File photo of downtown Ottawa. (Photo by Robbie Palmer of Unsplash)
Workers and tourists are slowly returning to downtown Ottawa, but a new study suggests activity remains at approximately half of pre-pandemic levels nearly three years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A study by the University of Toronto School of Cities and University of California, Berkeley finds activity in downtown Ottawa was 51 per cent of pre-pandemic levels in the fall. That's up from 48 per cent between March and May 2022.
According to the study, called "Death of Downtown?" Ottawa ranks 45th out of 62 cities in Canada and the United States for activity in the downtown core in the September to November period, and fifth out of 10 Canadian cities.
The study measures the level of economic and social activity in a downtown core using signals from cellphone towers. To measure the level of economic and social activity, researchers aggregated mobile phone trajectory data documenting the number of visits to places of interest.
Downtown Ottawa businesses are hoping for a boost this winter as federal civil servants begin to return to the office. As of Jan. 16, federal government employees are required to work two-to-three days a week in the office after two-and-a-half years of working from home.
Salt Lake City, Utah, has the highest return to the downtown of the 62 cities surveyed, at 135 per cent, followed by Bakersfield, California and Fresno, California.
San Francisco has the lowest return to the downtown, at 31 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.
"This research shows the downtowns throughout North America are recovering more slowly than the rest of the city, and that a distinct set of downtowns continue to struggle to return to pre-pandemic levels," the survey says, adding it may be time to "reinvent downtown" in large metro cities.
Researchers say factors "positively influencing recovery rates for downtowns" in the fall included lower commute times and the presence of economic sectors such as accommodation, food, health care and construction.
"To survive in the new era of remote work, downtowns will need to diversify their economic activity and land uses."
In Canada, London, Ont. has seen the highest rate of return to downtown in the country, with activity at 79 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. Halifax is second at 65 per cent, followed by Toronto at 53 per cent, Edmonton at 52 per cent and Quebec City at 51 per cent.
Winnipeg's downtown is at 48 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, followed by Vancouver's downtown at 47 per cent, Montreal at 46 per cent and Calgary is at 43 per cent.
A November report by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce said Ottawa has seen a 45 per cent drop in downtown traffic, with the capital ranking 49th out of 55 cities for workers commuting into the downtown core.
U.S. President Joe Biden has made it to Canada, as part of his first official visit since taking office. Alongside Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Biden will be meeting with top officials and addressing Parliament in an effort to reaffirm the strength of the Canada-U.S. relationship.
As Joe Biden makes his first trip to Canada as president of the United States, CTVNews.ca is offering live coverage of the leader's visit. Follow our live blog on CTVNews.ca and the CTV News app for the latest updates.
Sky-gazers and shutterbugs across much of Canada were treated to a spectacular display of northern lights Thursday night and into Friday morning.
W5 investigates aging asbestos pipes across Canada and the potential health hazards if it ends up in your tap water. Watch W5's 'Something in the Water' Saturday at 7 p.m. on CTV.
Ontario’s self-described crypto king was allegedly abducted, tortured, and beaten for days as his kidnappers looked to solicit millions in ransom, his father told a court in December.
Canada's restaurant industry is bracing for the biggest jump in the country's alcohol excise duty in more than 40 years, spurring warnings the tax hike could force some bars and restaurants out of business.
Pride nights, held annually for several years by National Hockey League teams to show support for the LGBTQ2S+ community, are in the spotlight following several high-profile incidents this season.
The idea of using firing squads is making a comeback in the U.S. Idaho lawmakers passed a bill this week seeking to add the state to the list of those authorizing firing squads, currently Mississippi, Utah, Oklahoma and South Carolina.
Hershey Co. is looking to reduce 'trace' amounts of lead and cadmium in its chocolate, chief financial officer Steve Voskiul told Reuters on Wednesday, after Consumer Reports found that some dark chocolate bars had potentially harmful levels of the heavy metals.
A mix of snow and rain that began Thursday morning and afternoon in the Maritimes has led to some messy road conditions in the region.
Police say a woman is in hospital following a shooting in west Saint John, N.B., early Friday morning and three suspects have been arrested.
The Tim Houston PC government remains firm in their promise they'll fix the health-care system by spending more taxpayer money on health than any previous government before.
Ontario’s self-described crypto king was allegedly abducted, tortured, and beaten for days as his kidnappers looked to solicit millions in ransom, his father told a court in December.
Toronto Coun. Josh Matlow broke council’s code of conduct by criticizing two public employees on Twitter before retaliating against one of them after she filed a complaint, the city’s integrity commissioner has found.
