A duct tape prom dress makes a splash, the debate about a cat curfew, and crushing COVID-19: Top five stories in Ottawa this week

OTTAWA -

A beautiful dress made from a material you'd least expect, crushing COVID-19 in Ottawa, and a major rager in Kingston.

CTVNewsOttawa.ca takes a look at the top five stories on our website this week.

Ottawa teen creates prom dress out of duct tape

A 15-year-old girl from Ottawa is a finalist in a contest to win a $10,000 scholarship with her elaborate dress made entirely out of duct tape.

Erika Avellaneda made it to the top five of the Stuck at Prom Scholarship Contest, put on by Duck Brand duct tape.

The dress is made of roughly $100 worth of duct tape, 17 rolls, and it weighs about six pounds. It took roughly 143 hours to put together.

Erika Avellaneda showing off her incredible duct tape dress. Avellaneda is a finalist in a contest to win a $10,000 scholarship. (Dave Charbonneau / CTV News Ottawa)

A life cut short in a tragic shooting

A 20-year-old Ottawa man, whose family moved to Canada from Burundi to find peace just a few years ago, as killed this week in a late night shooting at a school basketball court.

Tyson Ndongozi was just 20 years old when he died of gunshot wounds Sunday.

The community came together Tuesday to hold a vigil for the 20-year-old, who was described as a "gentle giant."

Police have not announced any arrests or charges in Ndongozi's killing and continue to search for suspects.

An online fundraiser has been created to help cover funeral costs.

L. Ndongozi Nkuzimana, a.k.a. Tyson Loris, 20, died after being shot Sunday, July 4, in Lowertown. (Supplied)

Humane Society president wants a 24-hour cat curfew in Ottawa

The President and CEO of the Ottawa Humane Society wants to see a 24-hour "cat curfew" in the city.

A municipality in Melbourne, Australia is launching new rules in October that would require cat owners to keep their cats on their property at all times or face fines.

Bruce Roney says a similar rule in Ottawa would protect not only cats—who face a number of dangers outdoors, such as disease, parasites, predators, and cars—but would also protect other small birds and animals that are regularly killed by pet cats.

Any rules restricting pets would need to be passed by city council. Roney said an attempt was made more than a decade ago but it as unsuccessful. He expects, once the pandemic is no longer the main preoccupation at city hall, that another attempt to restrict the movement of cats could be brought to council.

Photo by Sander Dewerte on Unsplash.

Ottawa bucks pandemic trends

Recent statistics have shown Ottawa's COVID-19 caseload is well below where it has been throughout the pandemic and even following past waves.

With fewer than 40 active cases as of Friday, Ottawa's level of COVID-19 is the lowest it has been since March 2020, when the pandemic began. Typically, following a spike in cases, the number of active cases falls back down but finds a "floor" that's a bit higher than last time, suggesting there is more COVID-19 in the community that isn’t going away.

This past wave, however, differs because of the widespread availability of vaccines. There is a strong correlation between the uptake in vaccination and the ever-declining case numbers.

A patron drinks a beverage at a patio in the ByWard Market in Ottawa, as patios open in Ontario's first phase of re-opening amidst the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, on Saturday, June 12, 2021. (Justin Tang/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Huge party in Kingston busted up by cops, three facing steep fines for organizing

Kingston police broke up a major party in the city's university district over the Canada Day weekend, responding to about 300 people gathering on Aberdeen Street last Saturday and Sunday.

The gathering was well in excess of Ontario's gathering limits under Step 2 of the government's reopening plan.

Three people, all Queen's University Students, are accused of organizing the shindig and could face fines of between $10,000 and $100,000 if convicted. The university says the students could also face discipline under the student code of conduct.

Hundreds of people were seen at a block party on Aberdeen Street in Kingston, Ont. between July 3 and 4, 2021. Three people are charged with organizing the gathering. Kingston police are asking for the public's help identifying partygoers. (Source: Dominic Christian Owens)