See the 8 day forecast at the ottawan weather

HELLO OTTAWA

If you’re looking for a job, the City of Ottawa is hiring. 

The search for a new City Clerk begins today, as advertised on popular sites such as the Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario), Municipal Information Network News, Federation of Canadian Municipalities, and LinkedIn.

Pay is between $161,728.84 - $204,529.78 and you will have to be bilingual. There is no requirement that the successful applicant must come to work on OC Transpo.

If this sounds like you, apply here.

– Martha and Darren

🎄the ottawan Christmas pages

•  10 Gifts Under $20
•  10 Local Experiential Gifts for Hard-to-Buy-For Loved Ones
•  Our constantly revised Christmas Markets, Festivals, and Parades page 
•  2023 Canadian-made advent calendar list
•  10 Made in Canada Christmas Gifts.
•  9 Locally Made Christmas Gifts. Please send your nominations for a locally made item to 'giftguide@theottawan.com'.

TODAY’S LINE UP

•  Ottawa Stats
•  City Hall Agenda
•  What Ottawa is Talking About
•  Events
•  Deals of the Day

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OTTAWA STATS

CITY HALL AGENDA

What’s going on at City Hall
 

No meetings tomorrow.

WHAT OTTAWA IS TALKING ABOUT

🍌 Israel – Hamas

•  A juice bar owner has been getting harassed for inviting Mayor Mark Sutcliffe to a CHEO fundraiser. Some people consider Sutcliffe to be on the wrong side politically of the Israel – Hamas conflict. We're deliberately not going to describe which side in order to make a point. Juice Dudez on Richmond Road donated 100% of sales at an auction event last week to CHEO, the Mayor attended, now people are calling for a boycott and have been posting poor online reviews. (Andrew Duffy in the Ottawa Citizen) (Message from the owner)

🚨 Ottawa Police Services Board

•  The chair of the Ottawa Police Services Board, Dr. Gail Beck, has resigned with immediate effect. The board says that it is for personal reasons. The former chief of staff at the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre’s appointment was met with approval at the time as someone outside the police and City was preferred because of the the high profile and responsibilities of Board chair. Vice chair Salim Fakirani will cover until a new chair is selected. (William Eltherington at CTV)
  
  ➕ Related The Ottawa Police Service’s pre-charge diversion programme is now permanent. In 2022, the Service trialled a programme that redirected adults charged with minor crimes out of the justice system. Over 200 people have been referred.

🎙️ Elegy

•  Radio broadcaster Ken ‘The General’ Grant has died, aged 88. Grant was hired by CFRA in 1961and spent 30 years with the station. Martha claims to know nothing of this, but apparently kids in the 60s, 70s, and 80s remember Grant telling students ‘Forward, Ho!’ on his morning show to send them to school complete with martial music. Grant is credited with being first in North America to promote the Jerry Lewis Telethon for Muscular Dystrophy and for helping Ottawa become the first city to raise $1 million for that charity. After CFRA, he moved to Oldies 1310 and retired in 2001. A celebration of life will be held in the spring but donations to The Dementia Society of Ottawa and Renfrew County are welcome. (Lynn Saxberg in the Ottawa Citizen)

🤑 Vacant Unit Tax

•  The City’s portal to declare your vacant unit tax status opens today. Everyone who owns residential property must declare whether the property is occupied, vacant, or exempt by March 21 or else pay a tax equal to one per cent of the assessed property value. (Ted Raymond at CTV)

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MORE FROM THE OTTAWAN

• 🍺 Our Ottawa-Gatineau Craft Brewery Map

•  

• 🏆 The Best Of Ottawa Awards 2023

•  

• 🎧 Best Podcasts from Ottawa

EVENTS

Is there an event we should know about?
Please use our easy event submission form

Today

Find Ottawa’s most comprehensive list of Christmas Markets, Festivals, and Parades on our website.

•  🕎 Final night of Hanukkah. You can donate to the 5th Annual Rabbi Bulka Chanukah Toy Drive here. 
•   Camp Fortune is open daily as of today.

•  Kichesippi Beer hosts the Kichesippi Euchre Tournament starting at 6:30 pm. If you're curious but you don’t know anything about the game, show up early for some instruction.

•  I Love Turtles: Take a break from the distractions of the festive season today and attend an informative webinar about the turtles of Ottawa. Malcolm Fenech of the Petrie Island Turtle Project will explain how he spent last summer collecting turtle eggs from Petrie Island, incubating them at River House, and releasing them back into the wild after they hatched.
  
