Ottawa on track for bubble bylaw

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Good morning! 

Did anyone else feel the need to put in a warmer jacket in the last few days? I was just commenting to someone how it feels more like March than May, though I know this is still normal weather for this time of year. And can the rain please go away? I’m heading to the Glebe Garage sale for the first time this Saturday and I’m really hoping for at least bearable conditions. 

On Thursday evening, I had the chance to be at my friend Brenda Chapman’s latest book launch. She recently released her latest mystery novel “Who Lies in Wait.” It’s part of the ”Hunter and Tate Mystery series”, which is set in and around Ottawa. There is something truly special about having books set in the city where you love. It’s a way to connect with the story on a deeper level. I encourage you to check out Brenda’s books and also learn more about the many other great local crime fiction authors in this city. I wrote about a few of them last fall. 

I’ve spent the week meeting with city councillors, talking about a variety of local issues, but one that keeps coming back up is the new bus network. Have you been taking it? If so, I'd love to hear from you and your experience. Is it better or worse? What would make your travel commute better? Feel free to drop me an email. We will have more transit-related stories appearing here in the Lookout soon.  

Today’s main story is about city council deciding to move forward with plans for a new bubble bylaw. Toronto has already implemented a similar set of rules. We have compared the two. 

Let’s get to it!

— Charlie Senack, Ottawa Lookout managing editor, [email protected] X: @Charlie_Senack

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WEATHER

Friday: 11 🌡️ 7 | 🌧️

Saturday: 12 🌡️ 8 | 🌧️

Sunday: 17 🌡️ 7 | 🌧️

Monday: 21 🌡️ 9 | ☀️

THE LOOKOUT RECOMMENDS

One big story: With the King and Queen in town on Monday and Tuesday, be prepared for temporary closures on many of the main roads into and in town. Monday there will be sporadic closures, while on Tuesday, there will be many permanent road closures from 5 am-1 pm downtown. The full list can be found here. [Ottawa Citizen]

Embrace reading: Over at the Parkdale Market, book lovers will want to check out All Things Bookish Market, to find new books, connect with authors and find your next great read. On Saturday from 11 am-5 pm. 

What to eat: The weather looks a bit dreary this weekend, so it's best to stay indoors and eat. And why not try something nice? Our food editor Ralf shared some of his favourite sit-down restaurants of 2024, including Nagi, Les Fougeres, Sona Indian Kitchen and more. Full list here. 

It’s (almost) cider season: Maybe sipping a drink in the park isn’t a good idea this weekend because of the weather (and because it’s not legal yet), but we do have some cider recommendations that are worth a sip. Plus, they’re all from Ontario!

CITY

City staff will draft “bubble bylaw” for Ottawa over the next nine months

Decision made: It looks like Ottawa could get a bubble bylaw after all. City council has given staff nine months to craft a draft which would be aimed at protecting “vulnerable public infrastructure.”

That could create buffer zones of up to 80 metres around certain settings such as hospitals, schools, daycare facilities, and places of worship. 

The joint meeting, which included council's Emergency Preparedness and Protective Services and Public Works and Infrastructure committees, voted 14-2 in favour of the motion. Knoxdale-Merivale Coun. Sean Devine and Gloucester-Southgate Coun. Jessica Bradley were the only two to oppose it. 

• “By these considerations, there could not even be a peaceful, non-intimidating, non-harassing protest within a few city blocks of the intended target of the demonstration,” Devine wrote in his newsletter. ”In Ward 9, this would mean that protests intended for certain schools or places of worship would need to take place in the middle of residential neighbourhoods. It’s hard not to see this as a limitation on freedom of expression.”

Devine, who put forward a deferral motion which failed, said he thought a bubble bylaw would expose the city to “significant risk” at a time when courts are reviewing whether such bylaws followed the constitution. He also noted both the federal and provincial governments advancing similar pieces of legislation, which would bring similar results. 

It was a contentious issue: Over 40 speakers shared their thoughts during the two days of meetings. 

Many parents who have supported counter demonstrations outside Broadview Public School when far-right anti-trans activists picketed the area said they felt a bubble bylaw would limit free speech. 

• “I can say from the display of solidarity I witnessed and got to be part of, the community is more than capable of handling something like this without having to resort to this kind of blanket ban on protests,” said Katy de Souza, who’s the parent of a child who attends Broadview. 

At some points, those demonstrations did sometimes get heated. During a recent one in late April, two people were apprehended and later released by police. Two years prior, five people were arrested outside nearby Nepean High School, but no charges were laid. 

Members of the Jewish community expressed support, saying tensions have risen following the Oct. 7 attacks. Ted Cohen, who is CEO of Hillel Lodge, a Jewish long-term care home which has been the site of demonstrations, shared what residents have faced. 

