LCBO workers on strike for first time

Good morning!

I hope everyone had a warm (but not too warm!) enjoyable weekend.

We are back at it once again, with stories of two important strikes in the area, a round up of plenty of news that happened over the weekend. And of course we’ve got plenty of events for the week ahead.

In our recent reader survey, many of you asked for more arts events around town, and we’ve got plenty of those for you today, too.

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: 30 🌡️ 20 | ☀️

Tuesday: 29 🌡️ 18 | 🌦

Wednesday: 26 🌡️ 19 | 🌧

STRIKE

Sides dig in in first-ever LCBO strike

What happened: LCBO workers walked off the job for the first time in the agency’s history Friday, closing down stores across the province for at least two weeks.

The sticking point: Workers want to shore up their job security. According to OPSEU, the union representing retail staff, about 70% of LCBO workers are part time, and it can take as long as a decade to achieve full-time status. The union also wants the provincial government to reverse part of its plan to bring alcohol to corner stores, by keeping ready-to-drink cocktails exclusively in LCBOs, according to CBC.

The numbers: Ready-to-drink cocktails, one of the major sticking points between the two sides, made up about 9% of the LCBO’s sales in 2023, according to CBC.

Picket lines: Workers rallied at the LCBO’s Bank Street warehouse Saturday, CTV reported. They told the broadcaster they were prepared for a long strike, and would hold out until their demands are met.

• The union said it has a “healthy strike fund” and was prepared to go the distance, according to the Ottawa Citizen.

Buying booze: While physical stores are closed, the liquor board is still accepting online orders, with free delievery, through its app. Those sales include “reasonable caps” on what you can order at once, the Citizen reported.

• The LCBO plans to reopen 32 of its locations with limited hours Fridays through Sundays if the strike continues past July 19. Alcohol is still available at LCBO agency stores.

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OTTAWA BY THE NUMBERS

💰 $70 million: An Ottawa woman won a Lotto Max jackpot worth this much in a May 31 draw. [CTV]

🏎️ 157 km/h: The speed a driver was caught doing in a 70 km/h section of Strandherd Road in Barrhaven. [CTV]

STRIKE

Children’s Aid workers set to strike today

What happened: Youth workers at the Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa are set to walk the picket line this morning at 8 am, after a Saturday strike deadline passed without a new deal, CBC reported.

• Negotiations had been ongoing since November, after the last collective agreement ran out.

What’s at stake: Staff at the agency said continual funding cuts have pushed workers to the brink. They are looking for pay increases to keep up with the increased cost of living, and more protection from layoffs. The union told CTV that the society was preparing to lay off dozens of workers.

• “We're not robots.…We just can't keep absorbing more and more and more. And that somehow just seems to be the expectation,” union local president and adoption worker Michele Thorn told CBC.

Punished for success: Funding is allocated based on how many children the society has in its direct care. But workers said they’ve been successful at keeping nearly 100 children in their homes — one of their main goals — but because of this success are given less funding.

• Children’s Aid Ottawa had a deficit of $3.3 million last year.

NEW LOCAL JOBS

Check out the new open positions in Ottawa.

1. Restoration project manager at On Side Restoration

2. Operations manager at Daybreak Non-profit Housing

3. Grain origination specialist at AgriRecruiting.com

4. Health and safety field consultant at Peninsula Canada

5. Clinical fellowship programs administrator at The Ottawa Hospital

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

THE AGENDA

🏢 The city approved a plan to buy a former nunnery and its large property in the east end for transitional housing for newcomers. The city expects to pay $11 million for the property. Several local residents wrote in to oppose the deal because it came together too quickly for consultations to happen. [CBC]

🚨 Local residents were aghast to find a far-right extremist group hosting a paid speaking event at the Carp Agricultural Hall in the west end. [CTV]

☎️ A Rogers outage in 2022 that left millions without cell phone and internet access for more than a day was caused by human error and made worse by management and system deficiencies. [CBC]

⚠️ A man in the south end said he’s been waiting since last October for his landlord, Minto, to install an accessible door to his apartment complex. The man uses a walker and has difficulty getting the front door to his building open. Next year, provincial law will require all multi-unit housing to have fully accessible enterances. [CTV]

