New Sens owner likes the idea of LeBreton arena

Good morning!

Wow, it’s great to be back at the Lookout. As many of you may know, a few weeks ago, my wife and I welcomed a baby boy into the family. It’s been a joyful, and kind of bananas time. But everyone is happy and healthy, if perhaps a bit tired.

I’d like to once again thank Charlie for all his hard work these past weeks while I adjusted to the parenting life. I knew the newsletter was in safe hands while I was away. Be sure to follow him on Twitter, and as editor of the Kitchissippi Times.

A quick correction: in Monday’s issue, the numbers section incorrectly stated the federal deficit. The deficit is increasing to $46.5 billion not by that amount. The Lookout regrets the error.

Anyway, there’s plenty to get to today, so let’s get to it.

— Robert Hiltz, managing editor

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WEATHER

Friday: 17 🌡️ 10 | 🌧

Saturday: 14 🌡️ 6 | 🌧

Sunday: 9 🌡️ -2 | 🌧

Monday: 11 🌡️ 4 | ☀️

SENATORS

New team owner suggests LeBreton a good arena site

What happened: New Senators owner Michael Andlauer suggested LeBreton Flats could be the best spot for a new arena for the team. Speaking at a mayor’s breakfast event at city hall, the new owner said it seemed to him like the best spot, CTV reported.

• “It seems that people want the arena downtown. Certainly the NCC is desirous of it for the LeBreton lands, my gut feel says it's the right thing. Our fans seem to feel that way as well. So there's alignment,” Andlauer said.

Not convinced: Mayor Mark Sutcliffe seems less convinced. In his comments during the event and to reporters afterward, Sutcliffe once again suggested an arena would better be suited somewhere else downtown. The mayor wasn’t specific about what site would be the most suitable, instead suggesting federal land might someday become vacant, CBC reported.

• “The federal government is talking about leaving some of its buildings in downtown Ottawa. And if that's the case, then for the first time in a long time there might be an opportunity to look at a piece of land in downtown Ottawa that would be a good fit.… If the Senators decide the best option is LeBreton Flats, then that's their decision and we'll work with them on that. But I think we need to look at all the options because this is a very big decision.”

Previously, the mayor had suggested a number of alternate locations, including Bayview Yards and the Coventry Road baseball stadium as other arena sites, CBC reported.

LeBreton history: The Flats themselves were entirely vacant for 40 years. The once thriving working-class neighbourhood was razed in the 1960s for redevelopment, but that plan fell to pieces in part because the land was contaminated from past industrial use, and other squabbles over ownership. The NCC eventually took control of the land, and it wasn’t until 2005 that redevelopment truly came to life with the opening of the Canadian War Museum.

• As part of its continued development, the NCC and the team signed a memorandum of understanding last year to build an arena near the eastern end of the flats on a six-and-a-half acre parcel, CTV reported at the time. That wasn’t a binding decision, and was signed by the team before Andlauer took over.

Next steps: There’s no firm timeline on when the team will decide on a new arena, if it decides on one at all. Initially, the plan was to have a lease signed by now between the team and the NCC for the LeBreton site, but that deadline was pushed back indefinitely with the sale of the team. Andlauer said at the breakfast a new venue, wherever it ends up, could cost $900 million.

• It’s possible that after getting settled with the team, Andlauer and his ownership group decide to stay in Kanata at the Canadian Tire Centre.

You can watch the full conversation between Sutcliffe and Andlauer here on YouTube.

KEY NUMBERS

🚌 216: The new, reduced number of cancelled school bus routes by the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority, down from 258 runs at the start of the school year. The authority has 33 drivers in training to help fill out more routes. [CTV]

🐈 90: The number of cats taken in by the Humane Society in last week. The increasing number of surrendered pets may be caused by the rising cost of living. [CTV]

💰 $1 million: The amount a contractor is alleged to have taken from 11 clients in eastern Ontario. He’s charged with 22 fraud related counts for taking money for work that was never completed. [CTV]

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TRAFFIC

Queensway closed for weekend bridge replacement

What happened: Last night at 8 pm, the 417 closed for the replacement of the Percy Street overpass. The eastbound lanes are closed between the Carling and Metcalfe exits, while the westbound lanes are closed between Metcalfe and Bronson, according to the city.