• “Protesters arrived with signage, flags, banners, bullhorns, loudspeakers and drums. The protest was loud, forceful and unrelenting,” said Cohen, according to the Ottawa Citizen. “Staff reported residents asking repeatedly, 'What's happening? Why are they yelling? Are we in danger?'"

Modifications were made: The original bubble bylaw contained terms such as "nuisance demonstration" and "intimidation,” which some councillors feared gave police too much power, reported CBC. Kanata Coun. Allan Hubley proposed modifications to the original draft, which proposed a more "narrowly tailored" bylaw to prohibit demonstrations, “during operational hours or specific high-risk periods" within 80 metres of "vulnerable social infrastructure." 

There were also exceptions thrown in for demonstrations over labour disputes or negotiations, or those not specifically directed at a protected site. Other locations such as City Hall and Parliament Hill are exempted from the new rules, even if they contain facilities or services which the bylaw helps protect. 

Somerset Ward Coun. Ariel Troster said the updated language “gives me a lot more comfort” and noted it previously could have been “politicized and weaponized." 

Controversial bubble bylaw passes in Toronto 

Zoom out: While the City of Ottawa continues to draft what it intends to pass, the City of Toronto has already gone through with a bylaw that will prohibit protests around places of worship, schools and daycares.

On Thursday, Toronto council voted 16-9 in favour of the “bubble zone” bylaw which will take effect on July 2nd. 

What it will achieve: When a location is considered to be a bubble zone, the limitations will last for a year. Protests there will be restricted to at least 50 metres away, which is more than the 20 metres initially proposed, according to CityNews. 

Before, owners would also need to prove they were the scene of a protest in the past, but such rules have been eliminated. Some faith leaders argued the initial rules did not go far enough to offer protection. 

By the numbers: If you’re caught not following the rules, you could be faced with a fine up to $5,000. The City of Toronto believes a bubble bylaw could be implemented at 3,000 different locations. 

Opposition: Like in Ottawa, there was opposition. Coun. Alejandra Bravo expressed the importance of free speech and how protests are a way to use that voice.

• “I'm not here to judge how people feel. But I am going to say that it comes at such a substantive cost to all of us because I think what we need to recognize is the Charter of Rights and Freedoms is not just for one group. It's for all of us,” said Bravo, according to CBC. 

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THE OTTAWA NUMBER

70 km/h

The new speed limit along a three-kilometre stretch of Earl Armstrong Road. [CTV]

THE AGENDA

🏗️ A former Kanata office building is being converted into a mixed-use building with 115 housing units and some office space. A future rapid transit station is planned for the intersection of Terry Fox Drive and March Road, which is within 600 metres of the 11-storey site. A large parking lot next to it will be converted into greenspace. [Ottawa Citizen]

🦺 Beware of door-to-door construction scams targeting Ottawa residents. Here’s what usually happens: A contractor will knock on a homeowner's door and pitch repair work to their foundation, driveway or chimney. Often, they'll say they're already working in the neighbourhood and will offer the homeowner a great deal. But of course that isn’t true. [CBC]

🚘 If you want to park on some Ottawa streets and we’re hoping not to pay during evenings and weekends, think again because new changes are coming. The ByWard Market will see the biggest impacts, with Wellington West, Westboro and parts of Centretown also affected. The new parking rules would promote vehicle turnover to give visitors "more choice and less frustration," says a city report, but businesses are worried it could lead to fewer customers. [CBC]

🚰 A number of Ottawa residents are getting unpaid water bills thanks to tenants who used to call their lodging home, but the city denies launching a blitz for the arrears and interest. One woman received a bill for $435 —just 10 days of water use, plus interest — which dates back to March 2020 before she took possession of her house. [CBC]

👮‍♂️ Ottawa Police are increasing patrols around Jewish places of worship after the recent shooting in Washington D.C. “The Ottawa Police Service has increased patrols around synagogues, schools, and community spaces as a precaution and to provide reassurance. There is no known threat to public safety in Ottawa at this time,” said police. [CTV]

🪑 Montreal-based furniture retailer Cozey is coming to Rideau Street after Urban Outfitters leaves the space. The pop-up location will be open from June until the end of January 2026. [Ottawa Business Journal]

SPORTS

Series tied after Ottawa Charge’s narrow loss

By Jeff Morris  

They were so close: The Ottawa Charge were just 15 seconds away from taking a 2-0 series lead in the Walter Cup finals, but the Minnesota Frost scored a late power play goal and then notched the winner in overtime to earn a 2-1 win and tie their series at 1-1.

By the numbers: With just 2:35 remaining in the third period, Jocelyn Laroque made it 1-0. It was Laroque’s first goal as a member of the Charge. The Charge took a penalty in the final minute, giving the Frost a six-on-four power play for the final 36 seconds, and with 15 seconds left, the Frost’s Britta Curl-Salemma scored to force overtime.

