A win for rural Ottawa: Trucks removed from Manotick’s Main Street.

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Good morning!

Residents of Manotick are sleeping better after finding out that truck traffic will stop for most of the year on Main Street. It’s been a fight two decades in the making. The Lookout sat down with Rideau Jock Coun. David Brown to discuss what it means. 

It’s been 10 years since Nathan Cirillo was gunned down at the National War Memorial in an incident which shocked the city. I remember being in middle school at the time when we were placed into secure school mode. We could hear the helicopters overhead and saw the fear in the teacher's eyes. To remember the solemn occasion, memorials were held in Downtown Ottawa. We have all the details. 

Let’s get to the news of the day. 

— Charlie Senack, [email protected].

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WEATHER

Wednesday: 21 🌡️ 5 | ☁️

Thursday: 11 🌡️ -1 | 🌤️

Friday: 12 🌡️ 6 | 🌤️

CITY

A win for rural Ottawa: Trucks removed from Manotick’s Main Street

Successful results: It’s good news for rural Ottawa residents. Truck traffic will be removed from Manotick’s Main Street for 10 months of the year. Rideau Jock Coun. David Brown said the changes will come into effect later this week. 

Trucks will still be able to travel on Main from March 1 to May 15 — but only for now. That will change when rehabilitation work is completed on Century Road. River Road has also been formalized as an all-season truck route. 

• “It’s great news. For decades Manotick residents have been calling for a reduction of heavy truck traffic. It’s important we keep the historic village of Manotick historic. We want it to be more walkable and enjoyable,” Brown told the Lookout. “There will still be local traffic. The grocery store truck or the LCBO or Beer Store truck still need to get to the plaza.”

Long overdue: The Vimy Bridge, connecting Earl Armstrong Road with Prince of Wales Drive and Strandherd Drive, was the intended new truck route across Rideau River in South Ottawa when planned and constructed. The Truck Route crossing the Rideau River in Manotick was to be closed. However, this did not happen despite the fact that planning was done by the City to extend Earl Armstrong Road to create an efficient connection for trucks to the Vimy crossing. 

The six -lane Vimy Bridge on a typical weekday carries one-third of the volume of heavy commercial trucks compared to the two-lane bridges over the Rideau Canal on Bridge Street in Manotick, reported the Manotick Messenger. 

By the numbers: The amount of large trucks crossing Manotick Main Street each day was staggering. A study produced in Aug. 2023 by the Manotick Village & Community Association showed an average of 967 heavy trucks crossed the intersection every weekday between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.

• “I’ve spoken to many businesses along Manotick Main who are absolutely thrilled — especially restaurant owners with outdoor patios,” said Brown. “They want customers to be able to calmly sit outside and enjoy their meal without the sounds of blaring horns passing by.”

Community reaction: Leeanne Van der Burgt, president of the Manotick Village and Community Association, told the CBC that this issue has been around for the two decades she’s called Manotick home. In the past, she’s raised concerns about safety — particularly for those crossing the street. Two senior residences and an elementary school are nearby. 

• "This is great news for the community and it will certainly be a step in the right direction toward issues that have been long standing," said Van der Burgt. 

Other safety features added: Brown said the removal of trucks in the Village’s core is his biggest win as a councillor. He also said every pedestrian crossing along Bridge Street has been modernized and a photo radar camera was installed — two heads sooner than initially planned. 

Reviewing protocols: What’s been buried in this news, Brown said, is a truck review of Ottawa’s South end. It’s the first time such a study has been taken since amalgamation 24 years ago. It’s set to begin next year after the budget process. 

• “My understanding is the review will identify where trucks are coming from and going, how they get to their destination from the starting point, and identify other alternative routes,” said Brown. 

We’re a small team here at the Lookout, with only three team members. But we’re committed to covering communities throughout the city. In November, we’re sending out team to communities throughout the city, to tell the stories and issues that don’t get as much attention from the mainstream corporate media.

To help us do this, we need 40 new members to join the Lookout. Almost 80 per cent of our funding comes from readers — be one of our 40 new members today and unlock additional member-only stories (and help build local news in Ottawa)

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OTTAWA BY THE NUMBERS

🔥 10: The number of fires set by a 41-year-old Ottawa woman in the Lowertown and Sandy Hill neighbourhoods. The accused was not named but is facing 25 charges. [CBC]

🚔 420: The number of tickets Ottawa Police officers have received for speeding through the automated speed enforcement camera program. [CTV]

🏡 54%: The increase in new home sales in Ottawa this September compared to the same period last year. [Ottawa Business Journal]

NEWS

Services held to mark decade after Nathan Cirillo was shot and killed at the National War Monument

A somber anniversary: It’s been 10 years since honour guard Nathan Cirillo was gunned down at the National War Memorial with exchange of gunfire later reported inside Parliament Hill. On the decade anniversary of the attacks, private and public ceremonies were held to remember the fallen, reported CTV. 

