[  ](http://ottawastart.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/gatineau-balloons.jpg) Some of the cool balloons at the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival. Photo by [ Jean Labelle ](http://www.labellephoto.com/?p=426) . [  ](http://ottawastart.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/weekly-event-roundup250.gif) _ Welcome this week to our newest contributor, Jean Labelle. ...

[ ](http://ottawastart.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/savana.png) You might have heard that Ottawa’s delicious Savana Cafe has closed their doors after 24 years on Gilmour Street. If you were a fan of Savana, maybe you’d like a souvenir? _ "Restaurant closing sale 431 Gilmour street. ...

We’ve featured some interesting Ottawa maps in the past but I’m hoping to make this a more regular feature on the OttawaStart Blog. Here’s a map showing nut trees in the Dominion Arboretum near Dow’s Lake (part of the map is reproduced below). ...

Irene looked beautiful in Ottawa last night – I saw dozens of sky photos posted to Twitter from folks in Ottawa. Check out this video from Chris Rouffer , taken last night as the sun went down. There are three different videos in the clip below - each taken within minutes of eachother - from Canaan Road, Sarsfield Road and Dunning Road just east of Ottawa. ...

[ ](http://ottawastart.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/weekly-event-roundup250.gif) ** Josee from Frugal Fun Ottawa : ** ** TOURS: ** Friday is the final day for this season’s ** free tours of the NAC ** . Tours start at 11 am and 1:30 pm and depart from the main lobby. ...

[  ](http://ottawastart.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/IMG_1572.jpg) Photo by [ Glen Gower ](http://about.me/glengower) The next time your neighbour wakes you up on a weekend morning with some early morning lawn mowing, you can politely inform him (or her) of [ City of Ottawa Noise By-law number 2004-253 ](http://www. ...

[ ](http://ottawastart.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/suv.jpg) _ Kanata _ - The Kiley family is thanking their over-sized Lincoln Mastodon SUV after encountering some unexpected road construction on their way back from Montana's Grill in the Centrum Mall Monday evening. The family of four, who have lived in the suburb of Kanata since 2009, were taken by surprise by some unforeseen road construction on Terry Fox Drive which resulted in the substantially large SUV having to navigate some treacherous road conditions. ...

Received this note and some photos the other week from one of our readers, Lynn: _ Yesterday we were at a birthday party at the Oz Dome, and indoor soccer field in Carp. Next to the Oz Dome is a company called Oz Optics. ...

Thanks to Chris Griffin who sent along these shots he captured of the lights at the Midway Magic event at Ottawa Stadium. Midway Magic is promoting the event as an alternative to Super Ex, and continues at the Ottawa Stadium until August 28. ...

[  ](http://ottawastart.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Layton_2011.jpg) _ _ ** ** ** ** ** _ Illustration by [ Colin White ](http://www.colinwhitestudio.com/) , republished here by permission. [ Read more about the sketch here. ](http://www.colinwhitestudio.com/blogs/jack-layton-thoughts-metcalfe-street-midnight) _ ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ...