Ottawa cleans up from another winter storm

Sponsored by

Good morning!

Hope you’ve all been able to dig yourselves out of yet another storm. The good news is, it seems like that is the last of the snowy weather for the next little bit. But, it looks like it’s going to get cold. 

That’s good news for the Canal, probably. But we’ve got news on that, events, and much more in today’s issue.

Let’s get to it!

— Robert Hiltz, managing editor

Consider forwarding this to your friends so they can discover the Lookout. New to the Lookout? Sign-up for free.

WEATHER

Monday: -9 🌡️ -16 | 🌤

Tuesday: -8 🌡️ -16 | ❄️

Wednesday: -10 🌡️ -15 | ❄️

WEATHER

City digs out after another storm

What happened: Another winter storm blew through town, dropping between 20 and 30 cm of snow on the city, depending on where in town you were, CTV reported. Strong winds, gusting up to 70 km/h made clean up challenging for the city, as buses and ParaTranspo service struggled to deal with the weather.

• The LRT stayed running all through the storm. The city compensated for the weather by running full two-car trains all day to keep the lines clear. 

Outages: About 2,000 customers were without power, as the storm damaged power equipment. A hydro pole was damaged in the Foster Farm area, forcing crews to shut down power to make repairs, and near Lees Avenue a transformer knocked out power in that area, CTV reported. Most customers had their power restored by Saturday afternoon, according to CBC.

• Across the region, almost 9,000 Hydro One customers lost power, mostly along the St Lawrence. While in Quebec about 1,300 customers lost power in and around Gatineau.

Canal possibilities: The winter storm may actually push back the opening of the Canal, CBC reported. While the lower temperatures were welcome, the blanket of snow may insulate the still-forming ice, delaying the possibility of an opened skateway. The added snow will also likely make the quality of the ice worse.

• The ice is about 10-15 cm thick on Dows Lake, halfway or less to the necessary 30 cm thickness needed to open the Canal to skaters.

Trails opening: The snow was a boon for snowmobilers, who haven’t had much in the way of a season so far with warm conditions, CTV reported.

Cross-country skiers across town were also out in droves on freshly groomed trails:

Sad news: Unfortunately, two people in Renfrew County died of cardiac arrest while shovelling snow, CBC reported. The people were between the age of 50 and 70, the county said.

Cold snap coming: With the storm gone, a cold snap will now follow. It has many worried for the homeless in the city, with shelters already stretching their limits, CTV reported. High temperatures are going to dip to about -9 C, with lows in the -15 C range.

SPONSORED BY CANADIAN CULINARY CHAMPIONSHIP

Who will be crowned the Canadian Culinary Champion?

If you're an Ottawa foodie, you won't want to miss out on the Canadian Culinary Championship from February 2-3, featuring 10 of the country's best chefs and tons of events for everyone.

• Tickets are 80% sold out, so there's still time to purchase them.

Mystery Wine Competition - Friday, February 2, Shaw Centre: 6:00 pm

Enjoy one of Canada's best wine poured blind and the ten incredibly dishes each chef creates to pair with it.

Black Box Competition - Saturday February 3, La Cite: 8:00 am-1:00 pm

Get up close and personal with the most intense competition of the weekend. Can they beat the clock and impress the best palettes in Canada? 

Grand Finale Competition - Saturday, February 3, Shaw Centre: 6:15 pm

Chefs recreate the dish they won gold with at their regional competition, with a final chef crowned the winner. There's also dancing!

Don't miss seeing the best chefs in action. Get your tickets today before they run out.

OTTAWA BY THE NUMBERS

🪧 350: The approximate number of workers at military bases in the region who will go on strike Monday. [CBC]

🎲 41: The number of games Shane Pinto has been suspended by the NHL for gambling related activities. He’s returned to practicing with the team, and will rejoin them on the ice Jan 21. [The Canadian Press]

SPORTS

Milestone wins for Ottawa’s hockey teams

What happened: It was a banner day for Ottawa hockey Saturday as both the men and women picked up victories.

PWHL: The professional women’s team won their first-ever game, beating Toronto 5-1 on the road, CTV reported. Gabbie Huges got two goals, and three others scored in the team’s historic victory. Ottawa returns home Wednesday to play Minnesota. The team sits third in the league with a win and an overtime loss.

NHL: Meanwhile, the Senators got their first win of 2024, snapping a five-game winless streak on the road since the new year, The Canadian Press reported. Vladimir Tarasenko scored with 3.3 seconds left in the third period to give the Sens the 5-4 victory against the San Jose Sharks.

