Artist’s rendering of a finished St-Laurent Station. (via ligneconfederationline.ca) Over the past few days I’ve been skimming the framing report for Ottawa’s new official plan — Ottawa Next: Beyond 2036. It was presented to the planning committee in mid-February and contains the city’s evaluation of the forces that will change Ottawa in the coming century. ...

Toodles. (Photo by Devyn Barrie) It’s been over a year since the Carlingwood Sears closed, along with every other store in the bankrupted chain. Now, it’s finally being demolished to make way for something new. The owners of the Carlingwood Mall applied to tear down the huge old store in August last year. ...

Elgin Street sign. Photo/City of Ottawa Beginning on Monday, April 1, the southbound lane on Elgin Street from Laurier Avenue to Somerset Street will close, completing the full closure of Elgin Street from Laurier Avenue to Catherine Street. Elgin Street is currently undergoing construction from Gloucester Street to Isabella Street. ...

Recent photo of coupled train testing on the Confederation Line, via City of Ottawa rail office. A controversy over the Trillium Line extension contract involving SNC-Lavalin, the province commits $1.2 billion for Stage 2 work, while train testing picks up. Here’s a summary of the week in LRT. ...

“Old and New” on Sparks Street. (Photo by Marcel Regimbald via the OttawaStart Flickr pool) Mayor Jim Watson, Tobi Nussbaum, CEO, National Capital Commission, and Councillor Catherine McKenney today joined City staff for an update on the Sparks Street Public Realm Plan. ...

The Peace Tower seen from the National Gallery. (Photo/file) Ottawa is a great city for volunteering. Ask almost anyone and they’ll agree our communities love to give back. If you’re looking to get involved, here’s three open opportunities that recently came across our newsdesk… ...

Artist’s rendering of a finished St-Laurent Station. (via ligneconfederationline.ca) Mayor Jim Watson thinks the Confederation Line will be ready before the end of Q2, he told CTV Ottawa on Tuesday. Watson was being interviewed about the federal budget when Graham Richardson asked him about LRT. ...

“New Flyer” Photo by Justin S. Campbell, via Flickr. (Used under a Creative Commons License.) On Transit Driver Appreciation Day, a simple “thank you” goes a long way. But timbits are certainly welcome, too. Team 263, the Stittsville cabal of bus riders who, in their own words, “sit at the back of the (#263) bus and make a lot of noise,” offered their driver Rosy the doughey delights during an 8 a. ...

James Hendricks giving a report in 2002 on The New RO. James Hendricks was remembered by former colleagues and friends as someone who was really smart and had a broad sense of humour. Hendricks passed away in Kingston in January at 57, after working as a journalist and broadcaster throughout his life, including for some time in Ottawa. ...

Apartments near Hurdman Station. (Photo/Devyn Barrie) Land around Ottawa’s major transit hubs has a lot of room for more residential density, according to an analysis by researchers at Ryerson University Centre for Urban Research & Land Development. The housing industry-funded policy report, released last week, examined 200 major transit centres in Ontario and comes with the declaration: “Transit Nodes in Ontario Have Untapped Development Potential. ...