Pimisi Station could handle large events if more trains were running

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Good morning,

Thanks everyone for your kind messages on my stepmother’s passing. It’s been a difficult few months, and your support means a lot.

Our family is raising money for the Ovarian Cancer Walk of Hope in Nancy’s memory, if you’d like to support us, you can donate to the foundation here.

Today we’ve got news on the design of LRT stations, a bit about the heat, and all your weekend events.

Let’s get to it.

— Robert Hiltz, managing editor

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Weather Report

Friday: 29 🌡️ 18 | 🌦/⛈️

Saturday: 28 🌡️ 16 | 🌧

Sunday: 26 🌡️ 17 | 🌧

Monday: 27 🌡️ 18 | 🌧

TRANSIT

Pimisi station could handle large crowds if the LRT ran more often

What happened: The former head of the transit commission said Pimisi Station, which was closed to most people during Canada Day, could handle large crowds if the LRT was running as designed. Former councillor Diane Deans told CBC the system was designed to run trains every two or three minutes, but it’s currently only running every five minutes at rush hour.

• “It is a mass transit system. It was intended to carry high volumes of people and this is, for all intents and purposes, really a downtown stop. [It] should be able to accommodate it.… It would seem at some point that station will need to be redesigned or they will need to increase the frequency of the trains,” Deans told CBC.

Closure: The station was closed because of crowding on the Booth Street bridge, making it difficult for emergency services in and out, the city and police said. One former police chief told CBC it would be possible to keep the train station open with on-site staff directing the flow of people, and more frequent trains.

Improving the station: Adding a second platform to the station could be one solution. With its single, central platform serving both directions, Pimisi is more vulnerable to overcrowding. It also only has one exit onto the Booth Street overpass, while a design with more exits could ease crowding during busy periods, the Ottawa Citizen reported.

The good news: The station will be open for Bluesfest this week, so there is no need to walk from a distant station to get to the festival.

The Lookout’s view: Very little about the LRT has worked as advertised. Early in its life, then-mayor Jim Watson said Bayview would be too small to handle extra commuters if a train ran across the nearby William Commanda Bridge from Gatineau. It’s the same story again and again, a system designed to the bare minimum that can only perform in a narrow window.

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OTTAWA BY THE NUMBERS

🐝 30,000: The number of bees that swarmed Sparks Street after they split off a hive on top of the CBC building. [CBC]

🔌 $100,000: The estimated value of copper wire stolen during a break-in. Police are searching for two men in connection with the theft. [CTV]

HEATWAVE

Fire ban goes into effect as heat continues

What happened: With high temperatures and humidity persisting in the area, the city declared a fire ban, CBC reported. The hot, dry conditions make the spread of wildfires much easier.

• Relief isn’t expected until the weekend, according to Environment Canada. A heat warning is in effect through today, with a high of 29C expected and a humidex of 36. Fortunately, dry conditions are expected to subside, with plenty of rain forecast in the coming days.

Staying cool: Some people go to interesting lengths to keep cool during the heat. One man from Ottawa is driving all the way to Arnprior to skate in one of the town’s indoor arenas, CTV reported.

What to know: It’s very important to stay hydrated during high heat. This will be important for Bluesfest goers. For information on the signs of dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke, see this guide from Ottawa Public Health.

THE AGENDA

🏛️ The city’s finance committee voted to dissolve the Crime Prevention Ottawa advisory group, and instead fold it into a broader advisory committee. Its $1.2-million budget will be put toward the city’s community safety plan. [CBC]

🚧 Next Thursday, July 13, at 8 pm the 417 will be closed to replace the Bronson overpass. Eastbound will be closed between Carling and Metcalf and westbound between Metcalf and Rochester. The highway is scheduled to reopen at 6 am Monday, July 17. [Ottawa Citizen]

🔬 Investigators at the OPP used a fresh DNA sample and forensic genealogy to identify Tennessee woman Jewell Parchman Langford as the Nation River Lady, who was found dead in 1975. [CBC]

⛴️ The province is unwilling to commit to a schedule for the new Wolfe Island ferry, and won’t say how long a round trip will take on the new all-electric ship. [CBC]

