Ottawa housing market cools off in June

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— Robert Hiltz, managing editor

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Weather Report

Friday: 27 🌡️ 11 | ☀

Saturday: 24 🌡️ 9 | ☀

Sunday: 26 🌡️ 16 | ☀

Monday: 24 🌡️ 17 | ☁️

Housing market turning ice-cold

What happened: Compared to June of last year, sales dropped 29 percent from 2,122 to 1,508 this month, according to the Ottawa Real Estate Board. Rising interest rates and increasing inflation seem to be at the heart of it, according to the board.

• “After the frenzy of the past two years, we are witnessing Ottawa’s resale market normalize in 2022 and shift towards the more traditional seasonal ebb and flow cycle.” board President Penny Torontow said in a statement.

Prices still up: Despite the dip in the number of sales, prices still rose. Condo prices rose one percent from June of last year to $438,977, and the average home price rose six percent to $772,861.

• Housing inventory has increased 38 percent, to a level of about two months’ supply, and condos supply has risen 14 percent with a supply of about a month-and-a-half.

“There is more selection, fewer bidding wars, and less pressure to make a warp-speed decision,” Torontow said.

LRT Inquiry: The final day

And so, that's it. The LRT Inquiry wrapped up testimony yesterday, after 18 days of work. A final report is expected in the fall. We'll have some final thoughts next week, after taking some time to digest things, but this was a revealing process. This was no joke, it was serious business, and for maybe the first time since the city broke ground on the LRT, the public has a real idea about what went on.

Day 17: July 6

Who testified Tuesday:

• Richard France, managing maintenance with Alstom Transport Canada Inc.

• Brandon Richards, former chief of safety at OC Transpo

What happened: Keeping the trains of the new LRT system running was a problem from the start. When the line was under construction, maintenance people from train manufacturer Alstom weren’t allowed to see the tracks, according to the Ottawa Citizen. And there was no maintenance building where repairs could be made.

• “It’s speculation, but my feeling is probably on one hand maybe they didn’t want us out there because we would identify problems that they would then have to deal with, but that wouldn’t be good thinking on their part because, if anything, that would be an opportunity for them,” Richard France said.

OC Transpo’s former head of safety said improperly tightened bolts had been discovered before a similar issue led to the September 2021 derailment. After the derailment, Brandon Richards said some trains were pulled out of service to make upgrades, and also reduce the workload on maintenance crews.

• Watch: Derailment video shown to LRT public inquiry on final day of hearings [CBC]

Day 18: July 7

Who testified Tuesday:

• Mario Guerra CEO of Rideau Transit Maintenance

• Nicolas Truchon Rideau Transit Group

What happened: The CEO of the private consortium in charge of LRT maintenance said the city’s decision not to soft start the LRT was a major factor in the early system failures. Mario Guerra said it would have allowed them to find and fix problems without the pressures of full service, the Ottawa Citizen reported.

He also said early nitpicking by the city overwhelmed maintenance staff to the point critical problems weren’t able to be addressed while small issues, like dirty floors, were being taken care of.

• Dig deeper: Thread of 2019 WhatsApp texts show mayor's fixation on details during LRT woes [CBC]

Looking to catch up on the whole inquiry? See our day-by-day breakdown of all the testimony.

The Sandwich Safari continues

Our food editor Ralf’s journey through town trying out small sandwich spots around town continues with four places he checked out recently. Here’s a little taste from this week’s Insider.

Stacked Smoked Meat and Grill 

Once the home of a favourite northern Chinese eatery (Long Long Noodles), Stacked on McArthur Ave. opened less than a year ago and is winning over locals with moist, hot and classically delicious Montreal smoked meat sandwiches.

Like anyone who lives within just a few hours of Montreal, I consider myself a fan of this sandwich and a bit of an aficionado, and so Stacked has become my go-to in Ottawa. The meat is thinly sliced and has just the right amount of fat for a turbo-charge of flavour. The six-ounce sandwich at $10.95 feels like more than the described weight and the aromas wafting from the bag insinuated their way into the vulnerable parts of me and I ate half of it before leaving the parking lot. The proper salt-brined pickle crowned the experience.

Adi, the proprietor, knows his stuff and if you're curious, pick his brain about what makes a great smoked meat sandwich. It's a bonus to a fine quick bite.

We're crowdfunding to build a new food and restaurant publication in Ottawa. Consider becoming a member today to help fund it and access some awesome membership perks.

The seventh wave is here, but booster shots are near

Summer of disruption: The latest wave of COVID is poised to cause a bumpy summer, thanks to the extra-contagious B.A.5 variant of Omicron. The wastewater signal in Ottawa is as high as it was during the January Omicron wave, according to the Ottawa Citizen.

• The province’s COVID science table said Ontario is officially in a seventh wave. It’s not likely to cause as many hospitalizations as previous waves, but hospitals are in rough shape after two years of the pandemic.

Perth Hospital ER still closed: The closure of the Perth ER was extended into next week because of an ongoing acute staff shortage. A COVID outbreak among staff has put the hospital in a precarious situation with only five nurses in a department that used to have 15, according to CBC. The outbreak was merely what tipped the hospital into a full-blown crisis.