🚔 Three years after his death, the family of Loris Tyson Ndongozi is still looking for answers. Ndongozi was shot to death while playing basketball, an unintended target. A suspect remains at large, and the family has heard almost nothing from police on their progress. [CBC]

🍁 A family who fled Nigeria for fear their daughter would be subject to a genital cutting procedure, and have been in Ottawa since 2018, are going to be deported. The husband was put in jail. The couple have deep roots in Barrhaven, including two children born in the country. [CBC]

🚒 Firefighters in Barrhaven successfully contained a house fire to one empty home, before it could spread to others. It’s not clear what started the blaze. [CTV]

⚖️ Charges against a PSAC union executive were dropped. A lawyer for Alex Silas said he should never have been arrested and charged for taking part of a peaceful protest with striking workers. [CBC]

🏥 A man who suffered a medical emergency downtown without ID on him was identified by his family after police published a photo of some of his tattoos. [CTV]

💐 A 66-year-old woman died at Sandbanks Provincial Park after being pulled unresponsive from the water. The cause of her death was not immediately apparent. [CBC]

🚨 A 28-year-old man was killed in a shooting at Hampton Park Plaza at Carling and Kirkwood. [CTV]

EVENTS

What to do this week

🏇 Ottawa Summer Tournament, Thursday to Sunday: The 10th anniversary of the showjumping tournaments at Wesley Clover Parks, with hundreds of competitors. At 401 Corkstown Rd. Ticket prices vary by event.

👩‍🌾 Hammond Hill Market, Saturday 10 am: A market with food, beverages, crafts and more. Live music, BBQ, and activities for the kids. At 861 Du Golf Rd., Hammond. Free to attend.

🎇 Ottawa Chinatown Bazaar, Sunday 11 am: A big event at the gateway to Chinatown with plenty of local vendors. At 687 Somerset St W. Free.

💥 Fanaticcon, Saturday 11 am: Come celebrate toys, games, films, comics, and more, feturing plenty of special guests. Advance VIP tickets available. At the Ottawa Conference and Event Centre, 200 Coventry Rd. Tickets $20 at the door.

🏰 Big Bounce Canada, July 13-21: Bounce in a series of bouncy castles, including the “world’s biggest,” with time slots for all ages (including adults). At Saunders Farm, 7893 Bleeks Rd. Ticket prices vary.

Arts events

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

🎸 Bluesfest, until July 14: This week’s headliners include Jelly Roll, The Offspring, and M. At LeBreton Flats. Ticket prices vary.

🎺 Summer Sounds Concert Series, Wednesday 7:30 pm: The Nepean Concert Band plays a free outdoor show of summer tunes. At Andrew Haydon Park. Donations welcome.

📽️ Twilight Cinema, Wednesday 9 pm: Check out an outdoor screening of the Quebec film Les jours heureux. At 248 Old Chelsea. Tickets $5.

🥯 Ottawa Bagelshop Musicfest, Wednesday and Sunday: Featuring performances by Krystal Jessup, Victoria Laine and more. At the Ottawa Bagelshop, 1321 Wellington St. W. Free to attend.

🪈 NAC Orchestra Wind Ensemble on the Rideau Canal, Thursday 6:30 pm: The Wind Ensemble will play a 90-minute concert from a boat on the Canal as it travels between the NAC, Lansdowne Park and back. Free.

🎸 Vankleek Hill Porchfest, Saturday 12 pm: A series of concerts on porches across the village. In Vankleek Hill. Free.

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• Graham Richardson signed off as CTV News at Six anchor for the last time on Friday. Congrats! [CTV]

• Al’Fez Natural Tahini was recalled because of possible salmonella contamination. [Health Canada]

• From July 25 to July 29, the 417 will be closed between Carling and Metcalfe for the Preston Street overpass replacement. [417 Bridge Replacements]

• The padded Guardian helmet covers could help protect football players from brain injury, and doctors encourage players to wear them. [CBC]

• Young people from across the country came to Ottawa for a conference on reconciliation, and will produce a podcast series on what they learned. [CBC]

• Coun. Tim Tierney wrote a review of his favourite band, Nickleback’s performance at Bluesfest. [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 MUGGY, because it was pretty humid.

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