Banks, many city services and stores in Ottawa are closed for Thanksgiving Monday but advance polling stations for the federal election are open. Vote early Election Day is not until Oct. 19, but you can vote early on four advance voting days from Friday, Oct. 9 through Monday, Oct. 12, from 12 p.m. until 8 p.m. The polls are open for 12 hours on election day, from 9:30 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. Visit Elections Canada online for more details. Food, drink and shopping The ByWard Market is open on Monday, including most restaurants, boutiques, services and outdoor vendors. The Metro on Rideau Street remains open 24 hours on Monday, Oct. 12. All other Metro and Food Basics locations in Ottawa will be closed and resume business on Tuesday, Oct. 13. The Loblaws on Rideau Street will be open 24 hours on Monday. All other Loblaws locations (and Your Independent Grocer locations) Ottawa will be closed and resume business on Tuesday, Oct. 13. Three Provigo stores in Gatineau will be open on Monday: the stores on St. Joseph Bvld. ByWard Market (courtesy of the ByWard Market) and Maloney E. Blvd. are open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and the store on Des Flandres Ave.is open from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. All LCBO and Beer Store locations in Ottawa will be closed on Monday, Oct. 12 and resume business on Tuesday, Oct. 13. The Wine Rack in the Byward Market, Elgin Street and Rideau Street will be open but ask that you call in advance to confirm hours. The Bayshore Shopping Centre, Hazeldean Mall, St. Laurent Centre and Place d’Orleans are all closed on Monday. The Rideau Centre will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. National museums and galleries The National Gallery of Canada and the Canadian Museum of Nature, which are usually closed on Mondays, are open on Thanksgiving Monday. The Canadian War Museum and the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa, as well as the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau are open on Thanksgiving Monday. The Canada Science and Technology Museum remains closed as it undergoes repairs. City of Ottawa (including transit, garbage and recreation) City services City Hall and all seven client service centres will be closed. Business will resume as usual on Tuesday, Oct. 13. Provincial Offences Court, at 100 Constellation Cr., will also be closed on Thanksgiving Monday. The 311 contact centre will be open for urgent matters requiring the city’s immediate attention. Call 311 or 613-580-2400 to speak to a customer service representative. For persons with a hearing-related disability, call TTY: 613-580-2401. Garbage, green bin and recycling collection There will be no curbside green bin, recycling or garbage collection on Thanksgiving Day. Collections schedules will be delayed by one day for the week, with Saturday, Oct. 17 making up for the missed day. Parking All City of Ottawa parking regulations and restrictions will apply on Thanksgiving Day. Transit service OC Transpo and the O-Train will operate on a Sunday schedule. Call 613-560-1000 or text 560560 plus your four-digit bus stop number for automated schedule information. For more information, holiday schedules and travel planning, phone 613-741-4390 or visit octranspo.com. OC Transpo Sales and Information Centres will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Rideau Centre. The OC Transpo Information Centre (613-741-4390) will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The OC Transpo Customer Relations Department (613-842-3600) will be closed. Para Transpo will operate on a holiday service on Thanksgiving Monday. Regular scheduled trips are automatically cancelled. Customers may book trips on or after Oct. 5 by calling 613-244-7272. Recreation services Some pools and fitness centres will be open for public swimming and fitness classes, with modified schedules. Please check with ottawa.ca or the facility of your choice for details. Most registered programs at swimming pools, community centres and arenas are cancelled. Check with individual facilities to confirm, as some exceptions will apply. Ottawa Public Health The SITE Mobile Van will be operating from 5 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Thanksgiving Monday. The Sexual Health Centre and satellite clinics, SITE office, dental clinics and Well Baby Drop-In will be closed. The Ottawa Public Health Information Line will be closed. Messages will be returned the following day. Cultural services The Karsh-Masson Gallery will be open but the Ottawa Art Gallery Annex will be closed for installation. City of Ottawa Archives, arts centres, galleries, theatres and museums will be closed. Some exceptions may apply so check ottawa.ca to confirm. The Cumberland Heritage Village Museum will be closed on Sunday, Oct. 11 because it is rented out to the organizers of the Fall Colours Marathon. Municipal child care services City-operated child care centres will be closed. Ottawa Public Library All branches, departments and services of the Ottawa Public Library will be closed on Monday.
A woman whose twin sister choked to death on a Para Transpo bus after the operator didn’t know how to perform CPR is demanding first aid training be made mandatory for all drivers.
Galina Kamienski was getting a ride home on Para Transpo, Ottawa’s door-to-door transit service for disabled transit users, last September when she lost consciousness, her sister Tania told CBC Ottawa.
Her family initially thought Galina had a heart attack, but they later found out she’d choked on a candy while in the vehicle. She died in hospital a few days after the incident, Tania Kamienski said.
Kamienski and the rest of her family were stunned when they found out the driver of the bus — someone who’d known her sister for three decades — didn’t know what to do when he arrived at Galina’s stop and found her unconscious in the vehicle.
“I assumed, because you were dealing with a vulnerable population…[drivers] would have first aid and CPR,” said Kamienski.
“We were all shocked.”
Training only voluntary
While the city offers first aid and CPR training to all city employees, the training is only voluntary for Ottawa’s approximately 150 Para Transpo drivers, said Troy Charter, OC Transpo’s assistant general manager.
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First aid training is not mandatory for Para Transpo drivers, said Troy Charter, OC Transpo’s assistant general manager. ((CBC))
Charter said OC Transpo has been in contact with the Kamienski family and are “actively promoting” the training to Para Transpo operators.
The organization is also working on creating a new first aid program for Para Transpo drivers with the help of Ottawa Paramedic Services, he said.
“It’s still on a voluntary basis for [the drivers]. But we recognize this — even if it helps to save one life, it’s something we should move forward with,” said Charter.
There are special constables and supervisors, however, who are “trained first responders” with first aid and CP training, he added.
A spokesperson for Société de transport de l’Outaouais (STO), which operates Gatineau’s transit system, said that — much like in Ottawa — the training is not mandatory, although some drivers have it.
‘Has to be mandatory’
OC Transpo’s commitment may not be enough for Tania Kamienski, however, even though she acknowledges that even a properly-trained driver might not have been able to save her sister’s life.
“It has to be mandatory, it really does. It has to be for everybody. We’re hoping it’s going to be,” she said.
“We’re going to continue to push. We’re not going away.”
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