At 16:24 of the first overtime period, the Frost’s Curl Selamme fought off a check and took a shot from the slot while falling down that beat Philips to win the game 2-1.

Another chance: Game 3 of the best-of-five series is Saturday in St. Paul, Minnesota.

WEEKEND EVENT GUIDE

Odawa Pow Wow | St. Laurent Complex, 815 St. Laurent Blvd | May 24–25, 10 am | Indigenous music, dance, crafts, food | Free

Schnittke Concerto for Choir | 174 Wilbrod St. | Sun May 25, 3:00 pm | Hear Alfred Schnittke’s choral masterpiece live! | Tickets [Sponsored]

The Franktown Lilac Festival | Centennial Hall, 152 Church St., Franktown | May 24, 8 am-4 pm | Wagon rides, parade, crafts, live music | Free

Summer at the Farm | The Log Farm, 670 Cedarview Rd | Now until Oct. 31, 9:30 am | Farm animals, pioneer displays, wagon rides | Tickets $12

Next to Normal | The Gladstone Theatre, 910 Gladstone Ave | May 14–24, 7:30 pm | Award-winning musical about mental illness | Tickets $22+

Ottawa Titans Baseball Club | Ottawa Stadium, 300 Coventry Rd | May 20–Aug. 31, various times | Professional Frontier League baseball | Tickets $13+

Eid Pop-Up Market | Bell Sensplex, 1565 Maple Grove Rd | May 24, 11 am | Market celebrating Eid with food and vendors | Free

Bunnypalooza | Ron Kolbus Lakeside Centre, 102 Greenview Avenue | May 24, 10 am | Raising money for rescues, and a fun event for bunny lovers | Free

Ottawa Rapid FC vs. Roses de Montréal FC | TD Place Stadium, 1015 Bank St | May 24, 4 pm | Women's pro soccer in the new Northern Super League | Tickets $15+

Pakistani Food Festival | Greely Community Centre, 1448 Meadow Dr | May 25, 1 pm | Cultural food stalls, activities, music | Free

Annual Great Glebe Garage Sale | Glebe neighbourhood | May 25, 8 am | Giant neighbourhood-wide yard sale | Free

Ottawa Polish Fest | Polish Community Centre, 379 Waverley St | May 25, 11 am | Polish food, music, vendors, kids zone | Free

Nepean Night Market | 70 Bongard Ave, Nepean | May 24, 5 pm | Evening market with food trucks and entertainment | Free

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

FOOD AND DRINK

District Deli is a neighbourhood sandwich shop star

Written by our food and drink editor Ralf Joneikies.

Just a few months old and already District Deli has made a name for itself as one of the top sandwich makers in the city. The word on the street keeps spreading and the word is good.

In fact one of the other things I appreciate about this business is that it’s set in a residential neighbourhood and in my view, Ottawa needs much more of this. Coffee shops, bookstores, repair cafés, and restaurants should be spilling into residential areas to help build communities so that locals can, simply by walking out their doors, enjoy the fruits of independent entrepreneurs.

As people have been saying on Reddit and elsewhere, the sandwiches here are very good. I arrived just minutes before closing and the staff were kind enough to build two sandwiches for this review.

A key component to any good sandwich is the bread and here the rolls are quite nice. District Deli brings these in daily and despite my efforts, I was unable to get the information as to where these are baked.

They offer ten sandwiches with the Wellington being their best seller. It’s a hefty meal with sopressata, mortadella, prosciutto, mozzarella, lettuce, roasted red peppers, pickled red onion and seasonings in the mix. It was an example of recipe testing gone right.

I also enjoyed the Ladouceur, a turkey stuffed sando loaded with provolone, prosciutto, iceberg lettuce, pickled eggplant, tomato and drizzled with Dijonaise. While the Wellington is the top seller, I found the Ladouceur more to my liking. It was milder in profile and the elements came together in harmony. 

If you need to finish with something sweet, District Deli brings in the dough from Montreal based cookie business Felix and Norton which they bake in-house each day. Two cookies for four dollars.

The folks behind this shop have clearly put in the work to get the combinations just right and it’s worth a visit.

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PHOTO OF THE DAY

The Victoria Day fireworks as seen from Dow’s Lake on Sunday night.

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• A horn and a beverage cup? This local Ottawa entrepreneur has people clamouring for his unique creation. [OBJ]

• Have you heard of the Tony Graham Youth Workout Pass? If you have a child between the ages of 13-17, they can get a free workout pass this summer.

• These turkeys really slowed down traffic at Hawthorne and Hunt Club, and no, I don’t mean turkey as an insult, I mean literally turkeys.

• The city is currently accepting names for their Commemorative Naming Programs for facilities, parks and streets. [Reddit]

• Now this bar on Somerset sounds like an absolute blast. It’s almost like a museum! [Kitchissipi]

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OTTAWA WORDLE

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