Ottawa Now with Kristy Cameron

StrongTowns Ottawa, a local community group, believes that parking should be eliminated on a busy section of Bank Street. And now, they are making their arguments loud and clear to Ottawa City Council. They feel that city officials haven’t properly consulted residents on this specific matter, with a redesign of Bank Street between the 417 and TD Place in high-demand. Kristy Cameron digs deeper wit...

Robin Gill is filling in for the vacationing Vassy Kapelos this week. We start today’s program in Alberta, as the wildfires at Jasper National Park have consumed 32,000 hectares, the largest burn that park has seen in the past 100 years. Roughly one-third of the park’s structures have been destroyed. Are there any signs of relief on the way? We deliver the latest developments. And as these natural...

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre said he was open to the idea of compelling drug addicts into treatment, although he remains unconvinced. His remarks on the matter resurfaced a few days after the Alberta government’s recent proposal. It’s a talking point that hits close to home for Ottawa Mission CEO Peter Tilley, who has been sober for the past 16 years after kicking his alcohol addiction. He...

Scott Reid is filling in for Amanda Galbraith on this week’s edition of Free For All Friday. And as we examine today’s Hollywood landscape, Deadpool and Wolverine are seeking worldwide attention. Will they reignite the Superhero section of the box office? And if they are successful, will it be enough to revive the box office as a whole? Movie critic Richard Crouse delivers his two cents. In Hour 2...

In the month of July, we have seen a fair amount of whacky weather in Canada’s Capital, some of which has been very nerve-wracking for our listeners to monitor. With some of Wednesday’s nasty systems boasting the potential of producing a tornado, a weather alert could be enough to save you from tragedy. That is, if you get one. And on Wednesday, not everyone did. Kristy Cameron tries to get some a...

A historic Albertan town is surrounded by a wall of flames, as a massive wildfire threatens a national landmark. Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland joins Vassy Kapelos with the latest updates on the raging blaze. Meantime, the Tories are lighting up the Liberals in the latest polls, as a 19-point gap separates Blue from Red. Abacus Data CEO David Coletto has more on that. And finally, it’s a Thursday af...

The city councillor for Barrhaven West is calling on City Hall to implement tougher penalties on ‘the fast and the furious’, which is code for reckless stunt drivers. Last weekend alone, five drivers were charged with stunt driving in his own ward. And with six speeding cameras already installed in Barrhaven, an additional two cameras will be on the way soon. David Hill joins Kristy Cameron in Hou...

The Bank of Canada has made another interest rate cut, this time by 25 basis points. What is the broader impact of Wednesday’s decision? Vassy Kapelos digs deeper with Dawn Desjardins, a Chief Economist with Deloitte Canada. Later in Hour 1, we ask for your feedback, as Vassy opens the phone lines and reads your texts. Over in the United States, President Joe Biden is expected to address the natio...

A new survey says the Bank of Canada’s interest rate cuts did little to change Canadians’ negative perceptions about their personal finances. This comes as the quarterly MNP Consumer Debt Index dropped 6 points from the previous quarter. Kristy Cameron digs deeper with David Macdonald, a Senior Economist with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. In just a few days, the Ford government will...

Vassy Kapelos is back in the saddle, although a little bit under the weather after her business trip to Wisconsin. We start in the world of American politics, where the Director of the U.S. Secret Service has resigned from her post. This is directly linked to a series of failings before a near-fatal assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. CTV’s Joy Malbon delivers the details. Then...

All of Canada’s major grocers have signed the Grocery Code of Conduct. Walmart and Costco, who were the remaining holdouts, finally joined the party last week. It creates new rules for grocery retailers, outlining the fees they can legally charge suppliers and explain how they can deal with various disputes. Does this level the playing field? Michael Graydon, the CEO of Canada’s Health and Consume...

Tim Powers is filling in for Vassy Kapelos, who will be back in the hosting chair tomorrow. Last week’s top U.S. story was the Republican Convention, and how Donald Trump was going to amp up his party’s vision. This week leads off with his now-former opponent, as Joe Biden steps aside from the Democrats to focus on his final months as American President. He has also endorsed current U.S. Vice-Pres...

In July of 2022, Rogers was on the wrong side a massive Internet outage, one that will stand as one of the most infamous disruptions in Canadian history. This morning, we’ve got another mass outage, and it’s affecting a lot of different sectors. We discuss the overall impact of this outage, and outline the future contingency plans that need to be considered. Meantime, a family of five in Chestervi...

