Good morning! 

Did anyone else notice it’s Friday the 13th? 

We have another jam-packed issue today with lots of local news to cover.

Anyone who’s lived in Ottawa for long knows we are a winter city. Yes, climate change has resulted in the Rideau Canal having a shorter season and we’ve seen a number of Green Christmas’ in recent years, but the ground is still covered in snow for about one third of the year.

Despite this, the city has struggled to build pedestrian and bike infrastructure that can be used year-round. Last year it was the Chief William Commanda Bridge, this year, it’s the walking bridge over the Rideau River near Carleton University. I had the chance to sit down with some local city councillors and bike advocates to talk about the demand for change. 

Wednesday was another monumental day at city hall as the 2025 budget was passed. No real surprises popped up, but there are a few wins (if you really want to call it that) for local transit riders who will still be faced with fare increases, but ones that are more in line with inflation. 

For our Insider members, stay tuned for an article this weekend looking at the HART Hub addictions treatment model and if it will help Somerset Street businesses which have been dealing with increased social service issues.

Let’s get to it!

— Charlie Senack, managing editor 

[email protected] 

X: @Charlie_Senack

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WEATHER

Friday: -6 🌡️ -16 | ☀️

Saturday: -9 🌡️ -17 | ☀️

Sunday: -9 🌡️ -11 | 🌤️

Monday: -1 🌡️ -1 | ☁️

(A warmup is coming Monday and Tuesday!)

CITY HALL

Ottawa is a winter city? So why don’t we build it that way?

Poor planning: It’s no secret Ottawa is a winter city, so it begs the question: Why are so many pedestrian crossings closed when the snow starts to fall? That’s something many councillors are looking to find out.

Last year the city made headlines when it surprisingly announced the then-newly-opened Chief William Commanda Bridge would close for winter-use because staff would be unable to maintain it. City staff promised to study the possibility of keeping it open year-round in the future, but results were inconclusive because of the record-warmth and lack of snow. It’s now closed for the season again, but the city says they will continue to explore other options.   

It's happening again: Now the same story is playing out with the pedestrian bridge that connects Carleton University to Vincent Massey Park. The city said the bridge could not be maintained because the NCC doesn’t groom the park — though that is being seen as an excuse because it’s regularly used in the winter for cross-country skiers, snowshoers, runners, and winter bikers. 

River Ward Coun. Riley Brockington, who represents the park side, told the Lookout he’s confident the bridge will reopen after a solution is found. But, there are concerns over liability and the surface of the bridge which is slippery when wet. 

• “We need to focus on the safety issues with the bridge. Do we need to add coding to the top? On the Airport Parkway bridge, it's almost like a sandpaper finish. It’s not a smooth surface and it has traction for your boot,” said Brockington. “What we’ve heard from people in the autumn is when it rained, the Carleton bridge was slippery. So how do we reduce the potential for falls or slips? Then we can talk about innovative ways to plow it and the grit we may need.”

The city would also need to explore how to maintain the bridge in winter months as salt cannot be used on its steel structure and cannot fall into the river below. 

Bridging neighbourhoods: The Rideau River crossing technically was not supposed to open until the Trillium Line was completed, which we now know will be on Jan. 6, 2025. That’s because it was part of the Line 2 north-south LRT contract. But Brockington and neighbouring Capital Ward Coun Shawn Menard advocated to get it opened sooner because the bridge was just sitting there almost completely. That finally occurred in June, and it’s proven to be a vital crossing for Carleton University students. Some have said it’s saved them 30 minutes on their commute.  

Menard told the Lookout he doesn’t buy the city's excuse that liability concerns are at play and said it’s no different than if a person were to slip and fall on a sidewalk that was not cleared properly. He also said the nearby Rideau Winter Trail wants to expand operations past Bank Street to include St. Vincent Massey Park and beyond. If that happens the NCC-owned land would also be winter maintained. 

• “It concerns me. We have four seasons here which is a really lovely thing to have in a city and our infrastructure needs to be designed for that. I think now staff are questioning if their plows and maintenance stuff can go on the bridge and it’s tough for them because it doesn’t connect City of Ottawa property but so be it. It’s worth it to ensure that crossing is one,” he said. 

The city will be meeting with players at some point today to try and find a solution. 

Chief William Commanda Bridge harder to maintain

Misunderstandings: Jeff Leiper, the councillor for Kitchissippi, said the city initially gave wrong communications when it came to the $23.9 million Chief William Commanda Bridge being used as a multi-season, year-round attraction. 

