It’s been bandied about in council for some time, but now it’s official. As of Canada Day, July 1st, building owners will be responsible for paying a fine for false fire alarm calls. The city says false alarms rose 14% last year, and the rise is attributed to poor maintenance on alarm systems. A second false alarm offence will garner a $500 fine. It’s $1,000 for a third strike, then $1,500 for each false alarm after that. Canada Day violence spilled into Tuesday when two people were shot in the Byward Market.

Police were called to shots fired on the 100 block of Clarence Street just before 1am yesterday. Two victims were suffering from gunshot wounds on the scene and were transported to hospital. One victim is in life-threatening condition at last check, and police are still looking for a suspect. 

Hart has been forced to cancel their Ottawa gig August 1st, and the rest of their tour as lead singer Ann Wilson undergoes cancer treatment. Wilson posted that she underwent surgery to remove a cancerous growth, and doctors

are recommending preventative chemotherapy treatment, which will simply not allow her to perform. The band will release information for ticket holders soon. 

The federal government has named Lt. Gen. Jenny Carignan the new Chief of Defense Staff. Carignan is currently the military’s Chief of Professional Conduct and Culture. Since 2021, several high-ranking Canadian soldiers have been forced to step down after allegations of sexual misconduct. Carignan has served with the military since 1986, leading a combat force in 2008, and serving in deployments to Afghanistan, Bosnia, and Syria. 

The Ford government has pledged and directed its ad agencies to spend at least 25% of their ad placement budgets on Canadian publishers and news agencies like us. The province and provincial agencies, like the LCBO, Lotteries, and Foodland Ontario, spend $100 million in ads each year, and Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy says the policy must be adhered to by September, and that the government believes strongly in the importance of supporting and promoting Ontario-made products, services, and workers. 

Pressure may be building on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to face his caucus to discuss his future.

With the Liberal election lost in Toronto last month, some Liberals are demanding a caucus meeting before the summer break. Trudeau has not faced many questions since the by-election loss, but he has said he will continue to engage with MPs to talk about how they can improve.

Police are seeking the help from the public to identify a man suffering a medical episode near the Rideau Canal on Tuesday The man in his 30s or early 40s remains unconscious in hospital and police are trying to notify the family He’s described as 5 foot 9 under 200 pounds short brown hair wearing black shoes shorts and a t-shirt The man has distinctive tattoos on his right forearm. One is a peace symbol and the other is a maple leaf

 

It looks like a joyride gone way wrong in Perth a couple of weeks ago and police have now laid Charges for young people were in an SUV on Glen Tay Road west of Perth the SUV had been reported stolen a car rolled into the ditch after striking a hydro pole a 14 year old was the alleged driver a 17 year old also faces charges including theft of a vehicle over $5,000 and possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000

 

Contract talks between the LCBO and ops who broke down around 6 o’clock yesterday 9,000 LCBO workers had never been on the picket lines before but job security in the face of increased access to booze and corner stores and gas stations an Increase in full-time workers versus part-time and of course wages were serious issues. The union was prepared to dig in on in.

Still no suspects in custody after a shooting in the West End early Friday evening claimed the life of a 28 year old man. Police received 911 calls just after 6 o’clock They arrived to the area of Carling and Kirkwood to find Abdulhamid Elmi suffering a gunshot wound Elmi succumbed to his injuries. Police are asking anyone in the area with dashcam or cell phone footage to come forward. Remember anonymous tips can be left with Crime Stoppers 

Children’s Aid workers of Ottawa could be on a legal strike this morning

Talks between OPSEU and the Children’s Aid Society broke down on Saturday after a long nine-month negotiation OPSEU says their beleaguered workers are already crumbling under workload pressures and CAS is likely to make more layoffs Both CAS and the union have made formal requests to the province for increased funding

 If you plan on flying WestJet this week Make sure you call before you go things have not yet returned to normal after the two-day work stoppage commenced June 28th Dozens of flights were canceled on Sunday as aircraft pilots flight attendants They all continue to reposition and reschedule some aircraft maintenance is still backlogged But things should be back to normal by the end of this week.

