Ottawa Street by Street

Yesterday:
Council approved yet another LRT Stage 1 settlement,
Council approved more money for Byward but postponed the key walkability measure for 3 years,
PWHL announced their discussion on moving out of Lansdowne because Council approved a smaller arena, and
LRT broke in another light ice storm.

So here’s the thing: when the head of OC transpo says things like this, I got back to first principles. 1/ www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Ottawa is well known freezing rain; we get these sort of events regularly, with varying degrees of severity, of course, but it’s not unexpected. 2/

We design buildings and places for resilience. Do we get earthquakes everyday? No, or at least not ones we notice. But we do get them regularly. Do we get major windstorms? Massive rainfall? Sure, and we plan for it. What’s our plan for freezing rain? 3/

Did we get a Chapter 11 GM Chevy?

LRT disruptions continue Thursday because of wire problem | CBC News Ottawa's Line 1 remains closed east of uOttawa station Thursday morning after the overhead power system was damaged during Wednesday's wet, icy weather.

Who knew there was ever freezing rain in Ottawa?
⚡️🚉☔️
“…the overhead power system was damaged during Wednesday's wet, icy weather.”
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

A “snowman” sculpture made out of concrete. This is outside of Central Precast Incorporated, just east of Merivale Road.

Ottawa is already prepared to start filming the next batch of Hallmark Christmas movies.
🎥⛄️🌟
#Ottawa

How is it “known to be the case”? What is this evidence?

What’s happened to the LRT is not normal. Otherwise, there would be examples OC Transpo and the manufacturer would be rushing to share with the public.

Do you have any study on this?

Shawn Micallef: They’ve been a blight on Toronto streets for 20 years. Why those icky garbage bins might soon be trashed The city is running a survey to see what the public wants for street furniture after the 20-year contract with Astral Media ends next year.

I didn’t do it intentionally but two weeks in a row I wrote about bad P3 projects. Maybe you can’t run the public service like a self-interested business.

So what are the difference between transit systems that have this problem and those (like Montreal’s) that don’t?

Would this have been caught during the testing phase if it had been done thoroughly?

Line 1 still stuck at 21 train cars as reduced LRT service continues | CBC News OC Transpo says it's making progress on a solution that could allow it to get its full east-west light rail fleet back, though that has meant it hasn't increased the number of trains in service recent...

Did the Montreal Metro ever have this problem? The TTC? Or is it unique to Ottawa?

🚇
#Ottawa #LRT

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

I had an amazing opportunity to observe City crews last weekend using explosives to blast and break up ice on the Rideau River in New Edinburgh to control ice damming and spring flooding.

Green and white graphic celebrating Francophonie Month with a hand holding a megaphone, illustrated hands clap and give a thumbs-up and the City of Ottawa logo. The text reads “Happy Francophonie Month!”.

C'est le Mois de la Francophonie!
Over a quarter of Franco-Ontarians call #OttCity home, and we are proud to celebrate the richness of our city's Francophone community throughout the month of March.
Learn more: https://bit.ly/4aQr0vf

How I arrived on Bluesky.

bsky.app/profile/toon...

A store bookshelf. At the very top is a sign that says “SPORTS.” The top row has books with titles like “Messi” and “The Soccer Book.” The middle shelf has two copies of a book called “The Power and the Glory.” And another book called “Why Nations Fail” to which I’ve added arrows pointing toward it.

Does this book store think “Why Nations Fail” is about why some countries never go far in the World Cup?
#sports ⚽️

UW announced departure from X (formerly known as Twitter) UW is no longer using X, formerly known as Twitter, which they announced in a post on Feb. 27.  Before this announcement, the university posted periodic updates about closures, safety alert systems, ...

Wonderful news: my university has announced it will stop using X. uwimprint.ca/uw-announced...

And no, this does not violate institutional neutrality, properly understood. Nothing about neutrality in communications requires a university to use any and all platforms.

a black background with the words `` james bond will return '' written on it . ALT: a black background with the words `` james bond will return '' written on it .

“Winter will return in Coldfinger.”

Poster on a hydro pole: “OLD OTTAWA SOUTH EXPLORING THE The Ottawa South History Project is inviting volunteers - researchers, writers, editors, designers & fundraisers - to explore options to create an updated version of the much-loved and out-of-print Exploring the Heritage of Old Ottawa South (2013). JOIN US TO PLAN A NEW EDITION OF EXPLORING THE BUILT HERITAGE OF OLD OTTAWA SOUTH Monday, January 12, 2026 7pm - 8 pm Program Room 1B Sunnyside Branch Ottawa Public Library Further Into: HistoryProject@OldOttawaSouth.ca

I can’t believe I miss this #OldOttawaSouth history project in January! I’ll just have to email them to volunteer.

HistoryProject@OldOttawaSouth.ca
#613history #Oscar

A mural-like painting of the north end of Old Ottawa South in the Sunnyside branch of the Ottawa Public Library.
#Ottawa

We’ve had successive terms of counsel led by mayors touting a low tax mantra. Look around your community. Is it better? Are the roads better? Do you have access to community centre or library? Can you get City services? How’s your transit? These are all things affected by taxes. Choose better.

Low taxes cost us all more in the long run. It’s deferred maintenance, pushing the cost of transit, infrastructure, social service services and quality of life down while pretending to have savings that result in higher cost down the road. Look around your community: is our city better off? 1/

Kitty Kelley was assigned a review of my Judy Blume biography, but did she read it? The best-selling biographer of Sinatra and Jackie O. filled her review of my book with invented quotations, possible hallucinations, and assorted Mad Libs

More of this to come, alas. Or, indeed, all over the place right now.

markoppenheimer.substack.com/p/kitty-kell...

Did Solomon have some background in this area?

He’s not oblivious. That’s just a sacrifice he’s willing (other people) to make for his faster commute.

Another snowy day in Ottawa.
❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️
#Ottawa #snow
@weathernetwork.bsky.social

And of course, Robert Smythe :

“More Favourite Limbs: Two Blue Spruce.” Urbsite, June 2009

#Ottawa #613history
urbsite.blogspot.com/2009/06/more...

There’s been some great research on this building.
#Ottawa

“Building A Memory: Reactivating a Lineage of Community Life at Centretown’s
330 Gilmour Street”
By Emily Jung Essex

carleton.scholaris.ca/server/api/c...

Carpe Diem When opportunity knocks....

Carpe Diem. Imagine a golden opportunity to deliver housing, conserve heritage, engage the public, save money and time, while creating better #PlacesForPeople

@strongtownsottawa.ca
@derricksimpson.bsky.social
@arieltroster.com
@lainejohnson.bsky.social

open.substack.com/pub/toondree...

So there’s nobody better? Nobody else he thinks could lead his party now? What is he trying to tell us about the state of his party? #ONpoli