Two burglary cases and several reports of missing underwear led to the arrest of a Gatineau man in November, but the case has remained open as Gatineau police are continuing to look for additional and similar crimes. 

The accused man, who presented himself as a “handyman” for various household services and house types–especially to those of women–would eventually navigate to the victims’ closets and commit burglary from there. Victims who contacted police reported either additional articles of said clothing present in their wardrobes or some of their own pieces missing entirely. 

Police estimate the affected region to encompass all of the Manoir des Trembles area over the past few years and are continuing to seek other potential victims from the neighbourhood and adjacent areas.

A woman was rescued from her car after it had been struck by a train near Fallowfield Station on Sunday afternoon. Ottawa Fire Services said that she and her car were swept several feet from the impact point at the VIA Rail station and into a nearby bush. 

Crews extricated the woman, who suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was said to be in stable condition as she was taken to hospital.

The Transportation Safety Board and VIA Rail were made aware of the incident, and Ottawa police, who are investigating, said that the “railway crossing signals were confirmed to have been operating properly at the time.”

An Old Ottawa South movie theatre aired its monthly screening of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” on Friday, and it bore a whole new significance for those who attended. 

Aside from the customary audience participation synonymous with the film, often featuring viewers dressed to the nines as particular film characters, the mention of the late Tim Curry, who played a key role in the cult classic, brought about a bittersweetness in most people remembering the talented film and stage actor, with several iconic horror-film credits among many other film genres. 

The Mayfair has regularly screened “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” for over 15 years. Tim Curry passed away just last week at the age of 80.

A 77-year-old Cornwall man is dead following a two-vehicle collision in North Glengarry Township. Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry OPP say the crash happened just after 3:30 Saturday afternoon on County Road 43 near County Road 30. Police say a passenger vehicle turned left in front of an oncoming motorcycle.

The motorcycle rider was taken to hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. The driver of the passenger vehicle suffered minor injuries. County Road 43 was closed in both directions between County Road 30 and Dornie Road for several hours following the crash.

The road has now reopened. The investigation remains ongoing with assistance from the OPP East Region Traffic Incident Management and Enforcement team. Anyone with information or dashcam footage is asked to contact SD&G OPP.

Ottawa Police say their Marine, Dive and Trails Team made two impaired boating arrests on the Rideau River this week. The first happened on August 22, when officers stopped a boat near Manotick and arrested a 33-year-old man. He received a 90-day licence suspension.

The second arrest happened on August 26 in the Kars area. Police say a 64-year-old man was arrested after officers stopped his boat, and he received a seven-day licence suspension. In both incidents, the boat operators registered a fail on an approved screening device.

Ottawa Police are reminding boaters that operating a vessel while impaired is dangerous and puts everyone on the water at risk. Police are encouraging anyone heading out on the water to plan ahead and make sure they are fit to operate a boat.

After the initial discovery of suspiciously scattered pills in three Orléans parks last weekend, Ottawa police have said that no illicit drugs have been identified so far. In an update on Thursday, they reported that initial testing on the lot of over 200 scattered pills led to the conclusion of mainly prescription and over-the-counter medications. 

The investigation remains ongoing, with potential increases in police presence at Blue Willow, Silverbirch and Ruisseau Parks, where the pills were originally found to be scattered. 

The Police Service also reminds passersby to exercise extreme caution if encountering any further pills, especially to keep pets and children away.

A large hole was left in a Gloucester business following a robbery early on Thursday morning involving a U-Haul truck. 

The building owner of Triole Small Engine Sales & Service said that, with the help of security footage from the business and that of another business across the street, they observed the thief to have deliberately backed the rental U-Haul three times into one of the store’s walls before eventually entering the property. General manager Steve Poirier said that, among the “thousands and thousands” in property damage costs, the thief walked away with only two lawnmowers estimated at around $400 in total. 

Police were notified of the incident when the building’s security system went off, and are continuing to investigate.

Ottawa’s annual Capital Pride Street Festival kicks off later this evening running until Sunday, and with it comes some important road closures to keep in mind. The weekend function will see, in particular, Bank Street closed between Slater Street and Gladstone Avenue until 2am on Sunday.

 Additional road closures in the area will be in place for a few hours later on Sunday to accommodate for the parade, set to start at 1pm at Booth and Wellington, and for other related events for the day. 

OC Transpo has also announced detours on routes typically passing through the festival area, with festival-goers and general riders encouraged to check often for service updates.

In the latest session on Wednesday, City Council carried a motion to have a framework established for assessing proposals for new data centres in Ottawa based on size and operational impact, with other Ontario municipalities acting on mixed reactions ranging from a one-year moratorium to enforcing no limits at all. 

Coun. Stéphanie Plante, who put forward the motion, called it an important opportunity to regulate data centre development as opposed to being “anti-data centre”, something that Council agreed to have city staff work on towards a target of early 2027. 

The most concerning application types would be for “hyper scale” centres, which would require significant energy resources to operate – something observed by Hydro Ottawa CEO Bryce Conrad as a likely challenge given the Ottawa power grid already being at capacity.