Ephraim Cirillo, the cousin of the 24-year-old former honour guard, said he was an amazing, loving person who always put family first. Attention has now shifted to his 15-year-old son Markus. 

• “Family (is) surrounding him. Marcus has been absolutely amazing. He looks exactly like Nathan. It's like a spitting image. He's such a good young man, and you can see that he definitely will follow in his father's footsteps,” said Ephraim Cirillo. 

Background: The incident occurred on Oct. 22, 2014, when Michael Zehaf-Bibeau shot and killed Cirillo in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Several others were injured before the terrorist stoned into Centre Block and fired dozens of shots. The attacker was later killed by Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers and six RCMP officers who responded. Days prior, a man drove his car into two soldiers in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., killing warrant officer Patrice Vincent.

Reflecting 10 years later: Bystanders who responded to Cirillo in the moments after he was shot said memories of that fateful day still haunt them when the weather gets cooler and the leaves start to change colour. 

• "I felt lost for a long time. I was experiencing the after-effects without even realizing it. I wouldn't sleep for long periods. I would walk for the entire night. One morning, I woke up in a park. I no longer had the strength or the means to manage my personal life,” said Martin Magnan, then a press secretary with Veterans Affairs who was passing the National War Memorial that morning, reported CBC.

Bullet holes still remain: Despite the attack occurring a decade ago, bullet holes on Parliament Hill still remain. Even as work is underway on Centreblock, some will remain as historic scar tissue, reported the Ottawa Citizen. 

Damage done by bullets to wooden doors and frames will be repaired, confirmed Public Services and Procurement Canada, but impact sites in the rotunda — formally known as Confederation Hall — will remain. The bullet holes can be seen on the southeast wall of the rotunda, and low on the northwest wall. A few others can be seen in the Hall of Honour. A total of 56 shots were fired in Parliament Hill that morning. 

• “The approach that has been implemented balances the need to preserve heritage fabric while leaving an imprint to pay homage to this important historical event,” said Michèle LaRose, a spokesperson for the department.

HOME OF THE WEEK

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House of The Week is a home selected by the Lookout team and is not a paid advertisement. All ads are labeled as such.

THE AGENDA

👮🏼‍♀️ A man was arrested and charged with trespassing after he tried to push back security guards into the House of Commons. The incident happened exactly 10 years after the shooting on Parliament Hill. The man has been identified as Brian Kidder. He was carrying a large black duffle bag when the incident occurred. [CTV] 

🍎 The Ottawa Food Bank, which supplies items to dozens of partner agencies, says it will need to cut food transfers by as much as 50 per cent due to rising demand. Ottawa Food Bank CEO Rachael Wilson says demand is 90 per cent higher than it was in 2019. [CBC]

🚔 It’s a story you don't hear every day. A Vermont man was charged with drunk driving in Renfrew Country — he thought he was still in the United States. OPP were first alerted after receiving reports of a truck with flat tires. They later learned the 53-year-old driver failed to stop at the Canada-US border and was wanted for arrest. [CBC]

🚴 Kitchissippi Coun. Jeff Leiper is accusing the provincial government of pandering to score easy political wins after restricting the building of new bike lanes. Leiper said the city has undertaken a comprehensive plan which takes into account data for supporting bike-only lanes. [CTV]

🏫 A Kemptville school that closed six times for repeated threats has reopened, but many parents remain on edge. Some are still refusing to send their kids to class, unaware of where the threats came from. A number of safety measures have been added, including police on the school property, additional staff, and locked external doors. [Ottawa Citizen]

🏥 The Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario is implementing a variety of new health and safety measures as it gets ready to enter another viral season. Masks will be required in clinical areas and waiting rooms, and the number of caregivers accompanying a patient to an appointment has been limited. [CTV]

In your neighbourhood 

🦃 An aggressive wild turkey is causing issues for residents who live in Rideauview near Baseline Road and Prince of Wales Drive. According to residents, the bird will approach strangers with its beak pointing in their direction. There have also been instances when it starts pecking at cars. [CTV]

👮🏼‍♀️ Ottawa police have said there has been an increase in break-ins reported in the Orleans and Stittsville neighbourhoods. The incidents were reported between Oct. 11 and 18 — primarily near large patches of greenspace. [CTV] 

