Here are five developments shaping Ottawa and the National Capital Region today, with context on why they matter.
uOttawa teaching professors begin first strike since 1986
Part-time professors at the University of Ottawa went on strike after their union and the university failed to reach a new collective agreement, CTV News Ottawa reports. According to the student newspaper The Fulcrum, the Association of Teaching Professors at the University of Ottawa (ATPUO) walked out at midnight on Nov. 7 after about five months of talks, a failed Oct. 6 mediation session and a final bargaining session on Nov. 6 that ended at an impasse. The Fulcrum reports that courses are cancelled, grading and academic support are suspended, and the university has launched a Brightspace tool listing affected courses, updated daily at 5 p.m. Provost Jacques Beauvais told students the university is committed to bargaining in good faith, while union grievance officer Émilie Bernier said the university “has declared war.” Picketing is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. today at the main and Lees campuses, with a rally planned for 11 a.m. on Cumberland Street. For students heading toward the end of the fall term, the length of the strike will determine how many classes and grades are disrupted. Sources: CTV News Ottawa and The Fulcrum.
Ādisōke delay leaves Ottawa Public Library with $5.7M surplus
The Ottawa Public Library is projecting a $5.7-million surplus this year, tied to the delayed opening of the new Ādisōke central library, CTV News Ottawa reports. A year-end forecast report says total gross spending will come in $5.71 million, or 7.7 per cent, under budget. The report is scheduled to go to the Ottawa Library Board on Tuesday. Ādisōke is the future joint facility of the Ottawa Public Library and Library and Archives Canada, and in September the library used its final lease extension on the downtown main branch, which now runs to the end of 2027 because of uncertainty over when Ādisōke will open. The surplus reflects money not spent while the flagship project waits, and the board’s discussion will show how the library plans to handle it. Sources: CTV News Ottawa and CTV News Ottawa (September).
Carney’s homelessness plan starts with $1B Winnipeg deal
Prime Minister Mark Carney launched the budget’s plan to put Canada on a path to end homelessness within 10 years with a partnership in Manitoba backed by more than $1 billion in new federal money. The Prime Minister’s Office says up to $800 million will fund more than 2,000 supportive and transitional homes in Winnipeg, and over $200 million will go to a new Winnipeg Centre for Mental Health and Addictions, the first investment from a new $5-billion Integrated Supports Fund. Under the model, Ottawa pays for construction while provinces and partners cover operations, and The Canadian Press reports Manitoba is committing $84 million a year. The government estimates about 65,000 people were homeless in 2025, but Tim Richter of the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness told The Canadian Press that a single-day count understates the problem. Because the model relies on provinces to pay for operations, similar deals in other provinces, including Ontario, will depend on provincial governments signing on. Sources: Prime Minister’s Office, The Canadian Press via Lethbridge Herald and The Canadian Press via Lethbridge Herald.
Carney welcomes U.S. moves to end tariffs after midterms
Carney says his government welcomes “any moves” to restore free trade with the United States, after the midterm elections gave Democrats firm control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, The Canadian Press reports. In the days after the vote, several Democratic officials said repealing tariffs on Canadian products is a priority. Speaking to reporters on Friday, Carney said he had not spoken with Democrats about legislation to end the tariffs, and that Ottawa will keep working with Washington on a deal that serves Canada. Conservative MP Jamil Jivani, who has visited Washington on trade, said Ottawa still needs to find ways to work with President Donald Trump. Before the vote, experts told Yahoo News Canada that a Democratic Congress could challenge Trump’s trade agenda but that Canadians should not expect a quick resolution. For exporters hit by steel, aluminum and lumber tariffs, the shift in Congress offers a possible new route to relief, though not a guaranteed one. Sources: The Canadian Press via Lethbridge Herald and Yahoo News Canada.
Cuba crisis pushes Canadian sun-seekers to pricier trips
Canadian travellers are turning to more expensive winter destinations as a humanitarian crisis in Cuba, where a U.S. oil blockade has caused severe fuel shortages, keeps the island largely off the table, The Canadian Press reports. The shortages led Canadian airlines to indefinitely suspend flights to Cuba earlier this year, and Ottawa still advises against all non-essential travel there because of shortages of medicine, food and fuel. Statistics Canada recorded about 700,000 Canadian visits to Cuba in 2025, down from more than one million a year before the pandemic. Flight Centre data shows a seven-day, four-star Varadero package from Toronto cost under $1,400 per person last holiday season, while comparable trips to Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica cost about $1,800 this year. For families planning a winter getaway, losing Cuba as a budget option means paying more or looking closer to home. Source: The Canadian Press via Lethbridge Herald.
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