A 72 year-old Ottawa man was arrested last week for suspicious behaviour as a result of repeatedly circling the streets of a Barrhaven neighbourhood and possibly stalking victims. 

Ottawa Police said on Wednesday that the man hovered around the neighbourhood during mostly overnight hours, whether in a car or on foot, and he was finally charged after an encounter with a targeted individual. 

The charges include criminal harassment by way of watching and besetting, as well as mischief, and the Police Service is not releasing his identity in order to protect that of the targeted victim who sought for privacy.

With the latest escalation in trade conflicts between US President Donald Trump and Canadian leaders, an Ottawa councillor is looking at a Central Park residential street currently named after an “embarrassment”. 

Coun. Riley Brockington vowed during Wednesday’s council meeting to lead a community-driven renaming process for Trump Avenue after saying that it was something “past the point of debating”, especially in light of recent trade war-related happenings. The latest attempt to rename the residential street of 62 homes was in 2021, when street residents were split on the decision causing the motion to fail. 

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, in response to the planned initiative, stood by the importance of consultation with current Trump Ave. residents, although he personally preferred to have “nothing named after Trump in Ottawa”.

The world continues to react as an announcement was made by Dolly Parton’s publicist early on Tuesday morning. She had passed away peacefully in Nashville at the age of 80, after a brief battle with cancer and other health complications. 

Tributes from celebrities, political leaders and fans were poured out throughout the day, and continue to do so, honouring the iconic country star who was also a crossover success in her musical career – and whose fame and legacy have spanned generations. 

She had still been active on tour until earlier this year, when she had to cancel a Las Vegas show with those health issues on the rise.

With ongoing delays in the expected delivery of electric buses, OC Transpo said last week that it planned to refurbish some of its aging bus fleet to mitigate service level shortages. 

The rehabilitation project, estimated at $5.4 million, targets the 30 oldest articulated buses – now approaching 16 years in active revenue service on Ottawa streets – to last for at least another three years, with the hopes of eventually going 50% electric across the whole fleet by fall 2027. 

The average lifespan of a transit bus is estimated by OC Transpo staff to be 15 years.

The Ottawa Fire Service successfully rescued a trapped cyclist on Monday afternoon, and are thanking a bystander who (wasn’t just a bystander and) helped save the day. 

The cyclist was pinned underneath an SUV that struck him while biking, and no details were provided on what became of the driver of the SUV. The bystander, who was nearby, quickly got hold of a jack to help alleviate the pressure on the downed cyclist while firefighters were on the way. This helped crews perform a rapid removal of the cyclist upon arrival, who was said by paramedics to be in serious but non-life-threatening condition. 

Meanwhile, the investigation remains ongoing as per Ottawa police.

A 13 year-old girl who frequents Downtown Ottawa has gone missing since at least Monday, as per the Ottawa Police Service.

Nakita Morris-Copenace was last seen wearing a black hoodie over a black tank top, with black sweatpants and black Crocs, and was said to usually be around the Rideau Centre and ByWard Market, although her last known location was not yet mentioned. She was also described as Indigenous, standing at around 5 feet and 4 inches with a slim build, brown eyes and dark brown hair with dirty blonde tips. 

The Police Service is urging for the public’s help in locating Nakita, with the hopes of a safe return.

Ottawa Police are continuing to investigate what has now been deemed a femicide after a woman’s body was discovered in Lowertown not long after a car crash in Papineauville, Quebec that may be linked.

 Quebec police responded to a call early on Saturday morning regarding a single-vehicle crash that claimed the life of 34 year-old Kingsley Nwude, whose injuries were deemed as suspicious. Ottawa police, who were then asked to assist in the case, discovered the body of 27 year-old Kesi Fevrier later that morning in a Lowertown apartment building, also with injuries deemed suspicious after paramedics who arrived on scene declared her dead. 

Both of the deceased were from Ottawa, although neither police service has yet confirmed any official relation between the two cases or the two individuals.

A concerned citizen reported sightings of suspiciously scattered pills across two Orléans parks recently, and Ottawa police have confirmed in an update on Monday that a third set was discovered. 

The original report was filed this past Sunday, where officers noticed what appeared to be drugs in pills of varying shapes and sizes as noted by the citizen, and they were scattered around greenery, along the ground, and even in nearby acorns. 

To date, more than 100 pills were recovered from Blue Willow Park, Silverbirch Park and now Ruisseau Park, and the Police Service is cautioning passersby in these areas to ensure children and pets are kept away from any further findings they may encounter.

With the latest round of sweeping 50% tariffs slapped by US President Donald Trump on Saturday, as talks suddenly broke down the night before, Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced plans to counter sizable tariffs in retaliation. 

This comes after Carney’s decision to withdraw his trade representatives from the negotiation table in the US after talks soured, which he called as becoming a “bad deal”, including requests for reduced flexibility in other trade deals, and for limitations in protections of Canadian culture and language, particularly in Quebec, among other deal-breaking entries. 

