If history is any guide, here is what may well happen in the tragic story of Abdirahman Abdi.

The accused, Ottawa police Const. Daniel Montsion, will get the finest legal representation against the manslaughter and assault charges he faces; the trial will be long and emotionally draining; the police will, at times, look terrible; ultimately, he will be acquitted; and almost no one will be satisfied at the outcome.

It is all guesswork at this point, of course, but is this not the pattern of charges laid against Ottawa police officers by the Special Investigations Unit?

Consider its most widely-known local prosecution, that of Sgt. Steven Desjourdy for the cell-block treatment of a 25-year-old intoxicated woman in 2008. He was charged with sexual assault and represented by Michael Edelson, one of the city’s leading criminal lawyers. It’s what union backing and a lot of money gets you.

The Crown’s case was a little wobbly from the beginning but so sure was the defence of its position that it called no witnesses. Guilty of a criminal act? Are you kidding?

Desjourdy was neither convicted, nor fired, nor even demoted. All in, it took about six years, a distressing amount of time for everybody, though, on the plus side, there were laudable improvements in cell-lock procedures.

Flip back a little further to the case of Martin Cardinal, a constable with the Ottawa police who was charged with banging a handcuffed suspect’s head — an intoxicated woman — on the trunk of a police cruiser in November 2000. He was charged with assault. It took five years, but he was back on the force after being given a conditional discharge, meaning he had no criminal record.

His lawyer? Michael Edelson.

(What is interesting in all three of the above cases is that video was involved and it looked — to an average civilian — that an abuse of power was at play. What is invariably true is that video alone is never the whole story — in the moment, it just looks that way.)

There’s lots more.

Constables Thanh Tran and Colin Bowie were charged by the SIU after a rough sidewalk arrest in Sandy Hill in August 2011. The pair were acquitted in criminal court, then internal disciplinary charges were withdrawn.

After an incident in May 2014 at the Queensway-Carleton hospital, Constables Erin Cavan and Jordan Blonde were charged with assault during the search of a patient suspected of having illegal drugs.

The charges were withdrawn by the Crown, citing no reasonable prospect of conviction. Former mayor Jim Durrell, a member of the police services board, called the SIU’s conduct in that case “an abuse of power.” Coun. Jan Harder, meanwhile, called the whole thing “nonsense,” echoing long-held union views that the SIU is attempting to criminalize any alleged on-the-job error.

Going further back, in September 1991, police shot Vincent Gardner, 49, during a drug raid gone wrong on Gould Street when his guitar was mistaken for a weapon. In a case that was also racially tinged, the police officer was acquitted of manslaughter in 1993.

So, is the Abdi case different?

We shall see. The charges have obviously not yet been tested in court. The problem for the Crown is that, in the eyes of the law, police officers are not regular civilians. They are invested with powers of arrest and the legal use of force to carry out their duties. They are also allowed to make errors of judgement on the job — even with serious consequences — without being labelled criminals.

Does it sound plausible that Const. Montsion was so reckless in his use of force in helping apprehend Abdi that he didn’t care about inflicting a grievous injury, in broad daylight, with other officers present? It is why we have judges.

Many are looking at the Abdi case through a racial lens, as so much of policing is viewed these days.

I doubt this complex societal issue will get a full airing in a criminal setting, which is not a great tool to detect bias, conscious or not. The police weren’t chasing Abdi because he was black or Somali — he was a suspect fleeing a potential crime scene.

It seems painfully obvious to me that excessive force was used in arresting the man, maybe aided by a misread of the threat level, if not Abdi’s mental state. But was it a crime? Trust not the SIU to know.

To contact Kelly Egan, please call 613-726-5896 or email kegan@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/kellyegancolumn

If you like a thin layer of ice on your roads and sidewalks, then you’re going to have a good day.

If, like most people, you appreciate functioning hips and un-smashed bumpers, then today might be a bit of a headache.

A freezing rain warning that began Monday evening has finally been lifted, but most surfaces are very slippery so be extra careful. Laneways, secondary roads and sidewalks are worse than main arteries but it’s best to exercise a high degree of caution everywhere.

In no big surprise, school bus services were cancelled across the board.

The Ottawa School Bus Authority announced that all school bus services were cancelled.

This impacts Ottawa Carleton, Renfrew and French public schools.

The Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario and the Upper Canada District School Board sent out cancellation notices by 5:30 a.m.

Western Quebec also cancelled bus service.

As always, schools remained open.

Drivers seemed to be handling the situation reasonably well in the early going, but traffic police were warning everyone to stay on the cautious side, beginning with clearing all windows of ice that accumulated overnight.

The weather has left the slopes too slippery for comfort for the Camp Fortune ski centre, and they’re closed all day Tuesday, reopening Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Ottawa International Airport reported that conditions were having an effect on some flights.

Environment Canada is predicting that periods of rain will continue into this evening. A high of 6 C is expected.

Warm weather will continue into Wednesday, with temperatures dropping again by the weekend.

Celebrity sightings are common at ComicCon conventions and this year Degrassi High fans will be able to see some of the show’s current and former cast members.

The actors include Pat Mastroianni — who first appeared on the show in 1985 when it was Degrassi Junior High — along with Stacie Mistysyn, Stefan Brogren, Kristen Bourne, who all appeared on the show in the late ’80s when it graduated to Degrassi High.

The group is among 17 special guests, including the guest of honour Adam West of former Batman fame, who will appear at the comic book convention.

Ottawa ComicCon begins runs May 12-14 at the EY Centre.

A fire caused extensive damage at a home near Orléans on Tuesday.

Firefighters were called to the home at 516 Yellow Birch St. around 10:50 a.m. after neighbours reported heavy smoke and flames visible within the residence.

The scene was moved up to a second alarm around 11:10 a.m., after crews had difficulty extinguishing the blaze.

The fire was under control a short while later, but crews on the scene reported significant water damage to the building. The roof also had to be cut open to fight the fire and several windows were damaged.

No firefighter injuries were reported and the residents weren’t home when the fire started.

An investigation into the cause of the fire continues. No damage estimates were available.

