A look back at the top stories in Ottawa and region in 2021

A look at the top stories in Ottawa in 2021.

COVID-19 dominated the headlines for a second straight year, but there was other news that caught our attention in 2021.

Two derailments on the Confederation Line, Panda-monium in Sandy Hill following the Panda Game in October and Jim Watson prepares to say goodbye to municipal politics.

CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at the top stories in Ottawa and region in 2021.

OTTAWA'S LRT SYSTEM

The Ontario government called a public inquiry into Ottawa’s beleaguered light rail transit system following two derailments over the summer that frustrated commuters and politicians.

Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney announced on Nov. 17 that Ontario is launching a public inquiry to "get to the bottom" of the issues facing the LRT system.  Justice William Hourigan will lead the public inquiry, with a report expected by August.

The move came after two train derailments along the LRT line in six weeks, including a derailment on Sept. 19 that shutdown the LRT system for 54 days. A westbound LRT car derailed at Tremblay Station and continued westbound, damaging the LRT car, the station platform, the track and infrastructure before stopping west of Riverside Drive.

The Transportation Safety Board blamed "inconsistent and incomplete maintenance" for the derailment on Sept. 19. In its Rail Safety Advisory to the city, the TSB concluded bolts connected to the gearbox were not adequately torqued during maintenance and there was improper oversight of the maintenance of the system.

The derailment on Aug. 8 near Tunney’s Pasture station was blamed on the axle bearing assembly.

The city of Ottawa hired Philadelphia-based TRA Inc. to oversee the return-to-service plan.

"It's not a lemon," said TRA president Kenneth Korach, when asked whether Ottawa purchased a world-class system.

"There's no aspect of it that strikes me as being inherently defective or deficient. You've got a great system. Whether or not every aspect of is performing as well as it can, that's why we're here and that's why we're here to make improvements."

JIM WATSON NOT SEEKING RE-ELECTION

Ottawa's longest serving mayor will not be seeking a fourth term at City Hall.

Mayor Jim Watson announced on Dec. 10 he will not be running for re-election in the Oct. 2022 municipal election.

"The decision was both easy and tough. On the one hand, I loved almost every hour of every day and it was a true privilege and honour to serve as our city’s Mayor," said Watson in a letter to constituents.

He served as mayor of the old city of Ottawa from 1997 to 2000, then served as MPP for Ottawa West Nepean from 2003 to 2010. In 2010, Watson returned to Ottawa City Hall as Mayor of Ottawa.

"I remind future mayors and councillors that our job is to plan and prepare for the next generation, and not just the next election," said Watson.

"As I travel around our vast and beautiful city, I truly believe that we are leaving our city and its communities in better shape. We’re far from perfect, but I wouldn’t want to live in any other city in Canada, the best country in the world."

PANDA-MONIUM IN SANDY HILL FOLLOWING THE PANDA GAME

Ottawa police charged eight people with mischief in connection to a post-Panda Game, out-of-control party in Sandy Hill in October.

Approximately 2,000 people descended on Sandy Hill on Oct. 2 following the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees victory over the Carleton Ravens in the annual Panda Game football game at TD Place.

At one point, partygoers took over Russell Avenue, between Somerset Street and Templeton Street, a vehicle was overturned and some people jumped on the car.

Seven people were transported to hospital.

"I am absolutely disgusted by the behaviour of those involved in the unruly party," said Mayor Jim Watson the morning after.  UOttawa president Jacques Fremont said he was "immensely disappointed" with the events in Sandy Hill, and told residents in Sandy Hill they "profoundly regret" what happened.

Police released photos of several people they wanted to speak to in connection to the events. On Oct. 18, police said the investigation is over, with eight people charged with mischief. Two men were also charged with taking part in a riot.

HALLOWEEN NIGHT BALCONY COLLAPSE

Four people were seriously hurt when an apartment balcony collapsed in Ottawa's Centretown neighbourhood on Halloween night.

Ottawa fire said the second floor balcony of an apartment on Frank Street collapsed while multiple people were standing on it.

