Ottawa public school board looking to debate masking
Because of the pressure on hospitals like CHEO, the premier is recommending people wear masks, and the OCDSB is likely to debate masking once it reconvenes this week.
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Good morning!
Hard to believe it, but today is the last day of Jim Watson’s mayoralty. Watson is the city’s longest serving mayor, and it will be interesting to see what his legacy turns out to be. He came in looking to get things done in this town, and he did, but the methods and the results didn’t always live up to expectations.
But, well, we have a (partially) redeveloped Lansdowne, and LRT construction is well into its second phase. Those things certainly got done.
Today we’ve got a new feature, with local real estate agent Niya Voycheva bringing a bit of analysis to the latest housing numbers.
Let’s get to that newsletter, shall we?
— Robert Hiltz, managing editor
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Weather Report
Monday: +1 🌡️ -8 | 🌤
Tuesday: +3 🌡️ -6 | 🌤
Wednesday: +3 🌡️ -3 | ❄️
WEEKLY LOOKOUT
Daniel Alfredsson: The former captain and Sens legend will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame tonight at 7:30, broadcast on TSN.
Convoy inquiry: A host of federal officials will begin testifying this week at the convoy inquiry on the decision to invoke the Emergencies Act, including RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki and Deputy Finance Minister Michael Sabia.
City council: The new mayor and councillors will be sworn in Tuesday, as the new council term officially begins.
HEALTHCARE
Masking if necessary, but not necessarily masking
What happened: Premier Doug Ford is recommending people wear a mask in crowded places, but won’t mandate them, The Canadian Press reported.
Ford said he would follow the advice of the province’s top doctor, Dr. Kieran Moore, who is making an announcement today on masking, which according to the Canadian Press, is not expected to be a mandate.
Local effects: The Ottawa Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) is expected to take up the issue of mandatory masking once the new crop of trustees are sworn in Tuesday. Dr. Nili Kaplan-Myrth, a local family doctor who won election to the board, said she will ask for an emergency meeting to enact a new mask mandate, the Ottawa Citizen reported.
CHEO has been hit hard by a surge in respiratory viruses, to the point it has had to open a second ICU. Its CEO has asked the public to wear masks. The city’s chief medical officer has also recommended masking, but not to the point of issuing a mandate.
Around the city: Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, the top doctor for the Eastern Ontario Health Unit, which covers the region east of the city, said a mandate was possible down the road, but the situation wasn’t bad enough yet.
“This is a temporary thing people can do voluntarily to help our most vulnerable, offset overloading our hospitals and decrease the amount of people getting sick,” he told CFRA.
Dig deeper: Patients facing up to 45-hour wait times for hospital beds [Ottawa Citizen]
OTTAWA BY THE NUMBERS
🚨 20: The number of hours a hunter in Lanark County was missing before searchers found him. [CityNews]
⛽️ 5.7: The province’s gas tax cut, in cents, which will be extended for another year until the end of 2023. [CTV]
SPONSORED BY CMPA
Let’s create more fairness for Canadian storytellers
Canadians believe everyone should be given an equal chance.
But local, independent media who tell Canadian stories are up against web giants like Netflix and Google.
Outdated laws in the Canadian Broadcasting Act mean many foreign media companies aren’t required to invest in Canadian media production. How can independent, creative Canadians keep up?
They can’t. It’s not fair. But there is a solution.
Bill C-11 updates Canada’s Broadcasting Act to support Canadian stories and storytellers by making foreign streaming services invest in Canadian productions.
Créons plus d'équité pour les Canadiens qui ont des histoires à raconter
Les Canadiens croient qu’on devrait tous avoir une chance égale.
Mais les médias locaux et indépendants qui racontent des histoires canadiennes affrontent les géants du web comme Netflix et Google.
Des lois obsolètes de la Loi canadienne sur la radiodiffusion font que de nombreuses entreprises médiatiques étrangères n’ont pas l’obligation d'investir dans la production médiatique canadienne. Comment les Canadiens indépendants et créatifs peuvent-ils tenir?
Ils ne peuvent pas. C’est injuste. Mais il existe une solution.
Le projet de loi C-11 met à jour la Loi sur la radiodiffusion du Canada afin de soutenir les histoires canadiennes et ceux qui les racontent en obligeant les services de diffusion en continu étrangers à investir dans les productions canadiennes.
CRIME
Family of woman killed in Saskatoon will pursue justice
What happened: The family of Hodan Hashi, who was killed in a nightclub altercation in Saskatoon, said they were disappointed the woman charged in her death was let go on bail. “We do not plan to rest until complete justice is served. This is not going to be swept under the rug or easily forgotten,” on of Hashi’s siblings told the Ottawa Citizen.
The woman charged in Hashi’s death was initially facing a second-degree murder charge, but police reduced that to manslaughter. The woman was released on $5,000 bail after a hearing.
The family held a prayer service Friday. More than 500 people attended, according to the Citizen.
Fundraiser: The family met their goal of raising $42,000 for funeral and other expenses. They plan on using any additional funds raised to build wells and schools in rural Somalia. You can find the GoFundMe here.
REAL ESTATE
Ottawa housing market update for October
Written by Niya Voycheva, Seyer Group, RE/MAX Hallmark
Resale market adjustment continues: Sales for the month of October experienced a 41 percent decrease compared to last year, according to Ottawa Real Estate Board figures.
