Planet will hit 1.5 C warming mark in next five years

Good morning!

It’s long weekend time. Hope you’ve all got lovely plans to spend the next few days with friends and family. Or at least get outside for a breath or two of fresh air.

There will be no Lookout on Monday because of the holiday, but we’ll be back to our regular schedule on Wednesday.

Today we’ve got some not-great news about climate change, plus the details from the funeral of Sgt. Eric Mueller. We’ve also got tons of great events so you can enjoy the long weekend in style.

Let’s get to it.

— Robert Hiltz, managing editor

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Weather Report

Friday: 22 🌡️ 14 | 🌤

Saturday: 15 🌡️ 11 | 🌧

Sunday: 4 🌡️ 19 | 🌤

Monday: 18 🌡️ 6 | ☀️

CLIMATE CHANGE

More extreme weather on the way, as world temperatures rise 1.5 C in next five years

What happened: The World Meteorological Organization expects global temperatures to rise above the threshold of 1.5 C above average by 2028, CBC reported. That was the threshold set in the 2015 Paris Agreement, where countries were attempting to reduce carbon emissions enough to avoid that increase.

• Canada’s average temperature has already gone past 1.9 C, because the arctic is warming much faster than other areas of the planet.

What it means: Extreme weather events are likely to get more frequent. Heavy wind and rain storms, heaps of snow, freezing rain, and lingering heat waves are all on offer. The risk of wildfires and flooding also rises as the global temperature creeps up.

What the city is doing: In recent years, the City of Ottawa has fallen behind on achieving its climate goals, CBC reported. Nor is it keeping up with plans to improve the city’s resilience to more extreme weather. The city is unlikely to meet its goal of reducing emissions 43 percent by 2025. However, the head of Ottawa’s climate change office still hopes the target of a 68 percent reduction by 2030 is achievable.

Bigger effects: The planet’s warming is likely the cause of the increased severity of El Niños and La Niñas in the Pacific Ocean, The Guardian reported. While they take place far to the west, these weather patterns affect the entire globe.

• “In practical terms, this translates into more extreme and frequent droughts, floods, heatwaves, wildfires and severe storms, just like we observed during the recent triple dip La Niña that ended in March,” researcher at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Dr. Mike McPhaden told the paper.

Dig deeper: How the city is investing in a net-zero future [Ottawa Magazine]

OTTAWA BY THE NUMBERS

🚢 1 million: The number of Lego blocks used to make an exhibition at the Brockville Youth Arena. It includes about 120 models, including a model of the Titanic made of 200,000 bricks. [CTV]

⛽️ 10 cents/litre: That’s how much drivers saved on gas at Circle K locations throughout the region Thursday afternoon, in a pre-long weekend promotion. [CTV]

BOURGET SHOOTING

OPP Sgt. Eric Mueller laid to rest

What happened: Thousands of officers, friends, family, and dignitaries gathered yesterday for the funeral of OPP Sgt. Eric Mueller, CTV reported. Muller was gunned down last week just east of the city in Bourget.

• Mueller, 42, is survived by his wife, a 21-month old daughter and an eight-month-old son.

What they said: Speaking on behalf of Mueller’s family was his brother in law, Chris Wood. “Above all, Eric lived to protect those he cared for the most. And although the manner of it was so senseless, we try to take solace in knowing he died doing what he loved,” Wood said according to CTV.

You can see Wood’s eulogy here.

• “Eric made the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf, on our province's behalf and we will be forever grateful.… While Eric's death was so tragic, so unfair, I pray that his legacy of courage, dedication and selflessness will live on in his children,” Premier Doug Ford said at the service.

• “He put people first: their safety, their well-being and their development, with a special gift to communicate and make meaningful connections.… Eric's legacy will stand the test of time as an inspiration for all of us to challenge ourselves to do and be better,” OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique said.

The way there: A motorcade carried Mueller’s body down the 417 from Rockland to the Canadian Tire Centre for the funeral, CBC reported. First responders and members of the public lined overpasses along the route to pay respect to the slain officer. A livestream was set up at the community centre in Bourget, so members of the public in the town could watch the ceremony, The Canadian Press reported.

THE AGENDA

🎉 The Victoria Day holiday Monday means most city services will be closed. Pools and other rec centres will be open on a modified schedule. Garbage day will be pushed back a day, and OC Transpo will run on a Sunday schedule. Most grocery stores will be closed, but the Rideau and Tanger Outlet malls will be open. [CBC]

🚍 An articulated OC Transpo bus crashed into the ditch off Highway 174, sending seven people to hospital with minor injuries. Another 23 people on board were uninjured in the crash. [CBC]

🥅 The Kitigan Zibi Anishinābeg First Nation officially endorsed the bid for the Ottawa Senators headed by LA producer Neko Sparks, and includes rapper Snoop Dogg. “We believe their approach — along with the effort to renew investment in the team and the community — represents a generational opportunity to secure meaningful economic, social, and cultural reconciliation between our peoples,” Chief Dylan Whiteduck said. [The Canadian Press]

🚔 The OPP found the body of a man who had been missing for 40 years in Lake Ontario near Kingston. OPP divers were investigating a car that left the road and into the late in January, when they found the car of David Hannah. He was 36 when he disappeared on his way to work at the Millhaven prison. Police are investigating the cause of death. [CTV]

🛬 WestJet has started cancelling flights ahead of a possible strike that could begin today. Most of the airline’s fleet of 737 and 787 aircraft will be grounded while the two sides continue negotiating. [CBC]