Second boosters coming: The province’s chief medical officer of health says second booster shots will be available to people over the age of 18, possibly as early as next week. CityNews reports the second booster wouldn’t preclude someone from getting another booster with an updated formula three months later.

City Hall update

Airport gets tax breaks: The airport won a tax break from the city, free of conditions that would have made protecting the Hunt Club forest part of the deal. A motion from Coun. Riley Brockington failed when the mayor and city staff opposed linking saving the forest to giving the airport the tax break. [CBC]

Green space bylaw passes: Buildings with more than five storeys will have to set aside more land, or cash, for green space, if a new bylaw passed by the planning committee is approved by council. Right now, they have to set aside 10 percent, which would rise to 15 percent for buildings between five and nine stories, and 25 percent for buildings 10 storeys and taller. [CBC]

Free wood chips: Because of the huge number of fallen trees in this spring’s storm, the city is offering free wood chips. There is no limit, you just need to bring your own container. See the city’s website for more info. [CityNews]

Vacant unit tax: The city has put together a web tool to see if you will need to pay the vacant unit tax. Between January and March of next year, every property owner must declare whether they own any units that are vacant for more than 184 days in the previous year.

City looking for election auditors: The city needs people to sit on its election compliance board. The role of the board is to ensure candidates and third parties are following spending rules. Deep knowledge of election law is a must. The application period closes Aug. 8. See the city’s posting for more details.

Night work required in Stage 2 construction: The western extension of the LRT had a busy summer. The city says there may be the need for some construction to run until 10 pm some nights, and in some areas, full overnight and weekend work.

Stories you might've missed

Foot and mouth spreading across province: An unusual summer outbreak is going on throughout the province. It typically spreads among young children — like daycares — but not usually this time of year. Parents are also catching it from their children, which isn’t typical. While very uncomfortable, it usually only lasts a few days. [CBC]

Bad batch blamed for ODs: A series of serious overdoses in the last week, including five deaths, are likely because of a bad batch of drugs. It’s likely that fentanyl, the extremely potent opioid, is to blame. [CBC]

Senior loses savings to accused fraudsters: A 75-year-old in Ottawa has had to take work as a security guard after investing with a real estate firm whose founders are now facing fraud charges. Barry Stevens said he lost his $400,000 investment in a skyscraper project. To keep a roof over his head, he’s had to go back to work. He said he hopes the two men get a criminal conviction. [CTV]

Community highlights

• Ottawa Senators acquired Chicago’s top scorer, Alex DeBrincat, for a first- and a second-round draft pick. [CTV]

• Want to win two free tickets to Imagine Monet? Enter here or follow and tag your friends on Instagram

• Yesterday marked the return of Bluesfest, after a two-year absence. [CTV]

• The city of Pembroke has opened up three downtown community patios for anyone to use. Give them a try! [CTV]

• The Sens have their schedule for next season, with their first game Oct. 13 in Buffalo, and the home opener Oct. 18 against Boston. [CTV]

• If you’re looking for a different way to get around this summer, good news, e-scooters are back.

• The Gatineau Hills’ local paper, the Low Down to Hull and Back, is up for 20 community newspaper awards! [The Low Down]

• If you’re near Uplands and Riverside, there is a missing cat, so keep an eye out.

• The Alexandra Bridge closure which was planned for this weekend and next has been cancelled.

Your weekend guide

• Whisky tasting at Deacon Brodie’s | Sunday, 4 pm | 247 Elgin St. | $52 per person, RSVP required | Try out four different whiskies, Talisker Storm, Jura 18-year-old, Highland Park Magnus, and Bruichladdich Classic Laddie, hosted by Dave Sharp.

• 613Flea | Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm | Lansdowne Park | Free! | The downtown flea market is back in action this weekend, with vendors of all kinds at the Aberdeen Pavilion. Something for everyone!

• Bluesfest | July 7 to 17 | LeBreton Flats | $84.75 for a single-day pass | It’s the city’s biggest festival, back after two years away. Tonight check out The New Pornographers and Jack Johnson, then catch Colin James and Alanis Morissette on the weekend. (The full schedule can be found here.)

• Ottawa Titans Baseball | All weekend | RCGT Park | Starting at $11 in advance, $13 on gameday | The Titans are in town for three games against the Empire State Greys. Head on down for a hot dog in the park!

Today's top photo

Today’s photo comes courtesy of Anna, who sends us this shot of Fontaine du Parc Portage.

Have you got a photo you’d like to share with Lookout readers? Send it our way!

Weekend Ottawa pop-quiz

What year was the Rideau Canal UNESCO World Heritage site? Reply with your answer and Include your name if you want it published (if you get the answer correct).

Latest COVID stats

Note: Ottawa Public Health is now only updating COVID stats twice a week, on Tuesday and Friday afternoons. Because of the Lookout’s publishing schedule, this means the numbers here may be out of date. For the most recent stats, see the OPH COVID Dashboard.

• Active Cases: 676

• Total deaths: 825

• Ottawans In Hospital: 17

• Ottawans In ICU: 2

• Acute Beds Occupied: 92%

• ICU Beds Occupied: 58%

• ICU Ventilator Beds Occupied: 10%