• “We never set an expectation that it would be a cycling and pedestrian connection during winter months,” Leiper told the Lookout. “We set out the expectation that it would be groomed. I'm not trying to make efforts to get it cleared for winter cycling and walking. That was never the expectation.”

That would not be possible again because it’s an old railway bridge, but also because of the wooden slabs which would be damaged by the salt and machinery. 

The difference with snow grooming is it does not include salt or snow plowing. Dave Adams, who operates the adjacent Kichi Sibi Winter Trail, told the Kitchissippi Times last year that “it’s press and play. We pack the snow, we work with it, we make it smooth.”

Ottawa needs to look at winter cycling as a mode of transportation, says advocacy group 

Florence Lehmann, president of Bike Ottawa, told the Lookout that the city does a poor job of maintaining infrastructure for cycling when the snow starts to fall. 

For comparison: Ottawa has over 12,000 lane kilometres of roads for motorized traffic, but only 340 kilometres of on-road bicycle lanes — most of which are painted cycle lanes. Lehmann said many of them are not safe to drive in the winter. 

• “People who drive have a lot of options when they need to go somewhere. So why do we keep treating cycling in particular — and walking would be the same thing —  as a recreational activity? If it was seen as a transportation option instead, we would be keeping these bridges open and connecting them to places,” she said. 

The Chief William Commanda Bridge connects the cities of Ottawa to Gatineau and has been a transportation method for many public servant workers who cross the river for employment, said Lehmann. She compared it to the similar-looking Alexandra Bridge which is made of the same materials but is maintained by the city. 

Glebe area stairs to be cleared of snow this winter, says Menard 

There are some wins: Despite the unfortunate closure of pedestrian and cycling crossings, Menard was happy to report that two key sets of stairs would be opened and maintained this winter — The Flora Footbridge, which started as a pilot project last year, alongside the east and west side stairs of Central Park on Bank Street. 

• “People would always send pictures saying it was stair jail and they were chained up. It’s such a simple thing to clean them with a shovel. It means city staff need to get out of the vehicle and do it, but it's such a great thing because people can then access the park via Bank Street. For a minor investment we can get this done,” said the Capital Ward councillor.  

Taking it a step further: There are other sets of stairs Menard wants to see also get shovelled eventually. Those include a closed-off section near Patterson Creek, another park system that connects in that area, and stairs that connect to the canal. They are sometimes maintained by the NCC during Winterlude, but only for a few weeks. 

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NUMBERS

💰 50-basis-point cut: The amount Canada’s central bank has cut interest rates for the fifth consecutive time. [CTV]

📱 67: The number of drivers who were charged for using their phones while driving on Highway 401 in eastern Ontario. [CTV]

🚗 $10,000: The fine an Ottawa driver received after being caught speeding 134 km/h over the speed limit. [CTV]

CITY HALL

Ottawa’s 2025 budget has passed. Here are the final changes and how much it will cost you

The final plan: The 2025 Ottawa budget has been passed, but some last-minute changes were squeezed in to support food banks and parks. The total budget is worth $5 billion in operating funding and $1.7 billion in capital funding. 

• The property tax increase will remain at 3.9 per cent — the highest increase in over a decade — with Mayor Mark Sutcliffe saying they wanted to balance affordability with investments. 

Less of an impact on transit: You might recall the temperature started to boil in November when the city announced it planned to raise seniors’ monthly transit passes by 120 per cent and eliminate youth passes altogether to try and get a grip on the $120 million hole OC Transpo was facing. 

That didn’t go over well, and after much back and forth, it was decided seniors would pay $58.25 for a monthly pass compared to the $49 it is now. Free seniors transit days on Wednesdays and Sundays were also to be scrapped, but will continue. The youth monthly pass was also saved and will cost 13 to 18-year-olds about $5 more at $104 a month. An adult monthly pass will cost $135. Free fares for 11 and 12-year-olds will still be eliminated. 

The highly contested U-pass will still go up five per cent — something student unions said was a breach of contract — but that will now only occur during the start of the fall semester and after consultations with the post-secondary institutions. 

• For a list of day-to-day increases like it will cost you for a marriage certificate, on-street parking, water fees or aquatics classes, you can check out this list compiled by CTV. 

Some new improvements: What was missing from the first draft budget, said councillors, were improvements for parks, affordable housing, and food banks. It’s not a lot but is considered better than nothing. 

