers with a monthly, annual, or one-time donation to keep THE OTTAWAN on its mission. | All annual or one-time donations over $60 get a free OTTAWAN or historic logo t-shirt of their choice. |
| Membership levels | ✅ $5 mo / Technically Beautiful | ✅ $10 mo / ByTowner | ✅ $20 mo / City that Fun Remembered | ✅ $25 mo / Truly OTT | ✅ Or make a one-time donation | | Join Us |
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| | WHAT’S GOING ON AT CITY HALL | No meetings until January 13. | Agenda | | WHAT OTTAWA IS TALKING ABOUT | 📛 Federal Public Employees | ▪️Federal Public Employees take note, your new boss will be Ginette Petitpas Taylor. Well, the new boss of most of you. Taylor was named head of the Treasury Board today after a cabinet shuffle by New Edinburgh resident Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. She is currently minister of veterans affairs and minister of employment, workforce development and official languages. | | | | Catherine Morrison in the Ottawa Citizen |
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| 🛻 Convoy News | ▪️The stay of prosecution against former Member of Provincial Parliament Randy Hillier is being appealed by the Crown. Last month, a judge ruled that too much had time had passed between charges laid and a trial, violating a Canadian’s right to a speedy trial. The Supreme Court has given 30 months as the dividing line, Hillier had been waiting 31 months, 13 days. During the Convoy siege, Hillier was charged with, amongst other things, assaulting a peace officer, mischief, counselling others to commit mischief, and resisting or obstructing a peace officer. | | | | The Canadian Press |
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| | ⚽ Jonathan David | ▪️For the second time since 2019, Jonathan David has been named Canada men’s soccer player of the year. For Team Canada, David scored five goals in 14 matches. For France’s LOSC Lille, David leads the league with 11 goals this season. | | | | The Canadian Press |
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| 📋 Secret Meetings | ▪️The City is holding two public meetings, one for Lansdowne and one for Tewin, for which it did not send out press releases. Ottawa Bulldog discovered this and, in its inimitable way, is livid. On Thursday, January 9, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, there will be an in-person session ‘to learn about and provide feedback on the Tewin project and the study process. Display panels will introduce a preliminary land use plan and options for supporting infrastructure’. (Details) On Wednesday, January 15, from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm, there will be an in-person and a virtual Public Information Session to learn more about the plan for the North Side Stands at Lansdowne. (Details) Both of these events are published on the City’s Engage Website for those who deliberately look but the lack of press releases complaint is legit. THE OTTAWAN didn’t get one either, and we’re signed up for such things. |
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| | OTTAWA HISTORIC LOGO T-SHIRTS | An Ottawa Historic Logo t-shirt would probably make a terrific Christmas or Hanukkah gift – but it’s too late.
You can order if you like – we’d never say no to a sale – but the chances of the t-shirt making it to you before Dec 23 is pretty much none. | It’s a great way to ring in the New Year, though, after New Year’s Day. There is no way one would arrive before then at this point. |  | BNR |
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| BNR T-Shirt | Founded in 1971, Bell Northern Research was purchased by Nortel and eventually shared that companies fate. The BNR campus in Ottawa was fondly deemed the 'Big Nerd Ranch', and is now the headquarters of the Department of National Defence. | Help support THE OTTAWAN by buying one of our historic logo t-shirts. | |
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| | THE ROLLING 3 DAY CALENDAR | Is there an event we should know about?