Keep an eye on your inbox for an email from Ticketmaster. The ticketing behemoth is advising some users that they suffered a cyber security breach and the personal information of some of its users, including names, addresses, credit card numbers, and expiry dates, have been accessed by the attackers. Ticketmaster contacted American federal authorities and the investigation is ongoing. 

The LCBO has scrapped plans to open a number of locations across the province on Wednesday to serve restaurants and bars on an appointment basis. OPSEU says they would disrupt the locations with picket lines, so the LCBO said they will provide alternative online solutions. Premier Doug Ford announced the release of an interactive map of locations in the province where beer, wine, and other libations are currently available. 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attends a NATO summit in Washington this week, and he’s expected to get an earful on Canada’s lack of defense spending. Canada ranks 7th amongst NATO countries in military spending and 16th overall in the world. Canada spends 1.33% of its gross domestic product on the military. The gold standard for NATO countries is 3% of GDP and Canada’s target is 2%, but Defense Minister Bill Blair says Canadians don’t know what that means.

We have a suspect name and description now. 23-year-old Kenedid Ateyeh is wanted as an accessory after the fact to murder in the shooting death of 28-year-old Adam Abdullahi Elmi on Friday near Carling and Kirkwood. Ateyeh is described as black, 6 foot 4, dark eyes, short dark hair. Police believe he may have fled the country. If you have any information on his whereabouts, you know what to do. 

Plenty of weather warnings and flood warnings heading our way

as the remnants of Hurricane Barrow plow through the province today and tomorrow. The Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority has issued a flood watch, as has the City of Ottawa. We’re expecting anywhere from 25 to 50 millimeters of rain. The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority has not issued any warnings, but they say they are watching the situation closely. 

OC Transpo has announced train service will be shut down on Line 1 of the LRT between Tunneys Pasture and Herdman Station from July 15 to 28 to perform corrective work. Service is scheduled to resume July 29, and express shuttle buses will operate to pick up the slack. LRT service will continue between Blair and UOttawa during that time period.

Some tense moments in Sandy Hill yesterday morning. Construction crews on Somerset Street called 911 after hearing hissing sounds coming from a dig site and smelling natural gas. Police evacuated four homes in the area and Enbridge crews were called in. A 6-inch gas line had been severed by the excavator and Enbridge sealed it off within an hour and a half of the initial call. 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced new government spending to acquire submarines and also pledged an additional 500 million dollars to Ukraine, including training for fighter pilots in Canadian simulators. Trudeau has been criticized by NATO leaders for not meeting a commitment to spend 2% of our gross domestic product on NATO military commitments. Trudeau says more military spending will be announced today. 

Premier Doug Ford sent a clear message to OPSU yesterday, stating categorically that while the province is ready to return to the bargaining table for a new deal with LCBO employees, there’s no chance the province will budge on its position on ready-to-drink beverages. Ford urged LCBO employees to read the latest offer from the province, claiming that job security, benefits, and wages were all addressed.

It’s a shame, we’re forecast to have a nice, hot weekend, but Ottawa Public Health has announced that all four of our lifeguarded beaches are unsafe due to high rainfall and elevated E. coli bacteria. OPH says those little nasties can cause ear, nose, throat and gastrointestinal infections, so it’s just not worth it. Our water continues to be tested daily until late August. 

They got there quickly, they knocked down the fire quickly. Ottawa Fire Service got a call yesterday morning around 4.45 a.m. when passers-by

noticed smoke then flames shooting out of a strip mall building on the 1500 block of Merivale Road. Ottawa Fire arrived four minutes after they were dispatched, they had the flames under control five minutes after they arrived, and the cause of the fire is under investigation. 

More major gaffes from a struggling U.S. President Joe Biden at yesterday’s NATO summit. Biden was set to introduce Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, instead he introduced Ukraine’s President as Vladimir Putin. And now I want to hand it over to the President of Ukraine who has as much courage as he has determination. Ladies and gentlemen, President Putin. Biden was quick to correct his mistake, but man oh man.