• Unlike previous closures, the bridge isn’t expected to reopen until 6 am Tuesday morning. The fall weather is likely to lead to construction delays, making the longer closure necessary. The replacement was initially scheduled for August, but construction crews weren’t ready to go ahead with the work and it had to be pushed back two months, CTV reported.

Detours: Going westbound, the detour is pretty straightforward. Drivers will exit at Metcalfe, drive along Catherine, and re-enter at Bronson. Drivers going eastbound are in for a nightmare. They’ll have to get off at Carling, drive to Bronson and head south, then get on Riverside and head north to re-enter the 417 at the Riverside/Vanier Parkway entrance.

• The location of the replacement means that Chamberlin Avenue is closed off, necessitating the much longer detour.

Expect delays: Previous Queensway closures have snarled traffic throughout the city, as far south as Hunt Club Road. This weekend’s closure is likely to be at least as disruptive. Crossing the city east-west is probably ill-advised.

THE AGENDA

📚 Ontario Catholic school teachers voted 97 percent in favour of approving a strike mandate for the union. Negotiations on a new contract are ongoing with the province, and there is no strike date set. They follow the public elementary school teachers, who voted by 95 percent to approve a strike mandate Wednesday. [CTV]

🚓 Ottawa police are looking to open an outpost in the Rideau Centre to police the ByWard Market. The Police Services Board is set to vote on the issue next week, and would rent a space across from the Rideau LRT station for five years. [CBC]

🪧 Unionized workers on the St. Lawrence Seaway could strike this weekend. Unifor issued a 72-hour strike notice Thursday. A strike would shut down traffic through the system. [CTV]

🏗️ The concrete shell of the new central Ādisōke Library was completed this week on LeBreton Flats. Next, the steel structure will be installed. The library will house both the Ottawa Public Library’s central branch, and the Library and Archives Canada. It is expected to be finished in 2026. [CBC]

💉 A number of diabetes patients who use the drug Ozempic are having difficulty obtaining the medication in eastern Ontario. While the pharmaceutical was designed for patients with Type 2 diabetes, it is used off-label to promote weight loss leading to shortages. [CTV]

🇵🇸 The principal of an Ottawa Carleton District School Board elementary school apologized for asking a student to remove a Palestinian flag as their profile picture in an online class. The principal had said the flag made other students feel unwelcome. [CBC]

🚕 Non-acute patients who call for an ambulance may be sent to the hospital in a taxi as part of a new pilot program to free up paramedics. Patients would be visited by paramedics, but if they weren’t ill enough to need an ambulance ride they’d be sent in a taxi instead, saving the crew waiting for hours at the hospital to offload the patient. The program begins Nov. 1. [Ottawa Citizen]

⛳️ A plan to redevelop the Kanata Golf and Country Club with 1,480 new homes is likely to proceed. A judge invalidated more portions of an agreement between the club’s ownership and the then-city of Kanata in the 1980s that required the course stay as at least 40 percent “open space,” which would have functionally blocked the new housing. [CBC]

🚨 A 76-year-old man is facing sex assault charges from his time volunteering at an organization that assists people with cognitive and intellectual disabilities. The man is facing four charges, but police believe there may be other victims. [CTV]

📧 Mayor Mark Sutcliffe is looking to build up his reelection mailing list, soliciting users on social media to give their names, emails, phone numbers, and postal codes to his personal campaign website if they support his “balanced approach” to Queen Elizabeth Driveway. Sutcliffe opposes closing a section of the NCC-operated road near Lansdowne to vehicle traffic during the summer for active use. [Twitter]

EVENTS

What to do this weekend

Arts

🎵 Yes I Can Michelle Obama music theatre, until Oct. 28: A biographical musical about the life of the former US First Lady. Tracing her life from her beginnings on the south side of Chicago all the way to the White House. At the Meridian Theatre Centrepointe, 101 Centerpointe Dr. Tickets starting at $30. 