It will be funded through a reduction in the price of diesel for city vehicles. Since the draft budget was released, Chief Financial Officer Cyril Rogers said oil prices dropped. As opposed to $1.44, they were able to lock it in at $1.40. That alone created $1.9 million in savings — most of which will go to transit. Another $200,000 of it will be used to boost funding for about three dozen food security organizations. That is far less than what they were asking for, though, as local food banks report record usage. 

• Other wins were $150,000 in new funding for upgrading park amenities and an extra $50,000 for washrooms which will include more porta-potties and extended opening hours. 

Not all were in support: Three councillors voted against the budget — Kitchissippi’s Jeff Leiper, College wards Laine Johnson, and Knoxdale-Merivale representative Sean Devine. The trio said they felt the property tax increase was not high enough to keep up with the city’s needs and that it would result in problems later. 

• "If the role of municipal government is primarily to keep things affordable, why aren't our residents happy with us? I think it's because they can see we're making choices that are eroding those services we depend on. They can see the increased debt. They can see the deferrals. Those are the smoke and mirrors of politicians," said Johnson, according to CBC. 

While Orleans East-Cumberland Coun. Matt Luloff voted in support of the budget, he did criticize the process and said councillors had little time to provide their input and went after city staff for thinking a 120 per cent increase for seniors transit fares was ever a good idea. 

Local investments: In Capital ward, Shaw Menard said they got $28 million in road renewal funding and infrastructure renewal. There was also a $1.5 million investment to help Carleton University build a new pool and aquatics facility. Funding was also included to replace the Heron Park Fieldhouse, which was torn down earlier this year for revitalization. The community has been requesting it for two decades.

• The Glebe Community Centre will also receive funding for accessible bathroom upgrades. Menard said the next step is to get funding for a new Windsor Park Fieldhouse. 

In Tim Tierney’s ward of Beacon Hill-Cyrville, there will be a long list of road improvements. Other ward projects moving ahead include the redevelopment of the Gailea Momolu (formerly Trillium) skate park, the installation of a dog water fountain at the dog park, and a splash pad at Donald Street. Safety improvements are also being made with the design and planning of a multi-use pathway along Blair Road, from Montreal Road down to the Ottawa River.

Riley Brockington told the Lookout his biggest benefit would be eight sewer and water main replacements. There is also funding to renovate and expand the Alexandra Community Centre in Carlington, and the Mooneys Bay Pavilion received final design dollars to get ready for tendering. 

Questioning the head of OC Transpo 

Harsh words: During the Wednesday council meeting, Brockington said he was growing impatient with late or cancelled buses and criticized the budget for not having the money available to fix the problem. 

By the numbers: While 83 per cent of buses on more frequent routes are meeting their service targets, recent November data showed only 75 per cent of buses on less frequent routes arrive within five minutes of their scheduled time. That’s one in four. 

As a result, Brockington asked city manager Wendy Stephanson how she is overseeing OC Transpo general manager René Amilcar's performance. 

• “You develop her personal work objectives and assess her at the end of the year on her performance?" Brockington asked. Stephanson confirmed yes. 

After some brief questioning, the mayor interrupted and said the focus should be on the budget. Lulloff chimed in, saying conversations around staff should take place privately behind closed doors. 

Apology wanted: Stitsville Councillor and transit commissioner chair Glen Gower told CBC that all councillors could feel tension in the room during that moment, and called the line of questioning “uncomfortable.” He’s now calling for Brockington to apologize to the city manager and Amilcar herself. 

Speaking after the meeting Amilcar called it a personal attack and that she’d be staying focused on delivering a reliable bus and train service to residents. 

THE AGENDA

🏡 Residents on Bank Street who are being asked to leave their rented apartments for a new development say an updated deal is still not good enough. The package presented by Smart Living Properties comes with a lump sum of $20,000 each plus $500 for moving expenses, and a guarantee of no above-guideline rent increases in the new units for 10 years. Tenants who opt not to return would get $30,000 instead. City heritage staff have endorsed the plan which would save the facade. Residents say the building is an art hub. [CBC]

🧊 Ottawa first responders are warning that no ice is safe after a dog fell into the Rideau River near Manotick Wednesday morning. The dog was able to “self-rescue,” clambering back onto the ice just as the teams arrived. Last week, firefighters responded to three ice rescues involving dogs, including an elderly woman who was treated for hypothermia symptoms after falling into a pond near Stittsville after trying to pull her dog from the water. [Ottawa Citizen]

