LCBO, workers head back to the table

Good morning!

It’s nice to be done with another heat warning. A shame it’s still so humid. Especially as the rain has made swimming at some of the city’s beaches unadvisable because of possible high bacteria counts. (More on which beaches below.)

Fortunately, yesterday’s severe thunderstorm warning came to naught. Our neighbours to the south in Toronto were not so lucky, suffering major flooding and widespread power outages.

We’ve got plenty to get to, including the latest (maybe good news!) on the LCBO strike.

Let’s get to it.

— Robert Hiltz, Lookout managing editor

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

Wednesday: 27 🌡️ 16 | 🌤/⛈️

Thursday: 23 🌡️ 13 | 🌦

Friday: 28 🌡️ 15 | ☀️

LCBO STRIKE

Workers, LCBO head back to the bargaining table as government speeds up booze plans

What happened: The LCBO and the union representing striking retail workers are heading back to the bargaining table today, 12 days after the strike began, CTV reported.

• “When the team presents their plan, we’ll see if LCBO management is really working towards these shared interests for workers and everyone in Ontario,” the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) said, according to the broadcaster.

Speeding up: The provincial government announced grocers who are already able to sell beer and wine can start ordering larger packs and ready-to-drink cocktails on Thursday, weeks ahead of schedule. As soon as their orders arrive, they can be sold.

Change of plans: The original plan was to open up orders on Aug. 1, but the ongoing LCBO strike seems to have sped up the timeline. One of the key demands of the union is for the government to not allow stores other than the LCBO to offer ready-to-drink cocktails, because they fear it could lead to job losses.

Other changes: The approximately 450 stores that already have licences will have temporary permission to display alcohol products in multiple locations through their stores “with some limits,” a statement from Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy said. And to ease pressure on restaurants, they will be temporarily allowed to transfer alcohol between locations.

Union response: OPSEU president JP Hornick said in a statement the government was speeding up the timeline to undercut the union’s position. OPSEU represents the more than 9,000 retail workers on strike.

• “Ford is clearly trying to deliver on a promise he made to prospective corporate donors from the convenience and grocery industries during the elections. Doug Ford should stop playing politics with the lives of our members and taxpayers’ money,” Hornick said.

Tourism troubles: The Tourism Industry Association of Ontario urged both sides to get back to the bargaining table in a statement. The association’s president said restaurants, bars, culinary tourism outfits, and more were all feeling the pressure caused by the strike.

• “Common challenges reported include limited product availability, slow fulfillment and delivery times, restocking capacity (both for larger operators requiring wholesale quantities and for small operators unable to order large wholesale quantities), and impacts to the visitor experience,” the statement said.

Bottle deposits cancelled: The provincial government seriously considered instituting an Ontario-wide deposit system on all beverage containers, beyond just alcohol, CBC reported. But in the end, concerns from grocers won the day and put a halt to any deposit plans.

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OTTAWA BY THE NUMBERS

🏘️ $131,210: The income required to buy a home in June, down $850 from the previous month. The average price of a home dropped to $647,700 from $651,300 over the same period. [CTV]

🏰8%: The price of luxury homes, priced between $1 million and $2 million, increased this much over the first six months of the year. [CTV]

OUTSIDE DOWNTOWN

🎪 Both Barrhaven and Alta Vista are the likely locations for tent-esque “sprung structures” to house newcomers, councillors for the wards announced. [CBC]

• In the latest Insider City Hall, we took a look at why the city is opting for these sprung structures, rather than something permanent.

🏘️ Some residents of Sandy Hill are skeptical of the neighbourhood being named as one of the country’s best to live in. [CBC]

👦 A couple in Brockville is having difficulty finding appropriate summer camps for their two children with autism. It’s forced the mother, a contract nurse, to take unpaid time off work to care for them. [CTV]

🇺🇦 The Maidan Market — which opened to offer supplies and services to refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine — in the Westgate mall closed down. Demand has dropped enough that most of its services are no longer needed. English classes will continue. [CBC]

💉 The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit is warning parents to update their children’s vaccinations as whooping cough spreads through the communities. [CTV]

🚨 A teen is facing several charges after allegedly taking a family vehicle for a joyride and crashing it into a ditch near Westmeath. [CTV]

CITY HALL INSIDER

Why the city is pushing ahead with tentesque ‘sprung structure’ shelters for newcomers

What happened: A motion to halt a plan to build “sprung structure” to house migrants coming to the city and relieve pressure on the shelter system got little support around the council table. The structures are tent-like buildings, similar to the extension built onto the Civic hospital.

• City staff insist the sprung structures are not tents, they’re just open buildings made of a metal with a waterproof fabric exterior that can be quickly assembled for protection from the elements.

What they are: The large buildings have modular interiors that staff said would be used for temporary housing for newcomers. The modular interiors allow for the buildings to be customizable, so the city could reconfigure them as needed.