Premiers across the country reacted in general support of Carney’s ultimate decision, but have warned of the impacts of retaliatory tariffs and have stressed the growing importance of buying and supporting local, especially in the hardest-hit sectors.

A hydro transformer in Kanata exploded and damaged some nearby businesses on Saturday evening, causing them to close for repairs. Ottawa Fire Services said that the malfunctioned transformer also caused a small electrical fire in one of the buildings but was extinguished shortly after. 

A staff member from one of the businesses described hearing the explosion, and that “the walls were shaking as well”, although firefighters have not identified any injuries caused by the incident as paramedics were not dispatched to the scene. 

The estimated time needed to restore power and structural stability to the damaged businesses is unknown, although one business estimates as much as five to six months before reopening.

The City of Ottawa has announced the completion of its certified list of candidates running for office in the upcoming municipal elections in October. 

They confirmed that 181 candidates have been approved for the list, and ten of them are running uncontested, meaning that they have been automatically elected to their positions. This group of acclaimed candidates includes two city councillors, five trustees for the English Catholic Board and three trustees for the French Catholic Board. 

This year’s advance polls will take place on October 16, and the official voting day is on October 26.

A traffic complaint in Pembroke has led to impaired driving charges against a 37-year-old local man. The Upper Ottawa Valley OPP says officers received a report of a possible impaired driver in the City of Pembroke shortly before midnight on August 18, 2026.

Police located the vehicle and the driver was taken to the detachment for further testing. As a result of the investigation, James Roadhouse, 37, of Pembroke, was charged with operation while impaired.

Roadhouse was released from custody and is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Pembroke on October 5, 2026. His driver’s licence was suspended for 90 days, and the vehicle was towed and impounded for seven days.

A 39-year-old Renfrew man is facing multiple charges following a drug trafficking investigation by the Ontario Provincial Police East Region Community Street Crime Unit. Police executed a search warrant at a residence in Renfrew on August 20 as part of the ongoing investigation.

During the search, officers seized approximately 14 grams of suspected cocaine along with three replica firearms. Christopher Reid, 39, of Renfrew, was arrested and charged with possession of a Schedule I substance for the purpose of trafficking — cocaine, possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime under $5,000, and two counts of failing to comply with a release order.

Reid remains in custody and was scheduled to appear for a bail hearing before the Ontario Court of Justice on August 21. Anyone with information about illegal drug activity is asked to contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122. Anonymous tips can be provided to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or online at ontariocrimestoppers.ca.

Almost anyone can place mobile orders on deliveries, but almost anyone can also come to deliver them. This rang true in a very unsettling way for an Ottawa mom who said that her daughter and a friend were recent targets of an overly friendly Uber Eats delivery driver, leaving porch favours marked as coming from a “secret admirer” for the children. 

After having security cameras installed following the first noted incident on August 3, where the driver returned about an hour later to leave a favour, the family observed several instances of the delivery driver’s car passing by their Kanata home on several occasions, with the daughter eventually identifying him as the same older man after a second instance of the porch drop-off on August 16. 

The driver’s access to the Uber Eats app has since been removed, and Ottawa Police are investigating alongside a team from the delivery service.

As the start of the new school year approaches, classes are set to begin as usual, but the unions representing Ontario teachers have not yet reached a new agreement with the province due to stalled talks. 

Strike action has been threatened by the unions if agreements are not reached in time, and some have begun to engage the Ontario Labour Relations Board for answers. In spite of the pressure, Ontario Education Minister Paul Calandra said on Thursday that he remains “very optimistic” about a deal eventually being reached before going deep into the school year. 

The teachers’ unions, still, have expressed frustration at the “broken process” of provincial negotiations and recent moves by Calandra to lessen the power of trustees, local unions and boards in bargaining decisions.

Ottawa Police have arrested 17 people connected to shoplifting complaints at a downtown Ottawa business. The series of police operations executed at the business in the 300 block of Rideau Street took place between July 12 and August 18, through the Central District Neighbourhood Resource Team and the business’s loss prevention counterparts. 

In total, 17 criminal charges and seven Provincial Offence Notices were issued, with the help of a spread approach in surveilling and actively deterring theft during the operations. 

The Police Service is continuing its investigations and reminds businesses to report suspicious activity and theft-related incidents promptly in order to receive timely police support.

Yes, not all maple syrup is the same. And yes, it can fly under the radar of even major grocers covering Ottawa, who now find themselves in the thick of a lawsuit against a Quebec producer accused of selling watered-down maple syrup labelled as pure, and at a considerable discount compared to other producers. 

The lawsuit was updated earlier this month to include the grocery chains due to a lack of due diligence on their part to validate the low-price offering of the Steve Bourdeau maple syrup cans against other brands, despite the Bourdeau brand continuing to defend its practices. 

Although still pending court approval, the suit also has provisions for consumer refunds and possibly another $100 compensation in damages for those who made Bourdeau purchases since April 2023.