Seven people were assessed on the scene by paramedics, with four people, all in their 20s, transported to hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries.

Photos showed the left side of the second floor balcony hanging from the building after the collapse, while the first floor balcony was no longer attached to the building.

FIRE DESTROYS 12 TOWNHOUSE UNITS IN KANATA

Smoke and flames from a massive fire at a housing development near Canadian Tire Centre could be seen across Ottawa in October.

Twelve townhouse units that were under construction were destroyed in the fire at the Connections in Kanata development by Mattamy Homes on Oct. 6.

"I mean it is a massive fire, it was just after the supper hour, around 6 o’clock you could start to hear in this neighbourhood sirens that were relentless, it was not stopping," said CTV Morning Live host Annette Goerner during an interview on CTV News at Six. "Curious neighbours by the hundreds started pouring out on to the streets."

One firefighter was treated by paramedics for heat exhaustion.

LIBERALS WIN SEVEN SEATS IN OTTAWA, CONSERVATIVES ONE SEAT

Ottawa voters elected for the status quo in the city's eight ridings during the federal election.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party won a minority mandate in the Sept. 20 federal election.

In Ottawa, the Liberals held on to all seven seats they held, while Conservative Party MP Pierre Poilievre was re-elected for a seventh term as an MP in Carleton.

Here is a look at the election results

Fortier is Ottawa's only cabinet minister in Trudeau's cabinet, serving as President of the Treasury Board.

RUSSELL, ONT. WOMAN OUT $168,000 IN RENOVATION COSTS

A woman in Russell, Ont. alleges she and other homeowners are out hundreds of thousands of dollars after she says a local contractor took their money for work that was never finished or in some cases never even started.

"He's made our lives so inconvenient," said Allison Brookes. "We put everything into a savings account to reno this place and he's just gone."

The contractor started the job and found subcontractors for the roof and windows, she said, with crews showing up consistently between October to December 2020. After Christmas, the work stopped.

"Any job that he personally started or his crew started never got finished and it was just excuse after excuse as to why he couldn't show up."

PHOTO RADAR ON OTTAWA ROADS

Photo radar cameras issued 101,778 tickets in the first 12 months they were set up in Community Safety Zones in Ottawa.

Now the city of Ottawa is look at installing the automated speed enforcement cameras at 15 new locations by the end of 2022.

A one-year pilot of the automated speed enforcement (ASE) system at eight locations in Ottawa resulted in 101,778 tickets issued for speeding between July 2020 and July 2021, netting $5.4 million in revenue.

In the first 10 months of the pilot project, the photo radar camera near Holy Trinity Catholic High School in Kanata netted $845,000 in fines.

Staff said the cameras resulted in a 72 per cent decrease in the percentage of high-end speeders at the photo radar locations.

RATS INVADE AN OTTAWA NEIGHBOURHOOD

Rats invaded an Ottawa neighbourhood in 2021, with one woman saying she trapped more than 100 rats in three months.

“On average, two per night,” said Melanie Giroux about the rat issue in her Heron Park neighbourhood. "And a maximum of eight I think that I’ve caught, maybe nine one night.”

Between Jan. 1 and Aug. 6, the City of Ottawa’s 311 line has received 576 service requests regarding rats, compared to 645 all of last year and only 410 in 2019.

OTTAWA RETAILERS CLOSING IN 2021

Two prominent Ottawa retailers announced late this year that they would be closing the doors in the new year.

In November, Pat Flesher Luxury Outerwear on Cooper Street announced it will be closing its retail doors forever.

"It was a great run for my partner Pat Flesher's father in 1929, then Pat Flesher and now me, and ready for the next adventure," said owner Stewart Chadnick.

Chadnick, who was planning to retire, says the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to e-commerce and online shopping accelerated his decision to close the business.

In December, Kiddytown announced it would be closing its doors at the end of February after 76 years of serving the Ottawa-area.

Rhea Hymes-Hochstadter, one of the co-owners, says the lease is ending in February and they decided not to renew.

