Doctor shortage has thousands calling a clinic

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Good morning!

This weekend was absurdly cold, as you probably know. My poor dog was unimpressed, to say the least, that we’d bought her a thermal onesie. It kept her warm, but she gave me looks of what was quite probably contempt. No frostbite, though!

I swear this wasn’t a gag, but I posted an incorrect link to this listing of a yellow house not once but twice. This time, I promise it’s the right link which you can find here. 

Why don’t we get to it.

— Robert Hiltz, managing editor

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Weather Report

Monday: -4 🌡️ -12 | 🌤

Tuesday: +1 🌡️ 0 | ❄️ (chance of flurries)

Wednesday: +1 🌡️ -8 | 🌤

WEEKLY LOOKOUT

Budget sessions: City committees will begin looking at their specific sections of the draft budget. The finance committee meets Tuesday, council meets Wednesday, and Thursday the police board and the transit commission meet. 

Convoy reports: The city’s auditor general will release her reports into the response to the convoy by the city, the police, and the police services board. The reports will be released Thursday and Friday. 

HEALTHCARE

Thousands struggling to find a family doctor call Ottawa clinic

What happened: The Southbank Medical Clinic in South Keys with a new doctor starting soon has been overwhelmed by thousands of people hoping to get a family physician. More than 3,000 people called, emailed, or come in person to sign up, after a notice in the clinic’s lobby that they would begin accepting patients went viral, CBC reported.

• Prospective patients were told they may not hear back for weeks, or maybe even months.

Wider problem: Ottawa Public Health estimated in a memo to council between 10 and 15 percent of the population are without a family doctor — about 100,000 to 150,000 people. It’s a problem province-wide, where 2 million people are without a doctor. 

• The province estimates another 1,700 doctors are needed to fill the gaps in care, CBC reported.

The root of the problem is few doctors are choosing family medicine. Part of the issue is the amount of paperwork doctors are required to do. It can be as much as 19 hours per week. 

The number of doctors ending their practices doubled in the early months of the pandemic compared to previous trends, the Ottawa Citizen reported.

Newcomers: Visible minorities and newly arrived immigrants are of particular concern. The Ottawa Newcomer Health Centre told the paper that before 2020, it was able to get three-quarters of its clients placed with a doctor. Now no doctors are accepting patients from the centre.

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OTTAWA BY THE NUMBERS

🚨 22,914: A speed camera on St. Laurent Boulevard issued this many tickets, the most from a single camera in the city, despite only being set up in April. Across the city, cameras issued 127,939 speeding tickets. [CTV]  

🚔 157 km/h: A driver was caught passing an OPP cruiser at this speed, earning a stunt driving charge and a 30 day licence suspension. [CityNews]

CAPITAL EATS

Ottawa’s Briana Kim wins Canadian Culinary Championship

It may have been an exhausting three days for attendees of the Canadian Culinary Championships but for the chefs and their teams, the schedule was gruelling. In the end Ottawa’s Briana Kim of Alice restaurant emerged victorious in both Friday nights People's Choice Award and as the judges’ pick in the Grand Finale. By the way, the decision was unanimous.

Chef Kim's winning dish was a complex plant-based offering of onion tuile, potatoes, rhubarb jerky, smoked maitake mushrooms, pickled onion, dill, lacto-fermented green tomato and koji broth. One judge announced that one of their colleagues said they would gladly fall at the feet of the chef who created this dish. It was indeed extraordinary and we can all be supremely proud that we have a chef operating at this world-class level here in our city. 

I was in attendance all three nights and readers can enjoy a full report in Thursday's edition of the Capital Eats Insider. 

— Ralf Joneikies food and drink editor, [email protected]

Want to learn about the best restaurants before anyone else? Like hidden food gems? Subscribe for free to Capital Eats, our food, restaurant and wine publication. 

FESTIVAL

Winterlude returns a day late

What happened: Winterlude returned Saturday for the first time since the pandemic began. The extreme cold last weekend forced outdoor Friday events to be cancelled, organizers said on Twitter. 

The ice sculpture contest on Sparks Street kicked off the festivities. At Jacques Cartier Park, Winterlude has a heated warming area in the Snowflake Kingdom, CTV reported. Unfortunately the NCC said the Rideau Canal is still not ready to open, even though the cold snap helped. 

• With a windchill of -43.1, Friday was the windchilliest Feb. 3 since records began, according to weather historian Rolf Campbell. At 21 hours long, it was the second-longest streak of windchill below -40 since windchill records began in 1953.

