Council calls for Chiarelli’s resignation after damning report details harassment allegations
Ottawa city council has demanded the resignation of Rick Chiarelli after the second of report by the integrity commissioner detailed alleged acts of sexual harassment committed by the College ward councillor in his City Hall office. The year-long investigation into five claims of sexual harassment of female staff by Chiarelli recommended the harshest possible sanctions available to municipalities, including those...
Faces of change: Renée Michaud works to connect people during the pandemic
Local artist and entrepreneur Renée Michaud has adapted her community-based art events to keep people connected during the pandemic.
As COVID-19 drags on, traffic collisions are way down but dangerous driving may be up
Business closures and working from home during COVID-19 has reduced traffic across Ontario. How is this impacting road safety for Canadians?
Faces of change: Nathalie Maione uses furniture to fight for inclusion
Nathalie Maione's charity Helping With Furniture furnishes the homes of international and domestic immigrants in Ottawa. They go far beyond furniture in their fight for inclusion.
Ford locks down Toronto, Peel; Ottawa remains in orange zone
Rising COVID-19 numbers has forced Doug Ford to lock down Toronto and Peel Region health units. The new rules begin Monday.
Seasonal businesses consider a virtual Christmas as COVID scuttles in-person traditions
With the Holidays right around the corner, Christmas small businesses are potentially opting for COVID-safe virtual options to continue to spread Christmas cheer.
New U.K. High Commission overlooking Ottawa River aims to reach sustainability ‘gold standard’
The new British High Commission building in Ottawa will be one of the greenest such buildings anywhere.
Battered by COVID, Ottawa retailers hope for ‘buy local’ bump during holiday season battle with online giants
Small-scale Ottawa retailers, already struggling to survive crippling COVID-19 restrictions, are raising alarms about pre-Christmas competition with online shopping giants and urging consumers to “buy local.” Because of the pandemic, Canada Post is anticipating delays this holiday season as more people skip in-person and shop online. Earlier this year, because of pandemic shopping restrictions, Canada Post had a weeks-long backlog...
In a downtown park torn up by construction, dedicated volunteers help flowers bloom amid pandemic gloom
Sarah Lozowski smiles through her floral-patterned face mask as she explains what she’s planting. Today it’s tiger lilies, which she has donated more than once from her garden at home to begin filling the bare plots in tiny St. Luke’s Park, tucked away just off Ottawa’s busy Elgin Street strip of bars and restaurants. “They tend to spread everywhere!” Lozowski...
Affordable housing, safety among the priorities in Ottawa’s Women and Gender Equity Strategy
The City of Ottawa is preparing to move forward to the next phase of its Women and Gender Equity Strategy after a delay because of the pandemic. A brief report updating city councillors on the two-year-old initiative was issued Oct. 30. It included a summary of priorities for action — including more affordable housing and improved safety — that were...
Ribbons of remembrance: Ottawa church dedicates COVID tree to honour victims, soothe community’s grief
A small tree beside a church in the Glebe has been transformed into a memorial for local victims of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hundreds of pale blue ribbons — the colour of the disposable masks so commonly worn since the global health crisis began in the spring — flutter among the tree’s branches, each knotted strand dedicated to an Ottawa resident...
City waives 2021 patio fees, allows road closures in business zones to combat COVID-19’s economic impact
As struggling restaurants brace for a winter of pandemic restrictions certain to curtail customer traffic, the City of Ottawa is exploring ways to help keep businesses afloat during the COVID-19 crisis. At a Nov. 2 transportation committee meeting, councillors voted to waive patio fees until next year and to allow restaurants in Business Improvement Areas to apply for road closures...