Glebe tenants refuse to leave, KISS cancels, and saying goodbye to Norman Fetterley: Top 5 stories in Ottawa this week

A landlord sold his home before tenants agreed to move out, one of the most anticipated concerts of the year was cancelled at the last minute, and saying goodbye to a long-time CTV journalist.

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

Landlord-tenant dispute in the Glebe

An Ottawa landlord says he is waiting for a hearing before the Landlord and Tenant Board because the people who are renting from him have so far refused to leave the home he has since sold to someone else.

Patrick Lecours said he gave his tenants 60 days notice to vacate the property in the Glebe, advising them that the house had been sold. They were told to leave by Oct. 31, but so far they have stayed put.

Lecours has offered them thousands of dollars in "cash for keys" and offered to pay for a moving truck, but the tenants haven't budged. The tenants have so far not commented to CTV News Ottawa, but their lawyer has said the landlord has been intimidating them.

Lecours said he wasn't expecting a hearing before the LTB until April, but learned this week it's been expedited and could be heard within the next two months.

Patrick Lecours sold his house in the Glebe but the people renting it from him have refused to leave. (Jackie Perez/CTV News Ottawa)

Flu sidelines final Canadian KISS shows

KISS fans in Ottawa were turned away from the Canadian Tire Centre on Tuesday when the band, on what it calls its final tour, abruptly cancelled at the last minute.

The KISS show in Ottawa was the band's penultimate Canadian stop on its End of the Road Tour, but singer Paul Stanley revealed Wednesday that he had the flu. The band also cancelled its show in Toronto on Wednesday.

"Toronto and Ottawa… I’ve done everything possible to get onstage and be a part of the incredible 2 1/2 hour celebration we planned but this flu has made it impossible," Stanley said in a post on social media, showing him in bed with an IV drip. "I along with Gene, Tommy and Eric couldn’t be more disappointed and send our deepest apologies."

Some fans had already arrived at the CTC Tuesday evening, driving through difficult winter conditions, only to be turned away. Others learned of the cancellation while en route to the venue. The Canadian Tire Centre put out a statement on social media advising of the cancellation just minutes before the doors were scheduled to open.

The band only has a handful of shows in the U.S. remaining before back-to-back shows at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 1 and 2 close out the tour, ending the glam rock icons' five-decade career.

U.S. band KISS performs during the Heavy Metal Rock Festival Copenhell on Refshaleoeen in Copenhagen, Denmark, Thursday June 16, 2022. (Torben Christensen/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

New pedestrian and cycling bridge closed for winter

Ottawa's newly refurbished $23.9 million cycling and pedestrian bridge is now closed for the winter.

The Chief William Commanda Bridge officially opened as a cycling and pedestrian pathway this summer to immense popularity. The interprovincial span over the Ottawa River has seen thousands of crossings a day since it opened, but the city announced Tuesday that the bridge would be shut down for the winter because they can't safely clear snow and ice from the structure.

The announcement came as Ottawa was expecting a blast of snow and freezing rain.

The former railway bridge cannot be salted because of its metal structure and proximity to the Lemieux Island water treatment plant, and its wooden plank surface impedes the ability to plow snow away from it.

The city is looking at the possibility of grooming a snowpack, once available, to reopen the bridge to winter activities like cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, but for now, the bridge is closed.

Some city councillors said they were disappointed with the move, but the mayor and city staff say safety is paramount and until a solution to reopen the bridge safely is found, it will remain closed during the winter months.

The city of Ottawa is keeping the Chief William Commanda Bridge closed this winter because staff say it isn't safe for plowing, salting, and grit operations. (CTV News Ottawa)

Centrepointe shooting marks 14th homicide of the year

A 28-year-old man is dead and another man remains in critical condition in hospital following a targeted early morning shooting in Ottawa's Centrepointe neighbourhood.

Emergency crews responded to a call for shots fired on Draffin Court, off Hemmingwood Way, at approximately 6:10 a.m. Thursday.

Ottawa police say one man was pronounced dead at the scene. The victim has been identified as 28-year-old VanDame Munga.

Paramedics transported the second victim, a 28-year-old man, to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. Police said he remained in critical condition Thursday afternoon.

The Ottawa police Homicide Unit continues to investigate the homicide. No arrests have been made in connection to the shooting.

This is the 14th homicide of the year in Ottawa and the ninth involving a firearm. In 2022, there were 15 homicides in Ottawa, including five deaths as a result of a shooting.

Evidence markers on the pavement following an early morning shooting in Ottawa's Centrepointe neighbourhood on Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023. (Natalie van Rooy/CTV News Ottawa)

Long-time CTV journalist Norman Fetterley dies at 74

Norman Fetterley, a long-time CTV News journalist and staple at CTV News Ottawa, passed away this week at the age of 74.

Fetterley began his broadcast journalism career at CJRN Radio in Niagara Falls in 1967, before moving to television in Thunder Bay.

He later became Parliamentary Correspondent for CJOH and CTV News, covering prime ministers Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Joe Clark, John Turner, Brian Mulroney, Kim Campbell and Jean Chretien, before finding his permanent home at CTV News Ottawa.

Fetterley was also host of the long-running segment Gallery Talk, a panel of correspondents analyzing the week in politics. His encyclopedic knowledge of Parliament, Canadian history and the Monarchy proved invaluable to colleagues in the CJOH/CTV Ottawa newsroom. He retired from CTV News Ottawa in June 2013 after more than 45 years on the air.

Fetterley was a loving husband of Elizabeth, and beloved father of Jessica and Emily and baby Amanda (deceased). 

Long-time CTV journalist Norman Fetterley dies at age 74. (CTV News Ottawa)