Hundreds of trucks remain parked on Wellington Street and surrounding streets in downtown Ottawa on day 10 of the "Freedom Convoy" demonstration in downtown Ottawa. (Josh Pringle/CTV News Ottawa)
The auditor general will release reports this week on the city of Ottawa and Ottawa police response to the 'Freedom Convoy', transit riders may learn more about why the O-Train was partially out of service for six days last month, and all eyes on the Rideau Canal Skateway.
CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at five stories to watch in Ottawa this week.
Ottawa's auditor general will release three long-awaited reports this week on the city of Ottawa and Ottawa Police Service response to the 'Freedom Convoy' last winter.
Last March, the Ottawa Police Services Board approved a motion for Auditor General Nathalie Gougeon to review the police response to the convoy protest that occupied downtown Ottawa streets for more than three weeks. Former City Manager Steve Kanellakos then asked the auditor general to conduct an independent evaluation of the city's response to the protest.
Gougeon and her office held two virtual public consultations last summer for residents to provide insights on how they were impacted during the demonstration and how city services and programs could have been improved.
The reports will be released on Wednesday, and a special meeting of the Ottawa Police Services Board will be held on Thursday to discuss the reports.
The Auditor General's Office says the audit of the city's response to the 'Freedom Convoy' will examine the city's actions "leading up to, during, and post the convoy protest", with a focus on the period from when organizers announced the 'Freedom Convoy' was coming to Ottawa until the mayor lifted the state of emergency.
The audits of the Ottawa Police Service and the Ottawa Police Services Board response to the convoy will examine the OPS collaboration with city staff prior to and during the convoy protest as well as their communication with the Ottawa Police Services Board, and the board's oversight role leading up to and during the convoy protest.
The auditor general's three audits are separate from the Public Order Emergency Commission, which is looking into the federal government's decision to invoke the Emergencies Act during the protests. The commission was initially given a deadline of Feb. 6 to submit its final report, but was granted an extension.
Ottawa residents can have their say this week on the city of Ottawa's 2023 draft budget, while transit riders may learn more about the specifics in the transit budget and the $47 million in proposed efficiencies.
City Staff tabled the 2023 city of Ottawa budget last Wednesday, which includes a proposed 2.5 per cent property tax hike this year and a freeze in transit fares.
Few details were announced about the $706 million Transit Services budget for 2023, which will be based on 70 per cent pre-pandemic ridership instead of 85 per cent of pre-pandemic ridership that the 2022 budget was drafted on.
Transit riders and advocates have speculated the draft budget will result in cuts to routes, but Transit Services general manager Renee Amilcar said more details would be announced during Thursday's Transit Commission meeting.
Some details are known, such as 117 buses that are beyond their lifespan or are too expensive to maintain will be retired, and there will be adjustments to capital spending. Mayor Mark Sutcliffe insists that the savings presented in the budget should not affect service.
Public consultations on the 2023 city of Ottawa budget will begin on Monday, with councillors holding sessions in their wards between Feb. 6 and 20. More information can be found on the city of Ottawa's website.
Ottawa City Hall (File photo)
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has invited the premiers to Ottawa on Tuesday to discuss healthcare funding.
Trudeau told reporters last month that the meeting with provincial and territorial government leaders is a chance to discuss an agreement to invest more funding into healthcare across Canada.
"It will be an opportunity to share with them our plans to support the healthcare systems across the country, hear their priorities for investment, and start working together concretely to ensure that we're transparent about how this money is being invested," Trudeau said.
The premiers have called on the federal government to increase the Canada Health Transfer to 35 per cent from 20 per cent.
One month after a section of the O-Train was out of service for six days following a freezing rain storm, transit riders may find out this week why it took so long to resume service.
The Transit Commission meeting on Thursday includes a staff presentation on "Line 1 Service Disruption, January 4-10, 2023."
A section of the O-Train line, between St. Laurent and uOttawa stations, was out of service for six days following a freezing rain storm and damage to the overhead wiring system.
