Light rail is here: Get ready to ride the rails on January 6

In partnership with

Good morning! 

I know I’ve often complained about the snow in this newsletter, but I’m not going to lie, I actually somewhat enjoyed it over the last few days. That’s not to say I’m becoming a winter person — I highly doubt that will ever happen — but it is getting me more into the festive Christmas spirit. Saturday was the snowiest day in Ottawa since Jan. 13, 2024 (which is crazy to think), and Sunday was the snowiest Dec. 8 in over 90 years. 

On Saturday, my partner and I again visited the Lansdowne Christmas Market which is by far one of my favourite holiday attractions. I got to eat some of the best pierogis I’ve ever tasted from the Struddle Ladies and then munch out on some fantastic baking from Cookies by Hat. It’s such a great way to support local and purchase seem hosted for yourself — or perhaps yourself. Then, on Sunday, I checked out the spectacular Christmas lights at the Billing’s Estate. 

We have another busy news day to start the week. We finally have an opening date for light rail and it’s later than you might think. It was also a busy weekend for local provincial politics updates. 

Let’s get to it!   

— Charlie Senack, managing editor 

[email protected] 

X: @Charlie_Senack

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

WEATHER

Monday: -7 🌡️ -10 | 🌨️

Tuesday: 2 🌡️ 0 | 🌧️🌨️

Wednesday: 2 🌡️ -7 | 🌧️🌨️

CITY HALL

Ottawa’s Trillium Line set to open after two-year delay

The trains are coming: We finally know when the Trillium Line of light rail transit will open. During a long-awaited technical briefing on Friday, OC Transpo announced that Line2 and 4 will begin service to passengers on January 6 — but the rollout will be done in stages. 

• “I’m proud of the work we have done and I am confident in the system. The benefits of this extension will be felt across our city, transforming the way that people move and making our transit system more reliable,” said OC Transpo general manager René Amilcar according to the Ottawa Citizen. 

Staggered approach: The first phase of service will have trains run on a Monday to Friday schedule from 6 am to midnight for a minimum of two weeks. If that goes to plan, the second phase will add Saturday service. After another two weeks at minimum, the line will open fully with trains seven days a week.

This way of launching the system came as a surprise to both council members and the media because Phase 2 LRT is already two years behind schedule and has gone through all of its mandatory testing without any serious issues.

Amilcar said they are doing it this way to follow the advice of experts. 

• “My new word now is rational, factual. I don’t care of opinion. I’m working with experts. This is a technical thing. We need technical decisions, not opinion, not nice-to-have. I’m not here to please people — I’m here to deliver good service,” said Amilcar. 

The general manager added it’s time OC Transpo learns with passengers on board. 

• “It's something to run trains for years, it's another thing to run trains with a timetable with nine trains daily, with all of the systems," says Amilcar, according to CTV. "This approach is the best approach to make sure that we build the confidence, that we build the reliability and then people will come."

It’s not a new method: Other cities with major transit projects such as Montreal, Paris and Riyadh, have also gone with the staggered approach, reported CBC. Amilcar said they don’t want to rush the service to avoid the issues with Phase 1 LRT. 

A game changer for Ottawa: Line 2 will cover 19 kilometres of rail from Bayview Station to Limebank Road. It will pass through 16 communities, including Carleton University, Preston Street, and South Keys. There is where Line 4 begins and takes passengers to the EY Centre and Ottawa Airport.  

How long it will take: If you were to drive from Bayview Station to Limebank Road it could take you anywhere from 25 to 55 minutes, depending on traffic, according to Google Maps. If you were to hop on the train, OC Transpo says it would take about 35 minutes to go from one end to the other. 

SPONSORED BY ROKU

2025 Prediction: A Surge of Self-Serve CTV Buyers

Roku predicts that 2025 will be a breakthrough year for self-serve CTV advertising. Roku Ads Manager makes it easy to integrate CTV into your 2025 marketing mix. Easily segment your target audience, optimize campaigns in real-time, and drive conversions with interactive ad formats and shoppable ads with a Shopify integration. Roku Ads Manager makes CTV advertising accessible and impactful for businesses of any size.