Scott Reid, filling in for Amanda Galbraith, breaks down the biggest stories with Canada's top newsmakers. Perhaps no story is garnering more attention than this morning’s massive cyber outage. It’s the second July in 3 years where a service outage has brought this country to its knees. What lessons must be learned moving forward? Ritesh Kotak, a cybersecurity expert, dissects the Microsoft IT bla...

The union representing LCBO workers returned to the bargaining table on Wednesday, as the ongoing strike nears another weekend of disruption. Are we seeing the light at the end of the tunnel? David Gray, a UOttawa professor who specializes in labour economics, joins the show in Hour 1. Marco Mendicino, a Liberal MP and Canada’s former Public Safety Minister, wants MPs to be given access to ‘protec...

Stefan Keyes is filling in once again, and a Cabinet Shuffle could be on the horizon at Parliament Hill. That’s because Canada’s Labour Minister is stepping aside from his duties, although Seamus O’Regan will remain a Liberal MP until the next election is called. We gather instant reaction from CTV's Jeremie Charron. Meantime, Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister is in China on an unannounced visit,...

When customers ghost a dinner reservation, it can be very frustrating for restaurant owners. Not only does it have an impact on the bottom line, it can also lead to future food waste. As a result, more establishments are implementing no-show fees, with a new study indicating that 95 percent of the world’s top restaurants have already done this. And for today’s run-of-the-mill diners, they are embr...

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland allegedly met with Prime Minister Trudeau over the weekend, and did so multiple times. Does that calm the waters about her political future, or further inflame the degree of uncertainty? Bob Fife of The Globe And Mail delivers the inside scoop to Stefan Keyes in Hour 1. As the Republican Convention continues in Milwaukee, Donald Trump’s choice for Vice-President...

According to a recent study, most Ontarians would like to see the province implement a deposit-return program for non-alcoholic beverage containers. A few months after that study was made public, the Ford government has now scrapped that idea, largely due to the added costs that customers could face. Did Ontario’s P.C. politicians make the right decision? Kristy Cameron digs deeper with Krista Sca...

Stefan Keyes is filling in today, as we approach Day 2 of the Republican Convention. CTV U.S. political analyst Eric Ham tees up what’s to come, while Vassy Kapelos delivers the latest developments from Milwaukee. Here at home, Canada’s Finance Minister is hinting that wider trade restrictions against China could be discussed in the near future. Joining us to explain further is Jerome Gessaroli, a...

Local cycling advocates are taking aim at the city’s brand-new public education plan. It is designed to improve road safety between Ottawa’s drivers and cyclists, but Bike Ottawa says this gameplan is filled with ‘misinformation’. Dave Robertson explains further in Hour 1. Meantime, a new project is being rolled out to help those experiencing homelessness in Western Quebec. Réhabex has built a rob...

Stefan Keyes fills in for Vassy Kapelos, who is on assignment this week at the Republican Convention in Milwaukee. She joins us in Hour 1 to tee up a pivotal week in the U.S. Presidential race. It comes after former U.S. President Donald Trump dodged a literal bullet during one of his latest campaign rallies. Did a lapse in Secret Service judgement lead to Saturday’s chaotic events? Mark Lowrey, a...

In Hour 1, we are about to tackle a citywide question that has been debated a few times since the arrival of the 2020s. Should alcohol be permitted in city parks? We begin the discussion with River Ward councillor Riley Brockington and Rideau-Vanier councillor Stephanie Plante. Meantime, the pressure for Ontario’s Premier to end the LCBO strike has been rapidly rising by the hour. Doug Ford says h...

Scott Reid is filling in for Amanda Galbraith, and she is missing out on a heavy series of political headliners this week. First of all, U.S. President Joe Biden was supposed to deliver a convincing speech at the NATO Summit, with the goal of proving his doubters wrong ahead of November’s pivotal vote. He says he is staying in the Presidential Race. But after a slew of Hollywood celebrities turned...

The federal government says the Alexandra Bridge is starting to bend and break due to corrosion, and we are about to reach the point of no return. They are recommending a full teardown of the 123-year-old bridge by 2028, while also promising a full-time replacement by 2032. However, advocates argue that an extensive bridge repairment is the best available option. Kristy Cameron picks the brain of...