The City of Ottawa is served by a confusing array of police forces. The general city is patrolled by Ottawa police. The highways by OPP. And on federal lands, such as Parliament Hill or anything owned by the National Capital Commission, it’s the RCMP (plus military police who congregate around military or National Defence buildings. ...

[caption id=“attachment_66517” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”] Taking a dip in Andrew Haydon Park in October, 2016. (Devyn Barrie/OttawaStart.com)[/caption] Katherine Forster over at _ Wild Here _ has a list out of all the nature organizations in Ottawa with volunteering opportunities. Great timing, with Earth Day on Saturday, April 22. ...

[caption id=“attachment_66477” align=“aligncenter” width=“1920”] Screengrab from the Parliament Hill cam showing a blanket of smoke during the annual April 20 marijuana demonstration, around 4:20 p.m.[/caption] Things moved slowly on Parliament Hill Thursday – and not just because the House of Commons is adjourned until May 1. ...

General adjustments to OC Transpo, including schedule changes, will primarily affect west end transit users starting April 23. Several routes, including major crosstown lines such as 96 and 118, will be renumbered. [caption id=“attachment_62943” align=“aligncenter” width=“300”] New route numbers come into effect April 23. ...

[caption id=“attachment_66165” align=“aligncenter” width=“5760”] The NAC is launching an ambitious ballet to celebrate Canada 150, involving the work of three choreographers and three composers. The Alberta Ballet, one of the companies involved, rehearses. (Alberta Ballet via NAC)[/caption] For Cathy Levy, executive producer of dance at the NAC, 2017 seemed like a perfect time to think big. ...

[caption id=“attachment_65587” align=“aligncenter” width=“1038”] (Aaron Toth/ Flickr )[/caption] And you thought your property tax bill was high… Somebody was asking the other day in a local Facebook group how much the Senators pay in property tax is each year, and how much of that goes to Stittsville. ...

Jane’s Walk is a festival of free neighbourhood walking tours given by locals who care passionately about where they live, work and play. It is a pedestrian-focused event that improves urban literacy by offering insights into local history, planning, design, and civic engagement through the simple act of walking and observing. ...

_ (Via Ottawa Police) _ (Ottawa)-The Ottawa Police Service Criminal Investigations Section has received numerous public complaints about threatening letters received by mail at their home address. In most cases, the hand written address on the envelope is specifically naming one of the residents. ...

_ (Via Ottawa Fire) _ ** Ottawa ** – Ottawa Fire Services is placing a city-wide fire ban into effect immediately to prevent the rapid spread of fire due to grass and brush fires. This ban will remain in place until conditions improve and the green grass starts to show through dead tall grass. ...

Malala Yousafzai, UN messenger of peace and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, will be in Ottawa on Wednesday to receive her honorary Canadian citizenship in Parliament. [caption id=“attachment_65355” align=“alignright” width=“314”] Malala Yousafzai, 19, will be in Ottawa on Wednesday to address Parliament. ...