Here’s a look at what’s open and what’s closed in Ottawa for the Easter weekend this year.
Good Friday, April 7
City services
Ottawa City Hall and client service centres at Ben Franklin Place, 580 Terry Fox Dr. and 255 Centrum Blvd. will be closed.
The Provincial Offences Court at 100 Constellation Dr. will also be closed.
The city’s 311 contact centre will be open for urgent matters.
There will be no green bin, recycling, garbage or bulky item collection. Friday’s collection will happen on Saturday.
The Trail Road Waste Facility will be open.
All branches and services of the Ottawa Public Library will be closed.
The Sexual Health Clinic and satellite clinics will be closed.
City child-care centres will be closed.
The city’s dental clinics will be closed.
The Site program at 179 Clarence St. will be closed, but the Site Mobile Van will operate from 5 to 11:30 p.m.
The Ottawa Public Health information centre and COVID-19 vaccine booking line will be closed.
The Business Licensing Centre at 735 Industrial Ave. will be closed
Recreation
Pools, arenas and fitness centres will operate on modified schedules. The city suggests reaching out directly to facilities to learn their schedules.
Many arts centres, archives, galleries and theatres will be closed, but there will be some exceptions. The city suggests reaching out directly to learn their schedules.
The Shenkman Arts Centre will be closed.
Parking and transit
All City of Ottawa parking regulations and restrictions will apply during this time.
Holiday rates will apply to the ByWard Market garage, Dalhousie garage and the City Hall garage only.
OC Transpo bus service and O-Train Line 1 will operate on a Sunday schedule.
The OC Transpo customer service line will operate from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
OC Transpo’s Rideau Centre customer service will be closed.
Para Transpo will operate on a holiday service.
Retail
The Rideau Centre, Bayshore Shopping Centre, St. Laurent Shopping Centre and Place d’Orléans will be closed.
Tanger Outlets will be closed.
The ByWard Market will be open.
Groceries
Most grocery stores in the city will be closed, but it’s always best to check ahead.
Alcohol
LCBO and Beer Store locations will be closed.
Easter Sunday, April 9
City services
All branches and services of the Ottawa Public Library will be closed.
All OC Transpo customer service centres will be closed.
Recreation
Pools, arenas and fitness centres will operate on modified schedules. The city suggests reaching out directly to facilities to learn their schedules.
Arts centres, archives, galleries and theatres may have reduced hours for Easter Sunday, but there will be some exceptions.
Parking and transit
Normal city parking regulations and restrictions will be in place.
Regularly scheduled Para Transpo trips on Sunday are not automatically cancelled, and customers are reminded to suspend regular bookings if they do not need their trip.
Retail
The Rideau Centre, Bayshore Shopping Centre, St. Laurent Shopping Centre and Place d’Orléans will be closed.
Tanger Outlets will be closed.
The ByWard Market will be open.
Groceries
Most grocery stores in the city will be closed, but it’s always best to check ahead.
Alcohol
Beer Stores and LCBOs will be closed.
Easter Monday, April 10
City services
Ottawa city hall and client service centres at Ben Franklin Place, 580 Terry Fox Dr., 255 Centrum Blvd. will be closed.
The Provincial Offences Court at 100 Constellation Dr. will also be closed.
The city’s 311 contact centre will be open for urgent matters.
There will be no green bin, recycling, garbage or bulky item collection.
The Trail Road Waste Facility will be open.
All branches and services of the Ottawa Public Library will be closed.
The Sexual Health Clinic and satellite clinics will be closed.
City child-care centres will be closed.
The city’s dental clinics will be closed.
The Site program at 179 Clarence St. and the Site Mobile Van will operate from 5 to 11:30 p.m.
The Ottawa Public Health information line and COVID information line will be closed.
Recreation
Pools, arenas and fitness centres will operate on modified schedules, and the city suggests checking ahead with the facility.
Most arts centres, archives, galleries and theatres will be closed on Easter Monday, and the city suggests checking ahead.
Parking and transit
All City of Ottawa parking regulations and restrictions will apply during this time.
OC Transpo bus service will operate on a reduced weekday schedule.
O-Train Line 1 will operate on a regular weekday schedule.
OC Transpo customer service will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
OC Transpo’s Rideau Centre customer service will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Para Transpo will operate a holiday service on Easter Monday.
Retail
All shopping malls will be open, but check their websites for opening hours.
Tanger Outlets will be open.
The ByWard Market will be open.
Groceries
Most grocery stores in the city will be open, but it’s always best to check ahead.
Alcohol
All Beer Stores will be open regular hours. Select LCBO stores will be open.
Most job search advice is cookie-cutter. The advice you’re following is almost certainly the same advice other job seekers follow, making you just another candidate following the same script.
In today’s hyper-competitive job market, standing out is critical, a challenge most job seekers struggle with. Instead of relying on generic questions recommended by self-proclaimed career coaches, which often lead to a forgettable interview, ask unique, thought-provoking questions that’ll spark engaging conversations and leave a lasting impression.
