Feds seem unlikely to meet Sutcliffe's demands

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Good morning!

Today is a bit of a strange one. I’ve got some personal news that feels odd to share with you. This week I’ll be leaving the Lookout to pursue a new opportunity with the Ottawa Citizen as editor of news and engagement.

It’s both exciting and sad. Building the Lookout from a little newsletter with a few hundred subscribers, to what it is today has been one of the great fulfilling challenges of my career. I’ve worked for some media startups before, but never come in to lay my own foundations.

I’d first like to thank Geoff Sharpe, without whom none of this would be possible. When he approached me almost three years ago to give a local news newsletter a try, it seemed worth a shot. Together, we were able to get this scrappy little newsletter off the ground, and into your hands. Geoff keeps this whole thing running, without him there would be no Lookout. I couldn’t have asked for a better partner.

Ralf Joneikies cold called us only a few months into the project, asking if we were looking for some food coverage. We were (it’s not something I could ever competently do). He had an idea of searching the city’s nooks and crannies for great food in unlikely places. His tromps across town have brought to the fore some truly great local restaurants, and brought to life the stories of the chefs and owners that make up the city’s quietly vibrant scene. He’s got a remarkable eye, and palate, for what makes the food scene in this city great.

I’d also like to give special thanks to my wife Ingrid. Without her support, I don’t know if any of this would ever have worked out. She kept me going through the hardest years of freelancing, and I don’t know if I’d have been able to stay a journalist without her.

I also can’t go without thanking you, the readers. Without you, the Lookout would just be some words into the void. Thanks to your support, this has become a vibrant and growing community.

I also want to give a special thanks to our paying Insider members. Because you’ve been willing to chip in to support local news in the city, the Lookout has thrived. For that, I can’t thank you enough.

When this opportunity came along to work at the Citizen, the paper I grew up reading, I jumped at the chance. I’m thrilled to be joining such a storied newsroom, and look forward to working with so many great journalists.

From the very start of my career, I’ve always wanted to work at the Citizen, and I’m over the moon I get that chance.

But it’s still sad to go. I think the Lookout is stronger than ever. And it’s more than one person. It’s not going anywhere. Charlie, who you’ll know fairly well by now, will be appearing more frequently in the newsletter. And the team will have more to say in the future.

If you’re interested in contributing to the Lookout, drop us a line at [email protected]. We’re always looking for additional team members.

In the meantime, there’s still news to get to. So let’s get to it.

— Robert Hiltz, managing editor

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

Monday: 23 🌡️ 13 | ⛈️

Tuesday: 28 🌡️ 15 | 🌦

Wednesday: 29 🌡️ 15 | 🌦

CITY HALL

Feds turn down Ottawa’s request for more transit money

What happened: Faced with the reality that the transit budget is not going to fix itself, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe may find his next budget will be raising property taxes. A plea the mayor made last Thursday for more federal and provincial transit funding has so far been met with a polite, but firm, “no.”

Not so keen: Federal Families Minister and local MP Jenna Sudds, herself a former Ottawa city councillor, tweeted that the federal government had already provided plenty of other funding for the city, and suggested the city should better manage its fiscal situation.

“The residents of Ottawa have paid their property taxes and they've paid their Federal tax with expectations that we manage their money well and spend it wisely. We at the federal level take this responsibility seriously, especially at a time when the people of Ottawa are watching their pocketbooks, and the City of Ottawa is not exempt from this responsibility either,” Sudds wrote.

At issue: In an oped for the online news outlet National Newswatch, Sutcliffe wrote that the federal government doesn’t pay the city enough in lieu of property taxes. He said while the feds paid $164 million this year, that’s short $95 million of what they should be paying.

Dig deeper: Basically, governments can’t tax one another, that’s why the federal government offers payment in lieu of property taxes for its office towers, as the Ottawa Citizen explains.

The promise: He campaigned on a promise to keep property tax increases to only 2.5% for the first two years of his term. That’s been an increase well below the rate of inflation, as the city has faced increased construction costs, a persistent transit deficit, and maintenance and infrastructure deficits that could cost billions down the road.

Finding cuts efficiencies: Sutcliffe said the city had found about $150 million in efficiencies in its budget. OC Transpo is also in the process of cutting back routes as it realigns the system.

The long view: Ottawa city council has not been without options. As the budget deficit at OC Transpo persisted, council held firm on only increasing the transit budget 2.5%, the same rate as the overall increase. But ridership has lagged behind city expectations, even after lowering their targets for the year, actual ridership has still fallen short of forecasts.

A public service: Sutcliffe has not gone so far as to explictily say federal workers should return to the office full time, instead he seems to be trying to thread the needle, presenting the feds with the option — inasmuch as it’s a choice — to pay up instead. He said the city was missing about $36 million in transit revenue because of federal hybrid work.

“The federal government is the number one employer in Ottawa. I believe it has an obligation to help us with our public transit system, the system we built to serve federal employees,” Sutcliffe wrote.

Want to go even deeper? In the latest City Hall Insider, we look at what a transit death spiral is, and how one can be avoided. Read the story here.

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OTTAWA BY THE NUMBERS

📈 6.4%: Ottawa’s unemployment rate in July, up 0.3 percentage points from June. Overall employment in the city rose to 650,600 in July, from 645,500 in June, but an additional 2,400 people started looking for work raising the unemployment rate overall. [CTV]

🏎️ 196 km/h: The speed OPP caught a driver going on the 417 near Moodie. The 19-year-old faces a driving suspension, fine and demerit points. [CTV]

CLIMATE

Remnants of tropical storm causes damage, flooding

What happened: The remnants of tropical storm Debby dropped huge amounts of rain all across the region late last week, with the worst in Ottawa in the western ends of the city. Carp, Kanata, and West Carleton saw partially collapsed roads, washed-out culverts, and flooded basements, according to the City of Ottawa. Several road closures extended into the weekend, as crews worked to repair the damage.

