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Ottawa Citizen
6 hours ago
- General
- Ottawa Citizen
What's open and closed on Colonel By Day in Ottawa
A file image of a "store open" sign. Photo by Ridofranz / Getty Images/iStockphoto Colonel By Day — known as the Civic Holiday elsewhere in Canada — is coming up on Monday, Aug. 4. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office. Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account. Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office. Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account. Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors From city services to shopping centres, here's what you need to know about what's expected to be open or closed in Ottawa on that day. The City of Ottawa's 3-1-1 contact centre is available for urgent matters. All ServiceOttawa Client Services Centres, Provincial Offences and APS counters at City Hall, Ben Franklin Place, in Orléans, and 100 Constellation Dr., will be closed, as will phone lines. The Business Licensing Centre at 735 Industrial Ave. will be closed, as well as the city's Spay and Neuter Clinic at 26 Concourse Gate. The Ottawa Citizen's best journalism, delivered directly to your inbox by 7 p.m. on weekdays. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again The Archives and Gallery 112 at the James Bartleman Centre will be closed from Saturday, Aug. 2 to Monday, Aug. 4. The City Hall Barbara Ann Scott Gallery will be closed on Aug. 4. Employment and Social Services offices at 370 Catherine St., 2339 Ogilvie Rd., 100 Constellation Dr. and 2020 Walkley Rd. will also be closed, along with all municipal child-care centres. There will be no curbside green bin, recycling, garbage or bulky item collection on Aug. 4. Pick-up will take place the following day, and collection will be delayed by one day throughout the week. Collections of multi-residential recycling containers, bulky items and green bins will also be delayed by one day for the remainder of the week. Multi-residential garbage containers will be collected on the regularly scheduled day. The Trail Road Waste Facility landfill will be open on Aug. 4 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. City parking regulations and restrictions apply on statutory holidays, including Aug. 4. OC Transpo bus service will run on a Saturday schedule, with enhanced service on routes 8, 25, 63, and 74 during peak periods. Route 13 will operate with a normal weekday schedule, and Rural Shopper Route 301 will run. O-Train Line 1 will run on a reduced weekday schedule from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m., with peak period service reduced to every six minutes. O-Train Lines 2 and 4 will run normal weekday schedules from 6 a.m. to 12 a.m. On Aug. 4 and every Saturday, Sunday and statutory holiday, two customers 11 years of age or older can ride all day for $12.00 with the 2-for-1 DayPass, which can be purchased at any ticket machine or from bus drivers. Kids 10 and under can ride for free every day on OC Transpo buses, the O-Train and Para Transpo.
Ottawa Citizen
11 hours ago
- Business
- Ottawa Citizen
Denley: This plan to save Perth trades school deserves full support
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Algonquin College will shut down its building trades program in the Eastern Ontario town, but a local entrepreneur has pitched a better version. Doug Ford should clear the path to make it happen. Toby Shannan is a life-long Perth resident willing to put his money where his mouth is in order to save the building trades program in his community. Photo by Megan Tysick Thanks to the vision and financial clout of a Perth entrepreneur, the heritage trades program in the Eastern Ontario town could be saved, but it's going to take some quick and creative action by the Doug Ford government. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office. Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account. Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office. Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account. Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Since 1989, Algonquin College has operated the trades program at its Perth campus. Now, facing a $60-million deficit in 2025-26, the college has decided to close the campus and transfer the program to Ottawa. Algonquin is going through the required provincial process of offering the Perth campus to other public organizations, but it's doubtful that any of them will take it up. The college has already engaged a real estate company and expects the campus to be listed soon. Selling might make sense for Algonquin, but it will be a multi-million-dollar loss to Perth's economy and to taxpayers. The federal and provincial governments gave $10 million in 2009 to build the heritage carpentry facility in Perth. Toby Shannan, former chief operating officer of tech firm Shopify, says the campus is 'a very small part of Algonquin, but a very big part of Perth.' Campus salaries alone inject more than $3 million into the local economy, he says. Shannan is trying to save the local trades program because he's a life-long Perth resident who wants the best for his community. His father, son and son-in-law are all builders, so he understands the need. Shannan has a plan to save the Perth campus and its local program with his own money. If necessary, he is willing to buy the campus for market value, which he estimates is between $10 million and $15 million. He would create a non-profit corporation to run the trade school, endowing it with enough money to guarantee its success. Shannan would maintain the heritage trades training, but expand the schools offerings so it can train other tradespeople and upgrade the skills of those already in the trades. Shannan's plan faces obstacles, such as competition from Algonquin itself, once it moves its government-subsidized heritage trades training back to Ottawa. Shannan's school would need to charge a higher tuition because it would have no government support. Shannan says he's not afraid of the competition because there is ample student demand and he believes that he can offer a premium program with better work opportunities and stronger links to industry. As he puts it, 'You have to be smarter, more agile and more connected to industry.' This advertisement has not loaded yet. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. To make it happen, the Ford government will have to rethink a system that's focused on process, not results. The property is Algonquin's to dispose of. The provincial government's only formal role is to ensure that the proceeds are reinvested in another capital project. It's not a recipe for the best outcome. Local politicians are behind Shannan's plan. He has met with political leaders at Queen's Park at least a half-dozen times and received some interest, but no action yet. It would be hard to imagine a project more in the Progressive Conservative wheelhouse. Ford's government has been aggressive in expanding skilled trades training, supports regional economic development, and generally favours private sector involvement. Let's put this in a somewhat larger context. The provincial government and Ontario's community colleges have undermined what was a good training system. The Ford government gives colleges the lowest per capita student support in the country. Colleges made up the gap with over-reliance on foreign students and their high tuition. Now that the federal government has slowed the foreign student flow, community colleges across the province are facing deficits. That's how we got to a position where a community asset like the Perth campus, paid for by taxpayers, has become something Algonquin can no longer afford to operate. That despite the fact that training Ontario students for work is the college system's core responsibility. It's an easy problem to fix. The Ford government should take over the Perth campus, lease it to Shannan and direct the lease money to Algonquin. Everyone wins. How do you say no to a plan like that? Randall Denley is an Ottawa journalist and author. Contact him at randalldenley1@
Ottawa Citizen
a day ago
- Politics
- Ottawa Citizen
Military commander steps down as investigation into Cameron Highlanders social media posts continues
The commander of the brigade group that oversees units throughout eastern Ontario has resigned in the wake of a social media scandal centred around the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa. Article content Col. James McKay, commander of 33 Canadian Brigade Group, has stepped down, Lt.-Gen. Michael Wright confirmed to the Ottawa Citizen on Monday. ''On 21 July 2025, I accepted the letter of relinquishment of command from the Commander of 33 Canadian Brigade Group Colonel James McKay,' Wright stated. 'Being accountable for both our action and inaction, and the respective consequences of those decisions, is foundational to the Profession of Arms and achieving a ready, resilient, and relevant Canadian Armed Forces.' Article content Article content Article content The resignation comes as the Canadian Army and military police continue their investigations into a controversial private Facebook page. As first reported in the Ottawa Citizen, some soldiers from the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa have been operating what they call the Blue Hackle Mafia Facebook group. They have posted images of male soldiers in uniform exposing their genitals, others posing naked with Canadian Forces weapons or simulating sexual acts with each other in uniform. Some of the photos were taken at military installations. Article content The Facebook page also includes hateful comments directed towards women and derogatory sexual comments about former prime minister Justin Trudeau, as well as discussions about raping grandmothers. In other cases, posts disparage both Jews and Muslims. Article content Complaints were made in December to military police about the Blue Hackle Mafia group but the law enforcement organization decided not to investigate at that time. In addition, complaints about the group and the contents being posted by soldiers were made to Lt. Col. Hendy, commander of the Cameron Highlanders, as well as McKay, according to whistleblowers interviewed by the Ottawa Citizen. Article content Article content The Cameron Highlanders is one of the 16 army reserve units under the command of 33 Canadian Brigade Group. Article content Canadian Army commander Lt. Gen. Michael Wright has acknowledged he didn't know about the Blue Hackle Mafia group until the Ottawa Citizen provided him with various screenshots from the Facebook account and asked him for comment. Wright told the Ottawa Citizen he was disgusted by the content of some of the posts. Article content 'The circumstances surrounding the social media group remain extremely disturbing and disappointing, but actions taken to date are important in underlining the Canadian Army's commitment to ensuring our culture meets the expectations of Canadians,' Wright stated in his email Monday.
