Queensway closed for one more day, on track to reopen

Good morning!

Wanted to thank the many of you to write in congratulating my wife and I on the arrival of our new baby!

My wife and I would also like to thank Karliegh, Madeline, Jillian, Mélodie, Isabelle, Chloe, Dr. Leriche, Melanie, Dr. Su and all the OB staff on the eighth floor of the Ottawa General Campus. We’d also like to give special thanks to Dr. Posner for getting mom and baby through nine months of pregnancy and bringing the boy into the world.

Why don’t we get to it.

— Robert Hiltz, managing editor

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WEATHER

Monday: 10 🌡️ 2 | ☀️

Tuesday: 14 🌡️ 12 | ☀️

Wednesday: 18 🌡️ 14 | 🌧

TRAFFIC

Queensway on track to reopen Tuesday

What happened: There’s still one more day of the Queensway closure. Traffic across much of the city was snarled by the replacement of the 417 overpass at Percy Street over the weekend. By Sunday, the new bridge was in place, and crews worked through the cold and rain to get the highway reopened, CTV reported.

• Things were on track for the Queensway to reopen early Tuesday morning as scheduled. The fall weather meant an extra day was required to get the bridge in place, compared to the overpasses renewed over the summer which reopened on Mondays. The Percy bridge was scheduled to be swapped out in August, but construction delays postponed it by months.

Long waits: Friday, CTV drove in both directions following the official detours to see what the delays were like. Heading east, it took 50 minutes to go from Woodroffe to St. Laurent, while going west it took 43 minutes to get from St. Laurent to Carling, the broadcaster reported.

More closures: Starting Tuesday, Nicholas Street will be down to one lane overnight until Oct. 28, as water mains, sewers and other infrastructure along the street is repaired. The closure will be between the 417 and Laurier Avenue, according to the city.

• You can watch live as workers finish the bridge replacement at the CEECAM livestream on YouTube.

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KEY NUMBERS

💐 9: It’s been this many years since the attack on Parliament and the shooting death of Cpl. Nathan Cirillo. [CTV]

🚨 3: The number of drivers stopped for stunt driving over the weekend, having their cars impounded for going more than 50 km/h over the speed limit. [CTV]

ISRAEL-HAMAS

Ottawa families mourn victims of war in Gaza

What happened: A local mosque held a mass condolences gathering for the 19 Palestinian families who have lost loved ones in Gaza to the Israeli air campaign against Hamas, CBC reported.

It’s the first time since the 90s that the Palestinian community in the city has held gatherings of this size. The mosque has scheduled two more gatherings to collectively mourn in the coming weeks, but hopes they won’t be necessary.

• “Losing one beloved person is already a catastrophe … losing two is even more so. Losing 10 is unthinkable. But the numbers we have been hearing of over the past few days are worse than a nightmare,” organizer Ala Abu Alkheir told the gathered mourners, according to the broadcaster.

Thousands dead: Since the Hamas incursion into Israel where more than 1,400 people were killed, the retaliatory strikes in Gaza have killed more than 4,000 in Gaza, according to The Associated Press.

• Most of the dead, on both sides, are civilians. Hundreds of thousands have been displaced within the territory, where water and other supplies have been cut off. Hundreds of Israeli hostages are being held by Hamas.

Weekend protests: Thousands took to the streets Sunday to demand a ceasefire and a release of the hostages. The marchers wanted peace and freedom in the region as the conflic drags into its third week, CTV reported.

NEW LOCAL JOBS

Check out the new open positions in Ottawa.

1. Entry level support analyst at NAV Canada

2. Customer service assistant at the City of Ottawa

3. Communications coordinator at the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority

4. Referral triage coordinator at Ontario Health

5. Discord and Reddit content moderator at SupportNinja

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

THE AGENDA

🪧 A planned anti-LGBTQ protest downtown was a bust, as only a few dozen people showed up, well outnumbered by counter protestors. Police had warned against any vehicle-based protests ahead of the weekend. [Ottawa Citizen]

⚓️ The length of the St. Lawrence Seaway, from Montreal to Lake Erie, shut down Sunday as workers went on strike. Unionized workers and the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation are far apart in negotiations, with the biggest sticking point being wages. [CTV]

