An OC Transpo bus downtown. (Photo via Shankar S. Used under a Creative Commons license.) (Via OC Transpo) Spring changes to OC Transpo service begin on Sunday, April 18. OC Transpo will roll into the season with the expansion of Rack & Roll to its entire bus network, further adjustments will be introduced due to the ongoing pandemic, and new detours will accommodate construction projects. ...

The city won’t pursue a uniform 8 p.m. closing time for its parks, but “certain problematic parks” could be closed by 9 p.m. or earlier if the local councillor approves. The idea of an early closing time came from Mayor Jim Watson, in response to recent problems at parks such as large gatherings, public drinking, and littering. ...

Photo: Residents enjoy cycling in May, 2020. Photo by Farah Kahn/OttawaStart.com. In addition to the existing weekends-only closure of the Queen Elizabeth Driveway, the National Capital Commission will now close the Sir John A. MacDonald and Sir George-Étienne Cartier Parkways to cars this weekend to enable active use. ...

The City of Ottawa would like to remind residents of the following schedule changes for the Easter holiday, from Friday, April 2 to Monday, April 5. Client services Client service centres, including the Government Service Centre at 110 Laurier Avenue West and the service centre at Ben Franklin Place, 101 Centrepointe Drive, will be closed. ...

Lindt by Gamachephoto, from the OttawaStart Flickr Group Here’s what’s open and closed on Easter Weekend 2021 in Ottawa. Good Friday is on April 2, 2021. It’s a statutory holiday in Canada so just about all businesses are closed. Saturday is business as usual, notwithstanding any temporary changes due to COVID-19. ...

The City of Ottawa’s 2021 Cleaning the Capital Program returns for the spring campaign, from April 15 to May 15. Registration has begun. Registering is quick and easy**:** Visit ottawa.ca/clean or call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401) to register your cleanup. Our interactive map will show you which locations have already been claimed, and our online registration form will allow you to choose your own project site and indicate the cleanup supplies that you need. ...

That’s one way to interpret this message. This photo of a board on Wellington was posted to Ottawa Reddit this week by u/Meduxnekeag. I’d say the warning has fallen on deaf ears.

Photo: Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson (Devyn Barrie/OttawaStart.com) Ottawa’s police chief says the service’s Hate Crimes unit will investigate after homophobic graffiti was found near Mayor Jim Watson’s home on Sunday. Peter Sloly announced the investigation on Twitter, adding that such incidents should always be reported to police so they can be investigated and prosecuted. ...

The goddess Mut (“Mother”), wife of the Sun god Amun-Ra. One of the queens featured in this exhibition, Nefertari, was called the “beloved of Mut.” On the back of this statue, the donor prays to the rising sun, represented by the scarab-beetle god Khepri. ...

March 11, 2021 marks one year since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. The Government of Canada is designating March 11 as a National Day of Observance to commemorate the people who lost their lives and the significant impacts felt because of COVID-19. ...