Music

🎶 Elijah Woods in concert, Friday: Touring with special guest Alex Torat. At the Bronson Centre, 211 Bronson, Ave. Tickets starting at $31.

🎻 uOttawa Orchestra in Concert, Friday 7 pm: The university orchestra plays selections from Bach, Ravel, Fauré, and Mozart. At St. Joseph's Church, 174 Wilbrod St. Donations requested.

🗡️ Heroes of Hyrule, Saturday 7:30 pm: The Ottawa Pops Orchestra plays some of your favourite music from the Zelda series of video games. At Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre, 355 Cooper St. Tickets start at $17.

Food

🍻 Hammond Oktoberfest 2023, Saturday 3 pm: Craft beer, live music, German food and more. At the Hammond Golf and Country Club, 600 Du Golf Rd., Hammond. Tickets $44.

Sports

🤼‍♂️ C*4 presents "MAD MONSTER PARTY" Halloween bash, Friday 7:30 pm: Ottawa’s premiere pro wrestling organization hosts its Halloween party. Featuring the return of Gringo Loco and an eight-team T.A.G Memorial Tournament. At Preston Event Centre, 523 Saint Anthony St. Tickets $33.

Kids/Family

🚒 Ottawa Fire Truck Pull, Saturday 2 pm: Watch as teams compete to pull a 10-tonne fire truck 100 feet, all to raise money for Epilepsy Ottawa. With plenty of activities for the whole family. Lansdowne Park. Free.

General

⚡️ CutEdge - Laser Cutting Workshop, Friday 5:30 pm: An intermediate-level workshop on how to get the most out of using a laser cutter using extensions and colour mapping. At uOttawa Makerspace, 150 Louis-Pasteur Pvt. Free.

Culture

🎡 Ottawa Multicultural Festival, Saturday: The festival will present delicious food of Ukrainian, Moldavian, Russian, Georgian and other cuisines, as well as a fair with tplenty of vendors. There will also be lots of live music and dance performances. At the Horticulture Building at Lansdowne Park. Free.

🦓 Animal Tales of Ottawa, Saturday: Join Randy Boswell, Journalist & Carleton University Professor Beginning with the ancient Indigenous inhabitants of the Ottawa Valley and Bytown’s earliest natural history societies. At the main branch of the Ottawa Public Library, 120 Metcalfe St. Free.

CAPITAL EATS

This week in food

🍷 (Insiders) Looking for great wine to go with lunch, this Hull location has just what you’re looking for.

🍽️ (Insiders) …And just across the street is another restaurant offering more great lunch selections. Hull is the spot for quality lunch that won’t break the bank.

🥃 (Insiders) This rum was something of a surprise, a subtle sipper from a remote French island.

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• The LRT could, maybe, use a notification on whether a short or long train will be arriving at a station. [Reddit]

• Level up your office small talk with the #1 visual newsletter from Chartr. Join 300,000+ who love snackable charts and easy-to-remember data insights on business, tech and society. Sign up for free. [Sponsored]

• OC Transpo is working so well, one person who lives near Blair said they can literally run to their job in the Glebe in less time than by taking transit. [Reddit]

• There was a pretty incredible sunset Wednesday evening. [Reddit]

• Want to have your announcement featured? Contact our partnership team for more info.

TOP PHOTO

Reader Irenka Farmilo sends in this great shot of a recent rainbow over the city.

Do you have a photo you’d like to share with the Lookout community? Send it in!

OTTAWA GAMES

Congrats to Adam and Julie, who both knew that this week’s Ottawa Guesser was of the intersection of Albion and Walkley roads.

Think you can solve this week’s Ottawa Wordle? Play now.