Ottawa Citizen
a day ago
- Ottawa Citizen
Judge revokes bail for former lawyer James Bowie at sentencing hearing
Article content She was 'vulnerable and desperate for guidance, for protection, and for someone to help me hold onto my future,' Aubin said Monday. Article content 'Mr. Bowie used his status, his experience and my desperation to try to turn me into something I never was: an object he could manipulate and abuse for his own gratification.' Article content She said Bowie's suggestion that she exchange sexual favours for legal services made her feel 'frozen in horror… I felt worthless, I felt dirty, I felt dehumanized.' Article content Bowie was ultimately acquitted of the extortion charge related to the sex-for-legal services allegations. The initial assault charge against Aubin was quickly withdrawn after she hired a new lawyer. Article content The fear and threats didn't end there, Aubin said Monday, but 'multiplied' when she learned he was trying to acquire a gun. Article content 'Mr. Bowie didn't just abuse his position, he weaponized it,' Aubin said. 'He didn't just break the rules, he preyed on the vulnerable — the very people the justice system is meant to protect.' Article content Article content After Aubin complained about his conduct to the Law Society of Ontario — resulting in an investigation and eventual suspension from practising law — Bowie 'spiralled into a campaign of threats and harassment,' according to the Crown. Article content He pressured his friend to obtain a gun and tracked her with GPS devices when the woman broke off contact. Article content 'What you did to me — harassing, manipulating, attempting to extort and coerce me into committing a crime to help you — isn't just morally bankrupt, it's reprehensible,' the woman said in court Monday. Article content 'To do that under the guise of friendship is a betrayal so vicious it's hard to fit into proper professional words.' Article content The woman said she suffered panic attacks and post-traumatic stress after Bowie 'invaded every corner of my privacy.' Article content Watson said Bowie's conduct demonstrated 'a deeply troubling pattern of predation of vulnerable women' and said 'that trust was used as a weapon.' Article content Article content Bowie spoke to the Ottawa Citizen after he was found guilty in March and denied he had ever threatened anyone and claimed there were 'a number of fabrications' in the testimony of both witnesses. Article content 'I never threatened to kill anyone, ever, or have anyone help having anyone killed on my behalf, nor would I ever do so,' Bowie said in the interview. Article content Both the Crown and defence said they struggled to find any similar cases in Canadian law to establish a precedent for an appropriate sentence. Article content Bowie launched his own legal practice in 2017 and 'undertook something of an educational campaign,' Granger said, by 'live-tweeting' the various court cases related to the 2022 convoy protests. He gained a large social media following during those contentious bail hearings, and Granger said he often encouraged his followers to donate to local charities.
Ottawa Citizen
2 days ago
- Politics
- Ottawa Citizen
Today's letters: About that city councillor pay increase proposal
Ottawa city council 2025 budget debate at city hall in Ottawa Wednesday. Photo by Tony Caldwell / Postmedia An idea that stinks from the head THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office. Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account. Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office. Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account. Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors It would be one thing to catch fish to feed yourself and others, but pray tell, why is it okay to catch one using a hook, only to rip the hook out and release it? This is fun? Not for the fish. Get the kids out on the water In the 80s, to relieve the stress from university, I would wade into the waist-deep flowing waters upstream from the small falls beyond Somerset Street in the Rideau River at Strathcona Park. I recall a PBS fishing TV show where the host started the episode there by reeling in bass after bass, and then asking the camera to pan up to see all the people picnicing and enjoying Strathcona Park's amenities and declaring that this bass fishing, ten minutes from Parliament Hill, was the best bass fishing he'd found in North America. If you want to take your child's eyes off screens for the summer, get a license and go fishing with your kids there. No need for live bait. Use small spinners and spoons, or take up the ultimate bourgeois challenge and learn to fly fish with your kids. Best summer activity ever! Let's see, what can councillors throw out next? I was glad to see Tierney and Luloff throwing pilons to the side of the road. It's about time some politicians started sticking up for the general public. I can't wait to see Shawn Menard cutting down speed cameras. D.J. Phillips, Gloucester I am blessed in Ward 2 with a councillor of substance. This benefit was underlined recently when you featured two neighbouring councillors tossing construction cones onto the shoulder. Not only did they put themselves at risk, but they also put occupants of passing vehicles at risk. The two councillors had other and more effective ways of dealing with their problem than putting on a pantomime. Now is certainly not the time to engineer a raise for these councillors. The most appropriate time for councillors to propose increases in their salaries would be during their next election campaign. The electors would have the opportunity to decide if they were getting value for money and vote accordingly.
