Ottawa news

• Unprecedented sale of Chagall painting is National Gallery's only option to support buying a "national treasure," director says

  05-04-2018 23:54 via ottawacitizen.com
  The National Gallery of Canada has no other option but to sell a beloved painting by Marc Chagall in order to raise funds to acquire a “national treasure” of Canadian art that would otherwise be sold to a foreign buyer, the gallery’s director said Thursday.
  Marc Mayer told reporters that the gallery had approached both donors and the federal government for financial support to buy a work that he is refusing, for the moment, to identify.
  “We’ve exhausted all of those
  
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• Council keeps $562K in the coffers instead of spending on office expenses

  05-04-2018 23:52 via ottawacitizen.com
  City council didn’t spend $562,781 in available office budget funds in 2017, but it collectively spent about 92 per cent of the money set aside for councillors’ political operations.
  The city recently published the December 2017 office expenses, which means we have a full year’s picture of how the 24 politicians decided to spend tax money directly under their control.
  Each ward councillor had a budget of $257,723 in 2017, while the mayor’s budget was $838,000.
  On average,
  
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• Ottawa house prices climb in March; condos, not so much

  05-04-2018 22:56 via ottawacitizen.com
  Ottawa house prices climbed eight per cent to an average of $447,600 in March compared to a year earlier, while prices for condominiums edged up just 0.7 per cent to $275,600, according to data published Thursday by the Ottawa Real Estate Board.
  These averages reflect the sale of some 1,660 residential properties sold last month through the board’s multiple listing service. They do not include data from the sale of new homes.
  The number of properties available is somewhat constrained, with
  
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• New scam uses Ottawa police phone number on caller ID

  05-04-2018 22:05 via ottawacitizen.com
  Police are warning the public of the resurgence of a scam that targets international students, using an Ottawa police phone number on call display.
  Victims have received calls from people pretending to be investigators from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
  Police say the fraudster typically tells the victim that they have committed a crime in their home country, usually money laundering, and that they will be deported unless they pay money to a lawyer.  The victim is
  
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• Reevely: Ex-Tory Russell mayor to run for Liberals in Glengarry-Prescott-Russell as MPP Crack quits

  05-04-2018 21:28 via ottawacitizen.com
  The Ontario Liberals are losing three more MPPs, including Eastern Ontario’s Grant Crack, but leader Kathleen Wynne tried to take some of the hurt out of Thursday morning’s bam-bam-bam announcements by immediately anointing successors to carry the Liberal banner in the June election.
  Russell Township Mayor Pierre Leroux will seek the Liberal nomination in Glengarry-Prescott-Russell, now that Crack is leaving politics after two terms at Queen’s Park.
  Russell Mayor Pierre Leroux.
  
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• Man charged with negligence, stunt driving in Merivale car crash that killed couple

  05-04-2018 21:20 via ottawacitizen.com
  A 19-year-old man has been charged with criminal negligence causing death and stunt driving after a crash on Merivale Road Monday that killed an Ottawa couple.
  The victims, Brian and Dora Aspelund, were driving on Merivale Road between Colonnade Road and Viewmount Drive around 11:42 p.m. when their car was hit. Paramedics found the couple with critical injuries and in cardiac arrest. They launched “aggressive” efforts to save their lives, but both succumbed to their injuries in
  
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• Renovation Transformation: Three decades later, dark and isolated kitchen becomes dream entertainment space

  05-04-2018 20:31 via ottawacitizen.com
  Thirty years of memories fill a Manotick home built by Michel and Judy Rodrigue in 1987. They have watched their children grow up, celebrated milestone wedding anniversaries and most recently, retirement, in the house south of Ottawa.
  Now a distant memory – Judy remembers her husband commuting from Orléans to Manotick every day to build the house piece by piece on what was originally an empty lot.
  “There is a lot of love, sweat and tears in this house,” she said. After m
  
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• Today's letters: Police complaints, Eugene Melnyk and bilingualism

  05-04-2018 19:42 via ottawacitizen.com
  Christie Blatchford is wrong about LGBTQ rights, says one letter writer, while another believes bilingualism has nothing to do with competence, and Eugene Melnyk is approaching fans in the wrong fashion. 
  You too can write a letter: [email protected]. 
  Blatchford wrong on LGBTQ rights
  Re: Blatchford: Living in a country where you daren’t be anything but gay friendly, April 4
  Did it occur to the author that it’s not the swinging ’60s anymore? That the “le
  
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• High-speed police pursuit ends with at least two in custody

