End of an era: Rideau Street McDonald's officially closes
This is the end, my beautiful friend.
The doors to the infamous Rideau Street McDonald's—a renowned Ottawa institution—have officially closed for good.
The golden arches have been removed from the building at 99 Rideau St. and a sign on the door directs customers to nearby McDonald's locations on Elgin and Bank streets.
The restaurant, which opened in 1985 in the heart of Ottawa's tourism area, became a notorious hotspot for late night crowds after last call at bars and restaurants.
When CTV News reported earlier this year that it would close, the story prompted an outpouring of reaction and memories from residents who recounted their late-night experiences at the restaurant. The story also attracted worldwide media attention.
In March, about 200 people attended a farewell march to pay tribute to the restaurant. Some dressed as Ronald McDonald. Another marcher turned up in a raccoon costume to commemorate the time that someone whipped out a baby raccoon during a fight at the restaurant in 2013.
Police visited the McDonald's so often that in 2019, then-police chief Charles Bordeleau wrote to the head of McDonald's Canada to say the activity at 99 Rideau was getting out of control. The restaurant then cut its overnight shift.
Ottawa police were called to the location 150 times in 2022, far fewer than the 800 times in 2018 when it was open 24 hours.
The property owner told CTV News Ottawa earlier this year that the space will be available for lease starting in July.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Suspect sought after fatal slashing in downtown Toronto
Police are searching for a suspect in a homicide investigation after a man was slashed in downtown Toronto on Sunday.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.