Ottawa students make scientific discovery and large snowfall buries the capital: Top five stories this week

A pedestrian uses an umbrella to shield themselves from the snow in Ottawa, on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023. (Justin Tang/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Another winter storm hits Ottawa, a popular diner is closing after 55 years in business and Ottawa students discover that EpiPens don't work in space.

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

Winter storm blankets Ottawa with 27 cm of snow

One of the largest snowfalls of the season buried Ottawa with 27 cm of snow this week, disrupting travel by car, bus and plane.

A Texas low moved through eastern Ontario on Thursday, bringing 27 cm of snow to Ottawa and 23 cm of snow to Renfrew.

"Shovel your own snow then you'll stay young," Allen Robinson said while shovelling his driveway.

The 27 cm of snow was the second-largest snowfall of the winter for Ottawa. A total of 36.2 cm of snow fell during a storm on Dec. 16 and 17. Ottawa received 25.9 cm of snow during a storm on Dec. 23 and 24.

The city of Ottawa issued a daytime winter parking ban on Thursday to help crews clear snow from neighbourhood roads.

Statistics provided to CTV News Ottawa shows officers issued 3,448 tickets for violating the winter weather parking ban on Thursday.

The fine for violating the winter weather parking ban is $125, with an early payment option of $105. 

Murder suspect, 18, arrested in Ottawa Valley

Police in Renfrew County arrested an 18-year-old suspect after a homicide in Eganville following a 15-hour manhunt.

Officers responded to a 911 call at a home in the town in Bonnechere Valley Township before 9 p.m. Wednesday and found one person dead, OPP said in a news release.

On Thursday morning, police announced they were looking for a suspect as part of an investigation into a homicide. Trey Gagnon, 18, of Laurentian Valley Township, was arrested just before 12 p.m.

The name of the victim has not been released.

Police arrested an 18-year-old suspect after a homicide in Eganville, Ont. on Wednesday night. Officers remained at the scene on Thursday. (Dylan Dyson/CTV News Ottawa)

Ottawa elementary school students make groundbreaking discovery: EpiPens don't work in space

Students at an Ottawa elementary school made a groundbreaking discovery through the "Cubes in Space" program – learning that EpiPens don't work in space.

The Program for Gifted Learners initiative gave students at St. Brother Andre Elementary School the opportunity to conduct research on the effects of cosmic radiation on the molecular structure of epinephrine, a medication used in emergencies to treat severe allergic reactions.

"We had two experiments," said Raina Smith, a PGL student at St. Brother André. "For the pure epinephrine, when we sent it on the research balloon, it came back but only 87 per cent of it was actually epinephrine. Thirteen per cent of it turned into benzoic acid, which is extremely poisonous."

Olivia Kwan, another student, said, "The professors that we partnered with didn't think there would actually be any change, but there was an actual change. And we know now that EpiPens don't work in space unless we find a way to protect them."

Chemistry and Bimolecular Professor Paul Mayer conducted the results in a lab at the University of Ottawa.

"We think it's the interaction of the sample with cosmic radiation, which is this high energy stuff that, once you get up to a certain altitude, it goes through everything," said Mayer.

Samples of epinephrine and epi pen that was sent into space. (Dave Charbonneau/CTV News Ottawa)

Popular Ottawa diner closing after 55 years in business

A popular diner is closing its doors after 55 years.

The Brookfield Restaurant offers breakfast and lunch with some Lebanese dishes on the menu. The location on Brookfield Road started as a confectionery shop and still has a storefront.

Owner Joyce Aboud says it's time for a new chapter.

"I need to do other things," said Aboud. "I have four little grandkids and I have two daughters and a wonderful husband, so I really just want to spend more time with them and I find the store just takes up too much of my time."

The location will transform into another restaurant offering Greek food. Aboud’s last day is Jan. 31.

The Brookfield Restaurant will close its doors permanently on Jan. 31. The popular restaurant has been open on Brookfield Road for 55 years. (Natalie van Rooy/CTV News Ottawa)

Ontario 4-year-old's birthday wish fulfilled with grocery store party

A Prince Edward County boy celebrated his fourth birthday at his favourite place – the grocery store.

Lev Goldfarb told his mother months ago that he wanted to hold it at the local grocery store, dubbing it his “Metro Party.”

In a post to Facebook, Hadas Brajtman says the boy loves to visit the store.

The store’s assistant manager, Paul Jones, says when he was approached about the idea, he loved it.

“I thought it was a lot of fun. I didn’t even waver whether I wanted to do it,” he said.

The party included a pizza station for the kids to make their own pizzas, and a place to decorate cupcakes in the bakery section. The break room became a kid’s party room, and staff sang the birthday song over the store’s PA system.

4-year-old Lev Goldfarb (2nd from right, in backwards cap) and his friends celebrate his birthday at the local Metro grocery store. (Hadas Brajtman/supplied)