🗳️ Public Service Alliance of Canada workers will vote between May 24 and June 16 whether to ratify the new tentative deal between the union and the federal government. [CTV]

🏗️ There have been fewer requests for building permits in the city, driven largely by decreased demand for office space. Permits were down 13.8 percent in March when compared to the same month last year. They’re down 17 percent overall for the year. [CBC]

🪧 The temporary contracts of about 1,700 employees at the Canada Revenue Agency will end early. The contracted workers are at call centres across the country, and will be let go through June. The federal government said it had nothing to do with the recent deal between them and the taxation union. [Ottawa Citizen]

🐻 Weeks after police shot and killed a bear within the city, another bear was found in Nepean. This time, the bear was tranquillized and transported safely out of town. [CBC]

🌊 Now that the water has receded, the city is moving into cleanup mode in flood-affected areas. Next week, they’ll begin picking up sandbags which can be left at the edge of the road. [CityNews]

🌲 Pembroke city council approved a motion to sell a strip of city land to the mayor for $1,000. An independent assessment said the land was worth about $790. [CBC]

🔋 A new electrical storage facility was approved in Napanee, the first of a series of battery projects in the province that might eventually include one in rural west Ottawa. The facilities use large batteries to store power generated by wind, solar or from the grid at off-peak hours to deliver when demand is high. [CBC]

EVENTS

What to do this weekend

Music

🎶 A Night With Multi-Instrumentalist Sina Bathaie, Friday 9 pm: Soul-soothing music from this instrumentalist who plays the oud, ukulele, santur and more. There will also be two DJs playing multiple sets. At The 27 Club, 27 York St. Tickets $22.

Sports

🏀 Men’s Wheelchair Basketball Ottawa Invitational, until Sunday: This three-team tournament wraps up this weekend. Canada and the US face off Saturday, with the final taking place Sunday, at the Carleton University Ravens’ Nest, 9376 University Dr. Tickets are free.

Food

🍽️ Taste Ottawa, until Saturday: Restaurants all across town are putting on special tasting events so you can find the best of what this city has to offer. Find a restaurant.

Kids/Family

🐄 Summer Fun On the Farm, all weekend: Plenty to do for the whole family. Meet, feed, and touch farm animals, and climb on hay play structures. A great place for a picnic. At the Log Farm, 670 Cedarview Rd. Tickets $12.50.

🌷 Canadian Tulip Festival, until Monday: The festival is going strong all across the city. View the gorgeous flowers at multiple locations by foot, bike, bus, or car. All over town. Free admission.

General

🐴 Ottawa Dressage Festival, until Sunday: Competitors from all around the world participate in a series of dressage competitions for this event’s 20th anniversary, with show stables, vendors and more. Includes a display by the RCMP Musical Ride on Saturday evening. At Wesley Clover Parks, 401 Corkstown Rd. Attendance is free for many events.

👑 Queen Victoria Birthday Celebrations, Sunday 10 am: Historical patriotic speeches, grand military manoeuvres, a brass band, 1860s athletic competitions, a hand-pumped fire engine, and plenty of birthday cake. At Upper Canada Village, 13740 County Rd 2. Adults $25, whole family $80.

💥 Victoria Day Fireworks, Monday 8:30 pm: Starting off with a DJ food and more, the fireworks kick off at 10 pm. At the Rideau Carleton Casino and Raceway, 4837 Albion Rd. Free admission and parking.

Market

👗 613Flea, Saturday 10 am: As many as 150 vendors with everything from vinyl records to vintage clothing, and everything in between. At the Aberdeen Pavilion at Lansdowne Park. Free admission.

🖼️ Sweetly Affordable Art Fair, Saturday and Sunday: Two days of an outdoor market filled with artist and artisan creations. At the stabling area of Wesley Clover Parks, 401 Corkstown Rd. Free admission.

CAPITAL EATS

What’s new in food this week

Every week our team at Capital Eats scours Ottawa for the best places to eat, drinks to try and events to attend. Here’s a breakdown of all the biggest stories.

🍲 The menu isn’t large, but this Chinese spot excels at everything they sell. Don’t miss the wonton soup or the scallion noodles.

🇭🇹 This Haitian restaurant was a classic lunch special for just $9. You won’t regret it! And don’t pass up the pikliz, a spicy, flavourful coleslaw. Their version may be the best in the city.

🍽️ Speaking of lunch, we all love it, but what’s still open? We’ve got the low-down on some great spots to fill up for all budgets and tastes.

🍺 (Insiders) This pub has a great selection that will turn your perception of what’s possible in a strip mall upside down. You’ll find some of the best fish and chips in the city here.

🐟 (Insiders) Not to be outdone in the changing-your-expectations department, this food truck serves fantastic seafood fare, including another of the city’s best fish and chips.

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• Both the public and the bidders will have to wait until at least next week to find out who the next owners of the Ottawa Senators will be. [Ottawa Sun]

• Whoops, looks like a water main burst on Cumberland Street downtown. [Reddit]

• The Ottawa Titans had a rough start to their first road trip of the season, dropping the first two games to the Evansville Otters. [Ottawa Titans]

• It may not be the first thing you think about this city, but Ottawa turns out to be a decent surfing town. [Reddit]

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TOP PHOTO

Today we’ve got another tulip shot, this one from reader Irenka Farmilo. “Tulips in the foreground this sunny day, and the spray from the Hog's Back waterfall in the background,” she said.

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

OTTAWA GAMES

Congrats to Barb, Michele, and Jill, who all knew that this week’s Ottawa Guesser was of the boardwalk through the Mer Blue Bog.

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

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