Speed cameras are expanding because they work

Good morning!

With spring here, it means budget season has also arrived. The federal budget dropped yesterday with…not much really for cities. Hopes of another level of government papering over Ottawa’s budget hole have been dashed once again.

It’s budget season for us here at the Lookout as well. While it may seem that newsletter writers live a lavish lifestyle swimming in an ocean of gold coins, it’s not quite like that. To keep the Lookout going, we need to periodically ask for your support. Members are what keeps this newsletter viable.

So, if you’ve been considering a membership to either City Hall Insider (sneak peek below!) or Capital Eats Insider, now is a great time to hop on board.

Let’s get to the newsletter.

— Robert Hiltz, managing editor

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Weather Report

Wednesday: +7 🌡️ -10 | 🌦/❄️

Thursday: +2 🌡️ -6 | ☀️

Friday: +3 🌡️ +3 | 🌧/❄️

DRIVING

Speed cameras work, expect to see more of them

What happened: The city’s plan to double the number of speed cameras in the city is being driven by one major factor: they dramatically reduce speeding. The city’s director of traffic services told CBC speeding around schools where the cameras have first been tried have seen big drops in average speeds.

• At a camera on Fisher Avenue in a 50 km/h zone, 85 percent of drivers used to pass a camera’s location at 65 km/h. After the camera was installed that topped out at 56 km/h.

City wide, the cameras have shown a drop of 72 percent in high end speeders, and compliance with speed limits has tripled in the areas where there’s a camera.

Where they go: Because of provincial law, cameras can only be placed in school zones or “community safety zones.” All of the cameras in the first few years of the city’s program have gone into school zones. This year, camerats will go in safety zones that have been identified as having problem speeders:

• Hunt Club near Pike Street

• Wakley near Harding

• Montreal near Ogilvie

• King Edward near St. Patrick

• Bronson at Sunnyside

The unknown: There’s no clear data on how speed cameras affect the behaviour of drivers outside the zones. It’s possible they only make a direct difference in their immediate area. But one researcher told CBC that the more consistently speed rules are enforced, the more likely people will be to keep within the speed limit.

OTTAWA BY THE NUMBERS

🍸 2%: The amount an increase to federal alcohol taxes will be capped at for the next year. Because of inflation, next month the tax was going to rise by more than six percent. [CTV]

💰 $40.1 billion: The projected deficit for the next year as the federal budget was released. [CTV]

OUTSIDE DOWNTOWN

🪖 The $1.4-billion expansion of the special forces base in Dwyer Hill will include a private bridge across Franktown Road. Work will begin in earnest this spring. [Ottawa Citizen]

🛞 A city committee approved a deal for the Kanata Recreation Complex to be renamed the “Tony Graham Automotive Group Recreation Complex — Kanata.” The car dealer will pay $1 million over 10 years. Only 35 percent of that will be reinvested in fitness for youth across the city and refurbishing the site. [CBC]

🏥 Hospitals in Perth, Smiths Falls, and Carleton Place are bracing for another summer of ER closures as more nurses depart the rural health care system. [Ottawa Citizen]

🎾 The Manotick Tennis Club will no longer allow pickleball because of noise complaints. It’s part of a growing trend cracking down on the sport. [CBC]

🌪️ The town of Tweed is getting $1.2 million for storm cleanup from a tornado that ripped through town in the summer. [CBC]

🗳️ Greg Sarazin was voted the new chief of the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation, defeating incumbent chief Wendy Jocko by 13 votes. [CBC]

BUDGET

Federal budget gives nothing to struggling city

What happened: The city’s hopes for money to cover its huge transit deficit by another level of government were dashed for the second week in a row. The latest federal budget had no new money to pay cities to operate their transit systems, CBC reported.

• The city is expecting a deficit of $39 million at OC Transpo, and had hoped either the provincial or federal government would cover the budget hole. Neither has.

Convoy funds: Cities affected by the convoy, as well as the RCMP, will be getting $91 million to cover costs associated with the protests. Between the police and costs to the city, the municipality is hoping for $20 million to cover its costs, but the exact figure Ottawa will receive hasn’t been set.

Phoenix: The federal government’s eternally broken Phoenix pay system will be propped up by a new $1 billion in spending over the next two years, the Ottawa Citizen reported. The money will go primarily to staffing the centre where cheques are processed.

Cuts: Federal departments will face a three percent across-the-board cut as the government looks to cut back on overall spending, CTV reported. The cuts are expected to save $15.4 billion.

