Maybe we should install some kill switches while we're at it.

If the view from my living room window is representative of the broader reality on Centretown's streets, there's an absolutely wild amount of blocking the box going on amongst Ottawa's motorists this afternoon.

I'm not especially keen on idea of the private army of a fascistic US president potentially being given free access to the streets of Toronto & Vancouver. Also, if he wanted to provoke a Canadian response that would provide a pretext for much more heavy-handed behaviour, this would be a way to go.

Search for "Mark Sutcliffe" and "youth homelessness". Now do the same and add "before:2025" to your search. Notice the difference in search results. Where was this energy to combat youth homelessness in '23? '24? Could this sudden urgent interest in this issue be due to a coming election?

Interesting to see Alex Lawson scrubbed from the PoliticalIntel consultants site amidst running for mayor web.archive.org/web/20251221... #ottnews

New post: the US administration has inserted itself into Canada's internal affairs. This is a clear violation of Canadian sovereignty, and an indicator of things to come. Canada, and Canadians must respond. stewartprest.substack.com/p/the-trump-...

A “Make Ottawa Great Again” campaign run by the guys behind Harper, Kenney and Ontario Proud? 🤔 Might split votes from Sutcliffe, though 🤔

I haven't heard Carney's speech from today yet, but one of my customers said he gave it on the Plains of Abraham; that never seems like a great choice of venue for Anglo PMs to give speeches from if you ask me. Give it from in front of the Chateau Frontenac or whatever. It's just down the way ffs!

This was the first thing that came to mind when I saw this 4-layer-wearing ass.

Of all the things I figured I'd do tonight, doing a deep dive into Julian Clary (oh dear) was not one of them. www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkD-...

The only appropriate response to this is "Great! Now leave us the fuck alone."

Ottawans, heads up. In case you want to compare the show to the novel, there's a copy of Rachel Reid's first book in one of the bookcases at the Manx.

This is a tepid response. As one would expect, given [insert confused_travolta_meme.gif]

Legault resigns to spend more time privately hounding minorities

Finding trans graffiti in the randomest of spots is fun.

If Ottawans thought sidewalk snow clearing was bad, visit St. John’s… there’s no sidewalk snow clearing at all!

Toronto's lucky. Here in Ottawa, the partnership is more "abusive relationship" than "uncomfortable marriage".

I find it rich being accused of agitating when I was pointing out someone else's willingness to mischaracterize the PM and then providing receipts that proved the mischaracterization was false.

I have no idea what possessed me to look this up. I'm glad I did. I never really watched this show, though I often tuned in just to watch the opening "credits" and listen to the theme music which I found simultaneously futuristic and creepy. www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFyl...

If you can think of a better metaphor for AI, I'd like to see it.

#autowa as fuuuuuuuuck ottawacitizen.com/news/kiweki-...

Nothing’s quite as heartwarming 🙄 as the fact that nearly all Xmas well wishes center ppl being around friends and/or family while ignoring folks who are alone either thru circumstance or choice. To you solo folks: just a few days more of this seasonal bullshit until Jan 1st. You’ve got this ✌️

If I play this loudly enough, will neighbours in my building think my apartment is on fire? 🤔

It’s bittersweet witnessing creative governance here in Ontario. I’m happy for Torontonians who stand to benefit from having a mayor that actually gives a shit about people, but as an Ottawan it’s infuriating knowing what we could have but don’t have because we perpetually deny ourselves.

If (inner) urban Ottawa and rural Ottawa have one thing in common, is a sense of being disenfranchised by amalgamation. It would be fun to see a campaign to de-amalgamate Ottawa led by two groups that want absolutely nothing to do with each other.

Budget passes. Troster, Leiper, Devine and Luloff are the only No votes, though Luloff's No was "for different reasons than Jeff".

@seandevine9.bsky.social is throwing down at Tierney and his op-ed in his comments before the budget vote today.

Everything else aside, a veteran politician wrote a whole op-ed about how the failures of city policies he identifies are the fault of the people who, unlike him, vote against those policies.

This thread is worth a read. Highlight? “but the saga showed that the voices of external experts carried less weight than the perceived wants and desires of suburban homeowners.” This is the quintessential“Ottawa experience”.

How are things supposed to get better when the people largely responsible for the City’s static response to crisis after crisis continue to get voted in election after election? What’s that quote about insanity and doing the same thing over and over again?

Looks like the train's getting faster (5:20 pace!) and mayyyyybe the CBC is spying on some of us. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

(Imagine calling this "hard mode". LOL) Movie you've watched more than six times with a gif. Hard mode: no Stars (war or trek) LOTR or Marvel.

Right after I posted this I witnessed some dunce in an SUV plow right over this bulb-out. I gave him a grin amd a big thumbs up as I walked past. Way to go, #autowa! 🏆

Runners: if you can do a 5:42/km pace you are officially faster than Toronto's new Line 6.

This was a scurrilous ad hominem attack on the integrity of City Council colleagues by @timtierney.ca. During a Term of Council when we've all sought to avoid the petty divisiveness of the last term, Councillor Tierney sadly brought us all lower yesterday. 1/ ottawacitizen.com/opinion/budg...

A cynic might wonder if the City is doing a babysteps rollout because some people might fear a successful citywide rollout would score political points for a cadre of councillors that are currently on the outside looking in, one of whom is running against the current mayor in the ‘26 election.

I'm looking for the one-year report on ANCHOR, but I'm not finding it anywhere. The only link I keep seeing is broken for some reason: pub-ottawa.escribemeetings.com/filestream.a... Does anybody have it saved, by chance?

How many crashed cruisers does $26M buy?

It's my civic duty to remind people that Tierney was caught on speakerphone trying to bribe another candidate to drop out of an election race and an election official was in the room and heard the bribe being offered. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

The Journal: Four unidentified military-style drones breached no-fly zone to target Zelenskyy's arrival in Dublin www.thejournal.ie/drones-dubli...

Devine has been bringing it lately. Props to the voters of Knoxdale–Merivale. You chose well.

Watching a councillor try to gaslight Redditors on the opportunity costs that come with financing Lansdowne 2.0’s debt is making me (even) angrier about this current term of Council and is sharpening my eagerness for next year’s election. Some of you got swallowed whole by OSEG and it shows.

Introduce yourself with five concerts you’ve seen: George Michael The Prodigy R.E.M. PJ Harvey Soundgarden

For those not paying attention: OPS gets the biggest budget increases every year for some reason.

Ottawa, take note (especially if you live in the Red Zone). They'll likely be winding their way downtown around 11.30 am or so. If you live in any of the neighbourhoods that were adversely affected by the original convoy, be aware and spread the word that these dopes will be around.

❄️

Amalgamation is a great way to kill a city.

Lansdowne 2.0 passes. For: Brown, Carr, Curry, Desroches, Dudas, Gower, Hill, Hubley, Kelly, Kitts, Luloff, Plante, Skalski, Sutcliffe, Tierney Against: Bradley, Brockington, Devine, Johnson, Kavanagh, King, Leiper, Lo, Menard, Troster

Word of the Day is ‘catchfart’ (17th century): an obsequious individual who sucks up to the boss and always follows the political wind.

if you’re a cyclist or pedestrian I’m gonna strongly recommend avoiding the Laurier/Elgin intersection. The traffic cone placement through the construction zone is bananas.