⚖️ The driver accused of killing a pedestrian on Richmond Road in the spring faces two new charges of trafficking and counselling to obstruct justice. He was charged with dangerous driving causing death after the collision. [Ottawa Citizen]

🚨 An Ottawa man was charged with terrorism and hate propaganda charges for his alleged role in a neo-Nazi organization. [CTV]

🪫 The city’s rural affairs committee approved a zoning amendment to restrict where in the city large-scale renewable energy like turbines or solar farms can be installed. In line with the city’s official plan, turbines can’t be put on agricultural land, and battery storage facilities are limited in size. [City of Ottawa]

📱 An online influencer from Gatineau was arrested and charged with mischief for allegedly posting videos of fake crimes to gain more followers. [CTV]

EVENTS

What to do this weekend

Arts

🎭 Classic Theatre Festival, Affairs of State, until July 30: A rediscovered romantic comedy set in post-WWII Washington DC. At the Arts Court Theatre, 2 Daily Ave. Tickets start at $25.

Music

🎷 Bluesfest, until July 16: The city’s biggest music festival is back. With the Foo Fighters, The Smile, The War on Drugs, and so much more. Day passes start at about $110.

🎻 Almonte Celtfest, Friday to Sunday: Featuring some of the best of Celtic music with performances by The Barra MacNeils, Small Glories, Tripoly, CR5, and many more. At Gemmill Park, Almonte. Friday tickets start at $25, Saturday and Sunday entrance by donation.

🇨🇺 Salsa Party with Fiesta Cubana, Saturday 8 pm: A Latin dance party featuring Miguel de Armas and Fiesta Cubana. At Queen St. Fare 170 Queen St. Tickets $17.

Sports

⛵️ National Capital Cup 2023 Regatta, Saturday and Sunday: The return of one of the Nepean Sailing Club’s feature races. At the Nepean Sailing Club, 3259 Carling Ave. Tickets $122.

Market

👗 613Flea, Saturday 10 am: As many as 150 vendors with everything from vinyl records to vintage clothing, and everything in between. At the Aberdeen Pavilion at Lansdowne Park. Free admission.

Film

📽️ Capital Pop-Up Cinema, The Princess Bride, tonight at sundown: Catch this classic film under the park. At Beechwood Cemetery. Free!

Culture

🎙️ Festival d’humour de Gatineau, until Saturday: Gatineau’s very own comedy festival, featuring Korine Côté, Pierre-Yves Roy-Desmarais, Guillaume Pineault and many more. At Place de la Cité. Tickets $55.

CAPITAL EATS

Insider edition: Ottawa’s wide world of olive oil

Capital Eats is written by our food editor, Ralf Joneikies.

There are more than 1,000 olive varieties planted on six continents. Take that as a starting point and you can appreciate how deep the subject goes.

In 2008 I was helping to make wine in my native Germany and there was one winery that was experimenting with growing olives. Olive oil from Germany? Why not? Some bold farmers have even started an olive grove on BCs Salt Spring Island and now there’s a three-year waiting list for their oil.

You can sign up for their oil of course but you needn’t go to such lengths to get your hands on the good stuff. With the diversity of cultures we enjoy here in Ottawa, we are fortunate to have an abundance of sources.

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• Death Cab for Cutie returns to the Bluesfest stage this weekend for the first time since the 2011 stage collapse. [Ottawa Citizen]

• July 4 was declared Jesse Luketa Day in honour of the 24-year-old NFL player, who was born and raised in Ottawa. [CTV]

• Breton Beach on Philippe Lake in Gatineau Park was closed because of a blue-green algae bloom. [CTV]

• TD Place at Lansdowne is hosting women’s rugby players from around the globe in the Pacific Four Series Tournament. [CTV]

• Want to have your announcement featured? Contact our partnership team for more info.

OTTAWA GAMES

Congrats to Gord, Adam, Michael, and Yvonne who all knew that this week’s Ottawa Guesser was at Merivale Road where it crosses under the 417 before merging with Island Park Drive.

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