Photo: A bent hydro pylon following Saturday's storm. (Via Hydro Ottawa) The powerful storm that swept through Ottawa on Saturday, May 21, 2022 has left many still without power. As of Wednesday, Hydro Ottawa says power has been restored to 120,000 customers. ...

The Ottawa Light Rail Transit Commission is set to hold its first public meeting on Wednesday, to hear from community members who have been impacted by O-Train breakdowns. The commission, which was created by the province late last year, has a mandate to investigate the procurement background of the current light rail system in Ottawa, to determine what led to its infamous technical issues. ...

Photo: “Alone” by Derek Mellon, from the OttawaStart Flickr Group. Corrections or suggestions for this list? Please email feedback@ottawastart.com. Monday, May 23, 2022 is a stat holiday in Ontario and Quebec. Groceries & Beer & Shopping: Most grocery stores & retail outlets in Ontario are closed on Monday. ...

Safer Roads Ottawa’s new public awareness campaign addresses a key fact: Ottawa sees too many fatal collisions on its rural roadways. The campaign focuses the drivers’ attention on obeying speed limits and watching for potential hazards on rural roads – ranging from sudden curves to crossing wildlife. ...

Recognizing the generosity of Canadians in times of need, Canada Post has issued a semi-postal fundraising stamp to provide customers and collectors with a way to support the people of Ukraine and the escalating humanitarian crisis. “It’s with deep concern and compassion that Canadians have watched the devastating events unfolding in Ukraine, which have displaced millions of families,” says Canada Post President and CEO Doug Ettinger. ...

Rideau-Vanier councillor Mathieu Fleury says he will not seek re-election in this year’s municipal election, nor will he run for mayor. Fleury tweeted the decision on Tuesday morning, including a YouTube video with more information. “As a 24-year-old diving into municipal politics, I simply wanted to be involved, I simply wanted to make a difference in our community,” he says in the video. ...

Melnyk (via Ottawa Senators) Eugene Melnyk, the billionaire owner of the Ottawa Senators, passed away on Monday, the team announced. He was 62. “It is with great sadness that the family of Eugene Melnyk and the Ottawa Senators hockey organization announce his passing on March 28, 2022 after an illness he faced with determination and courage,” said a release from the team. ...

Photo via Unsplash As Ontario masking rules are dropped (save a few settings, such as transit), Ottawa Public Health still says they are a good idea. “Ottawa Public Health continues to strongly recommend mask use for people at risk for severe illness and for everyone to consider masking in indoor settings when physical distancing may be difficult,” says a March 17 statement by Dr. ...

“If there is love, it is because this alone has kept me alive.” - Claude Cahun A pair of queer Jewish lovers flee the fascism of WWII and find resistance buried deep in their respective artforms in Sarah Waisvisz’s Heartlines. Last seen on stages during the sold-out premiere at Undercurrents in 2020, this re-worked and re-imagined production of Heartlines – A Calalou/RAFT Theatre Projects Production, presented by TACTICS for their 2022 Mainstage Series in association with Great Canadian Theatre Company (GCTC) – opens on the GCTC stage March 22nd, 2022. ...

As the snow starts to melt, you might notice a winter’s worth of litter scattered around the city. Twice a year, thousands of residents help keep our community spaces clean and green through Cleaning the Capital and you can join them by registering for the spring 2022 campaign! ...