  05-04-2018 19:27 via ottawacitizen.com
  At least two men are in custody following a high-speed chase that ended near the intersection of Carling and Merivale avenues around noon Thursday, after receiving calls about men in a car pointing a handgun at pedestrians.
  Police said the call reporting the men was made around 9:30 a.m.
  Police immediately began canvassing the area and spotted the car a while later, giving chase.
  Police would not reveal when the suspect vehicle was spotted, how long the pursuit lasted or where it began.
  However,
  
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• Rural affairs committee approves land-use changes for dump, recycling site near Carlsbad Springs

  05-04-2018 18:41 via ottawacitizen.com
  Residents of Ottawa and outlying communities on Thursday called on city councillors to demand stronger health protection measures from the company establishing a dump and recycling facility near Carlsbad Springs.
  Ottawa’s agriculture and rural affairs committee had responsibility to review proposed official plan and zoning amendments to allow the Capital Region Resource and Recovery Centre between Boundary and Frontier roads, just south of Highway 417. The province has already approved the
  
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• Robbery suspect accused of doping seniors in Ottawa and Quebec with drugged chocolates arrested in Atlanta

  05-04-2018 18:33 via ottawacitizen.com
  A man who is alleged to have drugged several elderly people before looting their homes and and fleeing has been arrested in Atlanta.
  Police in Ottawa, Montreal and Sherbrooke have been after the man since December when several reports were made by senior citizens alleging that the man would pretend to be a potential home buyer and would visit properties put up for sale by elderly owners. He would negotiate a deal to purchase the home, then convince the victims to sample chocolates
  
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• Equator Coffee set to open shop inside NAC

  05-04-2018 18:33 via ottawacitizen.com
  There’s something new brewing inside the National Arts Centre.
  Next week, Equator Coffee will open a new location in the atrium of the NAC — to mark the occasion, on Thursday April 12, the coffee shop will offer free drip coffee and activities and appearances throughout the day.The NAC has billed this as the last element of the centre’s architectural rejuvenation and says it is an important part of its “living room of the city” vibe. 
  “This is just one mo
  
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• Beware of scam targeting international students, using police phone number on caller ID

  05-04-2018 18:20 via ottawacitizen.com
  Police are warning the public of the resurgence of a scam that targets international students, using an Ottawa police phone number on call display.
  Victims have received calls from people pretending to be investigators from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
  Police say the fraudster typically tells the victim that they have committed a crime in their home country, usually money laundering, and that they will be deported unless they pay money to a lawyer.  The victim is
  
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• Police asking for help to locate Clarence-Rockland teen

  05-04-2018 16:41 via ottawacitizen.com
  The provincial police are asking for the public’s assistance in locating a 16-year-old girl.
  Police say Darcy Desjardins was last seen leaving her home in Clarence-Rockland on foot Tuesday night.
  She was last seen wearing a blue Columbia jacket with fur around the hood and black Nike running shoes. She was carrying a black or navy blue backpack.
  Police are concerned for her safety and well-being.
  Desjardins is described as five feet nine inches, 150 pounds, with black hair and bl
  
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• Normand Glaude on jazz harmonica and the late great Jean-Baptiste "Toots" Thielemans

  05-04-2018 15:27 via ottawacitizen.com
  At the next concert, Normand Glaude, who is something of a renaissance man in Ottawa’s jazz community, will make an overdue return to his first musical love — the harmonica.
   
  Glaude, 48, is arguably best known for either playing bass or for running his Morning Anthem recording studio out of his home in Cumberland. Meanwhile, his profile as a vocalist is rising thanks to his participation in the Capital Voices quartet, in which he sings bass. If all of these musical pursuits did
  
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• Gusto celebrates 'dream come true' at grand opening of new Ottawa TV studio - Ottawa Business Journal

  05-04-2018 15:20 via obj.ca
  Gusto celebrates 'dream come true' at grand opening of new Ottawa TV studio
  Ottawa Business Journal
  The last time Chris Knight threw a big Gusto party was almost four and a half years ago, to celebrate the launch of his new food and lifestyle specialty channel. The memorable evening was held at the Canada Space and Aviation Museum. “A lot has ...
  