A Carleton Place salon was recently flagged for possible risks of infection. The findings of the investigation by Southeast Public Health (SEPH) at Galleria Nails, Spa and Eyelashes on McNeely Avenue included the discovery of equipment that was not adequately cleaned and disinfected.  

SEPH narrowed the affected clients down to those “who received manicure, pedicure or waxing services between July 4, 2023, and August 12, 2026”, and, although they added that no blood-borne infection was directly linked to the failed standards at the salon, such ailments as hepatitis B, hepatitis C or even HIV could not be ruled out. 

The issues at the salon have since been corrected, but the health unit still recommends that those who recently visited should “discuss their personal risk” with a health care provider.

A detective with the Ottawa Police Service was handed a 24-month demotion following an “unauthorized” project involving private information. Det. Helen Grus, in a hearing on Tuesday, was found guilty of discreditable conduct due to unauthorized access to previous cases in the Police Service’s Record Management System. 

The retrieval of sensitive case details from the database consisted of nine infant or child death cases, as Grus said she was privately investigating a possible link between these infant deaths and COVID-19 vaccinations, after also having contacted a victim infant’s father outside of protocol to inquire about vaccination status. 

Hearing officer (retired) Supt. Chris Kenwick said that her actions of discredit and perceived abuse of police power needed to be addressed and taken seriously.

Work is underway on Station Road and Old Homestead Road in Georgina. The project includes drainage and sidewalk improvements, as well as a new multi-use path for pedestrians and cyclists.

The path will provide a safer connection between Station Road, the Pefferlaw River bridge, nearby neighbourhoods and York Region trails. The project is expected to be finished by fall 2026.

Drivers are reminded to slow down and use caution when travelling through construction zones.

A propane tanker accident in Greely has prompted an evacuation of homes in the area due to the presence of leaking gas. Ottawa police responded to the single-vehicle crash at Parkway Road and Cedar Lane just before 7pm on Tuesday evening, where they said that the truck was found on its side along with the spilled gas. 

The Ottawa Fire Service then issued an evacuation order as a precautionary measure until all the gas could be safely transferred or cleaned up based on location. 

As of early this morning, the vehicle was brought upright and assessed as part of the investigation, with some residents lifted from the evacuation order but those closest to the scene asked to remain at Greely Community Centre.

A third set of human remains was discovered after a continued search of a Smiths Falls property. 

The OPP, heading the investigations, said on Tuesday that the discovery was first made on August 6, just after the discovery of the previous set of remains. Examinations on this third set led to the identification of Lawrence Bertrim, who went missing in 2022. 

Though the investigation is ongoing, and further charges have yet to be laid, it was determined that Bertrim was known to Robbie Thomson, the victim of the first set of remains.

As Ottawa mayoral candidates continue to debate for their suitability to take the city’s top job, and as they express opinions on incumbent Sutcliffe’s recent decisions, the province reminds that anyone interested in running for municipal office can register until this coming Friday at 2pm. 

Including Ottawa, city elections will take place province-wide on October 26 for mayor, city councillor and school board trustee positions. Candidates interested for running will also need to ensure they have the required number of signatories and nomination fees paid.

The province’s proposed updates to the mandatory cash bail policy came into effect on Monday. The new legislation requires that, for those granted bail after being charged, the accused would have to pay a cash security deposit within two business days of release with no exceptions, which would then be returned upon case closure. 

Where applicable, a surety, a person who oversees the adherence of the accused to their bail conditions, may also pay the mandatory bail deposit on that person’s behalf. 

This overrules previous court policy that allowed for a promise to pay in some cases, where a deposit would not be required upfront.

With the recent province-wide implementation of measures of Bill 60 related to bike lane removal, some Ottawa projects will need to undergo major design changes, city staff said on Monday.  

The bill bans the implementation of a bike lane in place of a lane of traffic, although other reasons for replacing a live lane, including for pedestrian or transit improvements, are not affected by the controversial ruling. 

Of the 124 existing cycling projects in Ottawa’s Transportation Master Plan, 27 will see forced design changes as a result, with a “relatively modest impact” on other projects in general.

A woman was rescued from deep mud following an incident at Rebecca Pond on Sunday afternoon. While fishing, the woman fell into the pond due to a loss of balance and was slowly sinking deeper into the mud within the South Marsh Highlands Conservation Area, when a 911 call was placed by her father.

 Ottawa firefighters arrived on the scene with the help of the woman’s father who initiated the call, let the rescue team into the conservation area trails, and carefully freed the stuck victim upon locating her. 

Though she had already gone into mud as far as waist level, paramedics said “she did not suffer any injuries”.

Ottawa police are investigating after they were called to the scene of a bagpiper who was injured by a passerby, in what has been ruled to be an unprovoked attack. 

The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon, along Wellington Street near the Fairmount Chateau Laurier Hotel just after 4pm.  When the Police Service arrived, they found the bagpiper to have suffered a hand injury as a result of the interaction. 