GST rebate: The government will be issuing a one-time GST rebate for lower-income people to offset the steep rise in grocery prices, CTV reported. Eligible seniors could get $225, single people $234, and a couple with two children $467.

HOUSE OF THE WEEK

This week’s house is a lovely house in Old Ottawa South. The kitchen is incredible (as you can see) with huge windows, mechanical blinds, and 11-foot ceilings. But the real seller might be the well-groomed backyard garden and spa.

Check the listing to see more.

THE AGENDA

🎓 Carleton University education workers, including teaching assistants and other staff, went on strike this week. About 3,000 graduate and undergraduate workers are on the picket line. Both sides are still at the bargaining table. [CTV]

⚠️ In advance of last night’s public school board meeting, trustee Dr. Nili Kaplan-Myrth received a horrifying death threat. [Twitter]

🏟️ NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said prospective new owners of the team aren’t “looking for a handout” to build a new arena. [CTV]

⚖️ Federal unions want the federal government to not challenge a class-action lawsuit being put forward by Black public servants that alleges discrimination. [CBC]

👓 Provincial Health Minister Sylvia Jones said cuts to OHIP-covered eye care for seniors was done to move funding to people with serious eye problems. [CBC]

📚 An Ottawa teacher, who is gay, is launching a human rights complaint against the Ontario Teachers Insurance Plan for discrimination, because it does not cover fertility treatments for surrogates. [CBC]

💐 A house fire in Kanata claimed the life of one person overnight. A 90-year-old woman was taken to hospital for smoke inhalation, and a 90-year-old man was treated at the scene and released. A passing motorist on the way to the gym called 911 just before 5:30 am when they saw the bungalow on fire. [CTV]

🚨 Police are looking to see if a 35-year-old man accused of exposing himself at a Canterbury High School sporting event has done the same thing elsewhere. [CTV]

✈️ Porter Airlines added direct flights this week from the Ottawa airport to Thunder Bay, Newark, and Boston. [CTV]

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• CAA’s annual poll for the worst roads in the province is open once again. Last year Carling and Bronson made the province’s Top 10. [CAA]

• Our food editor learned how the sausage is made (and you can too!)

• Worried there aren’t enough Dymons in town? Fear not, another is planned for Trim and Innes. [Reddit]

• Labour Day weekend the Smashing Pumpkins will be in town at the Canadian Tire Centre. [CTV]

• Next time you’re in Chinatown give the pork rib soup at this restaurant a try for a great meal that isn’t too expensive.

• I don’t have much clever to say about this, but here’s a photo of a cute rabbit hopping about Centretown. [Reddit]

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

INSIDER CITY HALL

The Sunshine List: Who’s making the most in the city

This story is available for Insider City Hall members. Consider becoming a member today and support independent journalism that investigates and explores the issues happening at city hall and across Ottawa.

What happened: The annual Sunshine List was released by the city and the province last week. The list includes the salaries of everyone working in the public service who makes more than $100,000 per year. Many of the top public earners in the city are a part of Ottawa universities or hospital network, but plenty of local public servants made the list.

According to a memo from the city, there are 5,831 city employees on the list. Almost half, 48 percent, are first responders:

• Ottawa Police Service, 1,657 employees (28 percent)

• Ottawa Fire Services, 851 employees (15 percent)

• Ottawa Paramedic Service, 309 employees (5.3 percent)

Read the rest of the article to see who else is on the list.

PS - Sometimes technology fails! If you are a member and didn’t get the newsletter, reply to this email and we’ll make sure you get them in the future.

SPORTS

🏒 There’s not much hope, but there is still a little glimmer left as the Sens defeated the Panthers in their race to make the playoffs. The team is five points back of the Penguins for the final playoff spot. [Ottawa Sun]

Longtime Ottawa Sun Sens columnist Bruce Garrioch argues it’s long past time the team made a deal to move to LeBreton Flats in a new arena. [Ottawa Sun]

🤕 Goalie Cam Talbot is back with the team, but it looks like defenceman Thomas Chabot might be out with an injury. [Ottawa Sun]

OTTAWA GAMES

Congrats to Gord, Lyne, Michele, Nicole, and Mary-Martha who were the first five of very many of you (too many to congratulate individually!) to correctly get this week’s quiz question correct. The answer was that OHIP will now only pay for eye exams to seniors every 18 months.

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

42 more members needed by Friday…

We hate doing this. We really do. We’d rather focus on writing the news or reviewing restaurants.

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Every quarter we review our membership goal numbers. And right now, we’re still 42 short of our 80-member goal to keep bringing you the best local news. Will you join?

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Join today, support local, independent news and join a community of over 900 members.

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