The National Capital Open to Support Our Troops will return to Hylands Golf Club on Aug. 17-20, the Mackenzie Tour announced Tuesday.

The Ottawa stop on the Canadian affiliate of the PGA Tour was first played at Hylands in 2014 as the Forces & Families Open, but became known as the National Capital Open a year later.

Brock Mackenzie won last year’s edition of the Open on his way to ranking second on the tour’s 2016 season money list. He has since qualified to play on the U.S.-based Web.Com Tour.

The $175,000 National Capital Open will be played exactly one week before the women of the LPGA Tour visit the area for the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club.

The Ottawa Police Service is asking the public’s help to locate Pierre Legault, 49, of Ottawa.

Legault went missing in the evening of Mar. 4, in the evening, and was last seen in the Glebe, in the area of the O’Connor Street and Patterson Avenue. Legault’s family is concerned for his well-being

He is a described as being white and around six feet tall. He is bald and wears glasses.

There is no clothing description available for him.

It is possible that he’s driving a four-door white Hyundai Elantra GT with the license plate BZRT716.

Anyone with information about Legault’s whereabouts is asked to immediately contact Ottawa Police at 613-230-6211. Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling Crime Stoppers toll free at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).

An Ottawa man faces several charges following an investigation into an allegation of sexual assault against three boys.

On Jan. 13, the Ottawa police received information that a teenage boy had reported that he had been inappropriately touched by the accused. When an investigation was launched by the force’s sexual assault and child abuse unit, two other younger boys were identified as alleged victims of the same accused.  

On March 3, Philip Herbert, 37, of Ottawa was charged with three counts of sexual assault, three counts of sexual interference, four counts of uttering threats and one count of mischief to property. His next court appearance is scheduled for March 21.

Investigators are concerned there could be other victims. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Ottawa police at 613-236-1222, ext. 5944. Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling Crime Stoppers toll-free at 1-800-222-8477 or downloading the Ottawa Police app. 

Eligible residents can now apply for OC Transpo’s EquiPass, a new monthly transit pass that provides a lower-priced transit option for individuals or families who live on low incomes.

The $57-per-month pass cuts the cost of a monthly adult transit pass in half, saving $56.75 each month, or $681 each year.    

City council approved $2.7 million for the provision of the EquiPass in the 2017 Budget. 

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson says the program will make life more inclusive for residents seeking employment, as well as for many single parents, newcomers to Canada settling in Ottawa, and other residents living on low-income wages.

“The money they will save on transit will leave more available for other basic necessities and allow them to participate more fully in our city’s job market and socio-economic life.”

The EquiPass is available to Ottawa residents whose household income falls below the low-income cut-off threshold, set annually by the federal government. The low-income cut-off indicates an income threshold below which an individual or family is likely to spend significantly more of its income on food, shelter and clothing.

Customers must complete an application form. Once approved, they will be able to purchase the discounted pass for use as of Apr. 1, 2017. The pass is valid for travel on all OC Transpo services, including Para Transpo and the O-Train Trillium Line, as well as STO services.

 Applications can be downloaded from octranspo.com or picked up in person at all OC Transpo Customer service centres, City of Ottawa client service centres, Ottawa public libraries and social support centres. Applications can also be picked up at many community partner locations, including community health and resource centres, community houses and settlement agencies. Completed applications can be mailed to OC Transpo or dropped off in person at an OC Transpo customer service centre or one of 15 other designated locations.

The review and approval process will generally take up to three weeks, after which successful applicants can visit an OC Transpo customer service centre to set the EquiPass discount on their Presto card.

For more information on how to apply for the EquiPass, including a full list of application pick-up and drop-off locations, please visit octranspo.com.

The city has also released information on how residents can apply for the EquiPass at ottawa.ca.

At least one U.S. seaside golf destination is looking to take the sting off the loonie lunacy.

Ocean City, one of the travel destinations with a booth at the Ottawa-Gatineau GolfExpo at the EY Centre on Friday and Saturday, is offering what it calls Pricing Close to Par for gBoolfers during the spring and fall seasons. Basically, the destination (OceanCityGolf.com) has chopped 25 per cent off its rates so Canadians can experience nationally-ranked (by Golf Digest and Golf Magazine) championship courses. Per-person rates for five nights and four rounds of golf start at $242 U.S. (25 per cent less than what Americans pay) the rest of March, then $276 in April, $361 in May, $354 in September, $260 in October and $220 in November.

“We realized the issue with the exchange, we realize people want to travel south to play golf,” Ocean City Golf Getaway COO Walter Brooks said Friday. “So, for the second straight year, we’ve addressed the issue by absorbing some of the costs involved with the exchange.”

At a time when many golfers make the 16-plus-hour drive to Myrtle Beach, S.C., Ocean City, which is in Maryland, is about half the distance.

“We’re 8 1/2 hours from Ottawa,” Brooks said. “It’s championship coastal golf, with renowned architects like Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Arthur Hills. Our season is March-November. Our courses are open. They’re cutting grass; that’s how warm it has been. In March, we’re looking at an average of 60 (F), in the ’70s in April and 80s in May. It’s really consistent through our Thanksgiving, the end of November, which would still be 65, 70 degrees.”

Beside the 17 championship golf courses, Ocean City has plenty of accommodation options, a great selection of restaurants, eight miles of nightclubs, an outlet mall, 10 miles of beautiful beaches and a three-mile boardwalk. It’s a happening family place in the summer, with its population rocketing from 10,000 year-round residents to nearly 400,000 between Memorial Day in late May and Labour Day in early September. With that, the cost of hotel rooms also get bumped substantially, making the spring and fall seasons ideal for stay-and-play golf packages.

“Ocean City is a total package,” Brooks said. “It’s a great area. Ocean City was just ranked 10th-best beach in the U.S. by Trip Advisor. We add value to our golf packages. We host happy hours one night a week that includes alcohol and appetizers.”

A GREAT SHOW: The Ottawa-Gatineau Golf Expo will be open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. There are equipment testing areas for Callaway, Cobra Puma, PING, TaylorMade, Cleveland/Srixon and Tour Edge. The first 100 juniors to visit the show will each receive a free golf club. Younger folks can spend time in the Kid’s Zone, which offers instruction, games and competition. For the older folks, there’s free beer sampling from craft brewers including Kichesippi, Big Rig, Triple Bogey, Tuque de Broue and Stray Dog.

