Premier Ford speaks to municipal leaders in Ottawa and new OC Transpo drivers hit the road: Five stories to watch this week
Premier Doug Ford is in Ottawa to address municipal leaders, the deadline is approaching to register for the 2022 municipal election and 32 new bus drivers hit the road.
CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at five stories to watch in Ottawa this week.
MUNICIPAL LEADERS IN OTTAWA
More than 1,700 municipal leaders will be in Ottawa this week for the annual Association of Municipalities of Ontario's conference.
The AMO conference is a chance for municipal officials to work together on solutions to the challenges facing municipalities across Ontario, to learn and to create new opportunities that benefit our communities.
Premier Doug Ford will address municipal leaders on Monday, followed by Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark on Tuesday and Health Minister Sylvia Jones on Wednesday. The conference comes just days after Clark introduced legislation for "strong mayor" powers for the mayors of Ottawa and Toronto, including giving the mayor the responsibility of preparing and tabling a municipal budget each year and veto powers to override council on matters of "provincial priority."
On Monday, Mayor Jim Watson will help welcome delegates to Ottawa, the final time he will speak at the AMO conference.
The conference runs until Wednesday at the Shaw Centre and Westin Hotel.
FINAL DEADLINE TO REGISTER FOR 2022 MUNICIPAL ELECTION
The deadline to register to run for mayor, councillor and school board trustee is 2 p.m. on Friday.
As of Friday, 13 candidates registered to run for Mayor of Ottawa, while 80 candidates are registered to run in one of 24 wards across the city.
There will be at least 10 new councillors in Ottawa after the municipal election. Councillors Jean Cloutier, Diane Deans, Keith Egli, Jan Harder, Mathieu Fleury, Carol Anne Meehan, Scott Moffatt and Eli El-Chantiry are not seeking re-election, while Somerset Coun. Catherine McKenney is running for mayor. Ottawa will also have a new councillor after the election representing a new ward.
Mayor Jim Watson is not seeking re-election.
There were 114 candidates registered to run in the 2018 election, 132 candidates in 2014 and 130 candidates in 2010.
Election Day is Monday, Oct. 24.
COVID-19 IN OTTAWA
All eyes will be on the COVID-19 situation this week as the start of the school year approaches.
Ottawa Public Health says while key COVID-19 indicators are showing a decrease, "the levels of COVID-19 in our community are still high."
As of Friday, 26 Ottawa residents were admitted to hospital with an active COVID-19 infection, while there were 51 ongoing outbreaks in long-term care homes, retirement homes and hospitals.
NEW OC TRANSPO BUS DRIVERS
OC Transpo is hoping 32 new bus drivers hitting the road on Monday will help provide more reliable bus service this summer and heading into the fall.
Hundreds of bus trips a day have been cancelled this month as the transit service deals with a shortage of bus drivers caused by summer vacations, higher-than-usual sick leave absences and vacancies.
Director of Transit Service Delivery and Rail Operations Troy Charter told CTV News Ottawa that 4.5 per cent of trips were cancelled last week.
Charter says OC Transpo has implemented a "robust recruitment campaign" to increase the number of bus operators available for service "as quickly as possible, and, in turn, provide more reliable bus service."
"Fifty-eight bus operators started with us earlier this year and another 32 are starting on Monday," Charter said.
An OC Transpo bus turns onto Elgin St. from Wellington St. in downtown Ottawa, Ont. in this undated photo. (Photo by Shubham Sharan on Unsplash)
HELP WANTED AT THE OTTAWA AIRPORT
The "Help Wanted" sign is hanging at the Ottawa International Airport.
The Airport Authority is hosting a job fair at the Infinity Conference Centre on Wednesday looking for applicants.
According to the Ottawa International Airport website, there are more than 20 positions available including:
- Human Resources professionals
- Skilled trades
- Information Technology
- Administrative Assistant
- Airport Operations Coordination Centre (AOCC) positions (likely Gate Coordinators and Security Coordinators)
- Seasonal Heavy Equipment Operators
- On-Call Snow Removal Operators
Potential candidates will also be able to get information about working for airlines, passenger security screening and Customs and Immigration.
For more information, visit the Ottawa International Airport website.
The Ottawa airport on Thursday, March 10, 2022. (Katie Griffin/CTV News Ottawa)
EVENTS HAPPENING IN OTTAWA THIS WEEK
Tuesday
A mayoral debate on the environment will be held at Barrhaven Fellowship Christian Reformed Church, beginning at 6 p.m.
Friday
The Ottawa Redblacks host Edmonton Friday night at TD Place. Kick off is 7 p.m.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Alice Munro, Nobel literature winner revered as short story master, dead at 92
Nobel laureate Alice Munro, the Canadian literary giant who became one of the world's most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history's most honoured short story writers, has died at age 92.
Latest updates on air quality alerts, and when the smoke may reach Ontario and Quebec
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
Maximum payout for LifeLabs class-action drops from $150 estimate to $7.86
Canadian LifeLabs customers who filed an application for a class-action settlement began receiving their payments this week, though at a much lower amount than initially expected.
1 killed, 3 injured in head-on crash on Hwy. 417 in Ottawa
Ontario Provincial Police are responding to a fatal collision involving two vehicles on Highway 417 in Ottawa's west end on Tuesday morning.
Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
Significant police presence as Israeli flag flies at Ottawa City Hall
The Israeli flag is flying at Ottawa City Hall today to mark the country's national day, with plans to hold a private ceremony to mark Israel's Independence Day. There is a significant police presence at City Hall, including security barriers outside the main doors.
Steal a car, lose your driver's licence for 10 years under new Ontario proposal
Repeat car thieves may face lengthy licence bans under proposed changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
8 dead, at least 40 injured as farmworkers' bus overturns in central Florida
A bus carrying farmworkers in central Florida overturned on Tuesday, killing eight people and injuring about 40 other passengers, authorities said.
Attack on prison van in France kills 2 officers, inmate escapes
Armed assailants killed two French prison officers and seriously wounded three others in an attack on a convoy in Normandy on Tuesday and an inmate escaped, officials said.