While they arrested the suspect on the scene and assured that there was “zero risk right now for any public safety”, questions still loom around the motive for the attack in the first place.

Despite the recent challenges with the O-Train extension setbacks caused by storms and flooding, OC Transpo has unveiled additional details on its planned service improvements starting August 30.  

Changes include additional trains for increased O-Train service, a new 500-series of express bus routes, para transport system adjustments and improved connectivity between major transit hubs. 

OC Transpo has suggested that this comes as part of a broader strategy to handle the anticipated increase in commuter volume, in part due to the mandated return of federal workers to their offices in the downtown core.

A single-vehicle collision on Highway 7 in Drummond/North Elmsley has left one person with serious injuries. Lanark County OPP responded to the crash shortly before 2:20 Sunday morning after a passenger vehicle struck a tree near Drummond Concession 9A.

Police say the vehicle had one occupant, who was ejected in the crash and transported to hospital with serious injuries. The OPP Traffic Incident Management and Enforcement, or TIME, team is assisting with the investigation.

Highway 7 was closed between Drummond Concession 9A and Gardiner Road for several hours while emergency crews responded and police investigated the scene. The highway has since reopened. The investigation remains ongoing.

US President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will soon receive options following talks between federal trade officials that have aimed to be productive. 

Canada-US Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc and chief trade negotiator Janice Charette were in Washington on Wednesday to discuss trade dealings with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, who called the meetings “good” and “cordial” following their discussions, and concluded that their findings would be tabled to the federal leaders as a series of possible “options”. 

These meetings have been increasingly underway as a means of mitigating the looming 50% tariff threat from Trump, on top of those already in place, and this time even affecting goods protected under the current CUSMA agreement. The new tariffs are set to take effect on August 19, if no agreement on negotiations will have been reached by then.

Ottawa police are seeking information and tips after a Vanier shooting in the early hours of Wednesday. They said that they dispatched officers to the scene, a residence on Belisle Street, after reports of shots fired at around 1:30 am in the area. 

Ottawa paramedics said that, upon arrival, they treated one victim for a gunshot wound, who was later sent to hospital in serious but non life-threatening condition. 

The incident is believed to be targeted, although no one has yet been placed in custody.

Roads flooded, trees fell, and customers were left without power after another powerful storm rocked Ottawa on Wednesday afternoon.  

The damaging storm involved over 22 mm of rain on average, strong winds at times exceeding 100 km/h, and several thousands of customers who lost power at the peak of the extreme weather. 

Cleanup efforts are underway, although in the case of some, progress has gone backwards as they have still been cleaning up from the major storm that struck on July 1. This mainly includes more than 6000 who still have flooded basements from that storm.

A partial solar eclipse took place on Wednesday, drawing enthusiasts to the Aviation and Space Museum as they took in the spectacle. 

Dave Chisolm, of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, said that “26 percent of the sun (was) covered by the moon”, so the darkness was brief and faint, compared to the near-total solar eclipse observed by Ottawa in 2024, where coverage was at 96 percent. The scene, when viewed through specialized solar glasses, was described as if the sun had a bite taken out of it. 

For this eclipse, Ottawa was not in the path of totality, compared to Spain and other parts of the world where a more total solar eclipse was observed. The next total eclipse over Canadian skies is predicted to take place in 2044.

Ottawa police have rolled out a summer campaign to combat e-scooter misuse by underage operators, after reports from Ottawa’s children’s hospital (CHEO) indicated a sharp increase in scooter-related injuries among children. 

The CHEO said there were 93 e-scooter related injury visits this year, compared to 34 from the previous year. In terms of enforcement, OPS spokesperson Sgt. Josh Callaghan said that the incidents may have mostly come from privately owned scooters, which may be capable of surpassing the legal scooter limit of 24 km/h–one such case was a scooter operator caught speeding at 52 km/h.

 In addition, the OPS reminds that the legal minimum age for operating a scooter is 16.

A South Keys Metro is set to be replaced by a Food Basics in the fall, leading to dozens of workers soon to be without a job. 

Although the collective agreement for the incoming Food Basics store has provisions for allowing current Metro employees at the South Keys location to apply for the new store, not all are guaranteed a potential job, and those not taken in by the new store won’t have the option to transfer to other Metro stores, as per the chain’s current agreement. 

The South Keys Metro employed 72 people, and the minimum number of employees required by the new agreement is a specified mix of 15 full-and part-timers.

With the increasing average threat of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes touching down across the country, you may have noticed changes to the way alerts are presented on the federal website. That’s because Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), the federal weather body, made enhancements to severe weather alerts to include only those more closely affected as opposed to an entire region. 

The new dynamic polygon system, among other improvements, will more closely follow active weather alerts, leading to more localized notifications for tornado and severe thunderstorm watches, in an effort to reduce false or excessive alarms for less-affected residents.  

Gordon Howard, director of emergency services in Kenora, noted that “people can become desensitized and may be less likely to take future warnings seriously”, and that the new system could help to reduce the risk of “alert fatigue”.

