Stores in the Rideau Centre were back in business today but the food court was suddenly shut down after Ottawa Public Health issued a precautionary boil water advisory. The impact of the sinkhole along Rideau Street was rippling through the downtown core; many of the businesses along Rideau between Sussex and Dalhousie, affecting buses and tourists, too.
Pictures of a giant sinkhole aren't quite the photos Nick and Ann Beeden of Derbyshire, England expected to take on their holiday to Ottawa.
“It was a bit of a surprise,” says Ann, as her husband Nick captures the moment on camera, “a bit of a surprise, indeed.”
They are staying at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier, which was without hot water yesterday and much of today because of that gas leak.
“All the facilities we normally expect in 5-star hotel are gone,” says Nick, “but it's not their fault.
“We have a full house,” says Deneen Perrin, the Director of Public Relations at the Fairmount Chateau Laurier, “with no gas, no hot water, that impacts guests but they've been understanding.”
At the Rideau Centre today, a precautionary boil water advisory, issued by Ottawa Public Health, shut down the food court, though shops were open.
Several other adjacent businesses were affected as well, including the CIBC, the Holtz Spa and the Chapters and Starbucks on Rideau.
At the Metropolitan Brasserie on Sussex, kitty corner from the sinkhole, no natural gas meant no cooking and consequently, no customers. It also meant a big financial hit.
“We've been closed for over 24 hours,” says the Metropolitan’s Sarah Chown, “we are hoping to get our doors open in the next few hours. They are working on getting our gas set up so we are hoping to recover our dinner service tonight.”
The natural gas was expected to be restored by late afternoon as worked continued to fill this hole. It's estimated it will take a week or two to fill it.
That will mean continued road closures and bus diversions for a while. Those buses normally on Rideau are now crossing the Mackenzie King Bridge.
Stephen Blais is an Ottawa Councillor and chair of the Ottawa Transit Commission, “There are 28-hundred buses on the Mackenzie King bridge each and every day so hundreds of buses more have moved from Rideau to the Mac bridge.”
The bridge is open to automobiles, explains Blais, but on an intermittent basis over the coming days, depending on the flow of the buses.
For motorists, the disruptions seemed to cause only minor issues in rush hour this morning.
“It's been taking a while to get just from here to there,” explained one driver, “it’s been a bit of a challenge.”
A challenge, too, for transit users who faced some confusion over which bus to catch and where. Fare inspectors were stationed on the bridge to help them.
“It’s a little confusing,” says transit passenger Aaron Gideon, “I'm going to Gatineau so I’m uncertain where my bus is. But they've helped me out,” he says, referring to the fare inspectors.
Still, it will be a story for the family when Ann and Nick Beeden return home to England.
“It adds to the adventure,” laughs Ann.
