Heavy rain triggers flash flooding and O-Train service partially resumes: Top 5 stories in Ottawa this week

Heavy rain flooded Halifax Drive in Ottawa, with several vehicles stopped on the road. (Viewer Steve Larocque/submitted)

Heavy rain triggers flash flooding in Ottawa, an Ottawa Catholic school teacher is facing charges of sexual assault and LRT service partially resumes.

CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at the top five stories in Ottawa this week.

Here's a look at the scenes from the flash flooding in Ottawa

Roads, parking lots, fields and properties turned into giant lakes on Thursday, as a series of storms brought nearly 100 mm of rain to some parts of Ottawa.

The storm flooded roads and the transit road network with up to three feet of water, and caused flooding in several parts of the city. Flooding was reported in Vanier, Overbrook, the Glebe and Rockcliffe.

"This lake in the back of my yard is just getting bigger, bigger and bigger," Ian told Newstalk 580 CFRA's Ottawa Now while watching heavy rain flood his home in Ottawa's Gloucester neighbourhood.

Environment Canada says between 31.5 mm and 100 mm of rain was fell across the city on Thursday, with the neighbourhoods of Carleton Heights and the Riverside area seeing nearly 100 mm of rain.

A total of 77.8 mm of rain was recorded at the Central Experimental Farm on Thursday, while 38.3 mm of rain fell at the Ottawa International Airport weather station.

"What a period of rain. I think what surprised me was how quickly it came and then left," Environment Canada senior climatologist David Phillips told CTV Morning Live.

"This was huge; that's more than you get in the month of August and you had that in an hour-and-a-half."

Ottawa Catholic school teacher charged with sexual assault

A teacher at St. Francis Xavier High School in Ottawa's south end is facing sexual assault charges following allegations involving one of her high school students, according to police.

Ottawa police say an investigation was launched in July into alleged incidents involving a teacher and a student between March and May 2023.

On Thursday, police charged Shannon Marie Quinn, 40, of Ottawa with five counts of sexual assault and sexual exploitation. Police say she is also known as Shannon Greffe.

Quinn is a teacher with the Ottawa Catholic School Board.

Police say investigators with the Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Unit are concerned there may be other student victims. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Ottawa Police Service's Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Unit at 613-236-1222, ext. 5944.

The Ottawa Catholic School Board confirms Shannon Marie Quinn is a teacher at St. Francis Xavier High School in Gloucester, and has been suspended without pay. Counsellors will be available at the school starting on Monday to speak with students.

OC Transpo on track to resume full O-Train service on Monday

OC Transpo resumed partial service along the Confederation Line this week, with full service expected to resume on Monday between Blair and Tunney's Pasture stations.

The light-rail transit system was shut down on July 17 after an issue was discovered with an axle-bearing on one trail during a routine 50,000 km inspection. R1 replacement bus service was implemented along the LRT system to move customers during the closure.

As part of the return-to-service plan, Rideau Transit Group inspected all 44 LRT vehicles, replaced the front and rear wheel hub assemblies on all vehicles and repositioned the restraining rails at eight locations along the system.

OC Transpo resumed service on the Confederation Line on Tuesday morning between Tunney's Pasture and uOttawa stations, with five single-car trains running.

Transit Services general manager Renee Amilcar announced Friday that work has been completed to adjust the restraining rails on the eastern section of the LRT system, and trial running will continue through the weekend.

When full LRT service resumes between Blair and Tunney's Pasture stations, there will be 11 single-car trains running during the morning peak period and 13 single-car trains during the afternoon peak period. Amilcar says trains will stop at stations every five minutes during the morning peak period and every four minutes during the afternoon peak period.

During non-peak weekday periods and on weekends, nine single-car trains will provide service every six minutes.

OPP stop Lamborghini driver going 197 km/h on Hwy. 417

Ontario Provincial Police hit the brakes on the driver of a sports car going 87 km/h over the speed limit on Highway 417 east of Ottawa.

The OPP says officers observed a Lamborghini going 197 km/h an hour on Hwy. 417 in Russell County.

The speed limit on that stretch of Hwy. 417 east of Ottawa is 110 km/h.

Taylor Swift fans anxious as ticket sales approach

Hundreds of thousands of Taylor Swift fans in Ottawa and across the country tried to score prized tickets to see the pop star perform in Toronto.

Tickets went on sale this week to see Swift at six shows at Toronto's Roger's Centre in November 2024.

However, many people were left disappointed when they didn't even get an access code for the chance to purchase tickets.

"Most of my friends aren't from Ottawa but we all signed up for a different day so we all have the highest chance at getting tickets," fan Phoenix Stinson said.

Thousands of Swifties took to social media this week to lament the "waitlisted status."

"I knew it was going to be difficult," said Daniella Leo, a Toronto-area fan, in an interview. "I was prepared. I had my family sign up for verified fan, and my partner’s family, and my friends. We were ready. But we all got waitlisted.

"It doesn’t seem fair," she continued. "So many people were put on the waitlist. That seems suspicious to me."