Week two without LRT service and a new swimming hole on the Ottawa River: Top 5 stories this week

Ottawa's light-rail transit system remains out of service, the Liberals win a byelection in Kanata-Carleton and a new swimming spot opens along the Ottawa River.

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

O-Train return-to-service delayed at least 10 days

Ottawa's light-rail transit system will remain out of service until at least the second week of August, as Rideau Transit Group completes more work on the tracks before service can resume.

The O-Train was shut down on July 17 after an axle-bearing issue was discovered on one train during a routine 50,000 km inspection. OC Transpo announced on July 24 that O-Train service would resume on July 31, with eight single-car trains running every 7 to 8 minutes.

On Friday afternoon, Transit Services general manager Renee Amilcar announced more work needs to be done on the line before the Safety Note is finalized and service resumes.

"RTG and Alstom have conducted numerous instrumented bogie tests, which have resulted in the need for additional track infrastructure work to ensure that the train wheels do not make contact with the restraining rail," Amilcar said.

The Safety Note being finalized is one of three criteria that needed to be completed before O-Train service resumes. OC Transpo and Rideau Transit Group received a report from the French manufacturer for the axle on Friday that looked into the issue with the one wheel-bearing.

More information on the work and timelines for the safe resumption of service will be provided on Monday.

OC Transpo and Rideau Transit Group announced Wednesday that all leading and trailing wheel hub assemblies and axles will be replaced on O-Train vehicles every 60,000 km as part of a new inspection and replacement regime. A permanent fix will see Rideau Transit Group and Alstom redesign the wheel hub assemblies on all trains.

The O-Train running along the Confederation Line in Ottawa. (Leah Larocque/CTV News Ottawa)

Liberals win byelection in Kanata-Carleton

Liberal Karen McCrimmon won the byelection in Kanata-Carleton this week, handing a defeat to Premier Doug Ford and the Progressive Conservative government.

McCrimmon won the riding in Thursday's byelection with 34.35 per cent of the vote, defeating Progressive Conservative candidate Sean Webster by 651 votes.

NDP candidate Melissa Coenraad finished third.

The byelection was called following the resignation of Progressive Conservative MPP and cabinet minister Merrilee Fullerton in March. Her departure left the Ottawa region without any cabinet representation in Ford's government.

At the federal level, Kanata-Carleton MP Jenna Sudds was promoted to cabinet in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's new cabinet.

The rookie MP was appointed minister of families, children and social development.

Ottawa-Vanier MP Mona Fortier was dropped from cabinet in the cabinet shuffle. Fortier had served as President of the Treasury Board.

LIberal Karen McCrimmon speaks to supporters after winning the byelection in Kanata-Carleton. (Aaron Reid/CTV News Ottawa)

Photo radar and red light cameras catch dozens of Ottawa police officers so far this year

Ottawa's photo radar and red light cameras have caught dozens of Ottawa police officers so far this year, leading to a rise in driving-related complaints at the Ottawa Police Service.

A report shows there have been 39 complaints about red light camera infractions and 53 internal complaints about automated speed enforcement camera tickets issued to officers in the first six months of the year.

In all of 2022, there were 79 red light camera infractions and 189 complaints related to photo radar camera tickets involving police officers.

"The key driver of the increase in Driving Related Internal Complaints is attributed to the number of automated speed enforcement and red-light camera infractions, which continue to rise with the implementation of more cameras throughout the city," staff say.

Officers are responsible for paying the fine if the ticket is warranted.

Signs warning drivers that photo radar cameras are ahead. (Dave Charbonneau / CTV News Ottawa)

You can now swim at this new spot on the Ottawa River

Residents and tourists have a new spot to swim in Ottawa this summer, at a historic swimming hole.

The National Capital Commission officially opened the new NCC River House this week, which includes a new dock with access to a free public swimming area in the Ottawa River.

As part of the River House revitalization project, the NCC replaced the pedestrian bridge leading to the building and completed work to preserve the heritage character of the pavilion and allow four-season use of the upper two levels.

Lifeguards will be on duty at the swimming area daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The NCC says the entire project cost around $20 million.

The National Capital Commission officially opened the new NCC River House this week, which includes a free public swimming area. (Peter Szperling/CTV News Ottawa)

T&T Supermarkets opening a second store in Ottawa

T&T Supermarkets is opening a new store in Kanata, its second store in Ottawa.

The Asian grocery chain announced it will open a 38,000 sq. ft. store in the Hazeldean Mall. The media release said the new store will open in the winter of 2024, but provided no specific date for opening.

T&T CEO Tina Lee says its Ottawa store on Hunt Club Road already receives many online orders from the Kanata area, so it was an "easy decision" to open a store in Ottawa's west end.

"If you've ever visited the T&T on Hunt Club on a Saturday morning, you'll know it's packed to the brim. We're delighted that more and more people are choosing our stores as a destination for fresh and exciting food experiences," Lee said in a statement.

"Also, we can tell from our online delivery service data that many online orders are coming from the Kanata area. So we're doing this for our amazing, loyal customers in Kanata – bringing the full store experience even closer to home."

T&T Supermarkets has announced plans to open a 38,000 sq. ft. store in the Hazeldean Mall in Ottawa's west end. (T&T Supermarkets/release)