• The Sens sit last in the division, with a 15-23-0 record, their 30 points put them fourth last in the league.

NEW LOCAL JOBS

Check out the new open positions in Ottawa.

1. Facilities officer at the National Gallery of Canada

2. Privacy risk specialist at Canadian Medical Protective Association

3. Home comfort advisor at Prestige Home Improvement

4. Archival specialist at the Bank of Canada

5. Office manager at Bell Baker LLP

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

THE AGENDA

🚒 Two families were displaced by a garage fire in Barrhaven that spread to the neighbouring home. One fire firefighter was injured in the blaze, and five pets were safely rescued. [CTV]

🚛 King Edward was once a tree-lined boulevard, until the 1960s and the idea of urban renewal turned it into the traffic clogged nightmare it’s since become. With several new studies about the avenue and the possibilities of a new crossing to come this year, can the road reclaim its former glory? [CBC]

🏗️ City staff recommended that council approve a development of a proposed tower at the historic Legion House, the post-war headquarters of the Royal Canadian Legion on Kent Street. The 27-storey building would have 289 housing units, and would reuse the facade of the original building, and two adjacent heritage properties. [Ottawa Citizen]

⚖️ Matt Skof, the former head of the city’s police union and current head of its veterans’ association, faces a new charge of disclosing personal information. Skof was charged with obstruction and breach of trust five years ago, charges that are working their way through the courts. [CBC]

🫀 The former head of medical devices at the Heart Institute, Tofy Mussivand, died last week after a long illness, at the age of 82. He helped develop an implantable artificial heart. [Ottawa Citizen]

🌊 Firefighters needed to clear the Splash Wave Pool in Gloucester because of a leaking chlorine tank Sunday morning. No one was taken to hospital, but one person said they were feeling light headed. The pool reopened as normal. [CTV]

💐 Saturday marked two years since the deadly explosion that killed six people at Eastway Tank on Merivale. The owner of Eastway will go on trial on three charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act in March. [CBC]

EVENTS

What to do this week

⛄️ Sugar Snowman Cookie Decorating Class, Wednesday 5:30 pm: Learn everything you need to know about baking sugar cookies and how to use royal icing. Everything’s provided for you in this expert-guided session. At Overflow Brewing Company, 2477 Kaladar Ave. Tickets $81.

💻 Demo Night - Introduction to 3D Printing, Thursday 6:30 pm: Learn the basics of 3D printing, from how to make or find models to the best printers for your needs. Followed by a Q&A session. At the Ottawa Tool Library, 877a Boyd Ave. Tickets $17.

💍 Capital Wedding Show, Saturday and Sunday: One of the city’s biggest wedding shows, where you can get all your planning done in one spot. Plenty of prizes, including trips, jewellery and more. At Ottawa Conference and Event Centre, 200 Coventry Rd. Tickets $20.

📖 Peggy Blair at Jabulani, Saturday 2 pm: Author Peggy Blair talks about her work, and how she went from lawyer to best-selling mystery writer. Ticket includes a glass of wine and snacks. At Jabulani Vineyard & Winery, 8005 Jock Trail. Tickets $26.

🎙️ Musk Ox Inheritance Vinyl Release, Saturday 7 pm: Local chamber folk trio Musk Ox host a release party for the LP of their latest album, Inheritance.At Kailash Mital Theatre, 1125 Colonel By Dr. Tickets $30.

🎼 Picture This! Saturday 7:30 pm: The Kanata Wind Ensemble presents this concert of music inspired by works of art. At Glen Cairn United Church, 140 Abbeyhill Dr. Tickets $23.

☘️ Céilí (dance) by Ottawa Irish Arts, Sunday 2 pm: An afternoon of Irish dancing — set and céilí dances — with an intermission harp performance. Some food and refreshments will be provided. At St Brigid's Centre for the Arts, 310 St Patrick St. Tickets start at $10.

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• Three up-and-coming hip hop artists are heading to New York to show off their talents to a famed producer and engineer. [Ottawa Citizen]

• Already the makers of some incredible tortillas and salsa, Tortilla Maker has added several varieties of tamales to really fill your appetite.

• Have you seen this wedding ring? It was lost in the Elgin Street area this weekend. [Reddit]

• (Insiders) What keeps folks coming back to the Cheshire Cat? The food, the atmosphere, the service. Quite a bit, it turns out! 

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

OTTAWA GAMES

Congrats to James, the only person who knew this week’s Ottawa Guesser was of Castlefrank Road.

Think you can solve this week’s Ottawa Wordle? Play now.