It was a weekend with a number of celebrities passing. Shannon Doherty died at age 53 after a battle with breast cancer, fitness guru and overall interesting character Richard Simmons died at age 76 of natural causes, and groundbreaking sexologist Dr. Ruth Westheimer died in New York surrounded by her family. Dr. Ruth was 96. 

The FBI continues to investigate for a motive as the Secret Service continues to dissect how a 20-year-old could climb onto a nearby roof and fire several shots at former U.S. President Donald Trump during a campaign rally. The shooter was reported to be a registered Republican, and investigators say his car contained explosive and explosive products and devices were found at his home. 

Both sides continue to dig in their heels as the LCBO strike enters its second week. The LCBO has again scrapped plans to open up 32 stores for a limited time this Friday for in-person shopping in order to facilitate bars and restaurants. Instead, the LCBO says that retail locations will remain closed for the duration of the strike. Talks broke off 10 days ago with no planned return to the bargaining table.

An inquest into the 2019 fatal OC Transpo double-decker bus crash is finally underway. Three people were killed, two on the bus, a third on the platform, when a bus smashed into a station January 11th just before 4 o’clock. The driver was tried and found not guilty of dangerous driving. After the trial revealed sun glare and poor road markings were contributing factors. Changes have been made to the approach to the station in order to increase visibility. 

The province has drastically sped up its timeline to bring ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages to grocery stores. The move should take effect this week, allowing up to 450 grocery stores to sell beer, wine and cider a couple of weeks before the planned Phase 1 rollout of August 1st. The move is an obvious attempt to mute the strike by LCBO workers, which is now in its second week. 

The U.S. Secret Service says it has already made changes to its security detail after the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. Eyewitnesses advised police of a person with a gun approaching a shooting position moments before the shots rang out. Staying with Trump, his classified documents case has been dismissed by a judge, citing the prosecution illegally appointed a special prosecutor. The ruling can be appealed.

Some good economic news released yesterday as far as inflation goes. The annual inflation rate fell slightly more than expected to 2.7% in June from 2.9% in May according to Statistics Canada. The decline in inflation increases the likelihood the Bank of Canada will reduce its prime lending rate again in late July. The decrease was led by a slower year-over-year increase in gas prices with a 0.4% increase in June versus a 5.6% increase in May. 

Ottawa Fire Service had a tough time battling an estate home blaze yesterday morning on Joyce Road. The fire had already involved the basement of the Airbnb property and there were no fire hydrants at this remote location so water tankers had to be repeatedly shuttled to the scene. Fire crews did two full sweeps of the house once they knocked down the blaze to make sure it was clear of occupants. Two firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion on scene. 

Some new details surfacing in relation to the attempted assassination of US President Donald Trump. The FBI has pieced together the final day activities of the shooter which included attending a rifle range, purchasing ammunition and a ladder. They still have not released any possible motive. The Secret Service says local law enforcement was standing inside the building where the shooter was perched on the roof but they claim that was outside the perimeter of the Secret Service search criteria.

The LCBO and OPSU returned to the bargaining table yesterday, a little over two weeks into the strike. Provincial Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy says he’s glad the union has returned to the table, but reiterated that ready-to-drink beverages in convenience stores is not negotiable. The union has said its workers need job security, more full-time positions, and better wages and benefits. 

Remember, if you’re planning to head into the U.S. with your pooch this summer,

the U.S. Center for Disease Control has set tough new standards that you’ll have to abide by starting August 1st. The dog will have to be at least six months old, fully vaccinated, and must contain a universal microchip. You’ll have to sign a CDC form before you cross, and a veterinarian will also have to certify an export document. Service dogs are not exempt. 

An Ottawa man has been charged with sexual assault and forcible confinement. After police received a complaint from a woman in her late teens over the weekend, police alleged 25-year-old Samer Alakali assaulted the woman while driving her home and held her against her will in the vehicle. Police believe there could be other victims and are asking anyone with more information to come forward.

Comedian Bob Newhart has died at the age of 94. The deadpan comedian and namesake of a popular sitcom started his stand-up career in the 1950s. The sitcom, The Bob Newhart Show premiered in 1972 and was actually the second incarnation of the show. The original stand-up version on NBC didn’t last long. In the 80s, Newhart was his most commercially successful show, lasting eight seasons on CBS. 

