Construction season officially begins and the Canada Day lineup is unveiled: Five stories to watch this week

The Canadian Tire Centre will remain the home of the Ottawa Senators as the club takes the next step in building a new arena at LeBreton Flats. (Dave Charbonneau/CTV News Ottawa)

The wait continues for a new owner for the Ottawa Senators, construction season begins in Ottawa and the lineup is unveiled for Canada Day celebrations.

CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at five stories to watch in Ottawa this week.

Ottawa Senators sale watch

Ottawa Senators fans continue to wait for word on who will be the new owner of the NHL club.

Two weeks after the final bids were due to be submitted to New York-based Galatioto Sports Partners, there is still no word on who will own the club.

Four groups submitted bids to buy the club, with at least one offer of $1-billion, multiple reports said.

Three of the bids came from Toronto-area businessmen: Michael Andlauer, Jeffrey and Michael Kimel, and Steve Apostolopoulos. Los Angeles-based entrepreneur Neko Sparks also submitted a bid.

Postmedia reported this weekend that the four potential bidders met with Anna and Olivia Melnyk, the daughters of late owner Eugene Melnyk,

Sources told Postmedia that was a signal that the New York-based banker overseeing the sale had moved the sale process to the final stages.

The Ottawa Senators announced in November the club was up for sale, with a condition of any sale that the club remains in the capital.

The Ottawa Senators logo on the Canadian Tire Centre is seen in this undated image. (CTV News Ottawa)

Construction season begins in Ottawa

The running joke is there are two seasons in Ottawa – winter and construction. Well, construction season will officially get underway in the capital this week.

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe and several councillors will kick off the 2023 construction season on Monday on Slater Street.

One of the major projects this year is the rehabilitation of the underground infrastructure along Albert Street, Queen Street, Slater Street and Bronson Avenue. This year's work includes the minor widening of Bronson, between Laurier Avenue and Slater Street, to allow for a wider sidewalk, new watermain and surface work.

The 2023 city of Ottawa budget included $245.9 million for design and construction of integrated sewer and road projects, $136 million to renew roads, $7.7 million to renew sidewalks, $21 million for the widening of the Airport Parkway's southbound ramp at Walkley Road and money for guiderail renewal.

Construction will also continue on Stage 2 Light Rail Transit extensions.

Monday officially marks the start of construction season in the capital and more roads will likely begin to close as improvements and rehabilitation goes underway. Ottawa, Ont. May 16, 2022. (Tyler Fleming / CTV News Ottawa)

Ottawa public school board tables 2023-24 budget

Ottawa's public school board will introduce its 2023-24 school year budget this week, as the board faces a multi-million budget deficit.

Last week, Trustees with the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board were told the board is facing a $19.9 million budget deficit for the next school year due to rising operating costs, the discontinuation of COVID-19 funding from the Ontario government and increasing costs for replacing absent teachers.

Trustees have already approved a plan to cut 23 discretionary staff positions to save more than $2 million.

Staff have said the reserve funds have been "depleted" and the board does not have the accumulated funds in reserve to continue running deficit budgets. For the 2022-23 school year, the board is using $9 million in surplus cash for operating budgets.

The 2023-24 OCDSB budget will be tabled Wednesday night at 7 p.m.

An advisory council is discussing stopping the playing of the national anthem at OCDSB schools (Colton Praill/CTV News Ottawa)

Canada Day lineup

Canadian Heritage will unveil the lineup for Canada Day celebrations in Ottawa this week.

"Canada Day is an opportunity to connect and create memorable moments with your community," Canadian Heritage says on its website.

Last year, Canada Day celebrations moved from Parliament Hill to LeBreton Flats due to construction on Centre Block.

The full Canada Day lineup will be unveiled on Wednesday.

Canada Day celebrations will also be held in Barrhaven, Kanata, Stittsville and Orleans.

Thousands of people pack Wellington Street in front of Parliament Hill for Canada Day festivities. (Jeremie Charron/CTV News Ottawa)

The 2023 CHEO Telethon

The 2023 CHEO Telethon is set for Sunday, June 4 on CTV Ottawa.

The CHEO Telethon is a time to honour brave children, youth, families and the teams that care for them.

Tune in to CTV News Ottawa from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. to see how your support makes a difference at the children's hospital. Donations are matched by generous sponsors.

Last year, the CHEO Telethon raised a record $11.8 million.

The 38th CHEO Telethon on CTV Ottawa.

EVENTS IN OTTAWA THIS WEEK

Monday

Ottawa Police Services Board meeting – 4 p.m.

Tuesday

Joint Planning and Housing and Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee meeting – 9:30 a.m.

Ottawa Carleton District School Board meeting – 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday

Ottawa Carleton District School Board budget meeting – 7 p.m.