Process changes are being planned for bottle and empty container refunds in Quebec as its refund program has been seeing increased wait times at some of its depots, particularly one in close proximity to downtown Ottawa.  

Consignaction, the organization overseeing the refund depots, announced on Monday that Ontario residents will only be served at Express Return stations for their empties, meaning that refunds can only be issued for registered app users.  This comes after concerns were raised regarding the overwhelming volume of returns being received at a depot in Gatineau, likely due to the “unique cross-border relationship with Ontario” there, Consignaction said. 

It also reminds consumers that returns for empties are only eligible for products purchased in Quebec, to address any paid “deposit-refunds” there, and out-of-province product claims remain illegal.

A west-end councillor surveyed the damage caused by the flooding and heavy rainfall around July 1, and called it “a disaster”. 

Coun. Laine Johnson said she was taken on a tour of Moodie Station and noted the absence of crushed stone typically supporting the tracks there, along with extensive flood and water damage around electrical equipment, among other things. She expressed concerns about “months of work undone” as track repairs and part replacements would most certainly be needed before making any new progress on the project. 

A formal assessment co-led by OC Transpo and the constructor, KEV, is ongoing, along with potential options for proceeding with the planned extension.

Monday marked 60 years since the unfolding of Ottawa’s deadliest workplace disaster that sent shockwaves around the world, and the Ottawa Journal headlined it as “A Thousand Tons of Terror”.  

It was just after 3pm on August 10, 1966, when the Heron Bridge suddenly collapsed during a routine concrete pouring as part of its construction, killing nine men and injuring at least 60 others.  A commemoration ceremony was held near the bridge on Monday, where Sean McKenny, president of the Ottawa and District Labour Council, said that the frustration and agony of the disaster could still be felt all these years later, simply because the “collapse was preventable”, and Braydon Potter, president of the Ottawa-Gatineau Unionized Building trades, calling construction workplace safety “an ongoing concern”. 

 As part of commemorations in 2016, the bridge itself was renamed as the Heron Road Workers’ Memorial Bridge.

A flea market in Stittsville is closing its doors in September after 50 years in operation. Melissa Pacey, social media manager of the Carp Road Flea Market, posted an online announcement on Sunday that brought about heavy emotions from vendors and supporters alike, including Stittsville’s Vintage Market, Kondruss Gallery, and the Barbie Museum.  

The announcement comes as a result of the upcoming Carp Road widening project which would affect access to the market, and the eventual decision by building ownership to sell the property, although it is not yet known who will take over.  

The market is open on Sundays, something Pacey will miss at the end of September when it comes to seeing her “extended family” of vendors and visitors in this weekly tradition.

A Facebook Marketplace transaction in Manotick quickly went sideways after a seller was threatened at gunpoint when the prospective buyer tried to rob them with force.  

Ottawa police were called to the 1100 block of Beaverwood Road at 10:30am on Monday, where two shots were fired during the incident, which were later determined not to have struck anyone.  The suspect, a young offender, was stripped of the firearm and taken into custody, though treated in hospital for minor injuries, said Ottawa paramedics.  

The victim seller, who assisted a security guard and off-duty police officer in turning in the suspect, was treated for injuries related to blunt-force trauma at the scene, with the investigation ongoing.

Outlets, and important news stories going untold, news poverty is a reality in certain Canadian communities who may or may not realize it. 

Canadian Heritage, a branch of the federal government, kicked off a project late last year that would see the creation of a comprehensive news outlet directory across Canada to help address this issue concerning “news deserts”: areas which have inadequate local news coverage.  Major markets–with Ottawa implied–may have well-known outlets assisting with breaking news, but, as observed by project team member April Lindgren of Toronto Metropolitan University, “the newsrooms are so diminished that it’s very hit-and-miss what they pick up on.” 

With the help of AI to review and populate the list of local news outlets in a proof-of-concept, the federal project is now applying the technology towards communities in Ontario and Quebec, as the second phase within a multi-year plan.

An Alta Vista man is grateful after his custom-made bike was recovered after having been stolen last month. The bike was discovered behind a Tim Hortons on Lancaster Road by a recycling business owner retrieving waste there. 

He had heard of the missing bike and was able to have it identified, with the help of Ottawa Police, as the one belonging to owner Kevin Shaw, who is living with cerebral palsy and had the bike custom-made several years ago for his mobility. 

The suspect, captured by the Police Service in photos, is still at large; meanwhile, Shaw is encouraging generous people who were willing to fund a replacement bike to instead support other good causes in his honour.

A man in his 30s has died following a motorcycle crash in downtown Ottawa that took place in the early hours of Saturday morning. Ottawa Police said that the single-vehicle collision occurred at the intersection of Colonel By Drive near Rideau Street.  

The investigation remains ongoing and the Police Service is still open to information from any witnesses who have not yet reached them.  

No further details have yet been released on the nature of the incident, including crash-related damages, the state of the man just prior to the incident, and anyone else who may have been involved.

