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Issue 604 Volume 3 Number 104

The Ottawan

 

HELLO OTTAWA 

It’s Tuesday, September 6, 2022 and here is a rainstorm inside an O Train tunnel last Friday. 

 

Today

▪️Artists from the disability arts community and BEING Studio will explore disability justice in a virtual screening of five videos and interviews. Join Visualizing Justice from 5:00pm to 7:00pm

▪️The Ottawa Celtic Choir, the women’s community choir that sings in English, French, and six Celtic languages, welcomes singers back to in-person rehearsals tonight at 7:00pm. St. John the Evangelist Church, 154 Somerset St. West 

▪️Like so many other things, speed dating in 2022 is curated. The Ding Dong Dating event for 25-40 year-olds tonight features mingling, games, a drink, and post-speed dating mingling for anyone who wishes to stick around. 

▪️Authors Stephen Jenkinson and Kimberly Ann Johnson read from and discuss their new co-written release, Reckoning. The Bridge Public House at Rideau Sports Centre, 1 Donald Street


Down the road

▪️It’s not too early to plan your Oktoberfest activities. Nita Beer’s eventis still two and a half weeks away, and it’s 50% sold out. On September 24 from 2:00pm to 7:00pm you’ll party with German music, chow down on pretzels and a bratwurst or vegetarian sausage, and walk away with an engraved stein (only if you book your tickets before September 10). $55. 

▪️I’ll see your Oktoberfest and raise you a Thanksgiving. Baccanalle is pushing the boat out this year with a turkey feast for one, four or eight people. Choose from Caribbean heat (Jerk-spice Turkey!) or a more traditional fusion of apple spice flavours. 


Deals of the day

Find homewares, yummy food things, and even greeting cards in Maker House’s End of Summer Sale. Items are up to 50% off. 
 

We'll see you tomorrow – Martha and Darren
 

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

STATS

Weather: ☀️ Clearing. High of 24°, low of 10°.   

Number: 7-6. The final score of the Nepean Knights over the Coquitlam Adanacs to claim the Junior B lacrosse championship of Canada. [Barrhaven Independent]

Ottawan of the Day: Allan Haan. The annual soap box derby in Manotick has been renamed in honour of Haan, recognizing his founding of the event 10 years ago. [Manotick Messenger]

Quote: ‘We basically started up here – in Quebec, Ottawa, and Montreal. They were the places that discovered the Backstreet Boys first’ – Backstreet Boy Nick Carter, at a private Chords & Coffee event with fans before the Canadian Tire Centre concert. [I Heart Radio]

Sports: CFL Ottawa Redblacks 38 – Montréal Alouettes 24, last Friday;   CPL Atlético Ottawa  0 – FC Edmonton 0, last Friday;  Frontier League Ottawa Titans  – Québec Capitales 9 – 4 last night, 1 – 8, last Saturday, 4 – 1, last Friday.

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WHAT OTTAWA IS TALKING ABOUT

?️The Election

▪️The Third Ottawa Transit Challenge is looking for people running for office to take the test. Ottawa Transit Riders are challenging  councillors, candidates, and key OC Transpo officials to use public transit for all their travels – taking kids to daycare, conducting their shopping, going to appointments, visiting friends. [Ottawa Transit Riders] [Sign up]

▪️Mayoral candidates Bob Chiarelli, Nour Kadri, Graham MacDonald, Mike McGuire, Catherine McKenney, Ade Olumide, Param Singh, and Mark Sutcliffe make their arguments about transit. Everyone except Kadri and McKenney are horrified at the very idea of taxpayers paying for transit. Kadri says underserved people, like seniors, can have free transit. McKenney says everyone under 18 should ride for free. [CBC]

▪️Kitchisippi Ward councillor Jeff Leiper is accused of electioneering too soon. Leiper has paid for reëlection signs on ten bike racks in his ward. Leiper says the signs are advertisements, which are permitted under the election rules. Oonagh Fitzgerald, who is running against Leiper, says they are clearly ‘election signs’ which are not permitted until September 9. The bylaw defines ‘"election sign” as: a temporary sign, including a poster sign or rigid ground mounted sign, advertising support or opposition for a candidate’. Our opinion is that it is an advertisement: the law is designed for signs that are placed where advertisements are not generally permitted: lawns, traffic islands, etc. You can buy all the newspaper, web, and billboard ads you like. We think the bike racks are just mini billboards. [Ottawa Citizen]

▪️The City of Gatineau has announced a byelection for the Parc-de-la-Montagne–Saint-Raymond district. Popular councillor Louise Boudrias, who held the seat since 2013, died last month. The byelection will be held Oct 23, with advance voting on Oct 16. Candidates interested in running can file between Sep. 9 and Sept. 23. [Ottawa Citizen] [Elections Gatineau]

 

?The Emergency Act Hearings

▪️The Public Order Emergency Commission is on hiatus until October 13 as the chair is undergoing surgery. The Commission is automatically called after a use of the Federal Emergency Act, which was used for the first time ever tihis year to roust out the Trucker siege. The Commission will now conclude Nov 25 and report to Parliament Feb 20, 2023. [CBC]

▪️Documents from the Mounties show that the force worried that sympathetic serving officers would assist the Trucker siegeThe documents also show that although the Ottawa Police had requested 2,000 officers from other services, there was no indication that they had a plan what to do with them. [CBC]

▪️The Freedom Convoy leaders have asked a court to release $450,000 of their donations. The leaders, who include Tamara Lich and Chris Barber, say they need the money to be represented at the Emergency Act hearings when they resume. The group had ignored a previous offer of funding as they assumed their pro-bono lawyer would be fine. Over $5,000,000 which had been donated to the group is held in limbo while a proposed class action against them by Centretown residents is conducted. [Ottawa Citizen]

▪️The People’s Commission on the Convoy Occupation will hold public hearings starting Sept 21. The community run organization aims to be ‘a grassroots initiative that centres the experience and concerns of the people who live and work in the neighbourhoods affected by the convoy occupation.’ The first hearing will be at the McNabb Community Centre, 180 Percy Street, Sept 21 2 pm - 4 pm.  The second will be at Le Patro d’Ottawa, 40 Cobourg Street, Sept 22 7 pm - 9 pm. [Ottawa Citizen] [Register to appear]

 

The Rest

▪️West Nile virus has been found in local mosquitos. Two small tests of mosquitoes with the virus have been found, the first since Ottawa Public Health has been conducting the surveys beginning June 1. Public Health wants residents to take precautions against the mozzies – repellent, stay away from bushy areas, drain your swamps – but also notes that no human in Ontario has been affected so far this year. Mosquitoes will be out until at least the first frost.  [City of Ottawa

▪️The United People of Canada have until Sept. 19 to submit their arguments why they should stay at St Brigid’s. Last Friday's court hearing was requested by the landlord, who is trying to evict the group from the premises for non-payment of rent. The United People won their delay by arguing that, under the Commercial Tenancies Act, tenants must be given three days notice plus an extra day for each 32 kilometres between the property and the tenant's residence. They successfully argued that their true home was London – 576 km away. Our calculator says that technique gave them 18 days.  [CBC]

▪️Yet again, Ottawa Bylaw threatens a resident with monetary penalties if they don't have a traditional lawn. The Orléans resident converted her front lawn to a natural plant layout that does not require watering or cutting. Ottawa Bylaw has told her that if she does not convert the City's right-of-way beside the road to grass, they may resod it at the resident’s expense. [Ottawa Citizen] [Check out your own right-of-way situation]

▪️Geotechnical studies will begin this autumn for a sixth bridge across the Ottawa River, using Kettle IslandPeople opposing the bridge say the transportation studies are over a decade old and don't consider the requirements of today, particularly in a COVID-19, transit-first world. As it would be an interprovincial bridge, it's in the Federal government's balliwick. [Ottawa Citizen]

▪️Mom and pop business Shopify’s volunteers keeping an eye on their Slack channels are afraid of being deemed ‘snitches’. Spotify has appointed the ‘channel champions’ to watch over the in-house chat feeds and report back when topics get controversial or heated. Instead, some of the volunteers – who have to work with their colleagues – are afraid to notify the bosses. [Entrepreneur]

▪️An Ottawa Police detective is accused for stealing thousands of dollars from a residence – again. A person charged with drug offences has asked that their case be tossed out because of police misconduct – the detective is accused of stealing $25,000 in cash. The same detective is currently being sued by another person, who says he had $50,000 stolen. That person had their drugs case thrown out. [Ottawa Citizen]

▪️The City has opened nominations for the 2022 Immigrant Entrepreneur Awards. Nominations will be accepted until Oct 7. 

The awards are presented to select individuals who make a considerable contribution to the Ottawa economy, with a focus on:

  • Hiring, sourcing and purchasing locally
  • Exporting goods or services from Ottawa
  • Attracting tourists or investment to the city
  • Launching new and innovative businesses in Ottawa
  • Mentoring other entrepreneurs
  • Helping other businesses succeed by providing time, expertise or knowledge
  • Getting involved in, or giving back to, their community

[City of Ottawa] [Nomination Form]

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