While 2025 brought national concerns like threats of annexation and Alberta separatism, residents of Ottawa found themselves preoccupied with a series of uniquely local frustrations. Columnist Brigitte Pellerin, donning a proverbial scrooge hat, has compiled a definitive list of the year's top five most annoying stories from the capital.
The Great Hockey Arena Debate
Kicking off the list at number five is the intense and prolonged debate over the proper size and placement of hockey arenas within two major city developments: Lansdowne 2.0 and LeBreton Flats. Pellerin expresses astonishment at the volume of public discourse devoted to a single sport, suggesting it often overshadowed other pressing city issues. She notes that criticism of the sport's central role in these plans often draws strong, negative reactions from passionate Ottawans.
Transit Turmoil and Office Mandates
The fourth spot is claimed by OC Transpo's disruptive service changes, described as the largest in the city's history. These alterations had a disproportionate impact on high school students, compounding existing frustrations from the paralyzed Stage 2 LRT East extension. Endless, poorly communicated construction delays created a perfect storm of transit unreliability. Pellerin adds that the official who might have been held accountable for this mess has since left the city.
Directly related is the third most annoying story: the push from both the City of Ottawa and the federal government to force employees back to downtown offices. This mandate is criticized as senseless, especially given the city's unreliable transit system and concurrent, disruptive highway construction, making commutes miserable for both public transit users and drivers.
The Sidewalk That Sparked a Legal Battle
The runner-up for the year's biggest annoyance is a hyper-local dispute that escalated dramatically. In the Manor Park neighbourhood, the city moved to install a sidewalk despite a majority of residents stating they neither needed nor wanted it. After a summer of protracted debate, local councillor Rawlson King announced the project would be "deferred." This decision, however, prompted a different group of residents to hire lawyers and demand the deferral be overturned, a request now under review. Pellerin laments the immense public resources consumed by this small-scale issue in a city famously plagued by cracked and weedy sidewalks elsewhere.
Pellerin's scathing year-end review paints a picture of a capital city distracted by internal squabbles and logistical failures, from pointless pavement to botched bus routes, while larger national issues simmer in the background.
