Garbage plan gets the go ahead

Good morning!

Well, seems like we all made it. After a few sweltering days and nights, I was delighted to be able to take the dog out after dark and not feel like I was in a sauna.

Hopefully you were all able to stay cool during the worst of the heat!

I want to thank everyone who filled out our reader survey. We’ve got plenty of announcements about the results below, as well as a bunch of news from around town.

Let’s get to it.

— Robert Hiltz, managing editor

WEATHER

Friday: 27 🌡️ 16 | 🌦

Saturday: 25 🌡️ 17 | 🌧

Sunday: 27 🌡️ 17 | 🌧

Monday: 23 🌡️ 16 | 🌦

CITY HALL

Garbage plan gets go-ahead at council committee

What happened: The city’s environment committee unanimously voted to approve the solid waste master plan, which the city believes will extend the life of the Trail Road Waste Facility by 14 years, CBC reported. The plan will put item limits and other measures in place to divert more waste to recycling and composting.

The changes will also see the rates charged to homeowners steadily rise, as the city looks to move beyond years of underfunding the waste system. Staff said Ottawa pays garbage rates below other comparable cities. The fee could go up as much as 17% next year.

Clear bags? As part of the long-term plan, the city may consider other measures to discourage recycling from going into the trash in 2027. One of those possibilities is already being talked down by the mayor and councillors. In three years, the city might consider mandating clear garbage bags to cut down even more on recycling ending up in the landfill, CTV reported.

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said on Twitter, “this is not the time” to look at something like clear bags. “There are many ways to encourage better waste diversion without introducing new rules or making life more challenging for our residents,” he said.

The plan next needs approval from the full council. You can read the full solid waste master plan here.

Lansdowne troubles? The city’s auditor general said the construction estimates for the Lansdowne 2.0 project could be underestimating costs by $76.1 million, CTV reported. The project is supposed to cost the city $419 million.

But, the city disputes the auditor’s finding. Saying in a memo that because of its experience with owning the facility since 1847, and having gone through the last redevelopment of the park, staff do not need to use as large a financial risk window to project the construction costs.

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OTTAWA BY THE NUMBERS

💰 $100,000: A woman in Renfrew won this much when six of her seven encore numbers matched a recent draw. [CTV]

🚗 $3: The amount, per hour, parking on main streets through Wellington West and Westboro could cost if approved by council. Right now it’s free. Other parts of the city could see rates rise to $4 per hour. [CTV]

HEAT DOME

Relief arrives after several sweltering days

What happened: The worst of the heat dome is likely done, with today’s high only expected to reach 27 C, according to Environment Canada. But while the humidex is forecast at 31, the overnight low of 16 will bring a much needed break to several sweltering days.

Last night the heat warning was ended by Environment Canada a little after 9 pm.

Checking in: Fire crews fanned out across Ottawa, checking in on apartment buildings to make sure residents were able to cope with the heat. By midweek, they had visited more than 200 buildings, according to the city. The city also converted lane swimming sessions to free swims so more people could cool off.

Cool air wanted: Local businesses saw plenty of demand for fans and air conditioners as the heat persisted, CTV reported. One local HVAC company said all of its service technicians and installers were out around the city.

School’s out: The Western Quebec School Board closed about 12 schools throughout the region because of high heat, CTV reported. The closures came even though classes end today.

Slow trains: OC Transpo has to run trains at a maximum speed of 50 km/h because of the heat, CTV reported. Temperatures at 30 C and above can cause “sun kinks” in the rails, putting them slightly out of alignment, which can be made worse if the trains are running too fast. Reducing speeds at high temperatures also prevents possible damage to the trains running over less-than-optimal rails.

High risk: Heat waves, especially ones that last several days, can have deadly consequences, particularly for those over 65, CBC reported. From 2000 to 2020, Statistics Canada found that there were at least 670 excess deaths in the country during heat waves.

• The study found that cities with a higher percentage of renters tended to see more residents dying because of the heat.

THE AGENDA

👧 The Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa and its union said that chronic underfunding of the organization means they aren’t able to give children and families the care they need. They said that parents of children with complex needs are turning to the society because they can’t find help elsewhere. The society has run a $3.3-million deficit in the last two years. [CBC]

🍽️ Named one of the country’s top 100 restaurants, Buvette Daphnée has been closed since early June when staff quit en masse. Workers told the Citizen they left because of the chef’s behaviour. [Ottawa Citizen]

📈 At least 23 seniors have moved out of retirement residences run by Alavida Lifestyles after the landlord decided to remove marketing discounts from their rents, increasing them by as much as $1,500 per month to $5,000 in some cases. The residents said the company never told them the discounts were temporary. [CBC]

🤖 The federal government has deployed a robot to some of its office buildings to measure workplace usage and get environmental data. A federal workers’ union worries it’s there to spy on employees. [CBC]

🥅 Talks between the NCC and the Ottawa Senators on a possible new arena at LeBreton Flats continue. The NCC said there is a will on both sides to come to an agreement before the Sept. 20 deadline. [Ottawa Citizen]

🩻 Imaging technologists at two Outaouais hospitals were left out of a bonus program from the Quebec government without explanation. The bonuses were designed by the province to keep technologists from leaving their jobs, but workers in Wakefield and Shawville were left out, despite other workers in the region receiving bonuses of about $20,000. [CTV]

🛥️ Boats trapped by the damaged LaSalle Causeway in Kingston were finally freed after the broken bridge was demolished. The federal government and the municipality are working on a temporary plan to allow cyclists and pedestrians across the removed bridge. [CBC]

🏥 The federal government’s Asticou Centre, just northwest of the city, will be the site of a new Gatineau hospital. The hospital is expected to open in 2035.[CBC]

⚖️ Three buildings in Westboro were put into receivership by a judge after the landlord, Ashcroft Homes, defaulted on a loan worth $6.5 million. The company said only those buildings were affected, not its broader portfolio. [Ottawa Citizen]

🩺 The new MRI machine at the Brockville General Hospital made its first scan Wednesday. Before it began operation, residents would have to travel 50 kilometres to get a scan. [CTV]

🍷 While they’ve never walked off the job before, LCBO workers might make history and go on strike July 5. Workers are concerned for their job security because of the provincial government’s opening of the beer market to corner stores. [CBC]

🏘️ Residents in a new Manotick subdivision worry that their houses are too similarly numbered to those of a cross street, leading to confusion and a possiblly dangerous situation if an ambulance is needed. The city said the developer made changes to the signage and closed the complaints file. [CBC]

🚨 An SUV was pulled over by the OPP for travelling the wrong way on the 416 as it was merging onto the 401, still in the wrong direction. [CTV]

🚫 A 16-year-old with a G1 license is facing charges for allegedly repeatedly breaching his licence conditions and driving unaccompanied. The teen’s vehicle was impounded until at least his October court date. [CTV]

LOOKOUT SURVEY

The survey results are in!

For the last two weeks, we ran our summer survey, to understand how we can improve the Lookout. And now we’re excited to share the results with you!

We reviewed all your responses, tabulated the data and read through all reader submissions. We discussed internally and figured out which of all your well-thought-out ideas were possible with the resources we have. 

Here are the three things you told us:

• You want more in-depth coverage, directing our limited resources towards more impactful and deeper journalism, like interviews with experts

• You want us to expand our coverage of city hall, as well as arts and culture

• Lastly, you asked for ways to get more involved in the community, through volunteer opportunities, as well as neighbourhood profiles.

Our team is part-time here at the lookout, but we’ve got a plan to do this, even if it cuts into our small budget:

1. We’re bringing on additional freelancer capacity to conduct deeper, more researched stories. Interviewing experts and contacting sources, we want to do more hard-hitting journalism.

2. In the coming weeks, we’ll be expanding the content in our Lookout newsletter. Expect more coverage and showcasing of the theatre, arts, culture and more.

3. Lastly, we’re exploring ways to get readers more involved in our journalism.

EVENTS

What to do this weekend

🎭 Ottawa Fringe Festival, June 13-23: the city of Ottawa will be the ultimate destination for the funky and fabulous as local, national and international artists gather to showcase their groovy talents. With a mind-blowing lineup of 50 shows and over 300 performances, this year's festival is set to be a psychedelic extravaganza! At Arts Court 2 Daly Ave. Tickets start at $14. 

🏉 Canada vs Scotland | TD Place, Ottawa | July 6th, 5 pm | Don't miss the biggest rugby battle of the summer! Scotland, the 6th best team in world rugby plays on home soil. | Buy Now! [Sponsored]

🎶 Ottawa Jazz Festival, June 21-30: The Ottawa Jazz Festival has been a trailblazer in the music festival scene for more than 40 years. It showcases a wide range of jazz genres, including swing, jive, fusion jazz, hot jazz, boogie as well as diverse cultures and traditions. At Confederation Park. Purchase tickets here. 

📽️ Latin America Film Festival, June 22-30: The festival will feature an extraordinary selection of film productions from 15 countries: Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay. At Jack Turcot University Centre, UCU auditorium, 85 University Pvt. Free. *

🍳 Breakfast on the Farm, Saturday: An all-Ontario breakfast followed by a farm tour. No parking at the event site at Blackrapid’s Farm, but free shuttles from the Fallowfield Park and Ride. Tickets $5.

🎶 In Harmony - An Eras Concert, Saturday 3 pm: In Harmony, A Women's Choir presents popular music from every decade since the 1960s. At 3191 Riverside Dr. Tickets $17.

🍖 Summer BBQ with Grill & Smoker - Cooking Shop Class, Saturday 11 am: A BBQ cooking class by Traeger, a three-hour grilling experience and meal. At Capital BBQ, 12 Grenfell Cres. Tickets $150.

🇸🇾 Syrian Festival of Ottawa, Saturday: The Syrian Festival of Ottawa is hosted By Voices from the South Festival. The event starts on Saturday, June 22, 2024 and is happening at Petrie Island. Free. 

👗 Sweetly Adorable Craft Fair, Saturday: The Sweetly Affordable Art Fair (SAAF) is an exhibition offering a wide selection of affordable art and artisanal items for visitors to choose from. With most pieces under $1,000 and many pieces under $50. Come visit over 100 exciting booths, filled with a wide range of unique artistry. At Wesley Clover Parks, 401 Corkstown Rd. Free.

*Editor’s Note: In Monday’s issue we had the incorrect name and location for this event. The Lookout regrets the error.

CAPITAL EATS

This week in food

🍶 It’s not often a new saké arrives in an Ottawa LCBO, but we got one recently, and it’s an excellent entry into the drink. (Insiders)

🍣 Little Italy isn’t just about Italian. Kiko on Preston is a great sushi restaurant where you can treat yourself. (Insiders)

🥪 The grand opening of the new Paninaro brought the restaurant’s fine sandwiches to an even bigger clientele.

🚚 Our food editor stopped at two food trucks to find some great eats outside a restaurant.

🍽️ Taste for Hope, Ottawa’s big Shepherds of Good Hope charity event saw the city’s food community raise money for our most vulnerable citizens.

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• Congrats to Ottawa Citizen reporter Catherine Morrison who won a 2024 EU-Canada Young Journalist Fellowship! [Ottawa Citizen]

• The Alexandra Bridge will remain closed to traffic until at least 2025, after more corrosion damage was found during inspections. [CTV]

• The Ottawa Riverkeeper has launched a fundraising campaign to build a river research facility. [Ottawa Business Journal]

• Bars across town are packed for the Euros and Copa America football tournaments. [CTV]

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

OTTAWA GAMES

Congrats to Amy (and Joe), Adam, Haylee, Jean, and Peter who all knew this week’s Ottawa Guesser was of Roger Neilson House at CHEO.

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