Pandemic forces cities to rethink how they work

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Good morning!

A busy weekend here at Lookout headquarters, as my sister-in-law came to town to celebrate the 16th (!!) birthday of her dog Toby. It was nice! Unfortunately for Toby, he stole a bunch of cat food and upset his stomach so much so that he wasn’t able to have any cake. Teens, lemme tell you.

Last weekend, the country’s top chef was crowned at the Canadian Culinary Championship. Later this week, our food editor Ralf will have full coverage! Be sure to subscribe to Capital Eats so you don’t miss out.

Let’s get to it.

— Robert Hiltz, managing editor

PS - Did someone forward you the Lookout? Sign-up for free and get smarter about Ottawa.

WEATHER

Monday: 0 🌡️ -16 | 🌤

Tuesday: -2 🌡️ -11 | ☀️

Wednesday: 0 🌡️ -7 | ☀️

CITY BUILDING

How the pandemic is forcing cities to try new things

What happened: The way COVID changed how people live and especially how they work, is forcing cities to look at new ways of how they’re run. Two recent stories show us how the pandemic has challenged the ways cities are organized.

Empty offices: Gatineau faces the serious problem of a workforce that shrunk by more than half from 2016 to 2021. A new study conducted for the city looked at the size of the workforce before and after the pandemic hit. In 2015 there were more than 35,000, in 2021, there were about 14,500, CBC reported.

• Last year, the federal government released a “disposal list” of buildings it owns and plans to sell off, CBC reported at the time. Only one of the buildings is on the Gatineau side of the river, but the fear is that the feds will give up on the offices they rent downtown.

The plan: The study is just the first step in the plan. Now that Gatineau knows the scale of the problem, it can look at how to ease the issues. High on the list is supporting small businesses to help them thrive in the core. This could include offering financial assistance to attract and keep businesses downtown.

It’s a long-term project that will require cooperation between governments and businesses to pull off.

• “Development and a sense of belonging will take time.… We won't see results in 48 hours or next year,” Gatineau Mayor France Bélisle told reporters.

Park and Ride dilemma: In Ottawa, many outlying OC Transpo Park and Ride locations aren’t being used to the levels they were designed for. Riverside South Coun. Steve Desroches wants to see if it’s possible to offer up some unused spaces at locations near the airport as long-term airport parking, CBC reported.

Desroches told the broadcaster it’s one way the system could bring in more revenue.

Ridership is still well below pre-pandemic levels, and also falling short of projections. In December, the most recent figures available, there were 5.1 million trips by bus and LRT. That’s below the expected 6.2 million trips, and well off the 8.3 million trips in December 2019. (Updated figures are expected at the Transit Commission meeting later this week.)

Not so fast: While Park and Ride usage is down, at the very least the city wants to wait until the north-south LRT lines 2 and 4 come online, which is expected in the spring. The city also said that Park and Ride usage has improved as more workers return to the office.

Other issues: City staff aren’t sold on the idea. Even a proposal to allow overnight parking creates issues around security and snow clearing. Currently, it’s forbidden to park overnight on OC Transpo lots. That means they’re easy to clear after a snow storm, and they only need minimal patrolling.

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OTTAWA BY THE NUMBERS

💸 $13,000: The amount of money a scammer took from a couple, who were tricked into giving their credit card information to someone posing as a TD Bank employee. [CTV]

🥅 35: That’s how many games the Senators have left in the season to claw back 16 points to make the final playoff spot. Team captain Brady Tkachuk thinks the team can do it. [Ottawa Citizen]

HOUSING

Stittsville residents oppose high-rise construction

What happened: How tall is too tall? For residents in Stittsville, a proposed housing development with a 25-storey tower is too much, CTV reported. The proposed development would see 431 new apartments added to the area of Hazeldean and Carp roads. 

Improvements coming: Coun. Glen Gower, who represents the ward, told CTV Carp Road will be widened through that area next year, and the recent OC Transpo route review means there will be more bus service in the area. But, he said more needs to be done, and investment from other levels of government is required.

But the crisis? With a tight housing market and ever-increasing rents, developments like this are likely to be more common. In order to relieve the pressure, more homes need to be built.

“We are in a housing crisis in Ottawa around supply and affordability and we have a huge demand for more rentals and apartments, which is why we are seeing developers bring these proposals forward,” Gower told the broadcaster.

Next steps: The proposal is under consideration by staff, and will need approval to change the zoning in the area. Right now, it’s only zoned for five stories.

