Education workers walk off the job and a 'for sale' sign placed on the Senators: Top five stories in Ottawa this week

Education workers and supporters hold a political protest outside the office of MPP Lisa MacLeod on Greenbank Road. CUPE is protesting the Ontario government's move to impose a four year contract on union members. (Tyler Fleming/CTV News Ottawa)

Some Ottawa schools close as education workers hold a political protest, the Ottawa Senators are for sale and someone in eastern Ontario is $60 million richer.

CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at the top five stories on our website this week.

Education workers, parents hit the picket lines as CUPE's 'political protest' closes some Ottawa schools

Eight school boards in Ottawa and eastern Ontario closed schools to in-person learning on Friday, as education workers held a "political protest" over the Ontario government's move to impose a contract.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees said it's 55,000 members would go on strike on Friday morning if a new agreement was not reached with the province. In response, Ontario passed legislation to impose a four-year contract on education workers and made any job action illegal.

On Friday, education workers and their supporters hit the picket lines in job action CUPE said would continue into next week unless the Ontario government returned to the bargaining table and repealed the back-to-work legislation.

"We love our job, we love our kids, we just wanted to be recognized for what we do," said Monique Natale, an administrative secretary with the Ottawa French public school board. "Unfortunately, unless you work in a school you don't really see what we do."

The Ottawa Catholic School Board and the Conseil des Ecoles Publiques de l'Est de l'Ontario closed schools to in-person learning, and classes shifted online due to the strike.

"There's an old saying in the labour movement about one day longer, and I can tell you the commitments by our members is resolute and we're not planning on backing down," CUPE National President Mike Hancock told Newstalk 580 CFRA.

"This is huge; this is an attack on my members and an attack on the labour movement."

The job action by workers is expected to continue into next week.

The Lafferty family joined education workers and supports on the picket line during day one of CUPE's political protest in Ottawa and across Ontario. (Dave Charbonneau/CTV News Ottawa)

Ottawa Senators confirm NHL club is for sale

The 'For Sale' sign is hanging on Canadian Tire Centre for the Ottawa Senators.

The NHL club confirmed this week the franchise is for sale, but a condition of any sale is that the club remains in Ottawa.

Galatioto Sports Partners, a New York-based bank that provides advisory services to the sports industry, has been retained as its financial advisor.

"This was a necessary and prudent step to connect with those deeply interested parties who can show us what their vision is for the future of the team," Sheldon Plener, chairman and governor of the Ottawa Senators, said in a statement.

"A condition of any sale will be that the team remains in Ottawa."

Melnyk’s daughters Anna and Olivia took over the Senators after their father passed away in March due to illness. The franchise is being run by a three-person board of directors.

Sports business publication Sportico reported on Tuesday the Senators had retained Galatioto to explore a sale of the team. Sportico valued the Senators at $655 million U.S., a 21 per cent jump in the past year, the largest in the NHL.

People magazine reported on Wednesday that Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds is "very interested" in buying the franchise, citing a source close to the Deadpool star.

Eugene Melnyk's daughters – Anna and Olivia – joined the Senators for the official team photo on Thursday at Canadian Tire Centre. (Photo courtesy: Twitter/Senators)

Remains of Inuk woman missing for 5 years found in Ottawa apartment building

Ottawa police announced this week that human remains found at a Vanier apartment building under construction are those of a missing Inuk woman, last seen in Ottawa's east end more than five years ago.

Workers at a three-storey building on Deschamps Avenue uncovered human remains in the building on Sept. 28.

On Sunday, the Ottawa Police Service Homicide Unit identified the human remains as those of Mary Papatsie.

Papatsie was 39 years old when she was reported missing in 2017. Police said Papatsie was last seen in the Vanier area on April 27, 2017.

Ottawa police say Mary Papatsie was last seen in April 2017. (Ottawa Police Service/release)

Driver stopped speeding on Hwy. 401 had five unbuckled children sleeping in backseat

A vehicle stopped speeding on Highway 401 in eastern Ontario had five children sleeping in the backseat without seatbelts on, according to Ontario Provincial Police.

Officers in Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry stopped a vehicle travelling 143 km/h on Wednesday, police said on Twitter.

"Officers discovered the rear seats folded down with kids b/w the ages of 3 to 12 laying down sleeping without seat belts on," the OPP said.

The driver is facing charges for speeding and five seatbelt related charges.

@SDGOPP stopped a vehicle traveling at 143km/hrs on @hwy401. Officer discovered the rear seats folded down with 5 kids b/w the ages of 3 to 12 laying down sleeping without seat belts on. Driver charged for speeding and 5 seat belt related charges #seatbeltssavelives ^jm pic.twitter.com/mRoXXjoH5Q

— OPP East Region (@OPP_ER) November 2, 2022

Check your tickets: Lotto Max player in eastern Ontario wins $60M jackpot

Someone east of Ottawa is $60 million richer after Tuesday’s Lotto Max jackpot.

The winning ticket was sold somewhere in the United Counties of Prescott and Russell, the OLG says. If you bought a ticket for Tuesday’s draw, OLG is advising you to check your ticket.

The United Counties of Prescott and Russell stretch from Ottawa’s eastern edge to the Ontario-Quebec border. They include eight municipalities: Alfred and Plantagenet, Casselman, Champlain, Clarence-Rockland, Hawkesbury, East Hawkesbury, The Nation and Russell.

The $60 million jackpot is the biggest lottery win in Prescott and Russell since 2011, when Hawkesbury, Ont. couple JoAnn and Gaetan Champagne won $50 million.

Ottawa police say Mary Papatsie was last seen in April 2017. (Ottawa Police Service/release)