Discover CTV Performance on Roku

OTTAWA BY THE NUMBERS

🎅🏼 $150,000: The amount of money raised for local charities at the annual Christmas Cheer breakfast. [Ottawa Business Journal]

❄️ 5 cm: The amount of snow forecasted for Ottawa today. It comes after 19 centimetres fell on Saturday. Freezing rain is also possible. [CTV]

🧑‍🎓 3: The number of Ashbury College students who won a national pitch competition for AI-backed startup Ribn. [Ottawa Business Journal]

PROVINCIAL POLITICS

George Darouze wins PC nomination; Nepean PC’s looking for new candidate

It’s almost election season: It’s unclear when a provincial election could be held, but many are speculating it could come this spring before voters head to the polls federally. 

Why? Well, there are two easy answers: Current Ontario Premier Doug Ford is continuing to sweep the polls. One conducted by Liaison Strategies in August showed the PCs with 40 per cent of respondents deciding or leaning, compared to 27 per cent for the liberals and 21 per cent for the NDP. An Abacus poll from early November showed the Progressive Conservatives with a similar number of 42 per cent — which is a 16 per cent lead over the Liberals. 

• What we’re hearing: The other reason, Lookout sources say, is Ford wants to call an election before one happens federally. That will need to take place on or before Oct. 20, 2025. 

It’s long been speculated that Ford and Poilievre aren’t friends, and in fact some have suggested that Ontario's Premier might one day be eying the federal job. Regardless, that change in power could be a negative for the Conservatives provincially in Ontario — and Ford knows it. 

Now locally, riding associations are gearing up for what could be a spring snap election.  

From City Hall to Queen’s Park: Over the weekend Osgoode Coun. George Darouze won his nomination to become the provincial Progressive Conservative candidate in the riding of Carleton. The current municipal representative won with 96 per cent of the vote. 

The riding’s seat is currently held by MPP Goldie Ghamari who is an independent after being ousted from the PC caucus earlier this year. It’s believed Ghamari will not run again. 

Change for Nepean: Jay Chadha, who was Nepean MPP Lisa MacLeod’s pick to take over as the Progressive Conservative candidate in the riding, has announced he will no longer be putting his name forward. 

It’s a big void to fill: Regardless of people's personal feelings on MacLeods time in office, she was there for 19 years in a strong provincially blue riding. Not only did Chadha have MacLeod’s endorsement, he was the only person seriously eyeing the position, with no other names circulating just yet. This could prove to be beneficial for the Liberals who are running Tyler Watt as their candidate for the second time. The registered nurse came in second place in 2022 with 34 per cent of the vote — about 2,000 votes short of MacLeod. The riding is also currently Liberal federally, with MP Chandra Arya as the representative. 

What a provincial election could mean for Ottawa: For starters, it looks like Ford is in a safe place province-wide. This is partly thanks to both the NDP and Liberals having new, lesser-known candidates. Bonnie Crombie, the Liberal leader, is the former mayor of Mississauga and has no ties to Ottawa. The Ontario NDP’s leader, Marit Stiles, also comes from the Toronto area. 

But this could be a make it or break it election for any party in Ottawa, as the city is represented by all three main parties. Carleton will always stay blue, but Nepean does have a chance at flipping. Neighbouring Ottawa-West Nepean was very close in the last two elections, but is currently held by the NDP’s Chandra Pasma. All eyes will be on Kanata-Carleton which flipped Liberal during a recent byelection with former Liberal MP Karen Mcacrimmon winning it. But prior to that it was held by the Conservatives Merilee Fullerton and Jack MacLaren, who was eventually ousted from the PC party and later joined the People’s Party of Canada. 

THE AGENDA

📢 Liberal MP Chandra Arya is accusing a fellow caucus member of threatening him in the House of Commons. The incident took place after Surrey—Newton MP Sukh Dhaliwal attempted to get unanimous consent from the House on a motion to condemn the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in India as "genocide." Arya, among other MPs, chanted “no” before the British Columbia MP finished. In the House, Arya said Dhaliwal threatened him and accused another representative of aggressively accosting him. [CBC]

🏥 CHEO has launched a four-year bone disorder fellowship with Montreal Shriners Hospital. It’s aimed at advancing health care and research into bone disorders in children. [Ottawa Citizen]

👩‍⚕️ Dr. Vera Etches is leaving her role as head of Ottawa Public Health to become the new president and CEO of CHEO. “Dr. Etches' stellar reputation, extensive experience managing large, complex organizations, and success navigating major health crises like the pandemic were key factors in the Board's decision," CHEO said in a press release. [CBC]

