Infamous McDonald's on Rideau Street closing and an Ottawa Valley town is one of the top places to live: Top five stories this week

McDonald's has decided not to renew its lease for the Rideau Street location in Ottawa, and will close in April. (Josh Pringle/CTV News Ottawa)

The Rideau Street McDonald's is closing this spring, Zellers is making a comeback and checking out one of the most expensive homes ever sold in Ottawa.

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

Ottawa's notorious Rideau Street McDonald's closing permanently

The infamous McDonald's restaurant on Rideau Street in downtown Ottawa is set to close this spring.

The property owner told CTV News Ottawa on Wednesday the franchise owner decided not to renew the lease and the restaurant will close in April.

"We knew that they may not be there; it wasn't a big surprise," Peter Crosthwaite, asset manager at 60 George St., told CTV News Ottawa. The restaurant opened in 1985.

"They are a pretty dynamic organization, they have the right to look at different spots and maybe they felt the time was right," Crosthwaite said. "But there’s maybe things that made it seem more right than usual."

The restaurant in the heart of Ottawa's tourist district became a notorious spot for late night crowds after last call at bars and restaurants. The McDonald's gained particular notoriety following the release of a video filmed in December 2013 showing a man pulling a baby raccoon out of his sweater while others were involved in a fight.

"I used to go that McDonald's when I was a teenager," Mayor Mark Sutcliffe told reporters on Thursday. "That was a Friday night for me and my friends, was to take OC Transpo to the Rideau Centre, maybe go to a movie on the fourth floor of the Rideau Centre, and then go to McDonald's."

Here's where Zellers will be opening stores in the Ottawa area

Hudson's Bay announced plans to revive discount retailer Zellers this week, including opening two stores in Ottawa and one in Gatineau.

The Zellers experience stores within Hudson's Bay will be between 8,000 and 10,000 sq. ft., depending on the location.

"Customers will be greeted with a thoughtful selection of design-led products across home decor, toys, baby, apparel and pets, housed within Zellers’ signature red and white that will guide customers along in their retail journey," Zellers said in a statement.

The locations include the Hudson's Bay locations in the Rideau Centre and the St. Laurent Centre in Ottawa, and at the Les Promenades Gatineau on Maloney Boulevard in Gatineau, Que.

The Zellers sign hangs over the entrance of a store in Quebec City on Thursday, January 13, 2011. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot 

Federal employees start returning to the office

Federal public servants began returning to office buildings in Ottawa and Gatineau this week, as the federal government begins phasing in a return-to-office plan.

Employees in the core public service who are working from home will be required to begin the transition back to in-person work, with a requirement of being in the office at least two to three days a week.

Federal unions have said the federal government rushed the return-to-office plan, and insisted departments were not ready for the return to the office.

The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada and the Canadian Association of Professional Employees released an open letter, calling on the government to halt the return-to-office plans. The unions say the plan puts members' health and safety at risk and "doesn't make sense" from a logistical and productivity point of view.

This week, the government did grant exemptions to certain employees from the return-to-office plan.

Up to 20 per cent of federal government IT workers won't be required to work from the office, according to a new memo from Canada's chief information officer.

"We have identified high-priority IT exceptions to the common approach to hybrid work applicable across the public service," Catherine Luelo said in the memo.

This Ottawa Valley town was named the 4th-best place to live in Canada

The town of Deep River, Ont. received special recognition this week, as one of the top places to live in Canada.

"The joke around town is we're the best kept secret at the end of Renfrew County," Coun. Will Fitton said.

The Ottawa Valley town roughly 200 kilometres west of Ottawa was named as the fourth best place to live in Canada in a recent ranking by movingwaldo.com. 

The rankings considered three categories when breaking down Canada's towns: safety, affordability, and access to parks and recreation.

"You can do everything from yacht, tennis, curling, squash, fencing, symphony orchestra, wood working clubs, Boy Scouts, hockey, figure skating," Fitton said. "The list goes on and on."

The town hall in Deep River, Ont. A survey by the website Living Waldo named the Ottawa Valley town the fourth best place to live in Canada. (Dylan Dyson/CTV News Ottawa)

A look inside one of the most expensive homes ever sold in Ottawa

A two-storey home with spectacular views in the Old Village of Rockcliffe Park is now one of the most expensive homes ever sold in the city of Ottawa.

Marilyn Wilson Dream Properties announced the sale of a 13,961 sq. ft. home on Manor Avenue, saying it sold for the fourth-highest price for a listed home ever in the capital.

The home was listed at $7 million. According to Redfin.ca, the home on Manor Avenue sold for $6.3 million.

The home, with "magnificent views" of the Gatineau Hills, has seven bedrooms, six bathrooms and a double-attached garage, according to the home's listing.

Marilyn Wilson Dream Properties announced this home on Manor Avenue in Rockcliffe Park sold for the fourth highest price in Ottawa history. (Christie's International Real Estate/website)