A lot of rain: At the Ottawa airport, 45.5 mm of rain fell, but 75.8 mm of rain was recorded at the Central Experimental Farm further to the northwest. In Gatineau, 83 mm of rain was recorded, CTV reported.

Several roads and trails in Gatineau Park were closed because of severe damage from the storm. You can find the latest information on the park’s Twitter account.

Across the river: The town of Chelsea had to declare a state of emergency because of flooding through the area, CBC reported. Some roads in the town were completely cut off, leaving some residents stranded.

Warning city: Ottawa was the weather-alert capital of the country for the second year running last year. The city had 66 weather alerts issued in 2023, up from 65 in the previous year, CBC reported. The number of weather alears have doubled from a decade before.

NEW LOCAL JOBS

Check out the new open positions in Ottawa.

1. HVAC apprentice at Francis H.V.A.C. Services

2. General carpenter/apprentice at L.Coady Carpentry & Contracting

3. Environmental regulatory manager at Western Forest Products

4. Health and safety consultant at The Portfolio Group

5. Branch manager at Stanley Black & Decker

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

THE AGENDA

🏖️ The owner of a rental property on Constance Bay has put up a fence along the beach that stretches into the water to discourage public use of the beach. [CBC]

🗳️ Former city councillor and newscaster Carol Anne Mehan will no longer seek the nomination of the federal Conservative Party in Ottawa West Nepean. [Ottawa Citizen]

🚰 After more than a week, the town of Aylmer lifted a boil-water advisory. Testing of part of the systems drinking water had found unsafe levels of contaminants in the water. [Ottawa Citizen]

⚖️ An OC Transpo driver was sentenced to 88 days in jail last month for driving a bus while drunk. The driver drove several routes and had passengers on board. A spokesperson told the Lookout the driver is no longer employed by the city. [CBC/Ottawa Lookout]

🌟 Mars and Jupiter will be about one-third of a degree apart on Wednesday, the closest they’ll appear until 2033. The best view will be at daybreak, looking east near the constellation Taurus. [The Associated Press]

🚨 Police said an early morning shooting at Lansdowne Park was targeted. No one was injured, but multiple shots were fired. [CTV]

FOOD PREVIEW

Something for the vegetarians

It’s long overdue that we saw vegetarian and vegan food options increasing in Canadian cities. It begs the question however — are they worth actually trying? We tackle this in tomorrow’s edition of Capital Eats, our Ottawa food and drink newsletter.

Don’t miss this story - subscribe to our free food and drink newsletter instantly by clicking this link.

EVENTS

What to do this week

🎇 Les Grand Feux Casino Lac Leamy, until Aug. 17: The international fireworks competition returns this week, with teams from around the world competing to dazzle. At the Canadian Museum of History. Ticket prices vary.

⛏️ Public Archaeological Digs, all August: Supervised digs where you can learn hands-on about the pre-contact history of the region. At Parc Lac Leamy. Free.

🍷 An Evening with Closson Chase Vineyard, Wednesday 6 pm: Come for a wine and cheese evening with selected pairings and a wine talk. At the Wise Town Cafe, 329a Elgin St. Admission $5.

🤼‍♂️ C*4 Wrestling presents ‘FIGHTING BACK 13 - Wrestling with Cancer,’ Friday 7:30 pm: The annual fundraising wrestling match to raise money for Phrank Morin. Featuring plenty of special guests. At Preston Event Centre, 523 Saint Anthony St. Tickets $44.

🍖 Halal Ribfest Ottawa, Friday to Sunday: Great ribs and street food with carnival games, live music, a pop up market and more. At Lansdowne Park. Tickets start at $7.

🇹🇭 Flavour of Thai - Culinary Master Class, Saturday 11 am: A live demonstration of Thai cooking techniques by Prasopchok Trakulphat, and you get to taste the results. At Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts Institute, 453 Laurier Ave. E. Tickets $45.

👰‍♀️ Opportunity Bridal pop-up sale, Sunday 9 am: A pop up sale for wedding dresses, as much as 80% off. At Holiday Inn & Suites Kanata, 101 Kanata Ave. Free, early-arrival VIP tickets $54.

Arts events

🎭 A Company of Fools - Macbeth, all week: A Company of Fools presents their annual Shakespeare in the park performances featuring an all female and non-binary cast in a production of Macbeth. At parks across the city. Pay what you can. 

🚀 Dief the Chief - October '62, Friday and Saturday: A one-of-a-kind immersive play, following Prime Minister John Diefenbaker through the Diefenbunker as he navigates the Cuban Missile Crisis. At the Diefenbunker, 3929 Carp Rd. Tickets $55.

🧌 Myth, Lore & Stories of Wonder, Friday to Sunday: A creative arts fair put on by the Odyssey Theatre, featuring plays, live readings, dance and more. At Strathcona Park. Tickets start at $23.

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• A grove of disease-resistant butternut trees in Western Quebec is doing well enough that it could help repopulate the devastated populations of the tree. [CBC]

• New findings by a pair of researchers in Ottawa and the UK suggests the Tyrannosaurs Rex might have been 70% larger than previously thought. [CBC]

• Some very good local dogs are getting training in water rescue. [CBC]

• Local teen Maeesha B recently released her first album If Only You Knew. [CTV]

• The Navan Fair kicked off over the weekend with a parade through the village. [Ottawa Citizen]

• Want to have your announcement featured? Learn how here.

OTTAWA GAMES

Congrats to everyone who got last week’s Ottawa Wordle, the answer was ADIEU, because it’s been a real pleasure writing this newsletter.

For this week’s Ottawa Quiz, we want to know…