Cyclists enjoying a spring day. Photo via Farah Khan. A few things across our news desk lately… Future of Ontario’s gas-fired power plants The Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) has begun thinking about what a phase-out of gas-fired electricity generation in Ontario will look like, when it happens. ...

Additional vaccination appointments will be opening on Sunday, May 23 at 8 am. In addition, youth aged 12 and over in Ottawa can begin booking appointments on Sunday to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at community clinics. To book an appointment online, these individuals must already be 12 years old as of the date of their booking. ...

Splash pads will be open in Ottawa for the May Long Weekend after all. The province had initially decided they would only open later into June, but pushback from local officials swayed the Ford government to change its mind and permit their opening as of Friday instead. ...

(Via Ottawa Humane Society) High temperatures forecasted for Ottawa this week pose a great danger to pets left alone in cars, warns the Ottawa Humane Society (OHS). “Dogs die in hot cars,” said Bruce Roney, OHS President & CEO. “Temperatures in vehicles rise extremely quickly — even with windows open. ...

(Via Ottawa Public Library) Ottawa Public Library has put in place safe access to printing, WiFi and computers, during the current provincial stay-at-home order, to help address the disparity in access to technology in our community. As one of the largest providers of public computing in Ottawa, the Library is a lifeline for printing and internet for many. ...

Photo: The ByWard Market in 2019, from atop the Andaz hotel. Photo by Devyn Barrie. The Ottawa Citizen published a really strange op-ed by a Kerry-Lynne Wilson about the ByWard Market over the weekend that left quite a few people upset and, perhaps, confused. ...

Fresh farmers produce at a stall in the Byward Market, early on a Sunday morning. Photo by Jamie McCaffrey via the OttawaStart Flickr Pool. The oldest food market in Ottawa – and one of the oldest in Canada – is the historic Byward Market, established in 1826 by Lt-Col. ...

(Via Government of Ontario) As the pace of Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout continues to accelerate with 2.2 million doses scheduled to arrive this week, the government is extending booking eligibility at mass immunization clinics to individuals aged 18 and over. This high number of doses is due to an early delivery of the week of May 24 shipment, to accommodate the long weekend, and is an opportunity for the province to offer an appointment to receive the vaccine to more Ontarians ahead of schedule. ...

(Via Government of Ontario) With the new, more contagious variants continuing to pose significant risks, the Ontario government, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, has extended the Stay-at-Home Order (O. Reg. 265/21) until at least June 2, 2021. ...

Adrian Harewood: the double-duty anchor of CBC Ottawa. (Photo via Chris Roussakis/Carleton University). (The following is a press release from Carleton University. In addition, Harewood said on Twitter that he will continue to be seen on CBC Ottawa, so fans needn’t worry. ...