— Your Evening Update — 

November 19, 2024

In case you haven’t heard, the first outdoor skating rink in the city will open for the season, Friday.

There are some, um, caveats to this one though.

The new rink in the ByWard Market is synthetic, not real ice. Which is to say it’s plastic. It’s also a bit on the “smol” side. The world’s longest skating rink it is not. But given the winters we’ve had these last couple years, it might be a good start to preserving Ottawa’s status as a winter skating destination.

Read on to see Lynn Saxberg’s story on why the Market is trying out something a bit different, and check out photos by Jean Levac for an early look at this new downtown attraction.

That and more in your news for the day.

Daniel Abboud made requests for records related to a grievance he had filed with the Canadian Forces.

PHOTO: Gavin Young / POSTMEDIA

DND tried to block veteran from requesting government records

By David Pugliese

The Canadian Forces tried to strip a veteran of his right to request government information after he filed a grievance linked to his military training and raised concerns about alleged sexual assault and other illegal acts in special forces units.

Documents shared with the Ottawa Citizen show Department of National Defence and Canadian military officials tried on two occasions in the fall of 2022 to remove the right of retired Cpl. Daniel Abboud to use the federal Access to Information Act to obtain government records.

Information Commissioner Caroline Maynard declined both requests to brand Abboud a “vexatious requester.” If DND had succeeded, the move would prevent the retired corporal from requesting the federal documents he sought and allow military officers and department bureaucrats the final decision on whether they responded to his future requests for records.

HOW THE RECORDS WERE OBTAINED

 BRACE FOR THE BUZZ 

National emergency alert will hit Ottawa devices this week

Today's Evening Update was curated and assembled by Lois Kirkup. Our entire newsroom is proud to produce and share the journalism you see in this newsletter. If you’d like to support the Ottawa Citizen's mission to challenge the capital to be an inspiring, world-class, livable city, why not sign up for a digital subscription? We'd love to have you on board. 

PHOTO: CDC and NIAID / AFP via Getty Images

Hospitals testing for H5N1 avian flu as virus season ramps up

By Elizabeth Payne

As respiratory season ramps up in Ontario, hospitals are being asked to take extra steps to screen patients for avian influenza.

That enhanced surveillance, which began earlier this year, has taken on a new urgency with the confirmation of Canada’s first domestically acquired case of avian influenza, in a British Columbia teenager. The teen, who was in intensive care with acute respiratory distress, had no known contact with infected livestock, including any of the B.C. poultry farms where birds have been infected. A family dog that had been ill tested negative for avian flu, officials reported. The case was identified earlier this month.

Genotyping of the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu that infected the teenager shows the virus had undergone mutations that would make it easier to infect people, according to scientists. The virus is similar to a strain that has infected poultry.

WHAT EXTRA STEPS ARE BEING TAKEN

 CONTROVERSIAL DEPORTATION 

Harkat's lawyer says terrorism case against him 'hyperbolized'

PHOTO: Jean Levac / POSTMEDIA

ByWard Market synthetic ice rink to open Friday

By Lynn Saxberg

The ByWard Market’s first synthetic ice surface opens for skating Friday afternoon, just in time to provide a seasonal backdrop for the downtown district’s tree-lighting ceremony. 

Located on the stretch of William Street that’s closed to cars, the 16-x-88-foot polymer pad isn’t huge but can be expanded if it proves to be hit, said Zachary Dayler, executive director of the ByWard Market District Authority.

“This is a manageable size and as we prove the concept, we can add or expand rinks throughout the area,” Dayler said. “As our winter market grows, we hope to add to the offerings.”

HOW WILL IT WORK?

 FLUSH WITH HISTORY 

King: Sparks Street's history includes a hidden 'commode'

• Demonstrations over Remembrance Day song in Arabic fizzle

• Still no date for Trillium Line opening; city continues to wait for 'substantial completion'

• Four pro-Palestinian protesters arrested for allegedly blocking road

• Pedestrian killed in rural Ottawa collision

• PWHL players face uncertainty over body contact rules

• Three charged after separate 'hate-motivated' incidents, including one on LRT train

• Denley: Blame the Trudeau government for Ottawa's refugee housing squabble

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