Greg Chambers, regional director for the National Golf Course Owners Association Canada, explained: “We want lots of people to show up. What I’m looking for is the people who don’t golf. We’ve got curling, we’ve got beer sampling, we’ve got seminar stage teaching, and we want the people who golf a lot. They can get different green-fee packages and destination packages. We also want the private-course golfers. They’ve been left out. We want them to come out and try out the newest, greatest clubs and everything else we have to offer. It’s not the old days, where golfers would show up, grab all the leaflets and fill in emails for draws. If you go to any booth now, almost every golf course has a deal on something, like a show special.

“It’s not the Masters music, that’s the big lead-in to the golf season. But we want to get people thinking about golf just before courses open.”

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: If you’re at the golf show, there are plenty of golf travel bargains to be found. Santee, S.C., (it has been called America’s Value Golf Destination; less than a 3-wood off I-95 is what they advertise), is offering a deal through the end of May with five nights at Historic Clark’s Inn and Restaurant, five round of golf and a southern-cooked-to-order breakfast each day for $555 (it’s more than $100 off the regular price; ask for the Canada Show Special at ClarksGolfPackages.com) … Gendron Golf (gendrongolf.com) is offering packages including Mexico’s all-inclusive Moon Palace ($2,295, Nov. 1-8), a week in Tucson (between Oct. 20-Dec. 15 from $1,595 for a two-bedroom condo with four beds) and maybe best of all a 14-night, seven-golf-round trip to Costa del Sol, Spain either Oct. 4-19 or 9-24, starting at $2,395 for quad occupancy. (That trip includes a flight out of Montreal and 14 buffet breakfasts to go along with the golf and mid-sized car rental).

ONE-STOP SHOPPING: Retailers were busy at the show. Cambridge Golf and Fashions’ Jeff Williamson said ECCO golf shoes were selling “like crazy.” Shoes that normally range from $229-$309 were selling for $105 and $115. “We have people come here right away because they bought some last year or the year before and they know we have the best deals when it comes to ECCO shoes. Everything else, we just made it simple. All the men’s pants, all the men’s shorts, we just made it $35. Hard goods, last year’s drivers — Mizuno, Srixon, TaylorMade, all brand new — they’re all like 50 per cent off or more. We slash them because we have all the new stuff in.”

Twitter: @TimCBaines 

Whether affected by combat fatigue, arctic temperatures or both, only five people materialized Saturday to protest Jordan Peterson’s second Ottawa lecture.

The University of Toronto professor wrapped up his capital speaking tour with a presentation at the Ottawa Public Library auditorium, the second of two sold-out speeches hosted by right-wing group Act! for Canada.

On their website, the group’s slogan is “rising in defense of our security, our liberty, our values.”

Peterson has courted controversy since he publicly denounced gender-neutral pronouns and Bill C-16, which would protect them in law.

The gender-identity issue is just one of many “politically correct” issues and conduct opposed by Peterson.

The hundreds who filled the library courtyard around the gallery far outnumbered the five solemn, bundled-up faces in front. But the protesters’ opposition remained resolute.

“I’m here because the ideas that Peterson stands for promotes hatred,” said one female protester, who asked not to be identified. “We can’t tolerate hate against the trans community, because it means we all lose.”

Fewer than five protesters were outside the public library for a talk by controversial University of Toronto professor Jordan Peterson Saturday.

The morning of the event she thought she would be joined by many of her comrades from Thursday’s demonstration at Peterson’s lecture at the National Gallery of Canada.

But there was conflicting data on the event’s Facebook page after a library official allegedly told one of the protesters that Peterson’s lecture had been cancelled, then told another organizer that the event was still on.

As the clock ticked, confusion grew on the site and eventually, the “official” protest was cancelled, although opponents were encouraged to show the flag on their own.

However, the lack of official support, particularly after the abuse protesters endured at Thursday’s gathering, was to much for at least one opponent.

“Without my community, I can’t do it,” they said.

The University of Toronto has expressed discomfort over Peterson’s speeches, sending him two warning letters that his speech may violate the Ontario Human Rights Code.

Despite the cautions, the professor still runs a YouTube channel where he posts weekly videos with titles like “leftist mumbo-jumbo” and “why few women are in positions of power.”

His polarizing speech may rub some the wrong way, but it was music to the ears of the couple of hundred of people who packed the mid-sized auditorium.

“Make America Great Again” hats were bobbing up and down as their owners nodded in agreement with Peterson’s points.

The protesters said they weren’t there looking for a fight, but a conversation.

“We were hoping for a question and answer period but as you can see we’re standing outside,” said a second anonymous protester. “Freedom of speech is important and I believe he’s exercising that, but his free speech is dangerous.”

The security guard posted at the theatre door for Peterson’s safety turned out to be unnecessary.

Don’t blame seasonal flu for hospital overcrowding, says a leading emergency physician. Some hospitals in Ottawa and across the province are bursting at the seams, a problem that has become chronic and is unlikely to improve once winter flu season passes, health officials say.

“It is not just a blip,” said Chantale LeClerc, chief executive officer of the Champlain Local Health Integration Network, which oversees health care in the region.

Officials at the Champlain LHIN are watching ongoing overcrowding at The Ottawa Hospital and elsewhere with concern, LeClerc said.

Both The Ottawa Hospital and Queensway-Carleton Hospital have been at more than 100 per cent capacity in recent weeks, with patients on stretchers in the hallways.

LeClerc said it is likely Queensway-Carleton will return to more manageable levels once the winter flu and viral season is over, given past experience. But The Ottawa Hospital has been seeing an increased demand for services year over year, and that is worrisome. Last year, she noted, occupancy rates went up at The Ottawa Hospital during the winter “and didn’t really come down.”

“This is very much a concern. Every time we are aware the hospitals are experiencing the kind of pressure they are experiencing now, it is a concern. It is not ideal for patients or staff.”

Winter is often busier for hospitals because of flu and respiratory illnesses, but LeClerc said there is “no clear cause right now” as to why hospitals are experiencing such overcrowding. “The issue is multifactorial.”

The increasing pressure is reflects an aging population, which puts more pressure on hospitals as well as a shortage of places for elderly patients to go when they leave the hospital.

The LHIN and hospitals usually check in three times a week to talk about capacity, LeClerc said. Hospitals with less crowding can sometimes take the pressure off others — a process the LHIN oversees.

But many of the solutions to hospital overcrowding will not be found within the hospital, she added.

“To simply say we need more hospital beds … that may be part of it, but we also need to make sure we are keeping people healthy and they don’t end up needing to be hospitalized,” she said. It is important that people with chronic conditions have tools and access to primary care so their conditions don’t eventually require a visit to the hospital.

There also needs to be more emphasis on supporting people in their homes, she said.

Dr. Alan Drummond, a Perth emergency doctor who is co-chair of public affairs for the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians, called the current crisis a symptom of the impact of an aging population. It will not improve, he said, until hospitals have more bed capacity.

“We now face a situation where there are fewer hospital beds and more elderly people with chronic conditions, so it is a kind of perfect storm.”

The Ottawa Hospital has hit close to 120 per cent capacity in recent months, and has been steadily overcapacity for almost a year, LeClerc said. The Queensway-Carleton has also been overcapacity in recent weeks, forcing it to cancel elective surgery on more than one day.

Drummond said the problem is getting steadily worse — across the country — and is dangerous.

“The government would have you believe it is an inconvenience. No, it is dangerous. (It creates) a higher risk of medical complications, a higher risk of death, increased gridlock and increased costs to the system.”

In addition to the economic costs, he said, overcrowding causes “basic human suffering through lack of privacy and dignity for patients.”

Staff have told the Citizen that one patient at The Ottawa Hospital was given a wheelchair in a waiting room behind a privacy screen. Not only was there no room, but no stretcher was available.

Drummond said hospitals cannot continue to operate above 100 per cent capacity.

“We hear about the grey tsunami lapping at our shores, well we are up to our knees.”

epayne@postmedia.com

As many as 70 residents were displaced from their homes Sunday afternoon when a nasty fire broke out in a rowhouse complex in the Baseline-Merivale area.

Ottawa firefighters worked on the four-alarm blaze well into the evening, long after smoke was first reported at 12:30 p.m. Some 42 units were affected and damage was estimated between $3 million and $3.5 million.

Flames were visible when crews arrived at 34 Northview Rd., and it wasn’t long before the fire spread. Many neighbours in adjacent highrises took to their balconies to photograph or record flames licking through shingle rooftops.

Axelle Manley, 44, lives in one of the eight units in No. 34. After hearing an alarm, she was able to escape unharmed but was told she had lost all her pets: three cats, two birds and two geckos.

“I looked out into the hallway and noticed that one side of the building was in flames. I grabbed my daughter, some winter coats and blankets, and ran outside.”

In the panic, there just wasn’t time to gather up the pets, she said.

OC Transpo buses and the Salvation Army canteen were also dispatched to deal with the displaced. No injuries had been reported.

An Ottawa maker of sexual aids has settled a lawsuit with a U.S. woman for $3.75 million US over concerns about the way the company handles data its products generate.

In September, a lawsuit was filed in an Illinois court against Standard Innovation Corp., which manufactures the popular We-Vibe sex aid, about the way newer versions of the device share “highly intimate” data over the web.

A version of the vibrating sex toy, the We-Vibe Rave released two years ago, is Bluetooth and Wi-Fi compatible. A cellphone app called We-Connect allows users and their partners to control the Rave’s intensity and vibration patterns remotely over the Internet and allows for private text messages and video calls.

The lawsuit suit, filed Sept., 2 claimed that Standard Innovation Corp. didn’t do enough to explain how “sensitive information” being generated by We-Connect users was being used and that owners of the devices were concerned about the company eavesdropping on their most intimate moments.

“Unbeknownst to its customers … (Standard Innovation) designed We-Connect to collect and record highly intimate and sensitive data regarding consumers’ personal We-Vibe use, including the date and time of each use and the selected vibration settings, and transmit such usage data — along with the users’ personal email address — to its servers in Canada,” reads the September court filing.

The filing, made on behalf of two female We-Vibe users, identified only as N.P. and P.S., was seeking certification as a class-action complaint and asked the courts for a trial by jury. It alleged the company’s actions demonstrate “a wholesale disregard” for privacy rights and violated a number of U.S. laws.

This month, the company agreed to pay $3.75 million US to avoid further litigation. About 300,000 people are reported to own the devices and about 100,000 use We-Connect. The settlement will set aside $750,000 to compensate owners of the Internet connected vibrators. The remaining $3 million is to compensate users of the We-Connect app.

Denny Alexander, a spokesman for Standard Innovation, said the company has since overhauled its privacy policy and removed any requirement for users to register their device or to provide their name, email or phone number or other identifying information to use We-Connect. Customers can now opt-out of sharing anonymous data, and the privacy policy was rewritten to make it easier for users to understand how data is collected and what it is used for.

“We are pleased to have reached a fair and reasonable settlement,” said Alexander in an emailed statement. “At Standard Innovation we take customer privacy and data security seriously. We have enhanced our privacy notice, increased app security, provided customers more choice in the data they share, and we continue to work with leading privacy and security experts to improve the app. With this settlement, Standard Innovation can continue to focus on making new, innovative products for our customers.”

The litigation highlighted increasingly common issues as more and more devices gain the ability to capture, store and transmit information. The ever-expanding Internet of things, according to information technology researcher Gartner, now encompasses more than 6.4 billion devices —from solar panels to refrigerators and coffee makers to adult sex aids‚ that share information online. That number is expected to hit 20.8 billion by 2020, excluding tablets, cellphones and computers.

The union representing Ottawa paramedics is telling them to track their overtime in case there’s a labour complaint related to a provincial order that wipes out downtime between shifts.

