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One of the new Stadler FLIRT vehicles at Carleton Station, along line 2. Photo via the OC Transpo website. There was a lot of speculation over the past few months about whether the new extensions to the LRT system would be delayed further, but it seems the delays are over and the city is finally ready to launch on January 6. ...

Photo: An LCBO store As the province-wide LCBO strike continues, many Ottawa residents are turning to alternative vendors for alcoholic beverages. The province has released an interactive map with a huge variety of choices - all the brew pubs, grocery stores, cideries, distilleries, etc in Ottawa that are open and sell beverages you can take home. ...

(Via NCC) The National Capital Commission (NCC) is excited to announce that it has signed an offer to lease agreement with Live Nation Canada, a global entertainment leader, for the operation of a live music and entertainment venue at 47–57 Rideau, the former Chapters bookstore site. ...

Photo: Ottawa’s new nightlife commissioner, Mathieu Grondin (via City of Ottawa). The long-awaited reveal of Ottawa’s new nightlife commissioner came this week. At a press conference on Tuesday, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe introduced Mathieu Grondin as the top nightlife bureaucrat. Grondin is from Montreal, where he headed MTL 24/24, an organization for nightlife development in that city. ...

Photo: An O-Train at St-Laurent station. CBC’s Ottawa Morning had an interesting segment on Thursday about the situation with the ceiling at the St-Laurent O-Train Station. The station re-opened on Wednesday. Officials had closed it for a few days to passengers after an inspection found evidence of corrosion in the concrete roof slab in the station tunnel, which predates the LRT. ...

Photo: The Ontario Legislature at Queen’s Park. Via Flickr/used under a creative commons licence. (Via Province of Ontario) The Ontario government is cracking down on auto theft by introducing legislation that, if passed, would suspend driver’s licences for people convicted of the crime. ...

Photo by Derrick Simpson (Via Stage 2 O-Train project) As part of the Stage 2 O-Train Light Rail Transit (LRT) project, Richmond Road will be fully closed to traffic travelling between McEwen Avenue and New Orchard Avenue for the pouring of concrete. ...

(Via Ottawa Bluesfest) Ottawa Bluesfest organizers are happy to be celebrating their 30th anniversary this summer, and today announced a star-studded lineup worthy of the occasion. Headliners on the RBC Stage include (July 4) – Mother Mother; (July 5) – Nickelback; (July 6) – 50 Cent; (July 7) – Maroon 5; (July 10) – Zac Brown Band; (July 11) – Neil Young Crazy Horse; (July 12) – Tyler Childers; (July 13) – Mötley Crüe; and (July 14) – Nas. ...

First day of the Rideau Canal skating season (2015). Photo by James Peltzer via the OttawaStart Flickr pool. After just 10 days in total of skating, with plenty of interruptions due to poor ice condition and warm weather, the Rideau Canal Skateway is closed for the season. ...

Photo: Ottawa O-Train leaving St.Laurent Station tunnel. (via Saboteurest/Wikimedia Commons, used under a Creative Commons license.) Like most things with OC Transpo, it seems Christmas came late for O-Train riders, but did eventually show up nonetheless. OC Transpo announced last week that, as of Monday, January 8, the fragile light rail system will provide exclusively double-car service like it was designed to do. ...