OTTAWA -- COVID-19 was the top story in Ottawa and across Canada this year, but other stories were popular for visitors to CTVNewsOttawa.ca
Here's a look at some of the top, non-COVID related stories viewed on CTVNewsOttawa.ca in 2020.
Clean-up on Hwy 401! Crash spills toilet paper across busy highway
In January, toilet paper clogged Canada's busiest highway just east of the Thousand Islands Bridge.
Ontario Provincial Police say two transport trucks collided on Hwy. 401, sending rolls of toilet paper across the highway.
It took crews a few hours to clean up the rolls of toilet paper and reopen the highway.
Muscle car caught going 161 km/h over the limit on Hwy. 417
With less traffic on the roads during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, one motorist caught the attention of police just east of Ottawa.
On April 18, the OPP said an apple green muscle car passed an officer going 271 km/h in the 110 km/h hour zone on Highway 417, just east of Hawkesbury.
"Rear tire blew seconds later," said the OPP in a Tweet.
The driver was charged with stunt driving, careless driving and driving with cannabis readily available.
Ottawa man shocked to find moose in swimming pool
On May 29, Paul Koch woke up to a surprise in his backyard swimming pool – a Moose.
The moose spent several hours swimming around in the pool at the home near Hunt Club Road and Uplands Drive.
"It's still a mystery to me how she got in the backyard," Koch said. "She'd have to jump a minimum of a five to five-and-a-half-foot fence to do it."
The moose eventually climb out of the pool, ran across the yard and hopped the fence into another yard.
Police later said the moose had "rejoined its buddies" in the forest.
Ottawa woman urinates in jar after denied washroom access
With public washrooms closed across Ottawa during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, Caroline Bergeron said desperation set in.
“I was begging, I couldn’t do anything, everyone was refusing,” said Bergeron in May, noting she tried to visit several places to use the washroom. “I needed to use the bathroom, so I ended up buying a jar at the grocery store and I had to go pee in my car.”
Bergeron says she felt "super embarrassed." It was not the first time she has heard of this happening.
“My three year-old niece had the same story and my sister had to help her go pee in an alley behind a dumpster,” says Bergeron.
In late May, The city of Ottawa put out-houses in popular areas like Britannia Beach, but the GottaGo Campaign said it wasn't enough.
Bessa Whitmore says, "There aren’t enough public toilets left in the city and things like sports fields and splash pads are just one example."
Town of Russell, Ont. approves plan to rededicate its name
In June, an online petition called on Russell to change the name of the eastern Ontario town.
"It is time to change the name, once you hear it, you cannot un-hear it," Denis Agar told CTV News Ottawa after launching the petition to change the name of his hometown.
"Our town's name-sake was not only a slave owner, but an advocate for slavery."
Russell is named after Peter Russell. In the late 1700's, he was the Receiver General of Upper Canada, now known as Ontario.
In July, council approved a motion from Mayor Pierre Leroux to find a new namesake for the town.
Hot housing market: Orleans home sells for $252,000 over asking price
In August, the sale of one Ottawa home showed just how hot the real estate market was in the capital.
A four-bedroom home on Saphir Avenue was on the market for less than a week, when it sold for $252,000 over the listing price this week.
Erik Faucon of Re/Max Hallmark Pilon Group Realty said potential buyers got creative with their offers for the home.
"Hand-written letters delivered to the mailbox; family photos; people took photos in front of the house and sent those along with their offer," said Faucon.
The home in Orleans listed at $849,000. It sold for $1.1 million.
A $2,000 mistake leads to paying it forward
An Ottawa small businesswoman paid it forward to the community after customers and strangers helped fix a $2,000 mistake.
Charlene Burnside sold cupcakes at the Richmond Farmers Market in October, and used an electronic payment machine to accept credit and debit cards.
She entered each transaction as "cash or other tender," instead of accepting card payments. That meant she did not charge the customers for the purchases.
Her sister posted the ordeal on Facebook, and complete strangers, as well as customers who realized what happened, sent her money.
Burnside collected enough money to cover her sales, and donate to two Ottawa charities.
Police break up massive party at Chelsea, Que. Airbnb: 83 students fined
In October, 83 students were fined $1,000 for attending a party at an Airbnb in Chelsea, Que.
The MRC des Collines Police said neighbours reported the party to police at around 2 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 25. Sgt. Martin Fournel said all 83 people fined were inside the home when officers arrived.
Chelsea was in the red zone for Quebec's COVID-19 alert level at the time, which prohibits private gatherings indoors and outdoors.
My motor is gone:' Motorists in limbo after fuel mix-up at Ottawa gas station
In November, several motorists were fuming after a diesel-gas mix-up at a Barrhaven Petro Canada station.
"I stepped on the gas pedal and the car just wasn’t moving, I just didn’t know what was going on," said Raymond Odame-Gyimah.
After receiving a call from his dealership, Odame-Gyimah said, "He said my motor is gone, at this point and time they’re going to have to flush out the engine and see if there’s anymore damages to the vehicle, but as it stands right now, the motor is gone."
Suncor, the company that owns Petro Canada, told CTV News Ottawa that diesel was incorrectly mixed with regular fuel at the station at Fallowfield and Greenbank Roads.
"Diesel was incorrectly put into the wrong tank and mixed with regular fuel, which caused the issue. The regular fuel pumps (87, 89 and 91) were impacted, and the impacted pumps were immediately closed and flushed out," said Suncor in a statement to CTV News Ottawa.
A Donald Trump visit to Ottawa? No thanks, councillors say
In November, the idea of a post White House visit to Ottawa by U.S. President Donald Trump received a cool reception from councillors on a city committee.
As the Finance and Economic Development Committee was discussing support for the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group, Mayor Jim Watson jokingly suggested an idea for a visitor in 2021 to Ottawa independent concert promoter Ken Craig.
"Maybe you can do the Donald Trump rally/exile tour; you know, bring him up to Ottawa and see if you can fill the stadium," Watson said.
Craig, though, responded seriously.
"I've actually been saying that over the last couple of months that if President Trump does lose the election, I think the biggest event that I could probably produce in 2021 is to bring President Trump on a speaking tour like Barack Obama has.”
As Craig discussed the possibility of a Trump stop in Ottawa, several members of the committee could be seen on the YouTube feed signalling "no" with their hands.