A second Canada-wide warrant has been issued in connection to the shooting-murder of 28-year-old Adam Abdullahi Elmi in Westboro earlier this month. Zubera Yusuf Alki is wanted in connection to the murder. Police had earlier issued a Canada-wide warrant for 23-year-old Kenedet Ateve of Ottawa. If you know of either of their whereabouts or have any information that could help police, contact Crimestoppers. 

Canada’s Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan has resigned his post in cabinet and has announced he will not run for re-election. O’Regan will continue to serve as MP for Newfoundland’s St. John’s Southmount Pearl Riding until next election. O’Regan said he is stepping down because his family comes first and he needs to be a better husband, son, uncle and friend. A replacement should be named today. 

U.S. President Joe Biden has finally bowed to pressure from the Democratic Party and announced that he will not seek re-election. Biden released a statement via X and shortly after he endorsed his Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee. Many other prominent Democrats threw their support behind Harris, but former President Barack Obama held short and announced that he would name his endorsement at a later date. 

The LCBO strike has been settled and stores will reopen tomorrow. The LCBO and OPSU have reached a deal which has already been ratified by 10,000 LCBO employees. The union considers the new deal a win, saying they went on strike to protect good jobs and public revenues and to win more permanent jobs with benefits and guaranteed hours. The strike lasted just over two weeks. 

Tears of joy for residents of New West Valley, Newfoundland, after seven fishermen were rescued at sea after several days and nights in a life raft. Their turbot fishing boat caught fire on Wednesday, and the crew was unable to send a distress call. The boat just vanished from radar. Searchers spotted a flare fired from the raft Friday evening, and the crew, now known as the Lucky Seven, was rescued.

Three people are facing charges after a traffic stop in Bancroft yielded illegal drugs and a weapon. Police made the traffic stop Sunday afternoon around noon and allegedly discovered methamphetamine and a handgun. A 36-year-old from Bancroft, a 35-year-old from Coe Hill, and a 31-year-old from North Kowartha were arrested and charged. A follow-up from a story we mentioned last week of particular significance if you are planning on taking a pooch across to the U.S. this summer.

The U.S. Center for Disease Control has suspended a plan to require Canadians to jump through hoops to bring their dogs across. The plan called for a veterinarian’s certificate that the dog was free of rabies, along with a microchip with more paperwork to be filled out by the owner. The CDC now says that if the dog originates from a low-risk country and has been there for six months, the owners just need to fill out a form. Ottawa Police Service has released its race-based use-of-force statistics for 2023.

The report shows that Black and Middle Eastern citizens face a higher use-of-force when compared to their percentage of population. Indigenous people are the third group to experience a use-of-force by police, with white people coming in fourth. Use-of-force overall has declined year-over-year in Ottawa, with police stating that 80 percent of the time force is used in defense.

Some traffic troubles to be expected through Stittsville today. A water main broke on Main Street between Abbott and Beverly yesterday early morning. Houses in the area bounded by Stittsville, Main Street, McCann Street, Mulkin Street, Andrew Alexander Court, Warner Culpits Lane and Reverie Private will likely not have a running water until the pipe is repaired. OC Transpo routes 61, 261 and 263 are detoured along Jonathan Pack Street. OC Transpo’s Special Constable Unit has now laid hate-related charges against two men after an incident on an OC Transpo bus.

Ottawa Police Service says two suspects directed racial slurs towards a family then allegedly assaulted and injured an adult. The Ottawa Police Hate and Bias Crime Unit assisted in the investigation and 27-year-old Paloozie Apele and 26-year-old David Amagolic have been charged. 

U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheadle has resigned in the aftermath of the Donald Trump attempted assassination. Cheadle testified in front of Congress but provided little clarity on how the Secret Service failed to protect Trump.

Cheadle stated in an earlier interview that personnel were not positioned on the roof where the shots originated because of the slight slope of the roof posing a safety hazard to Secret Service agents.

