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Good morning! 

As I write this I can hear the rain falling and snowplows outside gearing up for what might be some messy weather. Temperatures are expected to be a bit all over the place throughout the week, reaching highs of seven degrees early next week. Climatologists say it’s too soon to know whether we will have a white Christmas. The city is encouraging residents to help clean drains and catch basins to prevent any flooding. There are over 100,000 across the city and crews cannot get to them all.

Today Ottawa’s 2025 budget will be passed at city hall, but some changes and surprises are expected. We share what could be in store and how much it might cost you. 

Let’s get to it!   

— Charlie Senack, managing editor 

[email protected] 

X: @Charlie_Senack

PS - If you find this newsletter valuable, please consider forwarding it to your friends. New to the Lookout? Sign up for free.

WEATHER

Wednesday: 2 🌡️ -7 | 🌧️🌨️

Thursday: -5 🌡️ -11 | 🌨️

Friday: -7 🌡️ -17 | ☀️

CITY HALL

Ottawa’s 2025 budget will be passed today. But changes might be made

Stamp of approval: Today, Ottawa city councillors are gearing up for a big day around the council table as the 2025 budget is set to be approved. During what could be a marathon meeting, there are a few changes that are expected to be put on the table. 

One of the biggest is how much it will cost for a seniors bus pass. The current monthly cost is $49, which is significantly lower than what most municipalities offer. That’s what Major Mark Sutcliffe said to try and justify a 120 per cent increase. 

That didn’t go over well: Councillors said expecting seniors to pay $108 a month to ride the bus and train was too considerable to do all at once. Many also liked to point out that Montreal has recently started offering free transit to seniors. 

After going back to the drawing board, Sutcliffe said a transit working group agreed to only increase fares to $78.50 a month, but some representatives still felt that was too much. That would be 57 per cent of the $135 adults pay for a monthly pass, and Transit Commissioner chair Glen Gower said he expects it will be passed. 

• “Our big concern was we wanted to make sure that if there's lower income seniors out there, that they have access to a deeply discounted pass without having to go through a lot of bureaucracy," Gower told Newstalk 580 CFRA. "This is the compromise that we've ended up with for tomorrow."

Is that good enough? At a transit commission meeting a few weeks ago, Gloucester Southgate Coun. Jessica Bradley proposed limiting the increase to $58.25 per month, which is the same price as an EquiPass available to low-income individuals. She proposed using a slight property tax increase to pay for it — a move which would need to be debated at council instead. It’s expected to be put on the agenda today. 

While it’s still unclear what motions and surprises might pop up, Beacon Hill-Cyrville Coun. Tim Tierney, who is part of the transit working group, said people should expect an even better deal. And he had some strong words for his council colleagues. 

“We've heard first-hand from our seniors and that has not gone on deaf ears. So take it to the bank — there will be further reductions. If you don't vote for this, good luck in 2026, in the next election cycle, because this is exactly what the public has been saying,” Tierney told CBC. 

Elimination of youth fares: As Knoxdale Merivale Coun. Sean Devine previously pointed out to the Lookout that the youth pass is set to be eliminated altogether, and that’s been attracting very little attention. But it could have detrimental impacts in a few ways. 

If passed, the Ottawa School Bus Authority (OSTA) said they would need to find an extra $6.6 million in its budget for this school year. That would total a 58.6 per cent increase, reported CTV. 

 Why? OSTA purchases around 20,000 bus passes for Students who require transit but don’t have school buses available. This service has become increasingly popular in the last few years for high schoolers due to the school bus shortage.  Under the proposed changes, anyone over the age of 11 would be considered an adult. 

• “I have sent a letter to the Transit Commission and City Councillors proposing that no changes be applied to our school board passes until we can come to an agreement with the city about an alternative to the current fare proposals," wrote Cindy Owens, interim general manager of OSTA. "I have also contacted the Ministry of Education to bring this fare increase to their attention and ask about the possibility of in-year funding to address our budget shortfall."

Let’s do some math: In his weekly newsletter Devine wrote that students would currently be faced with a $332 yearly increase; $708 a year for seniors. This could be avoided, he said, by increasing the tax bill by an additional 0.56 per cent. That would work out to about $48 extra a year. This is also expected to come up again at council. 

• “I suppose one way to look at it is whether you think youth and seniors are sufficiently to blame for our transit problems that they merit such an outsized punishment,” wrote Devine. “Here’s a thought: a lot of property taxpayers are also seniors who use transit, or parents with kids who use transit. Go ask them which option they prefer.”

Impacts to students: What’s also being raised is the U-pass which will climb from $229 a semester to $240. University unions said the proposal was a violation of their allowable increase of 2.5 per cent per year for the program. The University of Ottawa has also hinted they might vote to drop out of the program altogether.

During the last transit commission meeting Capital Ward Coun. Shawn Menard brought forward a motion for city staff to enter consultations with the four affected post-secondary institutions. It was passed unanimously and a report should be ready in June 2025. As a result, students will only see a 2.5 per cent increase this spring, but will rise to five per cent in the fall. 

Compromise: Kitchissippi Coun. Jeff Leiper, also a member of the working group, said conversations continued over this week and expected “compromises” to follow suit. Funding to offset costs was still being ironed out, but Stittsville’s Gower emphasized it would not be coming in the form of property tax increases, which are currently set for a 3.9 per cent increase. 