Your level of interest in the company and the role.
Contributing to your employer’s success is essential.
You desire a cultural fit.
Here are the top four questions experts recommend candidates ask; hence, they’ve become cliché questions you should avoid asking:
“What are the key responsibilities of this position?”
Most likely, the job description answers this question. Therefore, asking this question indicates you didn’t read the job description. If you require clarification, ask, “How many outbound calls will I be required to make daily?” “What will be my monthly revenue target?”
“What does a typical day look like?”
Although it’s important to understand day-to-day expectations, this question tends to elicit vague responses and rarely leads to a deeper conversation. Don’t focus on what your day will look like; instead, focus on being clear on the results you need to deliver. Nobody I know has ever been fired for not following a “typical day.” However, I know several people who were fired for failing to meet expectations. Before accepting a job offer, ensure you’re capable of meeting the employer’s expectations.
“How would you describe the company culture?”
Asking this question screams, “I read somewhere to ask this question.” There are much better ways to research a company’s culture, such as speaking to current and former employees, reading online reviews and news articles. Furthermore, since your interviewer works for the company, they’re presumably comfortable with the culture. Do you expect your interviewer to give you the brutal truth? “Be careful of Craig; get on his bad side, and he’ll make your life miserable.” “Bob is close to retirement. I give him lots of slack, which the rest of the team needs to pick up.”
Truism: No matter how much due diligence you do, only when you start working for the employer will you experience and, therefore, know their culture firsthand.
“What opportunities are there for professional development?”
When asked this question, I immediately think the candidate cares more about gaining than contributing, a showstopper. Managing your career is your responsibility, not your employer’s.
Cliché questions don’t impress hiring managers, nor will they differentiate you from your competition. To transform your interaction with your interviewer from a Q&A session into a dynamic discussion, ask unique, insightful questions.
Here are my four go-to questions—I have many more—to accomplish this:
“Describe your management style. How will you manage me?”
This question gives your interviewer the opportunity to talk about themselves, which we all love doing. As well, being in sync with my boss is extremely important to me. The management style of who’ll be my boss is a determining factor in whether or not I’ll accept the job.
“What is the one thing I should never do that’ll piss you off and possibly damage our working relationship beyond repair?”
This question also allows me to determine whether I and my to-be boss would be in sync. Sometimes I ask, “What are your pet peeves?”
“When I join the team, what would be the most important contribution you’d want to see from me in the first six months?”
Setting myself up for failure is the last thing I want. As I mentioned, focus on the results you need to produce and timelines. How realistic are the expectations? It’s never about the question; it’s about what you want to know. It’s important to know whether you’ll be able to meet or even exceed your new boss’s expectations.
“If I wanted to sell you on an idea or suggestion, what do you need to know?”
Years ago, a candidate asked me this question. I was impressed he wasn’t looking just to put in time; he was looking for how he could be a contributing employee. Every time I ask this question, it leads to an in-depth discussion.
Other questions I’ve asked:
“What keeps you up at night?”
“If you were to leave this company, who would follow?”
“How do you handle an employee making a mistake?”
“If you were to give a Ted Talk, what topic would you talk about?”
“What are three highly valued skills at [company] that I should master to advance?”
“What are the informal expectations of the role?”
“What is one misconception people have about you [or the company]?”
Your questions reveal a great deal about your motivations, drive to make a meaningful impact on the business, and a chance to morph the questioning into a conversation. Cliché questions don’t lead to meaningful discussions, whereas unique, thought-provoking questions do and, in turn, make you memorable.
Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned veteran of the corporate landscape, offers “unsweetened” job search advice. You can send Nick your questions to artoffindingwork@gmail.com.
CALGARY – Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. reported a third-quarter profit of $2.27 billion, down from $2.34 billion in the same quarter last year.
The company says the profit amounted to $1.06 per diluted share for the quarter that ended Sept. 30 compared with $1.06 per diluted share a year earlier.
Product sales totalled $10.40 billion, down from $11.76 billion in the same quarter last year.
Daily production for the quarter averaged 1,363,086 barrels of oil equivalent per day, down from 1,393,614 a year ago.
On an adjusted basis, Canadian Natural says it earned 97 cents per diluted share for the quarter, down from an adjusted profit of $1.30 per diluted share in the same quarter last year.
The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 90 cents per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 31, 2024.
CALGARY – Cenovus Energy Inc. reported its third-quarter profit fell compared with a year as its revenue edged lower.
The company says it earned $820 million or 42 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30, down from $1.86 billion or 97 cents per diluted share a year earlier.
Revenue for the quarter totalled $14.25 billion, down from $14.58 billion in the same quarter last year.
Total upstream production in the quarter amounted to 771,300 barrels of oil equivalent per day, down from 797,000 a year earlier.
Total downstream throughput was 642,900 barrels per day compared with 664,300 in the same quarter last year.
On an adjusted basis, Cenovus says its funds flow amounted to $1.05 per diluted share in its latest quarter, down from adjusted funds flow of $1.81 per diluted share a year earlier.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 31, 2024.