Despite recent Bank of Canada rate hikes, demand is still high, and with the increased supply of homes, buyers have more choice and time to shop for a home.
A few numbers:
Months of inventory for residential-class properties increased to 3.3 months from one month in 2021, leading to a more balanced market. Condo inventory has also increased to three months’ worth.
Year-to-date average sale prices are still higher with an eight percent increase for residential-class properties and nine percent increase for condominium-class properties compared to 2021.
What does this all mean: While the cost of borrowing increased compared to last year, the increased supply and cooling in house price appreciation has led to a more balanced market.
In the short term, high interest rates could affect some buyers’ purchasing power. However, by buying a lower-priced home, buyers can build equity faster, allowing them to refinance more easily down the road.
It is important to evaluate your priorities as a buyer: do you value having a bigger home, or is your goal to simply get into the market and ride out the wave of rate increases? There’s no right or wrong answer here. it’s important to run the numbers for your situation and speak to a qualified professional about your options.
Seasonality is another aspect that has a big impact on both supply and demand in the housing market. Historically, sales for the last quarter of the year tend to slow down, before they pick back up in the new year for the spring market.
Looking ahead: Economists from major Canadian banks predict a stabilization in interest rates for 2023 but also highlighted the possibility of a recession and higher unemployment. The Canadian Real Estate Association forecasts national home sales to decrease 2.3 percent in 2023 and home prices to remain relatively consistent (only rising 0.2 percent).
You can find Niya on Instagram, @niyavoycheva
EVENTS
Events this week
The Night Shift: Lighting up the Night for Nurses, Nov. 17: A Miami-themed party of food and drink to support the Canadian Nurses Foundation at the NAC. Tickets for non-nurses start at $200.
Paint Nite: a paint and sip party, Nov. 17: A guided painting evening with drinks. Step-by-step instructions as you paint your own masterpiece at Amberwood Lounge & Eatery in Stittsville. Tickets start at $39.
United for Ukraine Gala Dinner, Nov. 17: A night of dinner and live music at Equinelle Golf Club, with an exhibition of arts jewellery, and a live auction. Proceeds go to Project Lisa helping Ukrainian children affected by the war. Tickets start at $75.
C*4 presents DEEP RISING, Nov. 18: To celebrate their 15th anniversary, C*4 wrestling is hosting a main event at 523 St. Anthony’s St. Tickets start at $30 in advance.
NEW LOCAL JOBS
Check out the new open positions in Ottawa.
Organizing program officer, at the Public Service Alliance of Canada
Multiple positions, at the Office of Energy Efficiency of Natural Resources Canada
Economic policy analyst, at the Canadian Home Builders’ Association
Safety officer, at The Ottawa Hospital
Parliamentary affairs advisor, in the office of a Senator
QUICK HITS
🌆 Ottawa placed 96th on a list of the 100 best cities in the world. Toronto was the highest-ranked Canadian city at 24th, while London, UK, was the top city. [CTV]
🐯 The CEO of Ottawa-based retailer Giant Tiger left the company, after two years at the helm. Paul Wood was CEO since 2020, with more than 15 years in other roles within the company. [Ottawa Citizen]
🪧 Education workers took to the streets this weekend to protest, including outside local MPP Lisa McLeod’s office, part of their promise to keep up the pressure on the government to come to a deal at the negotiating table. [CBC]
💰 The city is about to find out how attractive the Senators are for prospective buyers, in a deal which could be done by the end of the year. [CBC]
🌲 Around the city, 6,000 saplings were planted to repair the tree canopy damaged by the spring derecho. [CBC]
🏢 “We are not going back to the way things used to be,” Treasury Board Secretary Mona Fortier said in an oped in the Ottawa Citizen, emphasizing that hybrid work is here to stay in the federal public service. [Ottawa Citizen]
COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS
Beat the inflation blues by entering our free $100 grocery giveaway
Two Brockville community groups collected two truckloads of food and snowsuits for those in need. [CTV]
Ottawa’s Jonathan David made the final roster for Canada’s team heading to the World Cup this month. [CityNews]
Claude Giroux had a two-point night in his return to Philadelphia as the Sens won 4-1. [The Associated Press]
Community holiday markets returned across the region, including the Kemptville Christmas market last weekend. [CTV]
The new Indigo in Rideau Centre is open! One Reddit user said it’s a very different store to the Chapters it replaces. [Reddit]
Brooke Henderson, of Smiths Falls, pulled out of this weekend’s LPGA championship match for unspecified reasons. [CityNews]
Great news in Lanark County, as OPP and others found a hunter who was missing for nearly a day. [CityNews]
A cat name Blu was found on Wellington West, unfortunately the number on his collar went to an inactive phone number. [Reddit]
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TOP PHOTO
Joanne Reyes/Ottawa Lookout Reader
Today’s photo comes from reader Joanne Reyes, who captured this lovely sunset last week.
Have you got a great photo you’d like to share with other Lookout readers? Send it our way! We love running reader photos.
OTTAWA NEWS QUIZ
Congrats to everyone who got last week’s Ottawa Wordle, the answer was TAILS, like the Beaver Tails Mark Sutcliffe and Catherine McKenney went for after the mayoral campaign.
This week for the quiz we’re asking about housing. Last week the province approved the city’s Official Plan, did they add or remove land from the city’s urban boundary?
The first five people to write in with the correct answer will get their names mentioned in the next issue.
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