Ottawa

A Toronto firm behind one of downtown Ottawa’s biggest mixed-use developments says it hopes to break ground next year on another project that could see thousands of housing units built in Kanata North.

Ottawa entrepreneur Nasr Nasr, owner and founder of Juice Dudez, is breathing new life into his family’s century-old business by introducing virtual reality as a way to engage customers and train team members, while also cutting costs and limiting food waste.

The head of a Crown corporation that buys and develops federal properties says he’s hoping to speed up projects such as converting empty government office buildings into apartments in a bid to boost Ottawa’s housing stock.

Back when Ottawa Bagelshop and Deli owner Liliana Piazza was performing opera for a living, she honed her vocal craft during rehearsals.

Public Services and Procurement Canada, which owns or leases more than 30 million square feet of office space in Ottawa-Gatineau, plans to reduce its office footprint by up to 50 per cent over the next decade in an effort to lower operating costs and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Ottawa Senators president and CEO Cyril Leeder said Tuesday that LeBreton Flats is the only site in serious consideration for the hockey club’s new arena. 

Ottawa-based vertical farming company The Growcer has raised $3 million in Series A financing to accelerate the company’s growth. 

Oakville-based Splitsville Entertainment announced that it will open a 26,000-square-foot bowling facility at 745 Kanata Ave. in the fall of this year. The Kanata Entertainment Centrum comprises more than 300,000 square feet of shopping, entertainment and dining.

Tourism has come roaring back from pandemic lows, but operators say the sector has yet to reach pre-COVID levels and debt remains a hefty burden for thousands of small businesses across the country.