Here are five developments shaping Ottawa and the National Capital Region today, with context on why they matter.
Flu and COVID-19 shots open to all Ottawa residents starting Monday
Ottawa residents aged six months and older who are not in a high-risk group become eligible for this season’s flu and COVID-19 vaccines on Monday, Oct. 26, according to Ottawa Public Health. Until then, doses have gone first to priority groups, including people 65 and older, pregnant people, young children, people with certain chronic conditions and residents of long-term care homes. In guidance to local doctors, OPH said pharmacy supply was expected around mid-October and that large community clinics should wait until Oct. 26 to start. This year’s COVID-19 vaccines target the XFG variant, and OPH recommends high-dose or adjuvanted flu vaccines for adults 65 and older when available, without delaying vaccination if they are not. For Ottawa families, Monday is the point when anyone can seek both shots ahead of the winter respiratory season. Sources: Ottawa Public Health and CTV News Ottawa.
Carney and Ford unveil $8.7-billion plan for tariff-hit steel, auto and mining sectors
Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced an $8.7-billion joint action plan in Ottawa on Wednesday to support workers and industries hurt by U.S. tariffs. The largest piece is a new steel fund, with Ottawa committing $3.55 billion and Ontario $1.67 billion over five years, alongside Buy Canadian and Buy Ontario procurement rules that favour Canadian steel. Another $2.5 billion over two years will help automakers retool for connected and electric vehicles, and federal emissions standards for new light-duty vehicles will stay at 2026 levels through the 2029 model year. Ottawa will also match Ontario’s investment of up to $1 billion over three years for roads into the Ring of Fire mineral region. Carney said, “Canada is strong. Canada is united. Canada is working.” With the auto sector alone supporting more than 120,000 direct jobs, the plan puts major public money behind Ontario’s manufacturing base while U.S. tariffs remain in effect. Sources: Prime Minister’s Office and The Associated Press.
U.S. Embassy accuses Canadian politicians of meddling ahead of midterms
The U.S. Embassy in Canada released a fact sheet Wednesday accusing Canadian politicians of trying to influence the Nov. 3 U.S. midterm elections. It singled out Industry Minister Mélanie Joly for discussing retaliatory tariffs aimed at U.S. states and for meeting Democratic officials, and Ontario Premier Doug Ford for his anti-tariff ad campaign featuring Ronald Reagan. The embassy also listed 11 people charged or sentenced for illegally voting in U.S. elections between 2012 and 2024, but presented no evidence linking them to the Canadian government, according to The Associated Press and Al Jazeera. Ford said he had “no interest at all” in interfering in American elections, while Carney said the U.S. started the trade war and Canada is protecting its economy. Joly has rejected the claim, saying her U.S. meetings were about attracting investment. Coming less than two weeks before the midterms, the accusation adds a new layer of diplomatic strain to an already tense trade relationship. Sources: The Associated Press and Al Jazeera.
Federal websites pulled offline as global PHP security flaw sparks scramble
Some Government of Canada websites were temporarily taken offline Wednesday as a precaution after critical vulnerabilities were disclosed in PHP, a programming language widely used to run websites. Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon said the move followed guidance from the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security and was meant to protect government systems and Canadians’ information, The Canadian Press reports. The FBI’s cyber division said the flaw could let attackers run code remotely, potentially compromising sensitive data and networks, and the PHP Foundation says it has released fixes. Government websites in Europe and elsewhere also went offline, and cybersecurity experts told CTV News it is one of the largest vulnerability fixes they have had to handle. It was not immediately clear which Canadian sites were affected or for how long. The episode shows how a single flaw in common software can disrupt online public services that Canadians, and the federal workforce based in the capital, depend on. Sources: The Canadian Press via BNN Bloomberg, CTV News and Reuters via CTV News.
Food bank visits hit record 2.35 million a month as Ontario use climbs nearly 11%
Canadians made 2.35 million food bank visits in March 2026, up 8.7 per cent from last year and 117 per cent from 2019, according to Food Banks Canada’s annual HungerCount report released Wednesday. Ontario recorded 846,724 monthly visits, up 10.9 per cent from 2025, and 253,520 of those were by children. Eighteen per cent of clients now have jobs, up from 12.2 per cent in 2019, and the report notes food prices have risen about 30 per cent and housing about 28 per cent since 2021. CEO Kirstin Beardsley said, “This does not have to be Canada’s story,” as the group urged governments to modernize Employment Insurance and double the Canada Workers Benefit. The rise in working people turning to food banks points to affordability pressures that a job alone no longer offsets, a challenge for households in Ottawa as elsewhere in Ontario. Sources: Food Banks Canada and CP24.
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