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• Liberal Glengarry-Prescott-Russell MPP Grant Crack retires

  05-04-2018 14:58 via ottawacitizen.com
  Liberal MPP Grant Crack is retiring from provincial politics after two terms at Queen’s Park.
  Crack, 55, who won the riding of Glengarry-Prescott-Russell in 2011 and 2014, and before that he served 11 years as mayor of North Glengarry.
  The MPP insisted he was confident the Liberals will be re-elected to power in June and promised to assist the new Liberal candidate however he can.
  His announcement says only that he will pursue other career opportunities.
  [email protected]
  twitter.com/T
  
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• Roads reopen, cleanup continues after high winds wreak havoc

  05-04-2018 14:35 via ottawacitizen.com
  Roofs were torn off, debris scattered and roads closed as winds gusting in excess of 80 km/h ripped through the Ottawa area on Wednesday night.
  Booth Street reopened at about 6 a.m. Thursday after emergency crews cleaned up debris that was blown onto the Chaudière Bridge after a building at 6 Booth St., on Albert Island, had its roof torn in half. That incident occurred at about 7 p.m., with no injuries reported.
  In Sandy Hill, the roof of a six-unit building at 168 Osgoode St., near Swee
  
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• Roads reopen, cleanup continues after high winds wreak havoc - Ottawa Citizen

  05-04-2018 14:22 via ottawacitizen.com
  Ottawa Citizen
  Roads reopen, cleanup continues after high winds wreak havoc
  Ottawa Citizen
  Roofs were torn off, debris scattered and roads closed as winds gusting in excess of 80 km/h ripped through the Ottawa area on Wednesday night. Booth Street reopened at about 6 a.m. Thursday after emergency crews cleaned up debris that was blown onto ...and more »
  
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• Going out best bets, April 5 to 11

  05-04-2018 14:22 via ottawacitizen.com
  Dance
  Betroffenheit is the contemporary dance-meets-theatre collaboration between choreographer Crystal Pite and playwright-actor Jonathon Young that explores the aftermath of trauma. The Kidd Pivot/Electric Company Theatre co-production is based on Young’s own tragic loss: In 2009, his daughter and two of her cousins died in a cabin fire. First staged in Ottawa in 2016, the piece is back by popular demand after earning rave reviews worldwide. It’s at the NAC’s Babs Asper Theat
  
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• Ottawa doctor performs 50000th vasectomy using scalpel-free technique - CTV News

  05-04-2018 13:47 via ctvnews.ca
  CTV News
  Ottawa doctor performs 50000th vasectomy using scalpel-free technique
  CTV News
  He performs the procedure approximately 14 times a day and 70 times a week. It only takes him a matter of minutes each time and it's painless for his patients. On Monday, Dr. Ron Weiss hit a new milestone. He completed his 50,000th vasectomy. It's not ...
  
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• Little Italy shooting suspect arrested, due in court Thursday

  05-04-2018 13:28 via ottawacitizen.com
  The 19-year-old suspect in the March 24 daylight shooting of a man in the Little Italy district was to appear in court Thursday after he was arrested in an operation by the guns and gangs unit Wednesday.
  Yaheya Benamiar of Ottawa has been charged with attempted murder, discharge of a firearm, use of a firearm in the commission of an offence, and carrying a concealed weapon. 
  He was also charged with possession of cocaine for the purposes of trafficking and possession of the proceeds of crim
  
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• Holy moly it's cold outside (and it's not going away anytime soon)

  05-04-2018 13:20 via ottawacitizen.com
  It’s early April and we’re still dealing with wind chill?
  Ottawans lucky enough to wake up early and venture outside were greeted with a wind chill that Environment Canada said was as low as -20.
  Yesterday’s high of 6.4 C seems downright tropical in comparison.
  The wind, while not as violent as last night’s gusts which wreaked havoc across the city, is still blowing and it could reach speeds of up to 50 km/h.
  The wind, and the wind chill, should slowly dissipate by later
  
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• Adam: Ontario election is Andrea Horwath's last chance as NDP leader

  05-04-2018 13:00 via ottawacitizen.com
  Andrea Horwath has her work cut out in what may well be her last election campaign.
  At first glance, everything about the Ontario election points to a strong NDP showing: a governing party that appears to have overstayed its welcome; a deeply unpopular premier and a newly elected Progressive Conservative party leader about whom many Ontarians have serious doubts. The question is: Can Horwath seize the moment?
  Of course, it’s not going to be easy. But if Horwath can’t win now, or at t
  
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• Osien: Gun violence is more than just a gang problem

  05-04-2018 12:00 via ottawacitizen.com
  When a man gets shot in a neighbourhood, we talk about guns and gangs. When a partner shoots and kills his wife and children, we talk about domestic violence. When a person shoots multiple people in a private or public setting, we talk about mental health. When children are victims of shootings in a school, we talk about how different our gun laws are from the United States.
  The truth is that these issues are all related to gun violence in Canada, and it’s time we stopped limiting the conv
  
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• A look at police killings in Ottawa and Gatineau from 2000 to present - CBC.ca

