_ (press release) _ Construction began this week on Ottawa’s first animal housing area in a women’s shelter. ** Interval House of Ottawa (IHO) ** , the city’s oldest shelter for women and children fleeing intimate partner violence, is renovating so they can accept pets, keeping families together and reducing abuse victims’ trauma. ...

_ North Gower rescue venturing to help rural landowners with skyrocketing cat populations _ _ (press release) _ For the last three years, ** Sandi Lawson ** has dedicated her life to rehabilitating and rehoming feral cats and kittens in the rural Ottawa area. ...

[caption id=“attachment_85287” align=“aligncenter” width=“1000”] The Rideau Canal in early February 2017. (Devyn Barrie/OttawaStart.com)[/caption] _ (Via NCC) _ ** Canada’s Capital Region - ** The Rideau Canal Skateway is officially closed for the season. Our team inspected the ice conditions today and observed that the mild weather and the precipitations in Canada’s Capital Region over the last days have deteriorated the Rideau Canal Skateway’s ice faster than expected, to the extent that it will not be possible to repair it for skating this year. ...

The old Carlingwood Sears on Feb. 14, 2018. (Devyn Barrie/OttawaStart.com) A passerby at Carlingwood Mall as late as last week may be forgiven for thinking the Sears there was still open, as the blue lettering remained intact on the abandoned department store. ...

** Ottawa’s biggest & most popular parenting & kids show in the National Capital Region! ** The Ottawa Parent & Child Expo is one of the best values for family fun, learning, and entertainment in Ottawa. There are 125 local exhibitors, lots of play zones and all main stage entertainment free, activities, free show bags for the first 1,500 families, and free parking – it’s excellent value! ...

Posted today by Paul Dewar on Facebook : _ Dear friends, _ _ I have some news to share. _ _ On January 26th, I went for a 36 km skate on our beloved Rideau Canal. The following days I experienced some discomfort in my left arm, which I attributed to my skating. ...

Retro Rx: The Civic Pharmacy sign, on the corner of Carling and Holland. Photo by Robert Metzger. (Via Andrew King’s blog, Ottawa Rewind) All too often I use this blog to lament over the loss of Ottawa’s classic old signs, a trend that seems to have now finally been swayed in the other direction. ...

_ (Via RBC Ottawa Bluesfest) _ OTTAWA, February 13, 2017—RBC Bluesfest organizers today announced the initial line-up for the 2018 edition of the festival. Confirmed acts to date include: _ Foo Fighters; Dave Matthews Band; Shawn Mendes; Bryan Adams; Beck; Rae Sremmurd; Sturgill Simpson; Rise Against; Brett Eldredge; Three Days Grace; Jethro Tull; Zeds Dead; Jessie Reyez; The War On Drugs; Courtney Barnett; BROCKHAMPTON; Chromeo; Colin James; St. ...

_ (Via City of Ottawa) _ ** Ottawa ** – Mayor Jim Watson, Councillor Jeff Leiper, and members of the music industry celebrated Ottawa’s vibrant music community today at the Sonicity Showcase.  In association with Megaphono , Ottawa’s annual music industry festival and conference, the Sonicity Showcase featured a preview of the Ottawa Music Strategy and officially launched Sonicity , a mobile app that offers immersive original soundtracks, composed by local musicians, for seven bus routes on the OC Transpo system. ...

_ ( ** EDITOR’S NOTE: ** We originally published this article on Sept. 19, 2016 after the original design for the Château Laurier expansion was revealed. In light of a revised design , we’ve decided to re-post with a few updates. ...