OC Transpo general manager Renee Amilcar said a root cause investigation into why trains stalled during the storm was underway and a report will presented to the Transit Commission.
Rideau Transit Maintenance CEO Maria Guerra told reporters that one major issue that kept service offline for so long was ice buildup on the line.
“We know what happened. The ice buildup was so extreme that we had to take several steps to remove it and because of that, it took much longer than it normally would have,” Guerra said.
A train stalled in between Hurdman and Tremblay Stations on the Confederation Line, Jan. 7, 2023. (Jeremie Charron/CTV News Ottawa)
All eyes will be on the Rideau Canal Skateway to see if and when the world's largest skateway will open for the public.
It will either be the latest opening in the history of the Rideau Canal Skateway or the first time it does not open for the winter.
Crews resumed operations in an attempt to open the Rideau Canal Skateway for its 53rd season last week, but it was unclear when the canal may open for skating.
"While the Skateway will not be open for the first weekend of February, our teams are working relentlessly to safely open a section of the Skateway, flooding the ice surface every evening," the NCC said last Wednesday.
The latest opening date for the skateway was Feb. 2, 2002.
The Rideau Canal Skateway remains closed on Saturday. (Josh Pringle/CTV News Ottawa)
Ottawa Finance and Corporate Services Committee meeting – 9:30 a.m.
Ottawa Carleton District School Board meeting – 7 p.m.
Ottawa City Council – 10 a.m.
Ottawa Transit Commission meeting – 9:30 a.m.
Ottawa Police Services Board meeting – 2 p.m.
Gatineau Olympiques vs. Ottawa 67's – 7 p.m. at TD Place
Niagara Ice Dogs vs. Ottawa 67's – 7 p.m. at TD Place
Edmonton Oilers at Ottawa Senators – 12:30 p.m. at Canadian Tire Centre
The Canadian Armed Forces is under fire for its plan to cut thousands of troops off a cost-of-living allowance without much notice.
Some parts of Twitter's source code -- the fundamental computer code on which the social network runs -- were leaked online, the social media company said in a legal filing on Sunday.
Black children in England and Wales were six times more likely to be strip-searched by police, according to a report being released Monday that found children were failed by those sworn to protect them.
Burial plots have become such a hot commodity in Metro Vancouver, one spot in a Burnaby cemetery is being sold privately online for $54,000.
The first hearing in a lawsuit brought by Prince Harry, singer Elton John and other high profile figures against the publisher of the Daily Mail newspaper over alleged phone-tapping and other breaches of privacy, is due to begin on Monday.
All seven bodies have been recovered from the site of a powerful explosion at a chocolate factory in a small town in eastern Pennsylvania, officials said.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he's 'not satisfied' with his party's confidence-and-supply agreement with the Liberals — signed a year ago this week — because it's shown him he could do a better job running the country than the current government.
North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into its eastern waters Monday, continuing its weapons displays as the United States moved an aircraft carrier strike group to neighbouring waters for military exercises with the South.
The Florence museum housing Michelangelo's Renaissance masterpiece the 'David' invited parents and students from a Florida charter school to visit after complaints about a lesson featuring the statue forced the principal to resign.
A low-pressure system moving up the coastline of Maine will cross Nova Scotia Sunday into early Monday morning, bringing a mix of snow, ice pellets and rain.
An emergency alert involving “a dangerous female with a handgun” in Indian Brook, N.S., has been cancelled, police say.
A Royal Canadian Navy frigate departed Halifax today as part of the federal government's wider strategy of boosting its presence in the Indo-Pacific region.
Police have identified a teenager who died after being stabbed in an ‘unprovoked’ attack at a Toronto subway station Saturday night, and have charged an adult male suspect with his murder.
After making a 'long shot' plea to the public this weekend, a woman in southern Ontario has found her lost wedding dress, mistakenly donated by her father earlier this year.
TTC riders may have to wait a bit longer for a bus, streetcar or subway starting Sunday.
A nine-year-old girl has died after a snow fort collapsed Sunday in the woods behind a Saint-Ubalde home, in the Portneuf RCM.
