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Small gathering marks one year anniversary of convoy occupation

A couple hundred protestors came to town for the first anniversary of the start of the convoy occupation.

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Good morning!

Well, we did it. We made it through another snowstorm and the kinda sad return of the convoy. I’m not sure exactly how much the city has learned from the convoy — at times, it seems like official Ottawa would rather just move on — but it’s clear the police learned that letting trucks park indefinitely on downtown streets is a bad idea.

It’s still hard to believe that the convoy ever happened. The scenes downtown were surreal, and for the residents who lived there often horrible. But here we are a year later.

I’m particularly interested in the initial report from the Ottawa People’s Commission, coming out later today. They focused on Ottawa residents to hear how the occupation affected regular people going about their lives. It will be an important document putting the experiences of the people of this city on the official record.

Then, to cap it all off, part of the LRT shut down because of a power failure along the eastern part of the line. Life truly does go on.

Let’s get to the news, shall we?

— Robert Hiltz, managing editor

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Weather Report

Monday: -6 🌡️ -18 | ❄️

Tuesday: -10 🌡️ -15 | ☀️

Wednesday: -6 🌡️ -11 | 🌤

WEEKLY LOOKOUT

Convoy report: The Ottawa People’s Commission (OPC) will release the first part of its report on last year’s occupation later today. Rather than focus on official decision-making, the OPC focused on residents and the effect it had on them. The report is titled “What we heard,” and will detail the testimony they heard from more than 200 residents.

City hall: City council meets Wednesday, where the draft budget will be presented. It’s expected to have a 2.5 percent property tax increase. Mayor Mark Sutcliffe will make a speech introducing the plan. The planning committee meets Tuesday where they will discuss approving more dealerships for Strandherd Road in Barrhaven, as well as other zoning changes across the city. The police services board also meets Wednesday, but no agenda has been posted as of this writing.

CONVOY

One year later

What happened: The one-year return of the convoy protestors wasn’t anything close to the nightmare of last year. A small convoy tried to enter the downtown Sunday, but was turned away, according to Ottawa police.

Several hundred people showed up for a protest and dance party, CTV reported. There was a heavy police presence downtown, with officers from the OPP and RCMP in town to reinforce city police and bylaw. Protestors had a permit to protest on Parliament Hill, where access was monitored by parliamentary police.

By the numbers:

Looking to shelter from this weekend’s weather, some convoy returnees hoped plastic wrap would provide relief, a little Chateau of their own, as PressProgress’s Luke LeBrun showed:

  • “We are never going to allow another situation again where people take up residence in our neighbourhoods and allow harassment of everyday people,” Somerset Coun. Ariel Troster told CTV.

Legacy: What did the convoy mean? Really depends who you ask. CBC sat down with four people with very different views on the protests. For a gym owner who stayed open against pandemic rules, and an unvaccinated mother, it was a place to find community with like-minded people.

For a non-profit it was a way to connect with the community in the aftermath of the protests, serving on the Ottawa People’s Commission board. And a Carleton professor who helped start the Battle of Billings Bridge said he’d lost faith in city, but gained faith in Ottawans.

  • Dig deeper: Convoy’s scars still evident a year later [Ottawa Citizen]

Outstanding fines: More than $141,000 in fines have yet to be paid to the city for tickets issued during the protest. A total of $320,545 in fines were issued by the city — 4,130 tickets for parking and other infractions, CBC reported.

  • Unpaid tickets can be sent to a collection agency, added to a property tax bill, or prevent a licence from being renewed.

Threat of explosives? During the first days of the convoy, Osgoode Coun. George Darouze received a “disturbing” email suggesting explosives may have been present in an Ottawa hotel during the protest. PressProgress revealed the chain of emails between several city officials at the time, which include photos of what might have been explosives.

  • This threat of explosives downtown did not come up at the convoy inquiry this fall, and none of the city, police, or Darouze would share details on the emailed threat. Police told PressProgress the investigation was ongoing.

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OTTAWA BY THE NUMBERS

🏗️ $875,000: The amount of federal funding being provided to four downtown revitalization projects including greening Sparks Street and upgrading the Bronson Centre. [OBJ]

☃️ 5: With Sunday’s snow, Ottawa has had this many days with 10 cm or more of snow, tying the all-time record shared by 1924, 1895, and 1887. [Ottawa Weather Records]

🅿️ 3,448: Ottawa drivers got this many $125 parking tickets during the daytime parking ban on Thursday because of the storm. [CTV]

DRIVERS

Suburban street plagued by speeders

What happened: Drivers are using a residential Stittsville street as a shortcut past traffic on Carp Road near the 417, and residents are worried about speeders through the neighbourhood, CBC reported. Residents have complained for years drivers have been going well above the 40 km/h speed limit.