In a letter to paramedic members, CUPE Local 503 president Brian Madden tells them to track their end-of-shift overtime in case the union wants to challenge any changes through arbitration or a grievance.

The Ottawa Paramedic Service had to revisit two policies after the province turned the screws on City Hall during an investigation.

No longer will paramedics enjoy a 30-minute no-response buffer before the end of their shifts. Paramedic vehicles must now be available for the full 12-hour shift.

A separate time allotment of up to 30 minutes for paramedics to prepare their vehicles and the paperwork after a hospital transfer has been knocked down to 20 minutes, aligning the time frame with provincial policy.

In his letter, Madden says the two policies had “resulted in dramatic improvements in the quality of life for the paramedics of this city,” but the changes could force paramedics to work “unwanted overtime.”

The city is buckling down in preparation for those extra paramedic overtime costs.

“The Ottawa Paramedic Service anticipates an increase in overtime due to the changes directed by the province and will monitor the situation closely while exploring mitigation strategies,” according to paramedic Deputy Chief Brent Winchcombe.

The 2017 budget for the paramedic services sets aside about $1.8 million for overtime.

Paramedic coverage has become a sore point for municipalities that border the City of Ottawa. It peaked recently when investigators with the Ontario Ministry of Health looked at a specific shift last summer after receiving a complaint from the United Counties of Prescott and Russell, which is often called to supplement paramedic coverage in Ottawa.

Border municipalities are particularly peeved that the city opted against renewing an agreement that compensates them for each time their paramedics respond to calls inside city limits. The help goes both ways, but those outside paramedics are more often helping cover Ottawa when city paramedics get called to help the core.

Provincial policy simply compels the closest ambulance to take the call.

Investigators red-flagged several issues and zeroed in on city policies governing paramedic downtime before a shift change and the transition time after transferring patients to hospital care.

The “end of shift” policy placed a paramedic vehicle out of service during the last 30 minutes of a shift to prepare the unit for the next shift. The “transfer of care” policy allowed paramedics up to 30 minutes to clean the ambulance and complete the clinical patient records.

Last month, the province told the city that the two policies should be updated. 

Madden writes that he believes the province didn’t understand what the policies meant for the city. He has asked the province to rescind the changes.

The union says the bigger problem of providing coverage to all areas of the city can only be solved by hiring more people.

The plan recently approved by council to hire dozens of paramedics “will do nothing to address the shortfall in staffing that has built up,” Madden says in his letter, but management believes the hiring strategy will be a big help.

jwilling@postmedia.com

twitter.com/JonathanWilling

While Ottawa-based Shopify has been under a microscope because of its ties to controversial right-wing website Breitbart, there are other questionable items being sold using the company’s technology.

Guns, drugs and escort services are some of things that can be purchased through Shopify’s stores. 

The Ottawa company provides support and hosting services for more than 375,000 online stores.

Handguns and semi-automatic rifles, magazines and ammunition are for sale on Shopify-hosted websites such as Brampton’s Blue Wolf Firearms. The site sells tactical weapons and accessories, 9-mm handguns, scopes and rifle-mounted laser pointers. (Shipping on the firearms is free and financing is available, according to the website. Buyers can pay for the items using a PayPal account, or credit card.)

Another store called High420Daze offers “100 per cent pure” cannabis oil, while another, called Fairee Box, uses its Shopify store to sell marijuana to customers across the United States. “We discretely sell the dankest snacks to all 50 states,” the website says.

Minneapolis’s Escort Solutions, has pictures of 20 “independent escorts” available for a “date” on its Shopify store. According to the site, rates are set at $240 per hour for “escort” or “date” services. The website states that it does not contract for sexual services. (A link at the bottom of the company’s website leads to an extensive list of businesses offering sex and prostitution services in Minneapolis. Escort Solutions also appears on that list.) The company behind the website is also using it to seek out women interested in becoming prostitutes — “Escort Solutions is always looking for new female independent escorts in Minneapolis,” states the site.

Escort services are also available.

The public scrutiny over Shopify’s decision to continue hosting Breitbart’s retail website has some within the Ottawa firm scratching their heads, given the other controversial items and services available for purchase using its technology.

While Breitbart has proven itself to be a controversial and favourite source of information for right-wing political lobbyists in the U.S., it uses its Shopify store to sell shirts, hats and coffee mugs that are relatively tame. One T-shirt on the site displays a picture of a moving truck with the words “Hate America? Moving Company” painted on the side. Another depicts a map of the United States with the words, “Get In Line” written across the centre, presumably as a statement against illegal immigration.

While the Breitbart store has collected a petition with more than 200,000 signatures urging Shopify to drop the company as a retailer, “SWAG By Milo” has attracted very little attention. The store, which is owned by controversial right-wing American activist Milo Yiannopoulos, proudly displays the motto “Muslims suck, our shirts don’t.” It sells men’s shirts with the hashtag “#Feminism is Cancer” and others with the words “White Privilege” printed across the front.

If you’re looking for a few guns, there are options on Shopify-enabled sites.

Shopify refused to comment on its stance regarding Milo, guns, drugs or escort services. The company referred to a statement released by its chief executive officer, Tobi Lütke, last month.

“People sell millions of products a day. Almost all of those are uncontroversial. We love the electric skateboards, the animal-friendly outerwear, and the pottery. But some are unsavory and controversial, and that’s where we’re put to the test. On a regular basis, we face pressure from groups who disagree with some of these merchants or products and want us to censor them. This has been a constant for as long as we’ve been around,” he wrote in a posting called In Support of Free Speech on his personal blog.

“To kick off a merchant is to censor ideas and interfere with the free exchange of products at the core of commerce. When we kick off a merchant, we’re asserting our own moral code as the superior one. But who gets to define that moral code? Where would it begin and end? Who gets to decide what can be sold and what can’t? If we start blocking out voices, we would fall short of our goals as a company to make commerce better for everyone. Instead, we would have a biased and diminished platform. Products are a form of speech, and free speech must be fiercely protected, even if we disagree with some of the voices.”

The question of whether Shopify should adopt a policy limiting the types of products it allows to be sold via its platform is one that has been debated by the company’s executives for a long time, according to several people working there. The company’s decision not to enact a policy prohibiting certain items, such as firearms or goods that promote “hate speech,” is one that has caused tension and division among the company’s workforce.

Sheryl So, a spokeswoman for the Ottawa firm, said Shopify has very specific Terms of Service agreements with its vendors that strictly prohibit the sale of illegal items on the company’s platform. The company screens sensitive businesses as they apply to ensure they are allowed to legally conduct business within their region, before allowing them to set up shop. However, with more than 375,000 stores operating and hundreds being added every day, the company also relies on complaints to pinpoint issues with vendors.

So said questionable businesses, such as the ones found by the Citizen, may be forwarded to Shopify’s legal team for review. 

“It’s not slipping through. If it’s on our platform, they are legal. Anything that is not legal, has been kicked off. It is being monitored every day,” So said. “If it’s up there, it is legal. It is operating legally in that jurisdiction. Legal (department) is aware of stores like the Brampton handgun store and that is legal and that is why it is still out there.”

The Ottawa Police Service confirmed that it is legal to sell semi-automatic rifles, tactical-issue firearms and even handguns in Canada through an online website. The only requirement is that both the seller and the buyer must have the appropriate registration to conduct the transaction.

The sale of marijuana and cannabis oil online is less clear cut. Federally, the sale, cultivation and transportation of cannabis is illegal. However, some U.S. states have put into place regulations allow for the sale of cannabis for medicinal purposes. More recently a total of nine states have introduced recreational cannabis use regulations. However, the sale of cannabis requires the seller to obtain the appropriate licences from the state regulator.

The sale of sexual services is illegal in 49 of the 50 states, including Minnesota. The only state that has some regulation allowing the sale of sexual services is Nevada, which regulates brothels and permits prostitution on those premises.

Emma Pullman, the lead campaign strategist at the SumofUs.org, which has been spearheading the protest against Shopify, said that by allowing Breitbart and other questionable vendors to sell goods and services, Shopify is profiting from these organizations. That sends a message to the general public that the company is putting profits before common values, she contends.

“I didn’t expect that this campaign was going to build the momentum that it has,” said Pullman, highlighting that the petition to have Shopify drop Breitbart now has more than 200,000 signatures.

“I think this is a great moment for Shopify to say, ‘OK, we need to look at this. We need to see what a hate-speech policy would look like at the company.” I think other technology companies from Twitter to Snapchat have hate-speech policies. This is a moment where the public is calling on them to act.”

Cara Maurer, an assistant professor of general management and organizational behaviour in the Ivey Business School at Western University, agreed with Pullman. 

Maurer said other companies, as they have expanded, such as Amazon, Twitter and Facebook have had to crack down on the products, services and even posts that they have allowed on their platforms by enacting policies governing things such as hate speech. Facebook has banned the sale of firearms on its platform.

“This isn’t just a cost/benefit analysis. Nowadays, thanks to social networks, this isn’t a slow debate that a corporate leader can control. Now, it’s volatile and fast. That makes it much more challenging,” she said.

“This may be the most challenging time that Shopify has faced. But, it may also be an opportunity for clarifying itself on where it ultimately stands and it’s good to know the values that a company ultimately stands for going forward.”

vpilieci@postmedia.com

A shadowy science conference is coming to Ottawa this month — run by an Indian company so secretive it won’t even say where in the city the event is taking place.

After the Citizen published a description of fast-and-loose companies offering low-quality science conferences that even accept fake research, readers alerted us to the International Institute of Engineers and Researchers, in India.

The IIER churns out small-scale conferences in vast numbers. In the coming two weeks it has clusters of conferences, each in 10 unrelated subject areas, in Shanghai, Mecca, Tashkent, Pune, Edinburgh, Prague, Los Angeles, Warsaw — and Ottawa.

And IIER is showing the signs of high-volume conferences marketed to young academics who don’t care whether a conference has real content as long as it gives credit for participating. They hope this participation will help their careers.

Participants in the Ottawa conference are being charged $400 U.S. for the one-day event.

Among the red flags:

– The conference organizers appear to be using the name of a legitimate science publisher without permission.

They use the name and logo of Springer, a top-level science publishing company, in marketing material online. Springer publishes the journal Nature, among others. But Springer denies “any affiliation” to IIER, and did not know the Indian company was using its name until the Citizen asked.

“Thanks very much for making us aware of this issue. I will now forward the details of the organization and conferences to our legal department,” a company rep wrote.

– Two weeks before the March 27 conference in Ottawa, the website shows there will be a keynote speaker but does not say who it will be or what the topic is.

– The program says only that there will be two “technical sessions,” again with no hint about what the topics are.

We asked Roger Pierson, a medical professor at the University of Saskatchewan and frequent conference speaker, whether he ever saw a conference that does not announce the main speakers and topics ahead of time. He replied: “Not a legitimate one. Those sessions are known months in advance at a real conference.”

– The Citizen has asked the IIER for information on its conference, and on its use of the Springer name, but has not received a reply. In an email, the company would not even tell us the location.

– The IIER was here in December. Its two-day event at a hotel was on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day — not exactly prime time for people interested in a major scientific symposium.

This time in Ottawa, the company is offering parallel one-day sessions that mix together unmixable topics. Each group is marketed as a separate “international conference.” 

There’s one conference on all the “natural” sciences combined — meaning that biology will mix with geology, chemistry and physics. It is far too broad a range to be meaningful to anyone doing research. For instance, an astronomer could be stuck in lectures on fish.

One group will blend psychology, language studies and teaching, “with a common interest in improving Psychology, Language and Teaching related techniques.” Another combines sociology, economics, history and political science.

Another group mixes business management and all the sciences.

On Tuesday, there was no one answering the IIER phone number, which is in India. It doesn’t take voice messages.

tspears@postmedia.com

twitter.com/TomSpears1

Ottawa is bringing back sump pumps in new houses because the suburban land we have left is too crummy to build on without them.

The city’s hand is being forced, says Felice Petti, the city’s manager in charge of a review of Ottawa’s infrastructure standards. The usual way of building new houses, with sewer pipes under the streets installed lower than the basements so that water just drains into them by gravity, won’t work. So new rules allowing sump pumps (permanently installed devices that keep basements from flooding) are part of a plan to build “better and smarter suburbs.”

“The current urban boundary contains lands that, although they have been designated for urban development, have proven to be extremely expensive to service in the traditional ‘suburban’ way using storm sewers,” Petti explained in an email relayed through City Hall’s communications department. “This is a result of poor soil conditions that would typically require the use of lightweight fill or years of pre-loading the site to force soil consolidation.”

In other words, we’ve approved land for subdivisions on ground that’s really loose and damp. The soil has to be dug out and replaced with sturdier stuff, squeezed down for a long time to strengthen it, or both. Otherwise, it’s no good for building on.

Replacing and packing down the ground are still not enough for two developments the city’s planning department is dealing with in south Barrhaven, both of which need sump pumps even with new fill and “pre-loading.” The projects, totalling about 1,300 units, are near the Jock River just east of Highway 416, where the ground is low and damp and loose. To get enough of a slope for the subdivisions to drain toward the Jock the usual way, the builders would have to add about two metres of soil first and the ground can’t take the weight. Load it up and it’ll start settling and shifting.

This isn’t a surprise: the broad plan for south Barrhaven has that area dominated by commercial and industrial developments without basements because of the bad ground. Sump pumps aren’t allowed in the plan. But the would-be builders of the subdivisions, Mattamy and Glenview Homes, are asking for dispensations. Their ground is so weak that the engineering firm that checked it out — they used the same one — says eventual homeowners there should check with a geotechnical consultant before deciding where to put a hot tub or build a deck.

Sump pumps let a neighbourhood’s sewers be installed at a level higher than its basement floors and let basements sit below the water table. My house, which is approaching its 100th birthday, has one. The pump sits in a little pit in the utility room where water accumulates, trickling in from a drainage system around the outside of the foundation. The thing whirs to life every once in a while, runs for a few seconds to pump water up from the pit into the house’s main drainpipe, then cuts out until it’s needed again.

But there was the time the old pump needed to be replaced (it announced its own death during the spring melt one year, whining horribly and not moving any water). If the power ever goes out for any length of time, we’ll need to bucket the sump pit out or we’ll be awash. The pit’s a vulnerable point.

That’s why building new houses with sump pits and pumps has been frowned on for a long time. Typically they’re allowed in one-off rural projects, not when a developer is constructing a neighbourhood from scratch and can do large-scale filling and grading. But Ottawa is running short of land where that’ll work.

The Glenview application came into the city government with extensive notes from meetings the company had with city planners, which included talk of the need for sump pumps.

“Approval of their use (is) expected in September 2016 because without it development of the remaining lands in the City would come to a halt as it’s too cost prohibitive otherwise,” say the minutes of a meeting from last August. That line is from Glenview’s consultant Jack Stirling, now a freelance development adviser but formerly a vice-president of Minto and before that the top urban-planning man in Nepean.

“Development of the remaining lands in the city would come to a halt.” That’s quite the hammer.

The September approval of new pro-sump pump rules was overly optimistic but a decision will likely come by the end of this year, Petti said. The Barrhaven applications are on hold until then.

dreevely@postmedia.com
twitter.com/davidreevely

The City of Ottawa is thinking about appealing a provincial decision that allows a garbage and recycling facility on Carp Road to receive junk from Quebec.

The West Carleton Environmental Centre, a Waste Management operation, has received the go-ahead to accept construction and demolition debris from western Quebec communities, which could add truck traffic to Ottawa’s core.

“The city is considering whether or not to seek leave to appeal and will make a decision prior to the deadline,” Marilyn Journeaux, Ottawa’s director of solid waste service, said in an email.

The city would need to ask Ontario’s Environmental Review Tribunal by next Tuesday for permission to appeal the provincial decision.

The change is big enough to require opening the facility’s environmental assessment and to allow for more consultation, the city says.

Waste Management disagrees.

“That’s not going to happen,” facility manager Ross Wallace said. “It’s a very small amendment.”

Wallace said the company doesn’t intend to accept debris from across the interprovincial border right away. The company just wants to have the permit in place to put itself in a competitive position, he said.

“This is all down the road,” Wallace said. “It’s got to make sense before we do it.”

Much of the construction debris can be recovered and kept out of landfills, he noted.

Wallace said it would amount to five Waste Management trucks weekly, or about 20-25 tonnes of material in total, travelling from the Outaouais, Abitibi-Temiscamingue and Laurentide areas to the facility. He didn’t know exactly the route trucks would take.

The City of Ottawa opposed Waste Management’s application to accept debris from western Quebec in at least two letters sent to the company.

The first letter, signed by former environmental services GM Dixon Weir and sent in June 2016, criticized the company for reneging on its environmental assessment for the facility. Kevin Wylie, the GM who took over the environmental services portfolio shortly after, repeated the city’s position in a letter sent in September.

The city wants the facility’s service area to only include the City of Ottawa and Lanark County.

Meanwhile, the city is acutely aware of the truck problem in downtown Ottawa, specifically on the King Edward Avenue/Nicholas Street corridor, which is the truck route to Quebec.

A traffic tunnel connecting the Macdonald-Cartier Bridge and Highway 417 under Sandy Hill is on the city’s wish list. The city wants the federal and provincial governments to help pay for a multimillion-dollar environmental assessment, but the city’s transportation priority has been locking up the $3-billion Stage 2 transit plan, which still requires federal money.

A traffic-diverting tunnel could cost $2 billion.

At the same time, the private waste-processing market in Ottawa is growing.

The Capital Region Resource Centre, a partnership of Taggart Investments and Miller Waste Systems, is poised to be a similar garbage and recycling facility on the city’s eastern border near Carlsbad Springs. The plan calls for waste to come from an area of eastern Ontario.

Harold Moore, a member of the grassroots Coalition for Landfill Accountability, said the approval for Waste Management could make it easier for other local waste companies to tap into the Quebec market.

Moore is disappointed that Ontario’s Environment Ministry is allowing Waste Management to receive construction debris from Quebec.

“We’re not happy at all,” Moore said. “It comes down to confidence in the process. For 10 years we were told the landfill expansion and process facilities would be for servicing Ontario. Now all of a sudden there’s a big chunk of Quebec involved.”

Moore said he’s worried the approval will eventually open the door to conventional trash being trucked to the Carp facility.

Wallace, the facility manager, said the company had no ulterior motive for seeking approval to take construction debris from western Quebec.

According to the Ontario Environment Ministry, there are 17 waste transfer and processing sites in the City of Ottawa and 14 of them are permitted to accept waste from outside of Ontario.

jwilling@postmedia.com

twitter.com/JonathanWilling

If you’re waiting for tickets for this year’s Grey Cup in Ottawa to go on sale to the general public, you may be out of luck.

If you don’t plan on buying an Ottawa Redblacks season ticket or some sort of smaller package of tickets, there won’t be much left to pick through with an expected capacity of about 34,000 for the Canadian Football League championship contest at TD Place on Nov. 26.

Here’s where tickets have been going: The Redblacks are looking at selling the equivalent of about 17,000 season tickets (so far averaging about one Grey Cup ticket per person), plus a waiting list of 10,000 fans plunked down $50 deposits in late November, and there are ticket allotments to the eight other CFL teams, the league and its sponsors.

“If you do the math, with 17,000 season tickets selling at a 1-for-1 basis, 10,000 people who put deposits down, league holds and team holds, there isn’t going to be a lot after all that, if any,” Ottawa Sports & Entertainment Group president of sports Jeff Hunt said Tuesday. “Grey Cup tickets are always special, always a premium, but I think this will be the hottest Grey Cup ticket in years, maybe decades.”

It looks like the best bet may be to purchase at least a partial season ticket. The Redblacks will roll out five-game packages next week. Three packs will be made available in April.

“Season-ticket holders get their own tickets, plus they can buy an additional Grey Cup ticket for every season ticket they have,” Hunt said. “So if you have two season tickets, you could buy four Grey Cup tickets: up to four. Partial season-ticket holders also get a priority on Grey Cup tickets. If there are fans out there maybe debating getting involved in even a partial season ticket, this would be a good time to do it.”

Momentum going into the Redblacks’ fourth season is apparently carrying right over into the Grey Cup.

“There’s sort of a Grey Cup sandwich happening here,” Hunt said. “The fact we just won the Grey Cup, that’s great for how fans feel about the team right now. But there’s also the fact that we’re hosting the Grey Cup. The last Grey Cup was here 13 years ago. People remember that. It was a great time even if it wasn’t one of the best times for football in Ottawa.”

What’s going on with the Redblacks fan base is what every team wants. It’s not just the old faithful who sat in the stands when the Ottawa Rough Riders or Renegades played, with plenty of fans from a new generation.

“The response has just been incredible,” Hunt said. “In three years, we’ve virtually sold out every game. There’s no doubt the Ottawa Redblacks are the envy of the CFL. We’ve got the youngest fan base in the league.

“You just need to walk around and see who’s here and the behaviour of our fans. They come in large groups, they love the social aspect. The big concourses, especially on the south side, are real popular with the younger fans. We’ve got fans who haven’t sat in their seats since they’ve been coming. They just prefer to socialize and watch as a large group of people. It’s a great atmosphere.

“When Toronto played its first game at BMO Field, (Argos president/CEO) Michael Copeland said to me that it felt like Ottawa there. He meant that obviously as a compliment. That’s the reputation we’ve earned the league as a real fun atmosphere with a young, energetic, crowd … loyal fans.”

PARTY CENTRAL: Lansowne Park will be the place to be during Grey Cup week, but it looks as if it won’t be the only place.

“We won’t get every Grey Cup party at Lansdowne,” Hunt said. “There just isn’t enough room, especially for some of the bigger ones like Riderville and Spirit of Edmonton. We’re taking the Aberdeen (Pavilion) as Redblacks Party Central, so that really leaves the Horticultural Building as the only other big venue. I have heard teams have aligned with some of the bars and restaurants on site here to host their parties, so you will have that atmosphere. That’s something I haven’t seen, where you can go from maybe Riderville to Tigertown to all these parties without leaving Lansdowne. That’ll be pretty cool.”

Twitter.com/TimCBaines

What we can only hope is winter’s finale is forecast to finally finish Wednesday evening.

But in the meantime, watch for cranky commuters and cancelled school buses and flights with up to five centimetres more snow expected to fall amid gusty northwest winds as the capital catches the edge of a “large and powerful” winter storm moving north from Maine.

Calculations aren’t complete, and will vary from neighbourhood to neighbourhood, but Environment Canada reports Ottawa received about 19 cm of snow since Tuesday noon.

The snow was tapering off in many areas in the early afternoon and the city of Ottawa tweeted that the public wors department had moved its plowing focus onto residential streets.

Students with the Commission scolaire des hauts-bois de l’Outaouais aren’t on March break but now have an impromptu storm break with buses cancelled. A dozen early flights at the Ottawa airport are also cancelled. O-Train service was offline, but returned by about 7:15 a.m.

The list of delayed and cancelled bus trips, not to mention the lineups, were long.

Ottawa police were their usual vigilant presence, once they located their vehicles.

For Wednesday, the forecast is for periods of snow and blowing snow, wind at 30 km/h gusting to 50 and a high of -7 C.

This scene was common across the region Wednesday.

Overnight, expect periods of light snow to end then cloudy skies with wind northwest at 20 km/h gusting to 50 and a low of -7 C.

For Thursday, Environment Canada is forecasting a mix of sun and cloud, northwest wind at 20 km/h gusting to 40 and a high of -5 C and overnight low of -15 C.

It should be a wee bit warmer Friday with a forecast mix of sun and cloud, high of -2 C and low of -6 C.

There’s a 60-per-cent chance of flurries on Saturday with a high of 1 C. Overnight, the mercury is expected to drop to -5 C with a 30-per-cent chance of more flurries.

Sunday’s forecast is for a mix of sun and cloud and high of 4 C.

Oh, by the way. Monday is the astronomical first day of spring.