Ottawa-specific coverage of local business news, including tourism, retail, transportation, city hall and more. Issues related to human resources and philanthropy are often featured.
The federal government’s proposal to turn a two-and-a-half-acre site across from Parliament Hill into an office and retail complex is a “great start” toward revitalizing the Parliamentary Precinct, a prominent Ottawa real estate executive said Friday – but other business leaders say they’re not convinced the project will give struggling downtown merchants the boost they need.
Ottawa-Gatineau’s annual pace of housing starts rose 21 per cent last month from January, but have fallen compared to February last year, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. says.
While domestic and transborder tourism to Ottawa is likely to recover from pandemic lows this year, international travel may continue to lag. According to local tourism leaders, a significant drop in Chinese tourism is partially to blame.
In an email to OBJ this week, PSPC called the Block 2 redevelopment project “a “key part” of the federal government’s efforts “to restore and modernize” the Parliamentary Precinct.
As independent cinema owners across the country sound the alarm over threats to their industry and survival, the Mayfair, Ottawa’s oldest independent theatre is “still hanging in there.”
Ottawa bicycle shop Quick Cranks has acquired Foster’s Sporting Goods, the city’s oldest bike shop, and the new owner’s director Mustafa Ismail said he’s ready to carry on Foster’s legacy, modernize operations and serve Ottawans — all while continuing to bet on Centretown.