Ottawa Police are asking for the public’s help identifying a man wanted in connection with a bank robbery on Montreal Road. Police say the incident happened Tuesday, August 4, at about 11:20 a.m., when a man entered a bank in the 500 block of Montreal Road, approached a teller and demanded cash. Staff complied, and the suspect fled the bank with an undisclosed amount of money.

Police describe the suspect as a white man, about 40 years old, with a tanned complexion, grey hair, a light-coloured beard and a pointed nose. He was wearing black sunglasses, a black baseball cap with a red brim featuring the Ottawa Redblacks logo, a light green-blue T-shirt, a jacket and black jeans at the time of the robbery.

Anyone who recognizes the suspect or has information about the robbery is asked to contact the Ottawa Police Service Robbery Unit at 613-236-1222, extension 5116. Anonymous tips can be provided to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or through crimestoppers.ca.

Three people are facing impaired driving charges following three separate incidents investigated by the Upper Ottawa Valley O-P-P over a five-day period.

Police say the first incident happened July 28 in Pembroke following a collision at Pembroke Street West and Forced Road. A 20-year-old Pembroke man, Jaxon Ryan, was charged with operation while impaired. The following evening, police received a traffic complaint about a possible impaired driver in Petawawa. The vehicle was located on Highway 17, and 66-year-old Robert Williams of Laurentian Hills was charged with operation while impaired. Then on August 1st, police responded to a report of an erratic driver on Laurentian Drive in Petawawa. Twenty-four-year-old Ayush Dabas of Pembroke was arrested and charged with operation while impaired.

All three accused were released from police custody and are scheduled to appear in Pembroke court on September 8th. The O-P-P says each driver’s licence was suspended for 90 days, while their vehicles were towed and impounded for seven days. The charges have not been proven in court.

A cyclist was taken to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries following a collision with an OC Transpo bus in Ottawa’s south end on Thursday afternoon. 

Ottawa Paramedic Service says emergency crews were called to the intersection of Antares Drive and Hunt Club Road at approximately 4:25.  Paramedics assessed the injured cyclist at the scene before transporting them to hospital for further treatment. 

The circumstances leading up to the collision have not been released, and there were no reports of injuries on the OC Transpo bus. The intersection remained closed for the balance of the afternoon rush hour.

The Ottawa Police Service is noting a significant increase in sexual assault crimes so far this year. 150 cases have been reported since June 1st marking a 24% increase year over year. 

Sexual assault cases generally increase in summer months but stranger on stranger sexual assaults and ride share sexual assaults seem to be disproportionately higher as well as sexual assaults resulting from social media meet -ps. 

Police are urging residents to use safety features available on ride share apps and to maintain vigilance particularly with children to monitor and discuss their social media use.

The Federal government is changing the bilingual language requirement of the Canadian Armed Forces and the Department of National Defence to no longer require every office, base and military installment to operate in both official languages. 

Instead, each detachment will operate in its local or regional language. Only designated bilingual locations will be required to operate in French and English including parts of Ontario and the National Capital Region, New Brunswick and Quebec. 

Opposition parties and the Bloc Quebecois are calling this an attack on Francophones and a systemic attack eroding the bilingualism of Canada, adding this could open the door for other federal departments to follow suit.

Veteran Canadian news anchor Lloyd Robertson has died at the age of 92. He spent more than 40 years delivering the news on CBC and CTV, becoming one of Canada’s most trusted broadcasters while covering many of the country’s biggest stories. 

Robertson covered iconic stories like the assignation of John F. Kennedy and the first steps on the moon. 

Robertson received many honours during his career and is remembered for his calm, professional style and lasting impact on Canadian journalism. Lloyd Robertson died at age 92.

A custom-built mobility bicycle has gone missing, and the Ottawa Police Service is seeking help from the public to identify the suspect. Ottawa Police Service released photos of the suspect including him approaching the bike and riding off on it. 

The bike was stolen between July 12 and 14, from a residential driveway Alta Vista and it belongs to an elderly man with advanced Parkinson’s disease, for whom the bike was specially designed.  The suspect is a white male in his early to mid-twenties with long curly brown hair wearing a red shirt and black pants with white writing on the right leg. He was wearing a black back pack and blue reflective sun glasses.

 Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the OPS or to leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers.

Robert Lambert from Montague Township had been missing for almost eight years before police found his remains this week on a rural property where other human remains were discovered on Kelley Road northeast of Smiths Falls. 

Lambert had been missing for almost eight years. 

Police have charged four men from the area in connection to the remains found on the property last year but OPP says their focus remains on following the evidence and conducting a thorough investigation before announcing any possible connections to the two discoveries – they did say they do not believe the cases are directly connected.

WestJet says operations are gradually returning to normal after a flight attendants’ strike ended with a tentative agreement between the airline and the union representing roughly 4,400 cabin crew members. While flights have resumed, the carrier warns some cancellations and delays will continue as aircraft and crews are repositioned across its network.