Please use our easy event submission form | TODAY | ▪️ Today is the cut off for delivery of Rocket Scones before Christmas. If you order by midnight tonight you can have Rocket Scones deliver your order on Sunday (December 22). ▪️ House of TARG gets loud with the Holiday Headbanger featuring Passenger Princess, Casual Tragedies, Rumination Year, and Lazy Bratz. ▪️ If the season’s becoming too stressful, take a salsa lesson and dance the night away at Rahim Salsa Christmas Celebrations. ▪️ Ugly Christmas Sweaters are requested at Broadhead Brewery for Par’s Xmas Party. ▪️ The improvised family sitcom “Filmed Before a Live Studio Audience” closes forever after this final show at Arts Court. ▪️ Move to house and tech house at Late Night Laundry. From 10:00 pm at the 27 Club. 🆓 (but tipping is nice): Let the Ottawa Pocket Jazz Band serenade you with the music of the season. Lavender Grill. 🆓 Sing your heart out by the fire pit as the Findlay Creek Community Association presents an evening of carolling. ▪️ ByTowne Cinema: Detour: The Lighthouse, Queer, Oh, Canada, Exhibition on Screen: Van Gogh Poets & Lovers ▪️ Mayfair Theatre: Conclave, Flow, The Rocky Horror Picture Show Gigs ▪️ The RockPhiles. Barley Mow Westboro ▪️ Insanity of Sorrow. Dominion Tavern ▪️ Ky Anto. Art House Café ▪️ Baby Richman. Avant-Garde Bar ▪️ Blakk Zabbath Sozziety, Dead Romantic, Crash. The Lookout Bar & Nightclub ▪️ 4DAYWKND. Rainbow Bistro ▪️ Groove Society Holiday Fiesta with Joe, Marty and Alexa. Poa Tiki Bar ▪️ The Time Beings. The Carleton Tavern |
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| TOMORROW | ▪️ Find last minute gifts and decorating ideas at All My Favourite Things Market Series in ByWard Market. ▪️ Enjoy seasonal tunes and favourite standards this evening as the Stan Clark Orchestra presents Christmas Jazz Concert & Rideau Park United Church. Pay What You Can. ▪️ If the sound of harmonies makes your heart swoon, you need to be at 55 ByWard Market from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm and listen as Hypatia’s Voice (a choir of Sopranos and Altos) sings live against the bustle of a Saturday before Christmas. ▪️ With influences that range from 90s grunge and punk to indie rock and pop, you know that Ottawa jazz quartet Internet Celebrities is going to bring something special to its gig at Art House Café. ▪️ Enjoy a range of seasonal music by Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Robert Fleming, Matthew Larkin, James Wright, and more. Christmas with Music and Beyond plays Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre tonight only. ▪️ Brews and BBQ are on the menu at Broadhead Brewery’s A Rusty XMAS party. ▪️ Road Trip: The theme for the 3rd annual Christmas at the Old Town Hall in Winchester, Ontario is “Songs From the Movies.” From $22.63 per ticket. ▪️ The Ottawa Mystic Market’s Yule Market will have everything that your goth, witchy, and spiritual friends and family would desire. Today and Sunday at Next Door Market & Event Space. ▪️ There are limited tickets remaining for the three performances of O Christmas Tea: A British Comedy by James and Jamesy, which plays today, tomorrow, and Monday at Meridian Theatres at Centrepointe. ▪️ From 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm, skate with friends and family as a DJ spins the tunes at Lansdowne Park’s Outdoor Ice. No registration required. ▪️ ByTowne Cinema: Queer, Oh, Canada, Classic Kidz: Elf, All We Imagine As Light. ▪️ Mayfair Theatre: Saturday Morning All-You-Can-Eat-Cereal Cartoon Party 35: Holiday Season Edition!, That’s Christmas: A seasonal sing-along session and music video screening, Conclave, Black Christmas (1974) Gigs ▪️ Emo Night. The 27 Club ▪️ Go Long, Sorry Snowman, DJ Burn. House of TARG ▪️ The Plager Boys. Arnprior Legion (afternoon show) ▪️ Latin Night. The Alembic ▪️ An Evening with One Night Stand. Conspiracy Theory Brewing ▪️ Southern Style. Irene’s Pub ▪️ 80s New Wave Dance Party at Busters Bar & Grill |
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| SUNDAY | | MONDAY | | JUST ANNOUNCED / NOW BOOKING | ▪️ Your first theatre outing of 2025 has got to be the Stratford Festival production of Salesman in China, presented in English and Mandarin and playing the National Arts Centre January 16-25. ▪️ Snowball: A Cool Winter’s Eve will break the monotony of an Ottawa February with chef stations, live music, auctions, and surprises. It’s all in aid of the Snowsuit Fund. Wednesday February 12 at Ottawa Art Gallery. |
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| | DEALS OF THE DAY |  | Alicja Confections |
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| Today only: The Chocolate Ware House Sale at Alicja Confections, where all you have to do is select any number of Milk, Dark, or White PostCard Chocolate Bars for just $5.99 each and you’ll receive randomly selected editions of the popular bars. It’s a fun surprise and a way to sample unfamiliar flavours. Also, they will probably fit nicely in a Christmas stocking. |
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|  | Bizou |
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| Save 25% on select gold jewelry at Bizou. |
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|  | Charm Thai |
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| Charm Thai (121 Preston Street) is offering 10% off all dine-in and takeout orders (but not online orders) until January 15. |
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| | BUT, ONE MORE THING … | | | | DAILY QUALITY CONTROL | What did you think of today’s OTTAWAN? | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great ⭐⭐⭐ Satisfactory ⭐ Needs Improvement |
| Comment of the week: ‘I like the variety of topics that are covered in a succinct way. Focus on city council concerns is interesting and much needed’ |
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