With fares set to increase in a matter of days, a new report has found that Torontonians are already paying more than residents in most other cities for transit when compared to average incomes.
Canada and the United States are negotiating a deal that could see asylum seekers turned back at irregular border crossings across the border, including Roxham Road in Quebec.
For the first time, the owner of a building in Old Montreal has responded to questions about the fire — through his lawyer — addressing allegations that the building was unsafe.
Spring has come and with the annual appearance of flowers, leafy folliage and orange cones in construction zones. Those planning on driving in and around Montreal on the weekend should not that work on highways 13 and 15 and in the Saint-Pierre Interchange will result in road closures. These and the other following areas are best to be avoided.
CTV News has learned an Ontario Provincial Police sergeant with 22 years of service has been charged in Sudbury with criminal harassment.
Ontario’s self-described crypto king was allegedly abducted, tortured, and beaten for days as his kidnappers looked to solicit millions in ransom, his father told a court in December.
North Bay police say they are looking for two men last seen in the downtown area and are asking the public for help in finding them.
A St. Catherines man has been charged after a reported robbery in London. Around 6:45 p.m. on Thursday, police were called to the parking lot at Cherryhill Village Mallon Oxford Street after witnesses reported that a man with a knife was demanding items from another man.
A woman is in hospital with critical injuries after an overnight house fire in north London. Crews were called to the scene on Adelaide Street near Dufferin Avenue around 1:20 a.m.
A special weather statement is in effect for all of southern Ontario, including London-Middlesex, Huron-Perth, Sarnia-Lambton and Oxford-Brant.
Manitoba’s labour force is growing at a rate to supply enough workers for available positions into 2026, according to the province’s labour market outlook.
Manitoba First Nation police have arrested a man connected with a shooting on March 19 on Long Plain First Nation that resulted in the community going on lockdown.
A man from Winnipeg is running across Canada in an effort to raise money for cancer research.
The ‘Catch the Ace’ jackpot is still up for grabs in Hagersville. There was no winner Thursday night so the total prize money is now an estimated $1,526,067.
Ontario’s self-described crypto king was allegedly abducted, tortured, and beaten for days as his kidnappers looked to solicit millions in ransom, his father told a court in December.
The resurrection of Zellers is officially underway with the Cambridge location opening its doors to eager shoppers who lined up ahead of the store's official reopening.
With Calgary Board of Education students set to kick off spring break once the final bell rings Friday afternoon, some Calgarians are eager to leave the country in pursuit of warmer weather with their families.
The City of Chestermere staff member charged with assaulting another staff member entered a not guilty plea.
U.S. President Joe Biden has made it to Canada, as part of his first official visit since taking office. Alongside Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Biden will be meeting with top officials and addressing Parliament in an effort to reaffirm the strength of the Canada-U.S. relationship.
An alleged victim of a former staff member of Legacy Christian Academy can now be identified after she successfully petitioned in court to have a publication ban lifted.
In the weeks leading up to Wednesday’s provincial budget, school divisions in Saskatchewan were expecting funding levels to increase, with the province repeatedly touting its $1 billion surplus.
Closing arguments are set for next week in the first-degree murder case of a man accused of killing his girlfriend.
The Alberta Energy Regulator has cited an energy company for causing a series of earthquakes, including the largest recorded tremblor in the province's history.
Canada's restaurant industry is bracing for the biggest jump in the country's alcohol excise duty in more than 40 years, spurring warnings the tax hike could force some bars and restaurants out of business.
More than $30 million will be spent over the next three years supporting apprenticeship and learning opportunities in skilled trades, the Alberta government is set to announce on Friday.
A Kamloops, B.C., woman's disappearance is now being treated as a homicide case, according to an update from police Thursday.
U.S. President Joe Biden has made it to Canada, as part of his first official visit since taking office. Alongside Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Biden will be meeting with top officials and addressing Parliament in an effort to reaffirm the strength of the Canada-U.S. relationship.
A series of ancient landslides have been “reawakened” in British Columbia's Cariboo region, costing hundreds of millions in federal disaster assistance funds and prompting warnings that logging is connected to the problem.
Two cars that have become a curiosity in Regina's north end are slowly emerging from a massive pile of snow as the spring thaw starts in the Prairies.
Many residents across Saskatchewan had a prominent view of the Aurora Borealis also known as the Northern Lights Thursday night and Friday morning and are sharing the pictures they captured with CTV News.
The Mayor of Regina calls tourism slogans that were rolled out as part of a rebrand last week “sexist” and “wrong.”