👵 The Villa Marconi Ottawa care home has been accused of neglecting the hygiene of its residents. Employees and union officials have said they’ve resorted to washing residents with pillowcases and torn towels, and drying them off with paper towels. The reason is due to supply and staffing shortages. Workers are also owed a total of more than $400,000 in vacation pay from the care home dating back to early in the pandemic when they were not allowed to take vacations. There are now calls for the province to step in. [Ottawa Citizen]

🎥 Ottawa’s film commissioner says plans for a studio with multiple sound stages in the city’s west end are still in the works, but the project is being downsized in the wake of slowing Hollywood movie and TV production. Plans have been in place to build a production facility on the Greenbelt Research Farm off Woodroffe Ave. [Ottawa Business Journal] 

🧑‍🎓 Caps on international students and limits on work visas will have a “significant impact” on Ottawa’s hospitality and tourism industry, said the president and CEO of Algonquin College. Meanwhile, Nyle Kelly, manager of the Brookstreet Hotel on Legget Drive in Kanata, said the caps will affect five to 10 per cent of his staff — or about 15 employees. [Ottawa Business Journal]

🎶 Wakefield’s iconic Black Sheep Inn is set to reopen in January following a four-year hiatus. The popular music venue which has hosted Arcade Fire to Serena Ryder and locals Fiftyme, stayed closed even after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted. Now it’s finally being revived again. [The Low Down]

🦃 Experts say wild turkeys in Ottawa have been losing their homes to the city’s urban upgrades. As a result, more people are having interactions with the big brown birds in urban spaces. In June, the city’s Environment and Climate Change Committee approved an updated wildlife strategy to tackle human-wildlife conflicts. The updated strategy involves a 10-point plan that aims to protect wildlife habitat, reinforce public education and monitor wildlife-transmitted diseases. [Capital Current]

🔪 A youth was critically injured in a Craig Henry Drive stabbing Wednesday night. The victim was taken to hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries. The investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made. [CTV]

🚨 Ottawa Police are looking for a missing man who was last seen near the Civic campus of The Ottawa Hospital on Thursday morning. A shirtless photo of the 20-year-old Jadin Perry was released by police, who said he was not dressed for the weather and may be wearing a torn hospital gown. Anyone with information is asked to call Ottawa Police. [Ottawa Citizen] 

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EVENTS

Bear Grease – Holiday Special | Babs Asper Theatre | Dec 10–14, 2024 | This Indigenous spin on Grease returns with a festive twist | Tickets $31+

613Holiday Night Market | Aberdeen Pavilion at Lansdowne| Dec. 13, 5 pm-10 pm | Enjoy a festive indoor shopping experience with 140+ vendors, unique gifts, seasonal treats, and delicious food | Learn more

Ottawa Swing Dance Society Live Band Night | 174 Wilbrod St | Dec. 13, 4:45 pm | Swing the night away with live music | Tickets $20

New Orleans Blues | Hotel Casino Lac-Leamy | Dec 13-14, 8 pm | Celebrate Louisiana's music with a vibrant blend of jazz, bluegrass, funk, gospel, and more in a Mardi Gras-like atmosphere | Tickets $85

Art Show | 1265 Walkley Road | Dec. 14, 10 am-4 pm| Discover works from over 40 local artists featuring oils, acrylics, watercolours, photography, mosaics, and more to rent or purchase | Free

Holiday Stroll | Stanley's Olde Maple Lane Farm | Saturdays and Sundays in December | Explore over 2 km of illuminated forest trails, and dazzling Christmas displays | Tickets $13+

Santa's Holiday Train | Canada Science and Technology Museum | Dec. 14-15, 12 pm-5 pm | Enjoy a festive adventure aboard a vintage train car with Santa, including photo opportunities and a ride on the holiday caboose | Learn more

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• Vendors are welcoming a longer than usual season of the Lansdowne Park Christmas Market. [Capital Current]

• While we keep you updated on Ottawa, International Intrigue keeps you informed about the world. It’s a free global affairs briefing created by former diplomats. Try for free. [Sponspred]

• The Ottawa Senators brought some holiday cheer to the kids at CHEO. [CTV]

• The Sens also hosted its annual Melnyk Skate for the Kids in memory of its former owner. [CTV]

• Ottawa art galleries are trying to make themselves more accessible. [Capital Current]

WORDLE

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