🕯️ Friends are remembering an Ottawa construction worker who was fatally stabbed to death earlier this year in Orleans. 34-year-old Varney Marshall was found dead in a home on Mockingbird Drive on the evening of Aug. 7. A man has been charged with second-degree murder. [CBC]

🏫 Julia Fortey has been selected as the new OCDSB trustee for Zone 2, Kanata North/Kanata South. She replaces former trustee Alysha Aziz who resigned in July 2024. "I am eager to contribute to the Ottawa Carleton District School Board's (OCDSB) mission of fostering a learning community where every student can excel and develop into a well-rounded, respectful, and creative member of society," Fortey said.  [Education News Canada]

🐸 Conservation groups in Ottawa are struggling to track changes at some wetlands sites after they were removed from the “provincially significant list.” The site in question was part of the Goulbourn complex, a group of marshes and swamps that stretch across an area west of the suburb of Stittsville. [CBC]

ARTS

Theatre

Disney’s The Lion King | National Arts Centre, 1 Elgin St | Oct. 24 to Nov. 10 | Giraffes strut. Birds swoop. Gazelles leap. The entire Serengeti comes to life as never before. And as the music soars, Pride Rock slowly emerges from the mist. | Tickets begin at $155.55 

Guilty Conscience | Ottawa Little Theatre, 400 King Edward Ave | Oct. 30 to Nov. 16 | A brilliant, ruthless criminal attorney is now planning his own defence – if only he can find an ideal way to murder his wife | Tickets range from $14 to $30

Art

Eighth annual Fall Arts Show | Emmanuel United Church, 691 Smyth Rd, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Oct. 26 | 25+artists gather to bring a one-of-a-kind art gallery show to the main celebration hall at Emmanuel United Church in Alta Vista, Ottawa. With a great variety of visual art, wood art, sculptures, clay, pottery, fibre art, photography, jewellery & more, there's sure to be something for everyone! | Free

Ephemeral Art Making | Vanier Museopark, 300 Avenue des Pères-Blancs, 10 a.m. | Nov. 9 | Come join us for a mindful forest walk where we will be invited to collaborate with the natural world at the Vanier Museopark | By donation 

Music

Tryptic "Live | Avant-Garde Bar & Gift Shop, 135 Besserer St, 5:30 p.m. | Nov. 2 | Explore the haunting beauty of the post-apocalyptic world through striking photographs and the music of Tryptic. This art exhibit merges visual and auditory realms, showcasing a desolate wasteland that mirrors the dystopian themes in Tryptic's music | Tickets are $17

A Musical Harvest: A Scholarship Fundraising Gala Concert | Woodroffe United Church, 207 Woodroffe Ave, 7 p.m. | Nov. 2 | The Musical Arts Club of Ottawa was formed in 1938, with the purpose of providing an opportunity for members to perform and to support the furtherance of musical education by awarding scholarships through the Kiwanis Music Festival and other local organizations such as Orkidstra and the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Festival | Tickets are $17 for students or $38 for adults

Live Shows

The Carroll Sessions | Red Bird, 1165 Bank St | Oct. 23 | An evening of Celtic Music played by some of the best in the region.  Tickets $20. 

Arkells | Canadian Tire Centre, 1000 Palladium Dr. | Oct. 25 | Spirited, anthemic rock from one of the most passionate, exuberant and in-demand Canadian bands around. Tickets $86+

Taxi Girls | House of Targ, 1077 Bank St | Oct 25 | High-energy fem rock trio from Montreal with a punk & roll sound that merges The Ramones, The Muffs’ and a touch of Veruca Salt.  Tickets $15

Morgan Davis | Hummingbird Hall, 900 Greenbank Rd | Oct. 25 | Blending classic country blues from the 1920s and 30s with his own compositions. Tickets $20

Skye Wallace | Club SAW, 67 Nicholas St | Oct. 26 | Combining dark folk and energetic rock with a soaring voice, unflinching lyricism, and a swaggering live show.  Tickets $18

Listings for music shows are provided by OttawaGigs.ca, the best place to discover live music in Ottawa. Check out Ottawagigs.ca for full listings across the city.

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• The Stittsville Friendship Club has offered new friendships and guaranteed fun for 42 years. [Stittsville Central]

• The Awesome Ottawa October award went to Pumpkins for the Planet. [Apt613]

• Climate change is devastating communities in Canada and worldwide. Join Oxfam Canada in calling on the Canadian government to hold the biggest climate culprits accountable. [Sponsored]

• Meet four young influencers out to convince the world that Ottawa is not boring. [Ottawa Business Journal]

OTTAWA GUESSER

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