HOUSE OF THE WEEK

Today’s home is a condo on Parkdale, just north of Scott. The two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit With great views of the city, hardwood floors, gym access, and a walk-in marble shower, it’s got plenty. It’s also got in-room laundry!

Check the listing to see the price.

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

GIG LISTINGS

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

The Liquor Store,Thursday 8 pm: Explosive blend of R&B, funk, hip-hop, soul, electronica, and jazz.At the Rainbow Bistro, 76 Murray St. Tickets $22.

The Rambles, Thursday 7 pm: Tight-knit Canadian rock quartet playing songs from their recently-released EP.At Overflow Brewing, 2477 Kaladar Ave. Free Show. 

LeFLOFRANCO, Saturday 4:30 pm: “Multi-colored urban pop,” blending modern hip-hop, trap, electro, and Caribbean sounds.On the Rideau Canal from the NAC. Free Show.

Leah Mac, Saturday 7 pm: Celebrate the release of her new album of soulful melodies and captivating lyrics. At Queen St Fare, 170 Queen St. Tickets $12 Adv $15 at Door.

Lazzy Lung, Saturday, 9 pm:  Award-winning indie rock band, formerly of Beirut and now based in Dunrobin. At Irene’s, 885 Bank St. Tickets $20.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

• Art program instructor, other positions at Christie Lake Kids (Ottawa South)

• Mental health worker at Onyx Community Services

• Coach at Girls on the Run

• High school tutor at R.I.S.E.

• Communications director at Friends of the Central Experimental Farm

Have a volunteer listing you’d like to share? Send it to [email protected] with “Volunteering” in the subject line.

THE AGENDA

⚖️ The provincial coroner’s office will hold an inquest into the deadly Westboro bus crash. Three people were killed in 2019 when a double-decker bus crashed into a Transitway shelter. Details on the inquest will be released later. [Government of Ontario]

🛤️ OC Transpo will hold a technical briefing at 10 am on Thursday, updating council and the public on progress toward testing on the north-south O Train Trillium Line. The public can watch on the city’s YouTube channel. [City of Ottawa]

🚒 While fighting a difficult house fire in Richmond, two firefighters had to be treated for heat exhaustion. No one was home when the blaze broke out, and it’s not clear how the fire started. [CTV]

🚑 Thirteen specially trained paramedics are now assigned full-time to patrol the ByWard Market. One medic is on duty at all times. [Ottawa Citizen]

💧 Council gave the go-ahead to make repairs to the leaky roof of the Aberdeen Pavilion. [Ottawa Citizen]

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• Because of heavy rainfall, the city recommends against swimming at Britannia, Petrie River, and Petrie East Bay because of likely high levels of E. coli. [CTV]

• Local poet Nancy Huggett won the RBC PEN Canada New Voices Award for her collection of poems about caring for her daughter, a stroke survivor with Down’s Syndrome. [CBC]

• The Sens signed goalie Mads Sogaard to a two-year deal, and made a few other trades on a busy Friday. [Ottawa Citizen]

• Students at Algonquin College have launched the Shatter The Silence campaign to raise money for The Royal. [CTV]

• Well, that was fun! Check out this photo gallery of this year’s Bluesfest. [Ottawa Citizen]

• Chick-fil-A’s first restaurant in Ottawa will open this week in the Tanger Outlet mall. [CTV]

• Local rapper Peter Joynt released a new track luxuriating down Island Park Drive. [Ottawa Citizen]

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

CAPITAL EATS

Aylmer’s Antonyme Shines

Capital Eats is written by our food editor Ralf Joneikies.

I’ve rarely had a good brunch experience. That’s often because the food is repetitive, badly made and seldom inspired. Besides, do people really like mimosas? It always feels like you’re obliged to have one.

The poached eggs are another matter. Rarely have I had them cooked to order and they often come served in a pool of their own hot water. This is often because, as the late Anthony Bourdain has written, kitchen second stringers are allowed to cut their culinary teeth during this service. Or as I’ve often viewed them: cast offs from a remedial egg cracking school.

Then I arrived at Antonyme. This Aylmer eatery had been on my radar for some time and when I looked through their website, I saw they offered brunch. Their menu called out to me and I made the trip.

To read this story and instantly subscribe to our food newsletter to discover the best hidden gem restaurants in the city, click here. 

OTTAWA GAMES

Congrats to the 97% of you who knew the much too easy answer to this week’s quiz, that E. coli is the bacteria that caused (and is again causing) the city to recommend against swimming at some Ottawa beaches.

Do you know where today’s Ottawa guesser is? We went a little too easy on the quiz this week, so this one might be a bit tougher. Reply with your name and the correct location of the photo. The first five people to reply correctly will be mentioned in the next newsletter.