Thursday

Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee meeting – 10 a.m.

Ottawa Top Stories

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

'Deeply hurtful': Polish ambassador condemns Nazi veteran’s invitation to Canada’s Parliament

Polish ambassador to Canada says House Speaker Anthony Rota's apology doesn’t go far enough after a Nazi veteran was honoured in the House of Commons last Friday.

Speaker's Nazi veteran invite 'profoundly embarrassing' Trudeau says, as Rota faces calls to resign

Tensions flared in the Commons on Monday over opposition calls for House Speaker Anthony Rota to resign after apologizing to Parliament for inviting, recognizing and leading the chamber in a standing ovation for a man who fought for a Nazi unit during the Second World War.

Poster advertising 'whites-only' children's playtime sparks outrage in B.C. community

Police have launched an investigation into a poster inviting "proud parents of European children" to participate in racially segregated playtime in B.C.'s Lower Mainland.

Canadian air force investigating 'inappropriate and unapproved' call sign broadcast on U.K. flight

The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) is investigating an ‘inappropriate and unapproved’ call sign that was transmitted electronically from one of its aircraft on Monday.

Vaccination during pregnancy safe, effective and recommended, CMAJ says

The most up-to-date guidelines from the Canadian Medical Association Journal recommend the COVID-19 vaccine for anyone who is pregnant in order to reduce the risk of serious illness to themselves and the children they carry.

Canadian Sikhs stage protests against Indian government over murder

Canadian Sikhs staged small protests outside India's diplomatic missions on Monday, a week after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there may be a link between New Delhi and the murder of a Sikh separatist advocate in British Columbia.

Canada approves Ebola virus vaccine for adults exposed to the deadly disease

Canada has approved a vaccine to prevent Ebola in non-pregnant and otherwise healthy adults aged 18 and older.

We carry DNA from extinct cousins like Neanderthals. Science is now revealing their genetic legacy

Using the new and rapidly improving ability to piece together fragments of ancient DNA, scientists are finding that traits inherited from Neanderthals are still with us now, affecting our fertility, our immune systems, even how our bodies handled the COVID-19 virus.

Toronto woman hospitalized overseas with botulism

A Toronto woman has been hospitalized in France with a severe case of botulism after eating improperly preserved sardines at a Bordeaux wine bar.

Atlantic

Four in 10 child patients face unsafe spinal surgery wait times in Canada: report

Four out of ten child patients in Canada are facing unsafe spinal surgery wait times, which could cost the health-care system $44.6 million, according to a new report that was published Monday.
‘Everybody's pretty scared right now’: Pit bull seized after two fatal dog attacks in Bedford

A neighbourhood in Bedford is on edge after a pair of dog attacks that killed two family pets in separate incidents in West Bedford over the weekend.
Fantastic first week of fall weather; Season predictions

Weather forecasts in the Maritimes are showing a sunny start to the fire week of Autumn.

Toronto

'Greenbelt just the tip of the iceberg': Scrutiny turns to boundary changes benefiting developer who bought tickets to Ford stag party

The scandal over the removal of land from the protected Greenbelt for a connected few could be just "the tip of the iceberg" as opposition parties called for a new investigation of a different set of land changes that may prove to be another type of headache for Ontario's beleaguered government.
Police identify stabbing victim found near Finch Station

Toronto police have now identified the 23-year-old man fatally stabbed near Finch Station Sunday.
Former Toronto area doctor found guilty on 16 counts of sexual assault

A former doctor from Richmond Hill, Ont. has been convicted of sexually assaulting more than a dozen of his patients over the course of nearly a decade at a clinic in York region.

Montreal

Three fishers die after boat sinks off Quebec coast, three others rescued

Quebec provincial police say three people are dead after a fishing boat sunk off the province's Lower North Shore early this morning.
Montreal man visited Toronto Zoo in middle of killing spree, coroner's inquest hears

A coroner's inquest heard Monday that a man killed two people at random in Montreal in August 2022, then travelled to Ontario to visit the Toronto Zoo and Canada's Wonderland before returning to Quebec to murder again.
Longueuil police release images of suspects wanted in grandparents scams

Police in Longueuil are trying to stop a group they believe are defrauding seniors. The seniors have been targeted by a variety of phone techniques, including what is commonly known as the grandparents scam.

Northern Ontario

Federal offender wanted on Canada-wide warrant known to frequent these Ontario cities

A federal offender is wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for breaching his statutory release.
Highway 11 partially reopened after two transports crash near North Bay

Highway 11 has partially reopened Monday afternoon after an early morning crash between two tractor-trailers near North Bay, police say.
9th person in northeastern Ontario dies in off-road vehicle crash

A senior from Calvin Township died in a crash involving an off-road vehicle on private property east of North Bay on Sept. 20, police say.

London

EXCLUSIVE
EXCLUSIVE 'We are investigating': London, Ont. high school football team cancels opener after hazing incident

Staff and coaches at Sir Wilfrid Laurier Secondary School in London are investigating a 'hazing incident' involving the Rams senior football team. One night prior to the season opener, a concerned community member notified the school of something happening on the football field.
Local religious leader upset with city councillor’s social media posts

Kevin George, a priest at St. Aidan's Anglican Church, is calling on the city to take action after Ward 4 Coun. Susan Stevenson posted her frustration with the city's homelessness crisis on social media.
An airsoft pistol, a machete, and 2 knives: Jury learns of items seized in pickup truck used during attack on a London, Ont. family

The trial of Nathaniel Veltman, 22, continued in Windsor for his actions on June 6, 2021 that killed four people and seriously injured a fifth person. In court on Monday, two forensic identification officers with the London Police Service testified.

Winnipeg

Manitobans split on support for landfill search: poll

New polling data shows Manitobans are almost split equally on whether or not to search a Winnipeg-area landfill for the remains of two Indigenous women.
Winnipeg crash leaves one dead, three injured

A single-car crash in Winnipeg on Sunday night has left one person dead and three others in the hospital
Manitoba Tories make community safety promises to start final week of campaigning

The Manitoba Progressive Conservatives have their sights on safety entering the final full week of campaigning ahead of the Oct. 3 provincial vote.

Kitchener

Willow River Centre targeted by vandalism

A new queer and Indigenous-led centre in Kitchener has been targeted by vandalism, less than two weeks before it's set to open to the public.
Royal City Mission says it will be forced to cut hours if it can’t meet fundraising goal

The Mission says it needs to raise $50,000 to $70,000 by mid-October or else it’ll have to reduce hours.
Credit cards stolen from Waterloo home while victim slept: Police

Waterloo regional police have released pictures of someone they’re trying to identify in connection to an overnight break-in in Waterloo.

Calgary

Calgary man shot to death through window of Pineridge home: police

Calgary police have released the name of a man killed in the community of Pineridge over the weekend.
Victim of violent abduction rescued by Calgary police, 3 adults and 1 teen charged

Calgary police have charged three men and one teen in connection to a violent abduction in the community of Acadia earlier this month.
'Unavailable or unaffordable': Banff looks to tackle housing crisis

The Town of Banff is hoping a new affordable housing strategy can make a dent in the community's housing crisis.

Saskatoon

'Not how we wanted to find her': Saskatoon police renew calls for details in historic homicide

Saskatoon police are calling on the public for information about a 16-year-old homicide investigation.
Saskatoon police: Groups of men in their 30s clashed with sticks, pipes and a bat

Police were called to an incident Friday night that initially sounded like a group of teens may have been battling it out in a city park.
Investigation launched after Saskatoon police dog injures suspect

The Saskatchewan Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) is investigating Saskatoon police conduct during an arrest last week.

Edmonton

2023 had highest number of drug-poisoning deaths of any June on record: Alberta Health data

Newly released data from Alberta's health ministry shows that 161 people died from drug poisonings in June of this year — the highest number of deaths of any June on record and up by 39 deaths compared to the same month last year.
Anonymous investor steps forward to back Beaumont's Chartier restaurant

Chartier restaurant in Beaumont will remain open thanks to an anonymous investor.
Boyle Street announces new service locations ahead of downtown building closure

Boyle Street Community Services (BSCS) has found several new locations to support its programming while the new King Thunderbird Centre is completed.

Vancouver

3 more B.C. First Nations gain control over on-reserve education

At a ceremony on the Capilano Reserve, three First Nations celebrated agreements with the B.C. and federal governments that put control of on-reserve education in their hands.
'Disbelief. Stunned. Numb': Friend remembers murdered B.C. Mountie

When Jeannette Martin learned her friend Const. Rick O’Brien was shot and killed while serving a search warrant in Coquitlam on Friday morning, she was stunned.
Poster advertising 'whites-only' children's playtime sparks outrage in B.C. community

Police have launched an investigation into a poster inviting "proud parents of European children" to participate in racially segregated playtime in B.C.'s Lower Mainland.

Regina

Regina man charged with endangering lives after 26 gas meters sabotaged

A man in Regina is facing 31 charges after allegedly causing gas leaks at 26 natural gas meters throughout downtown over the weekend.
Parole board staff feared threats as public learned of Sask. mass killer's prior release, emails show

Parole Board of Canada employees were fearful of threats after it was revealed a mass killer in Saskatchewan was on statutory release at the time of last year's rampage, emails show.
'Switching it up': After 3 straight losses the Riders are looking to get back in win column

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have not won a game since the Labour Day Classic and are currently on a three-game slide after their weekend loss to the Ottawa Redblacks.