Photo: The O-Train in testing during winter 2019. Train roofs on Line 1 will see improved cleaning after an accumulation of filth on them caused a power issue that held two trains up on New Year’s Eve. Ken Woods, who works in OC Transpo’s train control room, tweeted that trains have been getting pulled off the line and into the maintenance yard for chemical-based cleaning on their roof. ...

“New Flyer” Photo by Justin S. Campbell, via Flickr. (Used under a Creative Commons License.) OC Transpo’s winter service starts on Sunday, January 5 and includes schedule changes and improvements to bus service. Visit octranspo.com and use the Travel Planner to see if your regular trips will change. ...

A screengrab of the Citizen’s HQ from Google Street View. Happy birthday to the Ottawa Citizen, which turns 175 this year! The Ottawa Citizen started out as The Packet in March 1845 and was renamed to The Ottawa Citizen in 1851. ...

Photo by James Sutton via Unsplash Here are some numbers to keep handy on New Year’s Eve. Please share!

Ottawa was obsessed with trains in 2019. In 2019, Ottawa was obsessed with transit. We went into 2019 knowing the Confederation Line project was not going well and that it would be late. But who knew things would wind up the way they did? ...

A young girl on the shoulders of her dad takes a photo with an iPhone of a chaotic scene on Sparks Street. Photo by David Johnson via the OttawaStart Flickr pool. How do you want to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Ottawa? ...

“New Flyer” Photo by Justin S. Campbell, via Flickr. (Used under a Creative Commons License.) Here’s some information from the City of Ottawa about OC Transpo’s holiday schedule. For more information on schedule changes to city services, including garbage and recycling, parking and recreation, here’s a press release. ...

A sign advertising the forthcoming new GoodLife gym at Hazeldean Mall. (Supplied) (Via Regional Group) Regional Group of Companies (“Regional Group”) and GoodLife Fitness (“GoodLife”) are pleased to announce the arrival of Ottawa’s newest fitness centre at Hazeldean Mall, Kanata. ...

Looking for the perfect Ottawa gift this Christmas? Here are some ideas. Decommissioned Ottawa street signs You really can’t beat the uniqueness of this gift. At the low, low price of just $10 you can gift someone a genuine piece of Ottawa history. ...

Take-home frozen Targ perogies became available in October. (House of Targ/Instagram) This was news to me, via the Targ’s monthly zine that I picked up when I was there this weekend: “We are very excited to announce that frozen perogi packs are now being offered. ...