Canal closes for the year after brief weekend reopening

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Good morning!

I wondered this year if it was time to finally get another pair of skates. But, it seems that I made the right call in not bothering. It looks like we’re at the end of another skating season, both on the water, and in the parks. 

The rapid disappearance of cold winters is a worrying sign. Hopefully, these are just years that are particularly anomalous, and not merely points charting a linear path. It’s a concerning thing, to see the warnings of climate change happening all around you.

In any case, we have plenty to get to. So let’s get to it.

Editor’s note: And a correction from last week. Seems I was reading a little too quickly, and got a story about how Enbridge can charge for new gas hookups 180 degrees wrong. The Ontario government is looking to pass a law that would overturn an Ontario Energy Board ruling that would force Enbridge to charge for gas hookups upfront. The provincial law would allow the gas company to continue to spread that cost out over 40 years. I had that backward in Friday’s edition. The Lookout regrets the error.

— Robert Hiltz, managing editor.

WEATHER

Monday: +3 🌡️ -4 | 🌤

Tuesday: +14 🌡️ +5 | ☁️

Wednesday: +14 🌡️ -8 | 🌧

CLIMATE

See you next winter? NCC closes Canal skateway for season

What happened: Goodbye to all that. The NCC announced that at 10 pm yesterday, the Rideau Canal skateway was closed for the season. The city got one last chance, thanks to a brief cold snap, to hit the ice.

But, hope springs eternal. The NCC said they hope to see everyone next year. The ice was reopened Saturday for “one last hurrah,” but conditions were not ideal. The NCC had to cordon off much of the surface, and told people to stay within marked areas, CTV reported.

Hot ones: It’s been a warm winter, but things are getting even warmer. If the forecast holds, Tuesday’s high of 14 C could be the warmest-ever February day recorded in the city. With temperatures like that, the ice on the Canal doesn’t stand much chance, according to weather historian Rolf Campbell.

Not just the Canal: While it’s obviously the city’s biggest skating surface (and perhaps also its biggest disappointment) the Canal isn’t the only rink that’s suffering. Across the city, local outdoor rinks are having trouble maintaining their ice surfaces, CBC reported. Now, it looks like they too will have to close down for the season.

Volunteer run: Across Ottawa, there are about 260 rinks, most of them maintained by about 1,000 volunteers. This year, there were only about 30 skating days on the rinks, up from last year’s 15, but well short of the two or three months’ worth in a typical year.

Starting this week, ice fishing season on several Ontario waterways will come to an end as warm temperatures weaken the ice, CTV reported.

Dry summer: Low levels of snow may mean the city and the region could be facing drought conditions in the summer, CBC reported. The city has received less than half the amount of snow it did last year (97 cm, compared to 245 cm). It’s unlikely to affect drinking water for those who pull from the Ottawa River because it’s so large, and it would take several years of drought to lower the water table enough to threaten wells.

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OTTAWA BY THE NUMBERS

⛸️ 250: The number of kids who got helmets and skates thanks to Canadian Tire’s Jumpstart and the Ottawa Senators’ I Love To Skate program. [CTV]

📚 $1 million: The amount of additional money the province is giving to help complete construction on a new elementary school in Brockville. [CTV]

🎓 $1.2 billion: The provincial government is expected to promise this much money for Ontario universities, who are struggling financially. Both uOttawa and Carleton are running deficits, and may not get back to balance for years. Critics said the provincial infusion isn’t enough to deal with a large funding shortfall in the university system. [CBC]

UKRAINE

Rally held to mark second anniversary of Ukrainian war

What happened: Hundreds took to Parliament Hill to mark the second anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, CBC reported. They unfurled flags to show their support for the embattled nation as the war drags on. 

One refugee shared her and her family’s story of escape from the conflict before eventually making her way to Ottawa, which she now calls home.

In the two years of the conflict, about 10,000 civilians have been killed, and another 20,000 wounded. 

Renaming petition: One person is organizing a petition to rename the street in front of the Russian embassy after Alexei Navalny, the dissident who died in Russian prison, CTV reported. The petitioner only wants the stretch of Charlotte Street in Sandy Hill that runs in front of the embassy to be renamed in his honour. So far, the petition has more than 250 signatures.

Residency troubles: Quebec’s strict language and work requirements are making it difficult for many Ukrainian refugees to settle in the province, no matter how much they want to stay. To be certified by the province for permanent residency, they need to pass both language tests and have proof of employment in a high-skilled job, CBC reported.

One woman told the broadcaster how her language skills have dramatically improved thanks to intensive language training. The trouble is, because of the intensity of her lessons, she hasn’t been able to work because the government-offered classes are so intense. Because she’s on a three-year permit, she may not have time to get the necessary work experience and be able to stay.

NEW LOCAL JOBS

Check out the new open positions in Ottawa.

1. Retail concierge manager at Dymon Storage

2. Senior client accountable executive at Oracle

3. Senior manager of athletics and recreation at Algonquin College

4. Construction project coordinator at Sunter Homes

5. Translator language advisor at Public Services and Procurement Canada

Local jobs are selected by the Lookout team and are not paid ads, unless specifically noted.

THE AGENDA

⚖️ The federal government filed an appeal of a recent court decision that called its use of the Emergencies Act to end the convoy occupation unconstitutional. The government’s appeal said the judge’s decision was “overly narrow” in its interpretation of the Act. [CBC]

🧸 Several local daycares said the federal program to provide $10-per-day daycare is putting them at risk of going out of business. Proprietors can’t raise rates, but the amount of funding isn’t keeping up with costs. The city received additional money to help prop up struggling centres, but has yet to announce its plan to distribute that money, as daycares continue to struggle. [CTV]

🍦 There’ll be no peanut buster parfaits served this spring at the iconic Dairy Queen location on Merivale road. The franchise owner retired, and no one took over the city’s last walk-up DQ. [CTV]

🪧 A bylaw in Petawawa to crack down on the proliferation of portable roadside advertising signs is hurting businesses. The city updated its bylaws to require a permit for the signs and levy fines on those who don’t follow the rules. [CBC]

🚧 Negotiations between the city and the federal government over the sale of Wellington Street have barely progressed since the city rejected the feds’ initial bid. The federal government wanted the street closed to traffic, but the city voted to reopen it after the convoy occupation. The city has yet to receive a second offer. [CBC]

EVENTS

What to do this week

🔋 Ottawa EV Symposium, Wednesday 9 am: A gathering of experts, industry and community members, this symposium looks at the challenges and opportunities presented by electric vehicles. Hosted by the EnviroCentre. At Bayview Yards, 7 Bayview Rd. Tickets $50.

🏌️‍♀️ Ottawa-Gatineau Golf Expo, Friday and Saturday: The city’s biggest golf expo is back, with live auctions, club fittings, local golf course packages and more. At the EY Centre, 4899 Uplands Dr. Tickets $10.

🛠️ Repair Café at the Atelier, Saturday 10 am: Have an object around the house that is broken, but you don’t want to toss it? Plenty of volunteers will be on hand to fix it rather than see it in a landfill. At the Mauril-Bélanger Social Innovation Workshop, 95 Clegg St. Free, but donations accepted.

👗 End of Season SupportHER Sale, Friday through Sunday: The annual clothing sale in support of Dress for Success Ottawa, as they look to make the change from winter to spring. At Dress for Success Ottawa, 200 Catherine St. Early bird tickets $33, general admission free.

🎉 International Women's Day 2024 Celebration, Sunday 2 pm: This women-only event celebrates the contribution of women in the community. The focus will be on volunteers and their achievements. At the Intercultural Dialogue Institute-Ottawa, 335 Michael Cowpland Dr. Tickets $10.

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• Looking to add a loving pet to your home? This sweet cat and rabbit are both up for adoption. [CTV]

• Curious about AI? Ai for normal people is the newsletter for you, whether you're a complete newcomer or a seasoned pro, they've got you covered. Sign up for free today. [Sponsored]

• Blossom Park is home to several of the city’s best shawarma shops. [CBC]

• The Broadway version of Frozen was in town for the weekend, and CTV went behind the scenes of the production of the childrens’ favourite. [CTV]

• Last weekend the RCMP Musical Ride opened the doors of its stables for an open house, where hundreds gathered to see the famous horses and their riders. [Ottawa Citizen]

OTTAWA GAMES

Congrats to everyone who got last week’s Ottawa Wordle, the answer was REBEL, as in the (singular) name of the city's last professional lacrosse team in the city in the early 2000s.

For today’s Ottawa Quiz, we want to know: