Is it too late to cancel Lansdowne 2.0?

Good morning! 

Geoff here, jumping back in for the intro today. Luckily, Charlie is still delivering some top-notch journalism this week, as he finishes up a few stories that he’s been working on for a while.

I won’t spoil Charlie’s work, but suffice to say, there are rising calls to rethink a major new development in the city.

Let’s dive in!

— Geoff Sharpe, Lookout managing editor

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WEATHER

Wednesday: 23 🌡️ 14 | 🌧️

Thursday: 19 🌡️ 10 | 🌤️

Friday: 16 🌡️ 11 | ☁️

THE LOOKOUT RECOMMENDS

Filipino food: If you’re looking for something new to try, we’d recommend Divisoria Resto Bar at 3621 Innes Rd., it’s especially a great spot if you’ve never had Filipino food and are looking to give it a try.

Celebrate French: We don’t highlight too many French events, but for all our French readers (and those who like music), Festival Franco Ontarien will be the place to be from tomorrow to Saturday. It’s a can’t-miss festival for anyone interested in music. 

CITY

Should a referendum be called for Lansdowne 2.0?

By Charlie Senack 

Later this year Ottawa city council will vote on a handful of decisions, which, if approved, will soon see shovels in the ground for Lansdowne 2.0. But it’s been a contentious issue — the new arena would be smaller than the current one, there would be years of construction headaches, and greenspace would be lost.

Now, the councillor for Capital Ward is calling for a referendum so Ottawa voters can decide if the large-scale project should move forward in its current form or not. 

“It’s a $437 million cost for the city with $330 million in new debt, and in my view, the majority of people in Ottawa either haven't heard of this or don't want it when they do hear about what they're planning,” said Coun. Shawn Menard, whose ward includes Lansdowne Park. “Right now council is just going to push this through without hearing from people and ignoring their voices. I think the referendum would tell a different story if it was on the ballot.”

Menard admits it’s not the typical way of doing business in this town, but says it’s justified given the fact that over 5,600 people have signed a petition stating it should be residents who vote on the matter, not councillors. 

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, on the other hand, has a different view. He said referendums weren’t held for other big projects such as light rail or the new central library. 

“We were talking about Lansdowne in 2022 when the previous municipal election took place, so there's no need for a referendum," Sutcliffe said after last Wednesday’s council meeting. "I don't think councillors want it." 

Sutcliffe also noted that there have been various public consultations, with more scheduled to be held later this year.

During a finance and corporate services committee, councillors voted nine to 3 to discuss the motion that day. Menard, however, knew it would not be supported, so he withdrew it so a discussion could be held in the future. 

The current project isn’t appealing, says Menard 

The city has admitted that Lansdowne has not been a profitable development – in fact it’s been losing money. That is why the previous term of city council has decided to visit the drawing board again. 

A new hockey arena is the focal point of the plan. It will move to where a popular winter tobogganing hill currently stands and would take up about one-third of the Great Lawn, which will be reconfigured. But it will also be smaller than the one that’s there now and would seat 5,500 people instead of the current 9,500. 

That is concerning to Menard, who notes the Ottawa Charge PWHL team has seen sold-out crowds, including during their recent playoff run. 

“It’s a bet against women's sports in Ottawa. If you build a much smaller stadium, ticket prices will increase. But that’s what their goal is,” he said. 

Stage 2 of the project would see the north side stands completed by 2029. Then, as part of the final third stage, two residential towers would be built where the current arena stands by 2034. They would be towers of 40 and 25 storeys with up to 770 residential units, down from 1,200.

Previous versions of the plans saw a green roof on the stadium, but it was scrapped due to costs. So is a roof over the north side stands which would now be open to the elements. Menard also says he has concerns over the fact that transportation to the site would not be improved. 

“Seven years of heavy construction is going to be very rough on the local businesses and residents. Especially when we have aluminum and steel tariffs with a recession on the horizon,” said Menard. “This is not really the time to be spending on a ‘nice to have.’ The stadium we also currently have is set to last for four more decades.” 

The next steps for Lansdowne  

City staff plan to put Lansdowne 2.0 to tender on June 16, which would then bring in the construction bids. A separate procurement for the towers closed April 30 and negotiations are ongoing with the preferred bidder. 

Sean Moore, who’s leading the Lansdowne project for the City of Ottawa, has confirmed to CBC the building permit went in on March 21, 2025. Why is that important? T can still fall under Ontario’s 2012 building code.

SPONSORED BY ENVIROCENTRE

Give old items new life with the Ottawa Tool Library

Keeping items in use helps keep them out of the landfill, and with support from EnviroCentre, the Ottawa Tool Library is helping lead the way. This month, they’re hosting two events: a Repair Café on June 14 and an Electronics Recycling Drop-Off & Open House on June 28. These hands-on initiatives reduce waste, share repair skills, and strengthen Ottawa’s circular economy. Curious what a Repair Café looks like in action? Check out this reel!

THE OTTAWA NUMBER

$16 million

That’s how much the Ottawa Catholic School Board plans to put towards new spending according to its new budget, from operating surpluses and reserves. Meanwhile, the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board has a $20 million deficit to cover. [CTV]

THE AGENDA

📉 It’s not easy being a student looking for work this summer in Ottawa. According to Statistics Canada data, 20.1 per cent of people aged 15-24 who attended school are unemployed. That’s an increase of 3.2 percentage points since last year. This is the highest it’s been since 2009, excluding the pandemic years. [CBC]

❌ Almost 4,000 jobs were lost in the Ottawa-Gatineau area in May, according to Statistics Canada. That put the unemployment rate at 5.8 per cent, up from 5.5 per cent in April. That’s two months in a row of job losses in the region. [Canadian Press]

🏠️ Good news for renters — the average monthly cost of a one-bedroom apartment in the city fell in May, to $1,994, down from $2,024 in March. The average price for a two-bedroom is now $30 lower compared to last month, at $2,559. [CTV]

🏒 The expansion draft for the Professional Women’s Hockey League meant that many teams were going to lose some of their top players. Ottawa Charge lost Ashton Bell and Aneta Tejralová. They also lost goalie Emerance Maschmeyer and forward Danielle Serdachny as part of the signing window the previous week. [CTV]

💉 Northwood Recovery, the addiction treatment centre on Somerset Street W., said they planned to leave the neighbourhood after it was blamed on an upsurge in disorder and open drug use in the area. Instead, they’ve opened with a new name and continue to operate, with New Dawn’s medical director saying that they wanted to ensure some patients still had access to care. [CBC]

📈 Home sales in Ottawa increased in May compared to the previous month. There were 1,887 home sales, which was 14.9 per cent higher than May of last year. [OBJ]

HOME OF THE WEEK

I’d describe this home as a manor, based on the brick outside and the layout on the inside. Manor can also describe the living space, with around 3,000 square feet available to you, along with four bedrooms and three bathrooms, and 2.13 acres. It was also renovated quite recently.

Here’s how much this place in Cumberland Estates will set you back.

House of The Week is a home selected by the Lookout team and is not a paid advertisement. All ads are labeled as such. If you’re a realtor who wishes to feature your home in our newsletter, please contact our sales team.

OTTAWA MUSIC GUIDE

Lulu Lamontagne arrives at House of Targ on 11 June. Come for dramatic art rock blending confident vocal storytelling with intimate musical intensity. Tickets $10.

Esteemed local jazz artists Tim Bedner and Garry Elliott play Gigspace on 12 June.  Tim’s regular Art of the Duo concerts present accomplished sets of favourite standards and originals. Tickets $20.

Medusa come to Red Bird on 12 June. These four folk musicians reimagine the Western string quartet with electrifying chamber-folk. Tickets $28.

Four Eyed Muscle Man head the bill at Rainbow Bistro on 12 June. The alt‑rock band are known for their raw, energetic practice‑tape recordings and aesthetic. Tickets $15.

Join Fire Antlers at Irene’s on 14 June for their vinyl release show.  The band melds twangy pop with primitive electronic beats and glittery synth waves. Tickets $15.

Listings for music shows are provided by Ottawa Gigs, the best place to discover live music in Ottawa. Check out Ottawagigs.ca for full listings across the city. 

TOPIC

The best Ottawa burgers of 2024

Is Ottawa a burger town? The quality of burger spots in the city has only grown, and our food editor managed to eat at quite a few last year. But how did they hold up? Here’s a list of the best burgers he tried in 2024.

To read this story and subscribe to our free Ottawa food and drink newsletter, click here.

OTTAWA GUESSER

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• Ottawa Bluesfest announced that rapper G-Eazy won’t be performing this year due to a scheduling conflict.

• The new Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Gloucester is set to open on July 3. [CityNews]

• There are some new furry friends who’ve taken up residence at Ottawa Baseball Stadium, forcing part of it to close. [CTV]

• Here’s a fun video walk-through of the new Trim Station. 

• If you’re in your 30s-40s and have struggled to make friends in the city, then this may be a helpful discussion. [Reddit]

IMAGE OF THE DAY

A sea of Vespas drive along Preston Street as part of Italian Week festivities over the weekend.

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