📝 Parents in Carleton Place said the local school board isn’t living up to its obligation to provide care for students, after a decision to close before- and after-school programs with little notice. The program, run by a private third-party, was shuttered by the province in September with no explanation, and hasn’t been replaced. [CBC]

🥼 A group of family doctors across the province have joined together to advocate for better conditions, as their profession is being squeezed by underfunding and a worsening administrative burden. At a time of shortage, many family doctors are leaving the profession. [Ottawa Citizen]

🧣 With winter around the corner, dozens of families headed to the Snowsuit Fund to pick up affordable winter outerwear for the coming season. The rising cost of living has the organization expecting another record year of need. [CTV]

💉 An Outaouis family is asking the province of Quebec to create allergy clinics in every region. Their daughter, 15-year-old Sarah-Émilie Hubert, died in hospital after a severe allergic reaction. A coroner’s report recommended more allergy clinics be opened, as the nearest one was in Montreal. [CBC]

🕯️ This week an NCC project to replace the lighting system along Colonel By and Queen Elizabeth will begin. Long stretches of the two NCC-controlled roadways are under complete darkness as the lighting infrastructure has almost completely decayed. [CBC]

🚨 A driver died in a crash in Greely after he was ejected from his vehicle. The driver of the second vehicle was sent to hospital with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries. [Ottawa Citizen]

EVENTS

What to do this week

Music

🎙️ Jessica Rhaye & The Ramshackle Parade with Dennis Ellsworth, Friday 8 pm: A night of great acoustic Americana. At Red Bird, 1165 Bank St. Tickets $28.

Sports

🥌 Nepean Sports Wall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Thursday 6 pm: The 2023 induction for the 2023 class, including curler Lisa Weagle. At the Nepean Sportsplex, 1701 Woodroffe Ave. Tickets $103.

🏒 Imjin Hockey Classic, Friday 2:30 pm: Celebrating a historic match between two Canadian Army regiments during the Korean War on the frozen Imjin River, the Royal 22e Régiment and the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry will play a match just as they would have done 70 years ago. At TD Place, Lansdowne Park. Free.

Food

🇬🇷 A Night with Greek Wine Producers, Wednesday 6 pm: The National Capital Sommelier Guild is putting on an evening of Greek wine, with the Greek ambassador making a special appearance. At Metcalfe Hotel, 123 Metcalfe St. Tickets $81.

General

🎭 The Gold Masquerade, Saturday 8 pm: A black tie event, in the classic masquerade format. Live music, great food, and mandatory masks (until the midnight unmasking!). At Bayswater and Young, 100 Young St. Tickets $23.

Other

🖥️ Ottawa Career Fair and Training Expo Canada, Tuesday 10 am: Take a new step in your career, with hiring managers from Canada Post, Cooper Equipment Rentals, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Rideau Transit Maintenance, and more. At Shaw Centre, 55 Colonel By Dr. Free.

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• The sixth-annual Renfrew craft beer festival showed off the talents of 10 local brewers. [CTV]

• Interested in AI but don’t know where to start? AI Tool Report bundles the latest news about AI for 350,000+ readers who want to save time and make more by using artificial intelligence. Sign up for their newsletter here. [Sponsored]*

• They just do not make microwaves like this anymore (probably for good reason). [Reddit]

• Congrats to the folks at CTV Ottawa, who won two RTDNA awards for their coverage of the convoy and the derecho! [CTV]

• It’s a great year for leaf watching, as the fall colours are aflame across the capital. [Reddit]

• Stage 2 LRT testing is underway in the city’s south. [Reddit]

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TOP PHOTO

Today’s gorgeous photo of the Rideau Falls comes from reader Janet Stephens.

Do you have a photo you’d like to share with the Lookout community? Send it in!

OTTAWA GAMES

Congrats to everyone who got last week’s Ottawa Wordle, the answer was CHILD, as in the reason your intrepid newsletter writer was away.

For today’s quiz, we want to know how long the eastbound 417 detour took CTV to navigate last Friday. The first five people to write in with the correct answer will get their names mentioned in the next issue.