🥗 Pure Kitchen has closed its Rideau Street location, but says crime in the nearby ByWard Market was not a factor. The vegan-friendly restaurant was in operation for two years, but co-owner David Leit said it never lived up to their expectations, particularly during the summer patio season. [Ottawa Citizen]

🇸🇾 Syrians in Ottawa are celebrating the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime. During a gathering in the parking lot of Billings Bridge Shopping Centre on Sunday afternoon, Syrians expressed hope for the future after 13 years of civil war. [CBC]

💉 Chinatown businesses are expressing concerns over a proposed HART Hub that has been proposed for the area. It comes after the neighbourhood has experienced an uptick in homelessness and drug issues. A Hart Hub would not offer a safe consumption site like its current programming does, but would help connect people with services. The Chinatown BIA said 86 per cent of its members oppose the idea. [CTV]

🔥 An Ottawa woman remains on life support with severe lung damage days after walking through a fire to save her youngest son. The blaze broke out in the family's home on Twyford Street near the Ottawa Airport on Dec. 3.  McDougall will remain at the Civic Hospital for a few weeks before being transferred to a burn unit in Toronto. Her 11-year-old son remains at CHEO in stable condition. Her two oldest sons also made it out of the fire and are staying with their father. [CBC]

🛌 As the winter weather settles in, Ottawa shelters have been seeing higher than usual demand. The Shepherds of Good Hope says they are seeing more requests for warm clothes and boots in addition to the roughly 600 meals a day they serve. Meanwhile the Ottawa Food Bank is reporting a 90 per cent jump in calls for service since 2019. [CTV]  

🐕 Ottawa firefighters responded to three ice rescues involving dogs last week. The first involved a woman who fell into a Stittsville pond on Wednesday while trying to rescue her dog. The two other incidents also happened in Stittsville and Osgoode. None of the animals suffered serious injuries. [CTV]

SPONSORED BY CUPE AIR CANADA COMPONENT

Would you work for free?

Sound unfair? Air Canada flight attendants are forced to work hundreds of hours for free. Tell Air Canada unpaid work is unfair.

EVENTS GUIDE

Alight at Night | Upper Canada Village, 13740 County Rd. 2, Morrisburg | Now until Jan. 4 | Explore nearly one million lights in a magical winter wonderland featuring carriage rides, BeaverTails, and festive charm | Tickets $17

Flop! An Improvised Musical Fiasco. The playwright quit, the choreographer was cancelled, and the director's in rehab. Join the fun at GCTC, December 10-22.

OrKidstra Holiday Concert | Ottawa Technical Secondary School, 485 Donald St. | Dec. 11 | Enjoy a wonderful mix of classical, jazz, pop, holiday favourites, and music from around the world | Buy tickets here

613Holiday Night Market | Aberdeen Pavilion at Lansdowne, 1000 Exhibition Way | Dec. 13 | Proving once again that holiday shopping can actually be fun! The 613Holiday Night Market offers an indoor shopping experience filled with festive cheer | Free

Metcalfe Farmers' Christmas Market | Greely Community Centre, 1448 Meadow Dr | Dec. 14 | All vendors are local, and make, create, bake or grow all of their products | Free

Annual Pet Day & Market at Robert Plante Greenhouses | Robert Plante Greenhouses, 4228 Navan Rd | Dec. 14 | Celebrate your furry friends with pet-themed vendors, toys, treats and custom gifts | Free

A Celtic Christmas Celebration | National Arts Centre, 1 Elgin St | Dec. 18 | Experience a captivating blend of Celtic Christmas traditions to celebrate the season with lively tunes and cherished songs that are sure to inspire a sing-along | Tickets are $30

Ottawa Kwanzaa Celebration | Blu Legacy Convention Centre, 3750 North Bowesville Rd | Dec. 28 | The Ottawa Kwanzaa celebration will include a dynamic showcase of cultural dancers, drumming, singing, music and authentic African and Caribbean cuisine | Free

OTTAWA QUIZ

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• A local family is raising funds for cancer research this Christmas season. [Ottawa Citizen]

• Hundreds of Santas and elves shuffled through the chill for the annual Salvation Army fundraiser. [Ottawa Citizen]

• Here is a look at some epic Canadian concerts from the past. [CBC]

• Teddy bears hit the ice at the Ottawa 67's game for a good cause. [CTV]

• Members who served in a peacekeeping mission in Sarajevo gathered at the Canadian War Museum. [CTV]