OCDSB delays revised elementary review by a week

In partnership with

Good morning,

Yes, the weather section does indeed say a high of 18 on Monday after highs of zero on the weekend. There are also potential ice storms and freezing rain hitting Ottawa this weekend, so be safe out there!

In my poll on Wednesday, it was pretty mixed on if readers wanted a story about a bike-sharing network. We’ve actually got two polls we did recently, so I’ll include those results below.

Charlie has been off this week due to a broken rib (get better soon Charlie!), though he has compiled a story on how the Ottawa Carleton District School Board is delaying a revised plan for its elementary programs by a week. Many parents are eager to see if it will mean wins for them.

The Ottawa Senators are surprisingly doing well right now and won another game last night. They could head to the playoffs for the first time since 2017. Sports writer Jeff Morris breaks it all down.

Let’s get to today’s newsletter!

— Geoff Sharpe, Lookout founder and managing editor

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

WEATHER 

WEATHER ALERT: 5-15 cm of snow, 15 mm freezing rain until Monday.

Friday: 0 🌡️ -5 | 🌧️ | 

Saturday: -2 🌡️ -6 | 🌧️

Sunday: 0 🌡️ -5 | 🌤️

Monday: 18 🌡️ -4 | 🌤️

OTTAWA NUMBERS

⚡️ 5,700: The number of people who were without power in Kanata, Arlington Woods, Centre Point, Craig Henry and Trend Village on Thursday due to a loss of power supply from the grid. [Ottawa Citizen]

💰️ $240,000: The amount an Ottawa man defrauded his friends between December 2023 to September 2024. He’s charged with eight counts of fraud over $5,000. [CTV]

🌲 $1.95 million: The amount Ottawa will spend to purchase 223 acres on Ferry Road near Fitzroy Harbour. The plan is for the land to be set aside for conservation purposes, along with developing some of the area. [Ottawa Citizen]

EDUCATION

OCDSB delays revised elementary review by a week

By Charlie Senack.

They need more time: The Ottawa Carleton District School Board says it’s delaying a revised proposal on changes to the elementary system until next week. In a letter to parents OCDSB Director of Education Pino Buffone said it will give them time to “thoroughly consolidate, analyze and incorporate the feedback received, and to allow for any updates to the proposed school locator.” 

• “This additional time will allow us to incorporate the feedback received and present a revised proposal for the elementary program model, rather than a recommendation report,” wrote Buffone. “The Board of Trustees and District staff will discuss this revised proposal at the April 8th Committee of the Whole meeting.”

Buffone said more than 10,000 parents, caregivers, staff, students and community members through the online survey, community meetings and other consultation pathways. 

What’s proposed: The OCDSB planned to change the map boundaries impacting 123 schools. That would see about 11,000 students need to switch educational facilities by September 2026, which is 5,000 more than in a normal year. A total of 30 schools would see grade reconfigurations, which parents say will lead them to having their children in multiple schools. 

• The reason for these changes is the board is in a tough financial spot. It’s facing a $20 million deficit for the 2025-2026 school year after already being in the red for the last four years. 

The impact to parents and students in North Gower 

One of the many parents hoping they will benefit from a revised plan is Kayla Fernet. When her son Connor starts Grade 3 in 2026, he will need to switch from his current school, only to switch back a year later. 

• ”Right now I have my son Connor, who's in grade one at Kars on the Rideau and my daughter Grace is going to be starting kindergarten this fall there under this proposal. The following year, Connor and Grace would both move to North Gower Public School for Grace's senior kindergarten year and Connor's grade three year,” Fernet told the Lookout. “Then the following year, Connor would need to move back to Kars on the Rideau for Grade 4 while Grace would still remain at North Gower.”

Why so many changes? Kars on the Rideau would go from a kindergarten to a Grade 8 school to Grades 4 to 8. North Gower Public currently goes from kindergarten to Grade 5. It will switch from kindergarten to Grade 5. 

By the numbers: North Gower’s school is currently under capacity and has only 122 kids out of its 260 max. But Fernet says that’s a good thing. More space means they have a body break room and other unique features. The reconfiguration would lead to over 290 kids, which would put the school at 108 per cent capacity. An expected 40 per cent would be kindergarteners. 

In turn, this would lower the capacity at Kars on the Rideau from its current 85 per cent down to 44 per cent. Fernet says that doesn’t make sense when it underwent a 28,000-square-foot primary wing expansion in 2011. 

• “They’re losing 308 kids. What would happen to the additional wing with five purpose-built kindergarten classrooms and a brand-new kindergarten yard that led right out to a fenced-in playground? It doesn’t make sense,” said Fernet. 

The board is in a tough spot: The OCDSB has admitted the boundaries won’t work for all parents and students, but said they had to maneuver them in a way that wouldn’t trigger a Pupil Accommodation Review. Provincial rules state that when you change a school's capacity by greater than 50 per cent, community consultations must take place.