TOP STORIES IN EASTERN ONTARIO AND WESTERN QUEBEC

TEACHER REMOVED FROM CHELSEA, QUE. SCHOOL FOR WEARING A HIJAB

A Grade 3 teacher at Chelsea Elementary School was removed from the classroom for wearing a hijab.

The Western Quebec School Board confirmed the move was because of Bill 21, Quebec's law that bans the wearing of religious symbols by certain government employees deemed to be in positions of authority while at work.

"This is not about my article of clothing. This is a bigger issue," said teacher Fatemeh Anvari in an interview with CTV News Ottawa.

"This is something that is about humans. I don't want this to be a personal thing because that won't do any good to anyone. I want this to be something in which we all think about how big decisions affect other lives."

Anvari has been offered a new position to work on literacy and diversity with children at Chelsea Elementary School.

NEW MAYOR IN GATINEAU

France Bélisle was elected mayor of Gatineau in November, the first female mayor in the history of the city.

Bélisle received 43 per cent of the vote to succeed Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin as mayor, after Pedneaud-Jobin decided not to seek re-election.

"We need to reconnect with the citizens of Gatineau," Bélisle said in an interview with CTV News Ottawa. "This is what I heard during the campaign. People are asking for more transparency, more proactive communication with their city, good relationship, so, this is certainly something we need and we will work on."

TWO WEEKENDS OF HOMECOMING IN KINGSTON, ONT.

Police and bylaw officers in Kingston issued hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of fines following two weekends of parties and large gatherings near Queen's University in October.

On Oct. 16, approximately 8,000 people packed Aberdeen Street and William Street to celebrate homecoming. Twice, Kingston police, with assistance from officers from other jurisdictions, moved in to clear illegal gatherings and issue $2,000 tickets to people attending, hosting and partying.

Police said 35 people were arrested and more than 100 tickets were issued, including 43 for aggravated nuisance party violations.

The next weekend, around 4,000 people gathered in Kingston for so-called "fake homecoming celebrations. More than $100,000 in fines were issued, including 30 tickets for failing to comply with an emergency order.

SIR JOHN A. MACDONALD STATUE IN KINGSTON

A statue of Sir John A. Macdonald was removed from its pedestal in a downtown Kingston, Ont. park in 2021.

Dozens of people gathered in City Park to watch crews remove the statue of Canada's first prime minister on June 18.

Kingston city council voted to remove the 125-year-old statue from the park and place it into storage, then put it up in Cataraqui Cemetery, where Macdonald is buried.

The statue was erected in 1895.

In October, Council asked residents for input on what could go in the former site of the statue.

TRAIN DERAILMENT IN PRESCOTT

Two freight trains collided along the tracks in Prescott, Ont. on Sept. 2, disrupting freight and passenger rail service.

Police said two cargo trains collided near Edward Street in the town 95 km south of Ottawa.

"Four locomotives have derailed, two of which are on their side," said CN Rail.

"Approximately 16 cars are derailed in various positions. One of the locomotives is reported to have a minor fuel leak, which is being addressed. "

DOCTOR CHARGED WITH MURDER AT HAWKESBURY HOSPITAL

Ontario Provincial Police charged a doctor with murder in the spring as they investigated a number of suspicious deaths in Hawkesbury, Ont.

Dr. Brian Nadler, 35, was arrested at the hospital in March and charged with one count of first degree murder.

Police said at the time that they are investigating a number of suspicious deaths.

The case has been adjourned until January.

MISSING TODDLER SPENDS THREE DAYS IN THE WOODS

Three-year-old Jude Leyton was found "alive and well" in the woods in South Frontenac in March, three days after disappearing in the wooded area north of Kingston.

Leyton went missing at his family's fishing resort on Canoe Lake Road.

Ontario Provincial Police, including helicopter, marine units and volunteer search and rescue teams had spent several days looking for the child.

On March 31, the toddler was found sleeping near a beaver pond about one kilometre from where he was last seen.

"We can't begin to express how we feel to have our incredible, resilient son Jude back safe in our arms. Our entire extended family is beyond elated after what was undoubtedly the worst experience of our lives," said Katherine Leyton – Jude's mother.