  • A driver struck and killed a dog earlier this month.

High priority: Speeding is the No. 1 concern of residents in 18 of the city’s wards, and in the top three for another four, according to the most recent survey of residents by the Ottawa Police Service in 2018. The only ward where speeding isn’t in the top five concerns is the downtown Somerset Ward.

  • Note: The city only gained a 24th ward when council was sworn in last November, which is why the number of wards above is only 23.

Calming measures: City councillors each get a budget of $50,000 for traffic calming in their ward. Stittsville Coun. Glen Gower told CBC a speed bumps can cost $5,000 to $10,000.

Slowing down: Right now there are only 23 photo radar cameras in the city, according to the city’s data. In the first year-and-a-half of the pilot project, 125,000 tickets were issued by eight cameras in school zones. The city said its cameras led to a 200 percent increase in compliance with the speed limit, and a 72 percent decrease in drivers going more than 15 km/h over the limit.

NEW LOCAL JOBS

Check out the new open positions in Ottawa.

  1. Biological scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

  2. French teacher and TEF examiner at Algonquin College

  3. Regional manager of health services at Dynacare

  4. Organizational development manager at the House of Commons

  5. Director of programs at the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada

THE AGENDA

🚫 Sunday is a day ending in “day,” which means the eastern half of the LRT shut down because of an apparent power failure on the line. [CTV]

❄️ The more than 70 cm of snow that has fallen on the city this month has residents across the city frustrated by the size of snowbanks, many reaching well above two metres… [CTV]

🥵 …This winter is the city’s third-warmest ever, with January five degrees warmer than normal. Multiple winter events were cancelled this year. [Ottawa Citizen]

🔋 The transit commission voted 7-1 at an emergency meeting to approve a plan to buy 350 electric buses over the next three years. [CBC]

💰 Ottawa is the third-least-expensive capital city in the world to buy a home in the city centre. [CTV]

🚧 Downtown Liberal MP Yasir Naqvi made the case to keep Wellington Street closed and reimagined, calling it a “once-in-a-generation opportunity.” [Ottawa Citizen]

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Claude Giroux had two goals and an assist in a 5-0 win over the Montreal Canadiens, moving the team to a .500 record. [The Canadian Press]

  • Help combat our health crisis of inactivity. Discover how ParticipACTION is tackling this crisis head on and why investments will help Canada save billions.*

  • Desert and decor to warm your soul at this ByWard Market cafe.

  • Looking for a patio for a bite and a drink on a winter day? Check out this list of patios across the city that are open all year. [Apt613]

  • What a difference four months makes, as shown by these two photos of Major’s Hill Park in September and January. [Reddit]

  • Ray Donovan still plays hockey three times a week at 80 years old. [CBC]

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

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EVENTS

What to do this week

Kids/Family

Family Paint Party, Wednesday 7 pm: Paint with the whole family in a step-by-step guided process. No experience necessary, and take home what you make. At Casa Mexico, 1491 Merivale Rd. Tickets $39.

General

Pints and Pawns Chess Meetup, tonight 8pm: Come on out for a night of chess and comradery at the Clocktower Beechwood at 422 MacKay St. No cover or minimum purchase!

Snow Angels for CHEO Trivia Night, Wednesday 7 pm: Head on out to Tailgators at 1642 Merivale Rd for a night of trivia led by Gordon Smith to raise money for CHEO Oncology. Teams of up to six people, with prizes for top finishers and a few random draws. Tickets start at $23.

Other

OAK + FORT VIP Opening, Thursday 6 pm: Fashion outlet Oak + Fort is opening a new location in the Rideau Centre, with drinks and a DJ. Guests get a first look at the new collection, get a free tote bag with any purchase, and 20 percent off. Reservations are free.

PHOTO OF THE DAY
Snow, snow, snow

Ottawa Lookout Readers

Thanks to John Baglow, Joe Boucher, and Alexandra Bourdeau for sending photos of the snowbanks in their neighbourhoods spread all across the city.

We’re going to dig deeper — excuse the pun — into the challenge of snow clearing this year, what could be done better, and what we can do to prepare for next year in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.

Want to share photos of the snow in your area? Send them in!

OTTAWA GAMES

Congrats to everyone who got last week’s Ottawa Wordle, SKIER, as in the type of person you can become when there’s a lot of snow on the ground.

It’s the end of January and the Canal still isn’t open. All time, the latest opening day was Feb. 2. What year did the Canal open that late? The first five people to write in with the correct answer will get their names mentioned in the next issue.

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