At a recent community meeting, Osgoode/Riverside South-Findlay Creek Trustee Jennifer Jennekens said the root issue is they can’t close schools. 

The changes could be a win for Barrhaven 

Barrhaven Knoxdale/Merivale trustee Donna Blackburn thinks the review would benefit Barrhaven. None of her schools would change grades, and only one would have a slight alteration to the boundaries. 

Blackburn said she’s glad to see the removal of alternative schools — something she calls a “boutique program.” The Barrhaven area trustee said they should have been on chopping block back in 2009 when the file was first debated. 

• “Alternative schools are basically from my perspective, private schools in a public system. That's unacceptable,” she said. “When we spend a lot of money on a program like that, it's less likely that the kids in Barrhaven are going to get what they need.”

Blackburn said while she supports the removal of alternative programs, she wants to ensure specialized programs also slated for the removal are not lumped in with that.  “I'm not convinced that it's appropriate to cut those,” she said. 

There will be cuts: During a meeting on March 18, trustees voted seven-to-five in favour of cutting 150 jobs. The board said it was needed due to the deficit. If a solution couldn’t be found, it risked having its financials taken over by the province. 

About 80 non-academic positions will be cut, resulting in savings of $7.08 million. Another 70 staff in discretionary academic roles such as e-learning are also being eliminated, which will save $8.823 million.

• “We are in this situation because the Ford government does not fund public education adequately. We are in this situation because the Ford government doesn't fund special education adequately,” said Blackburn. 

THE AGENDA

🏒 Don’t expect the Senators to be playing downtown anytime soon… The CEO and President of the team Cyril Leeder says they will spend another five years at the Canadian Tire Centre, and it’ll be years before construction actually begins. He said both the team and the National Capital Commission are making progress on the sale of LeBreton Flats. [Ottawa Citizen]

🗳️ June 16 has been set as the by-election date for the recently vacated Osgoode ward council seat after George Darouze resigned following his win as MPP for Carleton for Doug Ford’s PCs. [Ottawa Citizen]

🐟️ In one of the weirder stories this year, police are looking into why thousands of koi fish were found dead at a pond in Ottawa’s Central Park area on the weekend. [CTV]

🔥 A fire in Stittsville resulted in multiple minor injuries for firefighters on Wednesday afternoon. It was a challenging fire to tackle since there was no fire hydrant in the area. [Ottawa Citizen]

🛴 Electric scooters will be back on the streets in Ottawa this spring and summer. Bird Canada and Neuron Mobility will continue to be the providers, and the deployment zone may be expanded this year. Currently, it includes the area surrounded by St. Laurent Boulevard in the east, Rideau River and Carling Avenue in the south, Churchill in the west and Ottawa River in the north. [CTV]

🏒 Tough loss for the Ottawa Charge earlier this week. The team lost 6-3 after the New York Sirens scored six goals in the third period. The team is now in fifth place, with a record of 9-1-4.

SPORTS

Senators widen gap with white-knuckle win in Detroit

By Jeff Morris.

The Ottawa Senators are in a position to control their own destiny, and that’s exactly what they did Thursday night in Detroit.

The Sens beat the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 in a game that was a little too close for comfort and managed to fight off five penalties in the first period. The Sens are now 29-6-0 when they score the first goal.

What happened: The Senators hold the first of two wildcard playoff sports. The two points for the win gives Ottawa 81 points with 11 games left. The second wildcard spot belongs to the Montreal Canadiens, who have 75 points. They lost to the Flyers in Philadelphia on Thursday. The teams on the outside looking in are the New York Rangers and Islanders, both with 74, the Columbus Blue Jackets with 73, and the Red Wings with 72.

Next game: The team faces off against the Blue Jackets at the Canadian Tire Centre on Saturday and it’s a big one. How about a Columbus-Ottawa trivia question? Many players have played for both the Blue Jackets and the Senators, but only one recorded 150 points for each of the two teams. Who is he?

• With 152 points in Columbus and 167 points in Ottawa, Antoine Vermette is the only player with 150 or more points for both the Sens and Blue Jackets.

Good news: The oddsmakers are now giving Ottawa a 98 per cent chance of making the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

And bad news: Unfortunately, the Senators have really struggled as of late holding onto leads and closing out wins.

Third-period meltdowns cost them games in Montreal and Buffalo, and nearly cost them two wins against Detroit. The New Jersey Devils also came within inches of tying their game despite losing by two goals with 30 seconds remaining.

• Against Detroit, a 4-1 lead in the third period quickly eroded. The Red Wings scored twice late in the third and came inches away from tying the game after peppering Ottawa goalie Linus Ullmark with shots.

Zetterlund makes the scoresheet: It took a while for Fabian Zetterlund to earn his first point as an Ottawa Senator. The 5’10, 220-pound winger earned an assist on Thomas Chabot’s first-period goal in Detroit, stepping out of the penalty box and getting the puck along the wing before feeding it to Chabot. It was Zetterlund’s first point since being traded to Ottawa from San Jose.