Montreal police say a fifth body has been extracted from the rubble of a heritage building that caught fire nine days ago, leaving two others still missing.
Jun Yao Wang and her mother, Qing Jie Li, say they are at their wit's end. The edge of their property on Chemin des Cageux near du Tremblay Street in Laval has become a dumping ground.
Inflation is now forcing some Canadians to find different ways to afford day-to-day expenses.
The Canadian Armed Forces is under fire for its plan to cut thousands of troops off a cost-of-living allowance without much notice.
A crash involving a commercial vehicle north of the Sault has completely closed Highway 17 from Highway 101 East in Wawa, Ont. to Frater Road before noon Sunday, the eastbound lane reopened around 7p.m.
One person is dead while another remains in hospital with serious injuries Sunday after a single vehicle collision involving a motor bike on the former River Road Golf Course in East London near the Thames River
NEW I Police in London, Ont. have launched an investigation following the discovery of a deceased man in the south end of the city on Saturday afternoon.
Residents of a central London, Ont. apartment were temporarily displaced from their units and were kept warm inside a city bus after a fire broke out early Sunday morning.
Sunday before a thoroughly packed house in Sudbury, Jennifer Jones and Brent Laing capped a masterful performance at the 2023 Canadian mixed doubles curling championship to add yet another national gold medal, and their first as teammates.
School might be out for spring break for many Manitoba students, but that isn't stopping them from learning about important climate issues.
Nearly five years after the legalization of marijuana in Canada, one local cannabis retailer feels Manitoba should be more proactive and flexible when it comes to regulating pot sales in our province.
A 49-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder and assault with a weapon in connection to injuries suffered by a 50-year-old woman in Cambridge.
Worries of a recession in 2023 got another jolt this weekend with former Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz warning the country’s economy is at a greater risk of a “hard landing” – a rapid economic slowdown following a period of growth and approaching a recession. For small businesses, it's a prediction that brings concern.
Winter may be over, but there was still snow on the ground for hundreds of highflying snowmobilers at Chicopee Ski Resort this weekend.
A KLM flight bound for Calgary was delayed Sunday morning when an unruly passenger forced the airline to return to Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam.
The appreciation and respect shown by the public after two Edmonton Police Service officers were killed in the line of duty has not gone unnoticed, their families say.
April 7 is Green Shirt Day, which also marks the anniversary of Logan Boulet's death. Boulet, who was involved in the Humboldt Broncos bus crash five years ago, signed up to be an organ donor just weeks before the crash. Today, Green Shirt Day is meant to promote organ donor awareness and registration across Canada.
The Saskatoon Blades' last two home games of the season have been against the Regina Pats, and with top NHL prospect Connor Bedard drawing big crowds wherever he's playing, almost 30,000 fans have come through the turnstiles at Sasktel Centre.
City administrators are calling for a design change on Main Street and Clarence Avenue that would prevent vehicles from using Main Street as a thoroughfare rather than 8th Street.
The Village of Liberty is grieving the loss of its rink after it fell victim to a late night 'inferno' over the weekend.
The appreciation and respect shown by the public after two Edmonton Police Service officers were killed in the line of duty has not gone unnoticed, their families say.
The procession is scheduled to leave the Alberta Legislature grounds toward Rogers Place at approximately 11:45 a.m.
A team of friends and breast cancer survivors are headed to New Zealand in April to represent Edmonton in an international dragon boat racing competition.
Burial plots have become such a hot commodity in Metro Vancouver, one spot in a Burnaby cemetery is being sold privately online for $54,000.
A temporary foreign worker from the Philippines who was fired from her job as a caregiver after a cancer diagnosis has been awarded over $45,000 by the BC Human Rights Tribunal.
Three people were hospitalized after being hit by a car in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside Saturday evening, according to authorities.
A fifth and final flight of displaced Ukrainians will arrive in Saskatchewan on March 27, according to the province.
The Village of Liberty is grieving the loss of its rink after it fell victim to a late night 'inferno' over the weekend.
Construction efforts are expected to begin on the south section of Regina's Ring Road.