  05-04-2018 11:31 via cbc.ca
  CBC.ca
  A look at police killings in Ottawa and Gatineau from 2000 to present
  CBC.ca
  The most recent fatal police shooting in Ottawa happened Feb. 25 near the Island Park Metro. Since 2000, there have been seven other direct interactions between police and civilians that resulted in civilian death in Ottawa, and three in Gatineau ...
  Windy night in OttawaCTV News
  Roof in Sandy Hill blows off in the high windsOttawa Citizen
  Ottawa police officer retires after three decades of serviceYahoo News Ca
  
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• New rifles for the Canadian Rangers now being delivered

  05-04-2018 06:13 via ottawacitizen.com
  The Canadian Rangers will soon get their new rifles to replace their existing Lee Enfields.
  The .308 calibre C19 replaces the Lee-Enfield .303 rifle which the Canadian Rangers have used since 1947. The C19 is lighter, shorter and more precise, according to the Canadian Forces.
  The new C19 rifles are an improved version of the FTC Tikka T3 developed by SAKO (Finland), and manufactured under license by Colt Canada. They are more robust, and operate more reliably at temperatures well below freezing
  
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• Ottawa firefighters respond after part of roof comes off building - CBC.ca

  05-04-2018 05:21 via cbc.ca
  CBC.ca
  Ottawa firefighters respond after part of roof comes off building
  CBC.ca
  High winds in Ottawa have done severe damage to the roof of a townhouse building in Sandy Hill. No one hurt after high winds peel roof from building. CBC News · Posted: Apr 04, 2018 10:19 PM ET | Last Updated: April 5. The debris from a roof that high ...and more »
  
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• High winds wreak havoc

  05-04-2018 05:00 via ottawacitizen.com
  Roofs were torn off, debris scattered and roads closed as winds gusting in excess of 80 km/h ripped through the Ottawa area on Wednesday night.
  Booth and Eddy streets crossing the Ottawa River were expected to be closed until at least 3 a.m. Thursday as emergency crews cleaned up debris that was blown onto the Chaudiere Bridge after a building at 6 Booth St., on Albert Island, had its roof torn in half. That incident occurred at about 7 p.m., with no injuries reported.
  In Sandy Hill, the roof of
  
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• Roof in Sandy Hill blows off in the high winds

  05-04-2018 04:11 via ottawacitizen.com
  The roof of a Sandy Hill house blew off in Wednesday’s high winds, although no one was reported injured.
  Ottawa firefighters responded to a 911 call at 168 Osgoode St., a six-unit building near Sweetland Avenue, shortly after 8:30 p.m. and searched the area where the roof had landed to ensure no one was hurt. They also searched the top floors of the building, and remained on the scene to assist other emergency responders.
  Earlier in the night, Booth and Eddy streets had been closed when a
  
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• Ottawa Police close Chaudière bridge due to high winds - CBC.ca

  05-04-2018 02:36 via cbc.ca
  CBC.ca
  Ottawa Police close Chaudière bridge due to high winds
  CBC.ca
  Ottawa police are closing the Chaudière Bridge into Gatineau because of high winds that are creating hazardous conditions. The bridge runs from Booth Street in Ottawa to Rue Eddy in Gatineau over Chaudière Island. Police said debris from a nearby ...and more »
  
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• Police seek assistance in identifying suspect in break-in, theft at seniors' residence

  05-04-2018 02:14 via ottawacitizen.com
  Ottawa police are asking for the public’s assistance to identify a woman believed to have been involved in a break and enter at a home for senior citizens in the city’s west end.
  Police said the most recent break-in occurred March 13 at an unidentified residence.
  The woman, who was photographed and dressed in scrubs, walked into the residence and went through residents’s rooms, stealing  various items.
  Police said they believe the suspect is also responsible for a series o
  
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• Booth, Eddy streets closed as high winds spread debris

  05-04-2018 02:02 via ottawacitizen.com
  Booth and Eddy streets across the Ottawa River were expected to remain closed for at least a couple of hours Wednesday evening as crews dealt with debris blown onto the bridge by high winds.
  According to Ottawa police, a roof from a building on one of the islands between Wellington Street and Alexandre-Taché Boulevard in Gatineau was blown off. Gatineau police report that the incident occurred at approximately 7 p.m.
  
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• Ice-cold beer delivered to your door — once a dream, now a reality

  05-04-2018 00:44 via ottawacitizen.com
  If leaving the house is too much effort to purchase a case of ice-cold brew, Kichesippi Beer Company might be just the ticket.
  On Tuesday, the locally owned brewery took to Twitter to announce that it would offer front-door beer delivery directly from its location in Westboro.
  With more people turning to the web to shop, Paul Meek, the owner of the west-side brewery said, it was a no-brainer for his company to take a step in the same direction.
  “The reality is, there’s so many things
  
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