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Special weather statement for Ottawa-Gatineau today. 70-90 kph winds expected this afternoon. Rain all day, which has already arrived.
Can-Con Weekend 2025
Oct. 17th, 2025 09:04 pmI'd love to go. I used to be a volunteer working with the organizing committee on designing promo stuff.
Two problems with going there in person:
1) No masking-required policy in place on public transit. If I can't walk to a destination or get a lift from a trustworthy driver, I only use public transit.
2) The venue is in Kanata, at the other end of Ottawa from where I live in Orléans.
So.
If you're going, please be careful. đ·
Two problems with going there in person:
1) No masking-required policy in place on public transit. If I can't walk to a destination or get a lift from a trustworthy driver, I only use public transit.
2) The venue is in Kanata, at the other end of Ottawa from where I live in Orléans.
So.
If you're going, please be careful. đ·
Checking In - 1 Oct. 2025
Oct. 1st, 2025 09:20 pmThe results on the French skills tests came back. I'm not going to get that particular job. Clearly, I need more practice. Fortunately, there are places where I can get that practice without much cost.
The knee x-rays will happen tomorrow morning if I get my way. The lab is relatively convenient to my travel routines as it is, and the last I checked, they still require everyone to mask up. I hope that's still the case.
I am getting more sleep again. Productive sleep.
More job applications are going out this week. This is good.
And this is how October started for me.
The knee x-rays will happen tomorrow morning if I get my way. The lab is relatively convenient to my travel routines as it is, and the last I checked, they still require everyone to mask up. I hope that's still the case.
I am getting more sleep again. Productive sleep.
More job applications are going out this week. This is good.
And this is how October started for me.
Can-Con 2024
Oct. 1st, 2024 07:20 amOnce again, I will not be attending Can-Con in person this year. This is due to my continuing efforts to reduce my risk of COVID-19 reinfection and the consequences of it for me and other people.
Even if Can-Con went back from "recommended" to "required" on its masking policy, OC Transpo isn't even being allowed to bother one way or the other. As the public transit system is my main way of getting around Ottawa, and Can-Con is something I want, rather than need, to attend, it's one more thing I will forego.
I'm sorry about this.
Even if Can-Con went back from "recommended" to "required" on its masking policy, OC Transpo isn't even being allowed to bother one way or the other. As the public transit system is my main way of getting around Ottawa, and Can-Con is something I want, rather than need, to attend, it's one more thing I will forego.
I'm sorry about this.
"Petition to the Government of Canada
Whereas:
Passenger rail is a safe, efficient, sustainable, affordable, and accessible mode of public transportation;
Due to federal cutbacks and underinvestment over many years, Canadaâs current passenger rail services lag far behind those available in other countries;
Since its creation in 1978, VIA Rail has lacked both the legislative mandate and stable budget necessary to maintain and expand passenger rail service in Canada;
While VIA Rail's on-time performance on tracks it owns is over 90 percent, it is only 60 percent on tracks it shares with other railways;
Rail privatization and outsourcing schemes in other countries have led to higher fares, reduced service, deteriorating safety performance, and lower salaries for workers;
Unlike other public passenger rail providers around the world, VIA Rail lacks representation from passengers and workers on its board of directors; and
In its Corporate Plan, VIA has warned that its long-distance fleet, built in the 1950s, is overdue for replacement, without which it will soon be unable to provide services in Atlantic and Western Canada.
We, the undersigned, Residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to:
1. Incorporate the contents of Bills C-371, the Rail Passenger Priority Act, and C-236/C-640 (41-2) the VIA Rail Canada Act, in a Government Bill and prioritize its passage through the legislative process;
2. Commit, in the 2024 federal budget, the funds necessary to renew VIA Railâs long-distance fleet;
3. Provide passenger and worker representation on VIA Railâs board of directors; and
4. Revise the High Frequency Rail project to protect VIA Railâs role in delivering public passenger rail service along the Windsor to Quebec City corridor."
https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-4754
Whereas:
Passenger rail is a safe, efficient, sustainable, affordable, and accessible mode of public transportation;
Due to federal cutbacks and underinvestment over many years, Canadaâs current passenger rail services lag far behind those available in other countries;
Since its creation in 1978, VIA Rail has lacked both the legislative mandate and stable budget necessary to maintain and expand passenger rail service in Canada;
While VIA Rail's on-time performance on tracks it owns is over 90 percent, it is only 60 percent on tracks it shares with other railways;
Rail privatization and outsourcing schemes in other countries have led to higher fares, reduced service, deteriorating safety performance, and lower salaries for workers;
Unlike other public passenger rail providers around the world, VIA Rail lacks representation from passengers and workers on its board of directors; and
In its Corporate Plan, VIA has warned that its long-distance fleet, built in the 1950s, is overdue for replacement, without which it will soon be unable to provide services in Atlantic and Western Canada.
We, the undersigned, Residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to:
1. Incorporate the contents of Bills C-371, the Rail Passenger Priority Act, and C-236/C-640 (41-2) the VIA Rail Canada Act, in a Government Bill and prioritize its passage through the legislative process;
2. Commit, in the 2024 federal budget, the funds necessary to renew VIA Railâs long-distance fleet;
3. Provide passenger and worker representation on VIA Railâs board of directors; and
4. Revise the High Frequency Rail project to protect VIA Railâs role in delivering public passenger rail service along the Windsor to Quebec City corridor."
https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-4754
Off to City Hall...
Oct. 23rd, 2023 07:53 am...to advocate for extra municipal funding for mental health support programmes this morning. I've printed out three drafts of my "deputation" - city hall slang for a speech expected to last no more than five minutes - and am not sure that I'm properly set up for this.
I am, of course, terrified of being reinfected by COVID-19 by way of public transit. Not that I have any realistic alternatives to that to resort to right now for various reasons and excuses.
I haven't visited the downtown core of Ottawa-Gatineau in over a year. There have surely been additional changes to the neighbourhood that I don't know to expect.
I am, of course, terrified of being reinfected by COVID-19 by way of public transit. Not that I have any realistic alternatives to that to resort to right now for various reasons and excuses.
I haven't visited the downtown core of Ottawa-Gatineau in over a year. There have surely been additional changes to the neighbourhood that I don't know to expect.
Maps: Updating the "Short Air Hops" Map
Mar. 26th, 2023 09:16 amDoes anyone remember any scheduled short-run connections that I should be adding to this one?
Yes, I'm switching over to Affinity Designer or Inkscape from Adobe CS4 from here onwards.
Yes, I'm switching over to Affinity Designer or Inkscape from Adobe CS4 from here onwards.
Highway Signage, Revisited Anew
Jan. 23rd, 2023 07:28 pmSo I subscribe to this mailing list called the Weekly Typographic, organized by the League of Movable Type. This week's instalment led me to an essay on highway signage as put together in the United States (and adapted to some extent in Canada as well):
https://www.beautifulpublicdata.com/the-style-guide-for-americas-highways-mutcd/?mc_cid=6948264b0b&mc_eid=b51f2e7655
Yes, friends and acquaintances, there is a style guide for these things, and it runs currently to over 900 pages in hardcopy format.
All those road trips my parents took me on over the years of grade school and high school...they had an effect on my choice of hobbies. License plates, highway signs...this is a part of why I got involved with Spacing Media, of course, as well as developing interests in graphic design along with comic books and science fiction in TV and film. I think I've discussed this before. Many of you reading this remember that. It seems a good idea to cover that ground anew for some of the people just starting to visit regularly.
https://www.beautifulpublicdata.com/the-style-guide-for-americas-highways-mutcd/?mc_cid=6948264b0b&mc_eid=b51f2e7655
Yes, friends and acquaintances, there is a style guide for these things, and it runs currently to over 900 pages in hardcopy format.
All those road trips my parents took me on over the years of grade school and high school...they had an effect on my choice of hobbies. License plates, highway signs...this is a part of why I got involved with Spacing Media, of course, as well as developing interests in graphic design along with comic books and science fiction in TV and film. I think I've discussed this before. Many of you reading this remember that. It seems a good idea to cover that ground anew for some of the people just starting to visit regularly.
(no subject)
Dec. 21st, 2022 09:00 am1. Someone sees the work of the Guardian as a threat.
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/dec/21/guardian-hit-by-serious-it-incident-believed-to-be-ransomware-attack
2. If you're trying to get in or out of metropolitan Vancouver, Canada, you'll need more patience than usual:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/winter-weather-flight-cancellations-1.6693294
3. Same for Ottawa-Gatineau.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/don-t-travel-this-weekend-if-you-don-t-need-to-opp-says-1.6692802
4. Mon-Fri 9-5 may be over for many, but what's taking its place in the federal civil service may be problematic in other ways for the staff as much as for the public. Especially in Ottawa-Gatineau where we don't have mask rules back in place yet.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/federal-departments-hybrid-directive-responses-1.6692401
5. The Convoy Siege of Ottawa continues to have consequences for a lot of people living here.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/zexi-li-freedom-convoy-year-in-review-1.6205324
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/dec/21/guardian-hit-by-serious-it-incident-believed-to-be-ransomware-attack
2. If you're trying to get in or out of metropolitan Vancouver, Canada, you'll need more patience than usual:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/winter-weather-flight-cancellations-1.6693294
3. Same for Ottawa-Gatineau.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/don-t-travel-this-weekend-if-you-don-t-need-to-opp-says-1.6692802
4. Mon-Fri 9-5 may be over for many, but what's taking its place in the federal civil service may be problematic in other ways for the staff as much as for the public. Especially in Ottawa-Gatineau where we don't have mask rules back in place yet.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/federal-departments-hybrid-directive-responses-1.6692401
5. The Convoy Siege of Ottawa continues to have consequences for a lot of people living here.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/zexi-li-freedom-convoy-year-in-review-1.6205324
Health: Flu Vaccination 2022
Nov. 25th, 2022 04:49 pmI got my dosage yesterday.
Still masking for my public travels, and wishing more of my neighbours would get back to that habit. It would make finding and holding a new job again easier for me and any prospective employer.
Still masking for my public travels, and wishing more of my neighbours would get back to that habit. It would make finding and holding a new job again easier for me and any prospective employer.
Dad: Camping Trips and Frustrations
Oct. 28th, 2022 06:40 pmSo John Scalzi posted a picture from Halifax today.
That clock tower? It's the kind of thing my Dad would never let us get a look at during our cross-country travels in the early 1980's. "You see that over there? That's (Québec City/Halifax/Boston/Hamilton). That's as close as we're getting."
I hated that.
And this was the same guy who trooped our family past Diefenbaker's corpse in Ottawa; Into the Olympic Stadium in Montréal mid-Expos game where the cheers over a batter hitting the ball damn near drove me to run away I don't know where in a panic; a few other sights, too.
That clock tower? It's the kind of thing my Dad would never let us get a look at during our cross-country travels in the early 1980's. "You see that over there? That's (Québec City/Halifax/Boston/Hamilton). That's as close as we're getting."
I hated that.
And this was the same guy who trooped our family past Diefenbaker's corpse in Ottawa; Into the Olympic Stadium in Montréal mid-Expos game where the cheers over a batter hitting the ball damn near drove me to run away I don't know where in a panic; a few other sights, too.
A Public Service Message
Oct. 3rd, 2022 07:49 pmSome caregivers have to enter and leave #outbreak lockdown zones via #publictransit. Can't afford cars, and bikes are out of reach too.
#BringBackMasks #CovidIsNotOver #COVIDisAirborne #OCTranspo #Ottawa #publichealth
#BringBackMasks #CovidIsNotOver #COVIDisAirborne #OCTranspo #Ottawa #publichealth
Masks: Home Hardware
Apr. 25th, 2022 10:38 amI have since learned that Home Hardware carries KN95 masks in five-packs for a little over C$6/pack. I picked up two packs for a little over C$13, so that helps for a few more weeks.
(no subject)
Mar. 19th, 2022 09:07 pmGot some pix of the construction of one of the new O-Train stations, doubling as the renovation of one of the old Transitway stations here in eastern Ottawa.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dwight_ew/albums/72177720297478784
Also, got some laundry done this morning before I went out for my day's shopping errands.
Rain day, too. Not the worst rain we've had, just enough to keep the spring melt moving along.
Oh, and I got a haircut last week. The CPAP machine mask harness was part of the impetus, the new job search was another reason. Although some people seem pleased with it regardless of the motives.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dwight_ew/albums/72177720297478784
Also, got some laundry done this morning before I went out for my day's shopping errands.
Rain day, too. Not the worst rain we've had, just enough to keep the spring melt moving along.
Oh, and I got a haircut last week. The CPAP machine mask harness was part of the impetus, the new job search was another reason. Although some people seem pleased with it regardless of the motives.
(no subject)
Oct. 23rd, 2021 08:12 pmNot a great day.
Went out for a haircut because of the interview planned for Wednesday morning, but I got to the barber shop too late in the afternoon: just after 2 PM. Long story, there, and I only had my neurology to blame for that.
Ditto for losing one of the two shopping bags I took downtown with me to the barber shop. Not sure where or how I lost it, but it's gone and I'm not getting it back. Even if it made it to OC Transpo Lost and Found at Heartwood House.
I can't yet find the right kind of bandage for the bridge of my nose. I guess I need to keep fiddling with the CPAP mask. I had a comfortable fit with the old mask for the better part of a year. Now, with this one? I had it tight enough to raise a welt.
Thanks for the suggestions thus far for dealing with the problem. I keep thinking it should be a simple matter of adjusting the fastening straps...
Went out for a haircut because of the interview planned for Wednesday morning, but I got to the barber shop too late in the afternoon: just after 2 PM. Long story, there, and I only had my neurology to blame for that.
Ditto for losing one of the two shopping bags I took downtown with me to the barber shop. Not sure where or how I lost it, but it's gone and I'm not getting it back. Even if it made it to OC Transpo Lost and Found at Heartwood House.
I can't yet find the right kind of bandage for the bridge of my nose. I guess I need to keep fiddling with the CPAP mask. I had a comfortable fit with the old mask for the better part of a year. Now, with this one? I had it tight enough to raise a welt.
Thanks for the suggestions thus far for dealing with the problem. I keep thinking it should be a simple matter of adjusting the fastening straps...
...you might see these CBC reports as good news if you're thinking of coming to visit. More as it develops, I'm sure!
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/canada-travel-foreigners-vaccinated-1.6162956
https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/foreign-travellers-covid-19-vaccinated-border-1.6166650
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/canada-travel-foreigners-vaccinated-1.6162956
https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/foreign-travellers-covid-19-vaccinated-border-1.6166650
Walking Time - 1 July 2021
Jul. 1st, 2021 08:56 pmI didn't feel like travelling outside my neighbourhood today. But I needed the walking time, so I got it.