Free rides: Looking to get between different Winterlude events? Take the free OC Transpo Sno-Bus. One runs between Lansdowne and downtown, and another runs between Gatineau and Ottawa.

Lost and found: A three-year-old girl lost her favourite stuffed animal at Winterlude along Sparks Street. Fortunately the girl and Jeffy were reunited just a few hours later.

JOBS OF THE WEEK

Check out the new open positions in Ottawa.

1. Policy lead at the Public Policy Forum

2. Family and community engagement coordinator at the Ottawa Carleton District School Board

3. Business management analyst at Nisha Technologies

4. Digital planning and integration manager at the Canadian Dermatology Association

5. Finance manager at Stevenson & White

THE AGENDA

🚍 OC Transpo said it will now respond immediately when people hit the help button. In December, a man said he hit the button to report an assault, and heard only a dial tone. [CBC]

🧦 Two clothing donation bins in Orléans were seized by the city because the group operating them had its charity status revoked. [CBC]

🚒 A family in Stittsville had to flee their house in bare feet because of a serious fire. It was one of several fires during the extreme cold of the weekend. [Ottawa Citizen]

🥅 At least 15 groups have filed applications expressing interest in buying the Senators, and bids are expected to come in the weeks ahead. [CTV]

👑 The town council of Prescott will debate a motion this week on whether to eliminate the oath to the King for new members of council. [CTV]

⚖️ Convoy leader Chris Barber has filed a motion to stay the proceedings against him for mischief and obstructing police for a breach of his Charter rights. Barber’s texts were disclosed in full in court before his lawyer received them. 

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• The Vanier Sugar Shack will reopen later this month, two years after it burnt down. [Ottawa Citizen]

• At this Italian restaurant in the Glebe brought in bronze pasta-making dies which gives a fantastic texture to their house-made pasta. 

• The Redblacks re-signed quarterback Nick Arbuckle to a one-year contract extension. [CTV]

• Looking for something to do for free this winter? This list has you covered. [CTV]

• Heat pumps are an energy efficient way to heat your home, this Ottawa Reddit user explains how theirs did during the extreme cold. [Reddit]

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

EVENTS

What to do this week

General

Aurora — Expérience Hivernale Festive, this week: A winter festival of lights and music. With a coffee bar, DJs, a skating rink, and more. 84 Rue Hanson, Gatineau. Free event.

Winterlude, until Feb. 20: There are all kinds of winter activities, from checking out ice sculptures along Sparks, to snow slides in Jacques Cartier Park. Events at locations in Ottawa and Gatineau. Most events are free.

Capital Pride Drag Storytime, Wednesday 11 am: A family drag story time event at the NAC. Featuring China Doll and Cyril Cinder. Tickets are free.

Culture

Dark Ice, until March 5: An exhibition by Leslie Reid and Robert Kautuk of photos and paintings exploring Arctic land and ice. At the Ottawa Art Gallery, 50 Mackenzie King Bridge. Admission is free.

Capital Bachata Festival, Thursday to Sunday: A Latin dance festival of workshops, social dancing, and performances. A full pass starts at $190, a nightly pass starts at $23.

Other

2023 Ottawa Destination Wedding & Honeymoon Expo, Tuesday 5:30 pm: An event for couples and their guests wanting to book a destination wedding. Plenty of vendors, plus a presentation. At St. Elias Centre Banquet Hall, 750 Ridgewood Ave. Reservations are free.

TOP PHOTO

Today’s photo comes from reader Pat Beckett, of Sasha, who’s a Shiba Inu who lives in Barrhaven with Pat and Meg.

Do you have a photo you’d like to share? Send it in!

Understand what's going on at city hall

We're launching our Insider City Hal membership this month. It'll break down the biggest stories in local government, helping you understand exactly what our local elected officials are up to, and the issues that impact you and your family. 

Until Feb. 10, you can get a membership at the current price of $75 for the year. After Feb. 10 the price increases to $99 a year. Save big by purchasing a membership right now.

OTTAWA GAMES

Congrats to everyone who got last week’s Ottawa Wordle. The answer was FROST, because of all the cold.

This week’s Ottawa Quiz is, you guessed it, weather related. This weekend had the second longest consecutive stretch with windchill below -40. What year was the longest stretch? The first five people to write in with the correct answer will get their names mentioned in the next issue.

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