NEW LOCAL JOBS

Check out the new open positions in Ottawa.

1. National strike mobilization project officer at the Public Service Alliance of Canada

2. Operations coordinator at Lafarge Canada

3. Construction project coordinator at Thermo Design Insulation

4. Central service dispatcher at Sunbelt Rentals of Canada

5. Senior contract officer at the National Capital Commission

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

THE AGENDA

💐 Municipal flags across the city were lowered to half mast in honour of Brian McGarry. The former politician and businessman died last week. [CTV]

🏆 Whistler, BC chef Jasper Cruickshank won the Canadian Culinary Championship here in town this weekend. [Ottawa Citizen] 

🏚️ The prime minister’s house, 24 Sussex has been cleared of asbestos, mould, and lead, and the rodents have been dealt with. Now, the question is whether it’s worth doing the $37 million in repairs and renovations to restore it. [CBC]

☃️ Warm weather wasn’t enough to derail the opening weekend of Winterlude. But, the opening of the Gatineau snow park was delayed by a day to make more snow, and crowds were smaller than usual for the winter festival. [Ottawa Citizen]

🚙 Ontario has approved car insurance rate increases as high as 25 percent for some companies. Inflation and increasing auto thefts are the leading causes of the increases. [CBC]

💥 A driver is facing impaired driving charges after clipping a barrier on the 417 at the Parkdale exit. The vehicle’s passenger was injured in the crash. [CTV]

🚫 As part of its attempt to ease the housing crisis, the federal government will extend its ban on foreign residential purchases for another two years. The ban came into effect last year, and has now been extended to 2027. [The Canadian Press]

EVENTS

What to do this week

🎨 Art Battle Ottawa, Friday 7 pm: Artists compete against each other in 20-minute rounds to create instant masterpieces, until one is crowned the winner. At Overflow Brewing Co., 2477 Kaladar Ave. Tickets $24.

🎼 Pops Concert 2024, Friday 8 pm: A night of popular music from Ellington to Bizet, hosted by the Divertimento Orchestra. At Woodroffe United Church, Friday 8 pm. Tickets $20.

🎷 A Step Back to Supper Clubs & Swing, Saturday 6 pm: A night of jazz music and swing dancing, like the supper clubs of old. All proceeds going to Dress for Success Ottawa National Capital Region, and Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride Ottawa. At the NDHQ Warrant Officers' & Sergeants' Mess, 4 Queen Elizabeth Driveway. Tickets $134.

🎻 POpera, Saturday 7:30 pm: A night of opera with all the classics, including pieces by Mozart, Verdi, and more. At the Parkdale United Church, 429 Parkdale Ave. Tickets $23.

☕️ Intro to Latte Art & Milk Based Coffee, Sunday 11:30 am: Hosted in conjunction with Little Victories Coffee, learn the basics of how to turn your daily coffee into an art form. At C.A. Paradis, 1314 Bank St. Tickets $102.

🪚 Tinkering School - Build a Wooden Airplane, Saturday 2 pm: An opportunity for kids aged 9-13 to learn how to use tools in the woodshop under close supervision. Build and paint a wooden airplane, and then take it home. All materials provided. At the Ottawa Tool Library, 877a Boyd Ave. Tickets start at $97.

☃️ Winterlude, until Feb. 19: The city’s winter festival kicks off today. With plenty of indoor and outdoor activities all across the region. Public art, family fun, and more. Most events are free.

❄️ Pibòn (Winter) Festival - Winterlude Edition, until Feb. 19: A wide range of Indigenous activities for the winter festival. Various locations. Some events ticketed.

🎬 Unxpected Movie Premiere Ottawa - Black History Month Movie Pick, Saturday 2:30 pm: The local premier of the Nigerian film Unxpected. Laughs, suspense, and more abound in this film. At the Mayfair Theatre, 1074 Bank St. Tickets $33.

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• For Black History Month CTV highlighted some of the city’s Black-owned restaurants and their delicious offerings. [CTV]

• Sunsets! I just think they’re neat. [Reddit]

• Thinking of taking a trip this summer? It might be a good idea to book it now before flight prices make their expected increases in the coming months. [Ottawa Citizen]

• We love a good historical photo, here’s the aftermath of the fire in Parliament in 1916. [Reddit]

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

OTTAWA GAMES

The answer to last week’s Ottawa Wordle was CARVE, as in a Winterlude ice sculpture (fingers crossed). Congrats to everyone who solved it.

For today’s quiz, we want to know: