Honestly, if you looked out your window this morning, you probably didn't need a weather app to tell you the news in Ottawa Canada was going to be dominated by the white stuff.
We’re currently sitting in the middle of the biggest snowstorm of the season. Environment Canada has been flashing that yellow snowfall warning for a reason. By the time this system wraps up tonight, we’re looking at anywhere from 15 to 25 centimetres of snow. It’s a total mess out there. Visibility is basically zero in some spots, and the wind is just cutting right through you.
School buses across the city and the Ottawa Valley? Yeah, they’re all parked. The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and the Ottawa Catholic School Board pulled the plug early this morning. It’s one of those classic "winter is back" moments after that weirdly mild stretch we just had.
The Massive Waste Move Nobody Expected
While most people are focusing on shovelling their driveways, something huge happened at City Hall yesterday. In a 20-5 vote, Ottawa City Council decided to move forward with buying a massive private landfill in the east end.
We’re talking about the Capital Region Resource Recovery Centre (CRRRC) on Boundary Road.
It’s 475 acres. That is a lot of space for trash.
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The city is essentially playing the long game here. Mayor Mark Sutcliffe says this is about control. See, Ontario is running out of landfill space fast—like, within the next decade fast. It takes about 15 years to get a new landfill approved in this province. By buying this site, which already has the provincial green light, the city skips a decade and a half of red tape.
Why some people are mad about it
Not everyone is on board. Five councillors, including David Brown and Catherine Kitts, voted against it. The price tag is currently hidden under a non-disclosure agreement, which always makes people nervous. We won't know the actual cost until the deal closes later this winter. The city is planning to fund this through debt, which, given the current budget climate, is a tough pill for some to swallow.
The big fear? That the city will just use this as an excuse to stop innovating on waste diversion. If you have a massive hole in the ground to fill, do you still try as hard to compost and recycle? The city says yes, but history makes people skeptical.
Job Cuts at the Federal Level
If you work for the feds, this week has been incredibly stressful. The government has started sending out notices as part of that plan to cut 28,000 jobs over the next four years.
Statistics Canada is losing about 850 positions over two years. 100 of those people found out this week. Shared Services Canada is also in the thick of it, notifying IT workers and executives that their roles might no longer be needed.
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The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) is sounding the alarm. They’re worried that cutting over 700 IT jobs at Shared Services is going to lead to more outsourcing, which usually means higher costs and more security gaps. It’s a tough vibe in the downtown core right now.
LRT: Is the East Extension Finally Coming?
We’ve all been burned by LRT timelines before, so take this with a grain of salt. But OC Transpo is now saying the eastern extension to Orléans is "definitely achievable" for the first quarter of 2026.
That’s basically right now.
They found some "deficiencies" late last year—specifically with some track infrastructure and reinforced concrete—but they’re working through them. Once they hit "substantial completion," they have to do 21 days of trial running.
If you’re waiting for the west extension to Algonquin College or Moodie Drive, you’re going to be waiting a lot longer. That one is looking like late 2026 at the earliest.
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Brady Tkachuk Hits a Massive Milestone
In better news, the Ottawa Senators actually gave us something to cheer about last night. Brady Tkachuk scored his 200th career goal during a 4-point night against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
The Sens have had a rollercoaster of a week. There’s been a ton of noise online lately—some pretty nasty rumors that the team has called "bulls---"—but they seem to be tuning it out on the ice.
Over in the PWHL, the Ottawa Charge is lean, mean, and winning. Brianne Jenner was just named Player of the Week for the second time this season. The Charge are currently 18-1 all-time when she scores. If you haven't been to a game at TD Place yet, the atmosphere is honestly better than half the NHL games I've been to.
What to do next in Ottawa
If you’re navigating the city today or looking at the week ahead, here’s the smart play:
- Check the plow tracker: If you’re driving, the City of Ottawa’s online plow map is your best friend. Don't bother heading out until the mains are clear.
- Update your resume if you're a public servant: Even if you didn't get a letter this week, the workforce adjustment is a multi-year project. It’s a good time to see what’s out there in the private sector.
- Watch the East End LRT updates: If you live in Orléans, start looking for the "trial running" announcement. That’s the real sign that you’ll be on a train soon.
- Grab PWHL tickets: With the "Takeover Tour" hitting high gear, home games are going to get harder to find.
Stay warm out there. This snow isn't going anywhere fast, and the mercury is expected to drop to -13°C (feeling like -23°C with the wind) by tomorrow morning. It’s officially deep winter in the capital.