Dad’s road trip: The Senators’ road trip was a special one for the team as the players’ dads were on the road with the team. Though it was a frustrating night Tuesday when the Sens lost to Buffalo, everyone was in a better mood Thursday.

• Big goals: Tim Stutzle scored his first goal in 10 games against the Red Wings, while veteran David Perron had a goal in his third straight game. Perron has seven goals in the month of March after having only one goal in the 20 games before March.

Home sweet home: Nine of the 11 remaining Senators games will be played at Canadian Tire Centre. There are a lot of games packed into a tight time frame, which means Sens fans will see a bit more of backup goalie Anton Forsberg down that stretch.

Jays opener not one to remember

The sun was shining brighter. The grass was greener. The sky was bluer. The birds were singing happily.

For it was opening day – a day of hope, of optimism, of a fresh start. It’s the day when everyone is in first place at the beginning of the day.

Unfortunately for the Toronto Blue Jays and its legion of Ottawa fans populating local sports bars to mark the end of a wintery five-month break, it was an ugly way to start a season filled with hope.

The Baltimore Orioles hit six home runs at the Rogers Centre in front of the sellout crowd in a dome-deflating 12-2 win.

• Jays starter Jose Berrios was roughed up in his five innings of work, giving up six runs on nine hits, three of which were home runs.

One of those home runs was a “can-you-believe-this? shot hit by Canadian outfielder Tyler O’Neill in the third inning. O’Neill has now hit a home run in six consecutive home runs. The next longest streak is home runs in four straight home runs, shared by Yogi Berra, Gary Carter and Todd Hundley.

Andres Gimenez hit a two-run homer for the Jays in the fourth inning.

Friday night’s match-up at the dome has Kevin Gausman on the mound for Toronto against Baltimore veteran Charlie Morton. The teams play each other Saturday and Sunday afternoon before the Washington Nationals are in Toronto for three games starting Monday.

SPONSORED BY MORNING BREW

Your job called—it wants better business news

Welcome to Morning Brew—the world’s most engaging business newsletter. Seriously, we mean it.

Morning Brew’s daily email keeps professionals informed on the business news that matters, but with a twist—think jokes, pop culture, quick writeups, and anything that makes traditionally dull news actually enjoyable.

It’s 100% free—so why not give it a shot? And if you decide you’d rather stick with dry, long-winded business news, you can always unsubscribe.

Check it out

EVENT GUIDE

Brent Butt | Bronson Centre, 211 Bronson Ave | March 28 | Ticket prices vary

CKCU's Got Talent |  Irene's Pub, 885 Bank St | March 30 | Free

Vanier Sugar Festival | 300 Pères Blancs Ave | March 29-30 | Free

Ottawa Wedding Show | EY Centre, 4899 Uplands Dr | March 29-30 | Tickets are $17

Lansdowne Park Skating Court | Lansdowne, Ottawa | Now until Mar. 31, 6:00 am–11:00 pm (weather permitting) | Free

Beaver Tales | Canadian Museum of History, 100 Laurier Street, Gatineau | Now until Mar. 31 | Free with museum admission

Discover Technata Career Fair 2025 | The Brookstreet Hotel, 525 Legget Drive, Kanata | Apr. 2, 10:00 am | Free

Latin American Film Festival | Saint Paul University, 223 Main Street, Ottawa | Apr. 4-6, 11-13, 25-26, 6:00 pm | Free

Fifty-Five Plus Lifestyle Show | EY Centre, 4899 Uplands Dr | April 4-5 | Free

Sugar Bush at the Log Farm | 670 Cedarview Rd | Until April 6 | Tickets are $11.50

Outaouais Film Festival | Various locations in Gatineau | April 3-11 | Get tickets here

Ottawa Record Fair | Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre, 355 Cooper St, 10 a.m. | April 12 | Tickets are $5-$10

Ugadi Cultural Festival | Earl Of March Secondary School, 4 The Parkway, Ottawa | Apr. 12, 3:30 pm | Tickets from $27

Lisa B. Band at LIVE! on Elgin | 220 Elgin St | April 13 | Tickets are $20

Want to see your event here? You can purchase them through our self-service portal here.

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• Ottawa flyers will soon be able to travel to London, UK non-stop with Air Canada. [CTV]

• A commemorative street sign will be installed in the ByWard Market to celebrate the area’s historical Irish community. [CTV]

• Speaking of the market, Fairouz is shutting down and in its place will be a steakhouse, burger joint and bar, all opening this year. [Ottawa Citizen]

• Here’s a great profile of an Ottawa Inuk artist who makes makeup brushes from antlers. [CBC]

• Congrats to Jeannie Hunter for her Juno Award nomination for Music Teacher of the Year. She heads the music program at Nepean High School. [CBC]

OTTAWA WORDLE

Think you can guess today’s Ottawa Wordle? Play it here.

SUGGESTED STORIES