An Ottawa high school discusses updating the dress code and a Royal visit to the capital: Five stories to watch this week

Students protest a so-called dress code "blitz" at Beatrice-Desloges Catholic High School in Orléans on Friday afternoon.

An Ottawa French Catholic high school begins meetings to update the dress code, construction season ramps up in Ottawa and Prince Charles and Camilla visit the capital.

CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at five stories to watch this week.

Revising the dress code

Ottawa's French Catholic School Board says meetings will be held this week with students at Béatrice-Desloges high school to review the dress code, after students and parents expressed outrage at a dress-code blitz.

Students held a protest on Friday after the principal and senior staff conducted a dress code 'blitz' one-day earlier to enforce the school's dress code. Students said the class-to-class enforcement left them feeling degraded and humiliated.

On Saturday, the director of education for the Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est apologized to students for the dress-code check, adding it was unacceptable.

"This dress code verification strategy is not encouraged by the CECCE and is not acceptable," Marc Bertrand wrote. "All students must absolutely be treated with dignity and respect. No student should be subject to such a check of his or her clothing and even less to be challenged in front of his or her peers. The strategy employed by the school last Thursday unfortunately does not reflect these values, which are very dear to the CECCE."

A board superintendent told parents that starting this week, meetings will be organized with students to review "certain elements specific to the dress code" in a bid to update it to reflect "changing expectations."

Jason Dupuis told Newstalk 580 CFRA the board will work with the students to make some changes to bring the dress code to "be in line with fashion of 2022."

Students at Béatrice-Desloges high school are planning to hold a second protest on Tuesday.

Ontario election debate

Ontario's four main party leaders will debate the issues Monday night in the television election debate.

Green Party leader Mike Schreiner, Liberal leader Steven Del Duca, NDP leader Andrea Horwath and Progressive Conservative leader Doug Ford will meet Monday at 6:30 p.m.

The debate comes two-and-a-half weeks before Ontarians head to the polls to elect a new Member of Provincial Parliament, which will determine who forms the new government.

You can catch the debate on CTV News Ottawa and Newstalk 580 CFRA.

Record high gas prices

Experts predict the cost to fill up your gas tank will continue to rise this week leading up to the Victoria Day long weekend.

Gas was selling for 208.9 cents a litre in Ottawa on Sunday, a new record high for prices.  The six cent a litre jump came one day after gas exceeded $2 a litre for the first time ever.

Canadians for Affordable Energy President Dan McTeague told Newstalk 580 CFRA on Friday that gas prices should hit $2.10 a litre by the long weekend.

"Welcome to the new reality of less supply, tightness of supply, a weak Canadian dollar and high taxes all make for a pretty devastating and potent combination."

According to ottawagasprices.com, gas was selling for $1.24 a litre at this time last year, and $0.83 a litre in May 2020.

An Ottawa gas station selling gas for 208.9 cents per litre. Sunday, May 15, 2022. (Dave Charbonneau/CTV News Ottawa)

Construction season arrives in Ottawa

The joke is that there's only two seasons in Ottawa – winter and construction. Well, Ottawa's construction season will ramp up this week with millions of dollars in new projects.

Transportation Committee chair Tim Tierney and Barrhaven Coun. Jan Harder will kick off the 2022 construction season Monday morning at the Strandherd Drive widening project.

The Standherd Drive widening project will see the road widened to four-lanes from Maravista Drive to Jockvale Road.   The $112 million project began in 2020 and is scheduled to wrap up in the fall of 2023, with work this year focusing on completing all underground work and construction of the westbound lanes and associated sidewalks and cycle tracks. 

The 2022 city of Ottawa budget included $427 million in capital funding to improve roads, bridges, culverts, sidewalks, pathways and intersections. The city will spend a total of $76 million on road resurfacing and $13.4 million on active transportation.

A 'construction ahead' sign on Bay Street between Slater and Albert Streets in Ottawa. (Peter Szperling/CTV News Ottawa)

Royals visit Ottawa

Prince Charles and his wife Camilla will visit Ottawa this week as part of the three-day tour to Canada.

The royal tour, marking the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations, will see the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall arrive in St. John's, N.L. on Tuesday, before visiting Ottawa on Wednesday and Yellowknife on Thursday.

Prince Charles and Camilla will join Governor General Mary Simon at the National War Memorial to pay tribute to Canadian veterans on Wednesday, meet with members of the local Ukrainian community and take in a special performance of the RCMP Musical Ride.

The day will wrap up with a gala at Rideau Hall to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee.

Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall are seen outside Rideau Hall, in Ottawa on Saturday, July 1, 2017. (Adrian Wyld/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

EVENTS IN OTTAWA THIS WEEK

Monday

Ontario election debate - 6:30 p.m.

Princess Margriet of the Netherlands wraps up the visit to Ottawa

Tuesday

Standing committee on environmental protection, water and waste management meeting – 9 a.m.

Wednesday

Prince Charles and Camilla visit Ottawa

Ottawa transit commission meeting – 9:30 a.m.

The Canadian Children's Museum opens

Thursday

Community and protective services committee meeting – 9:30 a.m.