The strike disrupted travel during one of the busiest weekends of the summer. WestJet says about 39 per cent of its scheduled flights were cancelled, with more than 900 flights grounded and approximately 250,000 travellers affected across Canada and internationally.

The airline has not provided a firm date for a full return to normal operations, but says recovery will take several days as it works through the backlog of disrupted travel plans. Passengers are being urged to check their flight status before heading to the airport as schedule adjustments continue.

Iran continues to deny that any negotiations are actually taking place.

With another deescalation in the war in the middle east, the Honourable Dan McTeague, former Member of Parliament and President of Canadians for Affordable Energy, is predicting a drop of price at the gas pumps of up to 10 cents per litre in the national capital region on Thursday. 

Gas prices are generally hovering around $1.71 per litre in the area, already down from last week’s high of $1.80. McTeague says that futures traders are practically “giddy” over the current cease fire and some rumours and information from the White House that indicate that this time the U.S. and Iran are actually close to a deal. 

Iran continues to deny that any negotiations are actually taking place.

Ottawa Police Service continues to investigate a stabbing in Centretown yesterday morning. Police and EMS crews were called to the intersection of Bank Street and McLeod Street at around 9:45 a.m. for reports of a man being stabbed. 

Paramedics located the stabbing victim and began treatment on the scene. The victim was transported to hospital in serious but non-life-threatening condition. 

The suspect is still at large and police have not released information on the suspect or a possible motive.

An OPP Marine Unit on patrol offshore in Lake Ontario near Kingston, spotted something odd floating in the water. As they approached, they noted two teenagers a significant distance from shore on a floating pool toy. 

The teens had drifted from shore, and as winds picked up, they were unable to make their way back to shallow water. 

OPP picked up the teens and returned them to their grateful parents. Neither teenager had been wearing a life jacket and police caution the situation could have ended tragically.

Leeds County Ontario Provincial Police continue to investigate a fatal collision on the 401 near Ganonoque. The two-vehicle crash occurred early in the morning of August 3 on the westbound lanes of the highway. Please allege a passenger vehicle collided with a tractor trailer that may have been disabled on the right shoulder.

Two passengers in the automobile, aged 73 and 47, were pronounced deceased on the scene.  The driver of the car was transported to hospital with minor injuries, and there were no reports of injuries to the truck driver

Police are asking for any witnesses to the crash to come forward.

WestJet and the union representing 4000 flight attendants have reached a tentative agreement after a brief work stoppage. WestJet said it offered their flight attendants an immediate 13% wage increase with ongoing 2.5% wage increases year over a year until 2029. WestJet also says it has offered premium pay to address claims from flight attendants that they are performing work without compensation.

CUPE local 8125 says that workers have 30 days to vote on the tentative deal but they released few details, insisting that employees need to be able to review the agreement first. 

Some WestJet flights have already resumed as of yesterday afternoon, but there is no word from the airline as to when normal operations will resume. If you have a WestJet flight booked for today or anytime later this week, check with the airline before you travel.

A 39-year-old Carleton Place resident is facing several charges after Lanark County Ontario Provincial Police responded to a report of a suspected impaired driver. Officers received the complaint about a vehicle travelling in the area of Arthur Street just after 11:15 p.m. on Saturday, August 1, and were able to locate the vehicle a short time later.

Police arrested the driver and transported him to the OPP detachment in Carleton Place for further testing. As a result of the investigation, Kyle Hudson has been charged with operation while impaired, failure or refusal to comply with a breath demand, and failing to comply with an undertaking.

The accused was held in custody for a bail hearing and is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Perth at a later date. Police also suspended the driver’s licence for 90 days under Ontario’s Administrative Driver’s Licence Suspension program, and the vehicle was impounded for seven days.

Ottawa Police says its Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Section continues to investigate a sexual assault that occurred on July 28 in the area of Truro Street and Carpenter Way. Investigators remain actively involved in the case as they work to gather evidence and identify any additional information related to the incident.

Residents in the area may notice an increased police presence over the coming days as officers conduct proactive patrols, speak with community members and support the ongoing investigation. Police say the heightened visibility is part of their efforts to reassure the public while advancing the investigation.

The Ottawa Police Service has not released additional details about the investigation but is encouraging anyone with information that may assist investigators to come forward. The service says updates will be provided as new information becomes available.

The Lanark County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are asking for witnesses and video footage as they continue to investigate an altercation that took place in Carleton Place. The incident occurred shortly before 1:00 a.m. on Friday, July 24, in the area of Bridge Street near College Street. Officers responded to reports of a dispute involving two males, and one individual has since been charged.

Investigators say the investigation remains active as they work to determine what led up to the altercation. Police are asking anyone who witnessed the incident or has dashcam, surveillance, or cellphone video from the area around the time of the incident to contact the Lanark County OPP at 1-888-310-1122.

The OPP says it is aware of a video circulating on social media related to the incident but notes that it captures only part of the interaction and does not show the events leading up to the confrontation. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous can provide information through Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or submitting a tip online.