Police are issuing reminders about basic etiquette and behavior during protests in the nation’s capital not only for protesters But for regular citizens as well This comes in the wake of four counts of assault charges issued against a 65 year old woman from Hamilton after hot tea was allegedly thrown on protesters Police say that threats of violence property destruction or other unlawful acts like obstruction of police are not protected under the Charter The Bank of Canada announced another reduction in its prime lending rate yesterday

The big bank knocked off another 25 basis points to bring the prime lending rate down to 4.5 percent all six major banks in Canada followed suit by lowering their prime rates as well as the Economy continues to slow and the rate of inflation continues to subside 

The province continues to move forward with its plan to empower pharmacies to be able to treat more common illnesses and prescribe more medications Health minister Sylvia Jones said the changes are an effort to reduce the burden on family doctors and hospitals and the plan so far has been a great success the province will likely soon allow pharmacies to order and perform tests for strep throat and to administer vaccines for tetanus diphtheria and shingles. 

A silly prank by some youth has landed one of them in hot water. Police have concluded their investigation into an incident on Canada Day when two young females were walking on Stittsville Main Street and Fernbank Road. A white SUV pulled up and a kid ignited some fireworks that were in the back and shot them at the girls. Two of the four youth will participate in a diversion program, but the one that did the shooting faces two counts of assault with a weapon and two counts of harassment.

Canada Soccer has launched an appeal of the punishment it received from FIFA over the drone scandal. Soccer Canada is appealing to earn back some or all of the six points FIFA deducted from the women’s team, but they have not appealed the one-year suspension of its coaches or the monetary fine. FIFA should release the ruling tomorrow, just before Canada’s final group stage game. Premier Doug Ford has announced the province will spend over $100 million on five new police helicopters for the Greater Toronto Area and Ottawa. The initial plan was to lease the helicopters, but Ford said the additional spend to purchase the choppers makes more sense. The choppers could be used by our police service to reduce car thefts, street racing, and to pursue bad guys in general.

Kudos to Canada’s women’s soccer team who, despite the adversity and scandal of DroneGate, were able to win every game in their group to advance to the knockout round. This came just after FIFA upheld their six-point deduction, despite a Canadian appeal. FIFA released an email from Canada’s coach, or former coach, Bev Priestman, where she solicits advice on how to move forward with scouting when an analyst refused to spy for Team Canada, despite Priestman’s assertions that a spying program exists on the men’s side and that all the top teams do it. 

Police are asking for help from the public as they continue to investigate a late-night fatal crash involving a pedestrian in the South End. Ottawa Police Service says a pedestrian was struck and killed on Albion Road South between Rideau Road and Tullamore Street just before midnight on Tuesday. EMS crews arrived on the scene and pronounced the victim deceased. It looks like Ottawa is nowhere near being on pace to make our housing start school for the year.

As of June, the halfway mark in the year, the city has only built 1,593 homes of its 12,583 target. That’s a miserable 12.6% built, with 50% of the year behind us. Housing starts in the province overall are down about 14% so far this year, with high interest rates and a looming recession pinned as two of the main reasons.

OC Transpo has just announced that effective August 26th, it is reducing the frequency of service of its O-Train Line 1. Trains will run every 10 minutes between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays, but peak service frequency will remain at 5 minutes. OC Transpo says the reduced frequency is a reflection of reduced demand on Line 1, and adds that if demand or ridership increase in the future, frequency can be increased as well.

It is one of the toughest challenges for a firefighting crew arriving on scene of a fully engulfed residential fire, when the structure is already starting to fail. This was the case Monday evening in Stittsville, when OFS arrived on scene of a fire on Ring View Crescent, they determined that everyone was out safely and quickly had to move to a defensive battle from outside. There were no fire hydrants, so crews had to shuttle in water, and the house was a total loss.

Recent polling from Abacus Data confirms the federal Liberals are still in a massive popularity slump with 4 in 10 Canadians saying they really do not like the Prime Minister and cannot be convinced to change their view. A by-election scheduled for Montreal in September has been Liberal since its creation in 2015 and may be another indicator of the future of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after losing a Liberal stronghold in Toronto earlier this year.