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NUMBERS

☔️ 30 to 40 mm: The amount of rain expected to fall in Ottawa on Wednesday. [Ottawa Citizen]

🚗 111: The number of tickets issued to drivers who parked on the road near the General Campus of the Ottawa Hospital. No-stopping restrictions are currently in place for the winter. [CTV]

🚔 19: The number of charges Ottawa Police have laid against tow truck drivers during a compliance blitz. [CTV]

🏘️ 3%: The rate that rent prices dropped in Ottawa this November. The average cost to rent an apartment in Ottawa was $2,171 a month. [CTV]

JOBS

1. Talent attraction strategist at Invest Ottawa

2. Mover at Two Men and a Truck

3. Project manager of infrastructure and planning at City of Ottawa 

4. Part time public skating attendant at City of Ottawa 

5. District leader at Rexall 

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

FOOD

Capital Eat's 2024 holiday food and drink gift guide is here!

We've scoured the city and the region to bring you the best gifts for the foodie or drink lover in your life. Food editor Ralf Joneikies profiles the Savvy Co. Cider Advent Calendar, what Sol Farms has to offer, the amazing tastes of Anna Stubbe Chocolates, and more.

Read the full story here

THE AGENDA

🐸 The Nature Conservancy of Canada has bought land connecting Gatineau Park to the Ottawa River to protect an endangered frog in a critical wildlife corridor. The western chorus frog, which is Quebec's smallest form of the species, has a new home spanning 24 hectares of land that is dedicated to preserving its habitat and ensuring its survival. [Ottawa Citizen]

📦 Downtown Ottawa streets were closed for a brief period Tuesday afternoon due to a suspicious package. The active police operation did not last long, and the package was soon deemed not suspicious. [Ottawa Citizen]

🚊 If you’re looking to take public transit on Saturday, note the LRT will be closed down for software testing on the Stage 2 extension. OC Transpo general manager René Amilcar said in a memo that the goal was to create “seamless travel on the extended line from Blair Station to Trim Station as part of the O-Train East extension.” That eastern extension of light rail will open sometime in mid 2025. On Saturday R1 bus service will operate between Tunney’s Pasture and Blair stations between 6 a.m. and 2 a.m. [Ottawa Citizen]

🏥 Rural hospitals near Ottawa have had to close various times due to staffing shortages. Now some medical professionals are asking if some of the rural campuses should close permanently to better equip others. The question comes as Carleton Place and District Memorial Hospital is set to open its newly constructed, 'state-of-the-art' emergency room in January. [CBC]

👮🏼‍♀️ Ottawa Police have arrested a suspect in connection to a shooting which occurred near Mooney’s Bay on Dec. 3 that critically injured a woman. Ibrahim Abdullani, 23, of Ottawa, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault and multiple firearms-related offences. He appeared in court on Wednesday. [CTV]

🏡 Ashcroft Homes has received court-ordered protection as it deals with $284 million in debt. "Despite a history of generating significant revenues, and also significant net equity holdings, in recent years various members of the Ashcroft Homes Group have encountered liquidity issues related to rising interest rates and a decline in occupancy rates," said documents filed with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. It went on to say that while these two challenges are being addressed, declining interest rates and the development and implementation of various marketing programs to increase occupancy rates has “left the Applicants in a position of insufficient liquidity to meet their current debt obligations." [CTV]

🍽️ The GST holiday kicks on Saturday, and local businesses are gearing up for a rush of customers. Anish Mehra, owner of the East India Company restaurant, said business has been slow as customers wait for the incentive. “Nobody wanted to book with us this week and a little bit last week. So we have had a bit of a slowdown during what is normally a busy Christmas party season,” he said. [Ottawa Business Journal]

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GIG LISTINGS

10th Annual Hip-Hop Food Drive | Rainbow Bistro, 76 Murray St | Dec. 13 |  See over ten artists across the evening, with proceeds going to ten food banks across Canada.  Tickets $10-20.

Nick Adema Quintet | 10,000 Hours, 353 Montreal Rd | Dec. 13 | Versatile trombonist combines virtuosic playing, electronic pedals, and a playful, out-of-the-box approach to jazz.  Tickets $20

Lowheaven | Dominion Tavern, 33 York St | Dec. 13 | Punk veterans craft a heavy, melancholic sound that blends post-hardcore, screamo, blackened noise, and metal. Tickets $15

The New Hires | Bronson Centre, 211 Bronson Ave | Dec. 14 | Energetic indie rock band known for their catchy hooks and punchy live performances. Tickets $20.  

FemmeVox | Great Canadian Theatre Co, 1233 Wellington St W | Dec. 15 | See four fantastic individual songwriters combine in a song circle to perform unique new works.  Tickets $35

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.

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY

One of the things we are looking to improve at the Lookout heading into the new year is reader engagement. We are working on two big city features coming out in the next few days and we want to know how you are feeling about the decisions being made. Write us your comments and they might be featured in our upcoming g newsletters.

PHOTO OF THE DAY

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COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• Here are three great last-minute options for a holiday party. [Ottawa Business Journal]

• “Novemburger’ is a hit. Here are the top three people’s choice burgers. [Ottawa Business Journal]

• Here is a look at some of the best bites of Ottawa. [Apt613] 

• The Ottawa Winter Jazz Festival is returning with 15 shows from a Quincy Jones tribute to the avant-garde. [Apt613]

• A new health hub in Orleans is going to have a positive impact for residents who live there. [Orleans Star]

• Here are some photos from the Stittsville Parade of Lights. [Stittsville Central]

GEO GUESSER

Do you know where today’s Ottawa Guesser is? The first five people to respond get their names mentioned in the newsletter.

Hint: This is where I did my Christmas shopping over the weekend.