  
  Gigs

•  Django Libre. Spark Beer

•  Irene’s Blues Sessions with Guest host Marc Seguin. Irene’s Pub & Restaurant

•  21st Annual 20th Century Boys Fundraiser. Rainbow Bistro

•  Comedy Night. Brew Revolution

•  Comedy Night. Pour Boy

•  The Glorious Sons. The Arena at TD Place

•  JW-Jones and Friends. Meridien Theatres @ Centrepointe

Tomorrow

•  CBC Ottawa’s Project Give, the annual charity food drive in support of the Ottawa Food Bank, happens today at the National Arts Centre. Listeners are invited to come by and watch Ottawa Morning live from 5:30 am to 8:30 am (doors 5 am) and All In A Day from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm. It's free but a non-perishable food item for the food bank is welcome.

•  Adàwàning: Indigenous Women’s Art Market is a shopping event with Métis, Inuit, and First Nations makers and artisans. You’ll find plenty of gift ideas from jewellery to mittens and coffee. NAC Atrium O’Brian today (3:30 pm to 9:00 pm) and Saturday (10:30 am to 4:00 pm)

•  Tonight’s your penultimate opportunity to shop with 613Holiday Night Market inside Aberdeen Pavilion, Lansdowne Park. 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm. This market is brought to you by 613Flea, so you know you’ll find lots of cool gift ideas.

•  Digi60 Filmmakers’ Festival is a jam packed weekend (today through Sunday December 17) of more than 50 short films produced by Ottawa filmmakers, as well as panel discussions, workshops, and networking.  

•  Take a road trip to Smiths Falls today (3:00 pm to 7:00 pm) or tomorrow (10:00 am to 4:00 pm) for the Christmas Market at Artisan Village.

•  Juno nominee Miss Emily will bring her blues stylings to First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa for A Miss Emily Christmas in Ottawa. Find out for yourself why musicians from Rob Baker (of the Tragically Hip) to KISS's Gene Simmons are impressed with her voice.

•  In the mood to belt out Christmas carols? We’ve got just the event for you. You’ll get to sing outside and enjoy hot chocolate and treats by the fire pit. Donations for the Blair Court Community House Food Bank will be gratefully received.
   

  Gigs

•  Samuel Cousineau. Montgomery Scotch Lounge

•  Blingo Night. Pour Boy

•  The Powergoats Annual Holiday Show for the Snowsuit Foundation, with Hot Jupiter. Rainbow Bistro

•  Share the Band Live. Café Dekcuf

•  Latin Friday. Mavericks

•  Pleading with the Devil. LIVE on Elgin

•  The Barrow Gang. Atomic Rooster
   

Saturday

Incredibly, this is the final weekend of relatively relaxed shopping before the blind panic shoppers will be feeling on Saturday December 23. Where has December gone?!

•  In Ottawa, head to the Real Fly Market or Adàwàning: Indigenous Women’s Art Market, or immerse yourself in country life at Saunders Farm.

•  The Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library will be giving away native seeds at the Kanata Beaverbrook Community Centre from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm.

•  Digi60 Filmmakers’ Festival continues until tomorrow (Sunday December 16).

•  It’s going to be fiercely competitive, highly creative, and possibly sticky at The Standard this Saturday afternoon, (December 16) at the Gingerbread House Decorating Contest. The winning team of up to 4 people will win a $100 gift card to the Standard as well as Tiki Christmas Mugs. Reserve your team now info@thestandardtavern.com.

• Or start the car and choose a road trip from our list below.

  Road Trips:

  🛷 One of the final Christmas markets of the season is located in the town of Maxville, an hour Southeast of Ottawa in North Glengarry Township. You’ll find the Maxville & District Chamber of Commerce Christmas Market and Craft Show at the Maxville Sports Complex from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.
  
  🛷 Russell High School (982 North Russell Road) welcomes the Russell Flea for the final time before Christmas (9:00 am to 3:00 pm) This is definitely the place to find Christmas gifts for the hard-to-buy-for people on your list. Think: antiques and vintage, locally made skincare and beauty items, clothing and accessories, and food. Lots of food.
  
  🛷 The Christmas Market at Artisan Village in Smiths Falls continues from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.
   

  Gigs

•  Slowcoaster! With Aurora’s Reef. Rainbow Bistro

•  Lynn Miles and the Crusty Mittens. Irene’s Pub & Restaurant

•  Marven James. Atomic Rooster

•  Sherri Harding. Queen St. Fare

•  Garry Elliot Trio

   

Just Announced / Now Booking

•  Winterlude will run February 2-19 2024, with more than 200 activities and events for the whole region to enjoy. Venues in Ottawa and Gatineau will host performances, competitions, games, demos, and giant art installations. Organisers are currently seeking volunteers: apply here.

DEALS OF THE DAY

BUT, ONE MORE THING ...

Every Thursday, St Laurent resident Donovan Burey compares prices from grocery stores across Ottawa and publishes the best deals on Reddit. It’s actually pretty eyeopening – we’ll probably start linking to it every Thursday. $1.97 pineapples from Giant Tiger? Let's go! (Benjamin Lopez Steven in Capital Current)

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