OTTAWA -- A devastating blaze in Manotick, a tax-break for a luxury car dealership, and Kanata's own angry bird.
CTVNewsOttawa.ca takes a look at the top five most viewed stories on our website this week.
120 cows killed in $2 million fire that destroyed a barn near Manotick
A tragic fire in Manotick led to the deaths of 120 cows on Thursday.
Neighbours rushed to the scene Thursday evening to try and rescue calves from their shelters near the barn and were able to save eight of them.
It took firefighters more than eight hours to extinguish the blaze.
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help the owners of the family-run farm.
The fire did an estimated $2 million in damage.
Splash pads allowed to reopen after parental pushback
The Ontario government allowed splash pads to stay open this weekend, after saying they would be forced to close under the province's reopening plan.
The province said Thursday that splash pads would not be allowed to open until mid-June. However, that decision was quickly reversed after backlash from parents and several Ontario mayors, including Ottawa mayor Jim Watson.
There are 145 splash pads in Ottawa, all but eight of which were scheduled to open. The remaining eight have damage or maintenance issues that will be addressed.
Eugene Melnyk muses about building an arena in Gatineau
Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk says he’s considering building a new arena for his NHL team across the Ottawa River in Gatineau, but would prefer the team stay in Kanata.
Speaking on "The Bob McCown Podcast," Melnyk said his preference is to build a new arena on the 70 acres of land he owns around the Canadian Tire Centre, but also mused about building a new arena in Quebec.
The Canadian Tire Centre opened in 1996. Melnyk says the Senators will need a new arena in five to 10 years. He said he recently spent $11 million on a new HVAC system at the CTC to clear the air better due to COVID-19.
Melnyk ruled out building a new arena at LeBreton Flats as the National Capital Commission begins to develop the land west of downtown Ottawa. Melnyk and Trinity Development Group had proposed the RendezVous LeBreton development in 2016, but that partnership fell apart.
Finance committee greenlights $2.9 million tax break for Porsche dealership in Vanier
The City of Ottawa's finance and economic development committee (FEDCo) gave the green light to a $2.9 million grant to build a new "world class" Porsche dealership at the corner of Montreal Road and St. Laurent Boulevard.
The grant, provided through the city's Community Improvement Plan, would be delivered in the form of an annual tax break over 10 years of up to $2.9 million, provided that development proceeds, raising the site's property tax bill to more than $355,000 per year. The city says the grant would create a net gain for city coffers of nearly a million dollars.
Several delegations who spoke to the committee opposed the project, arguing that it would not be the right fit for the area or that a luxury car dealership is not the kind of place that would see regular repeat business, but the proposal passed unanimously at FEDCo on Tuesday.
Councillors Catherine McKenney and Shawn Menard launched a petition opposing the grant, titled "No tax breaks for Porsche."
The grant must still be voted on at full city council this coming Wednesday.
Beware of Pete: Kanata's very own angry bird
A bird that makes its territory along a Kanata walking path has literally earned a name for himself as he swoops down to attack anyone who dares come near.
The path in Kanata's Trailwest neighbourhood is home to "Pete", a very territorial red-winged blackbird.
For years, Pete has been attacking anyone who gets in his way. Residents have even put up signs warning people to "Beware of Pete the bird."
Experts say the attacks are most likely due to a nest nearby that Pete is protecting and the swooping will likely end as babies leave the nest in the summer.
In the meantime, one expert suggests an umbrella might be handy to ward off the angry bird.
