Hour 1 of Ottawa Now for Mon. November 17th, 2025

A Downtown pilot project that was designed to divert 9-1-1 calls has fielded over 4,000 calls in its first year of operation. ANCHOR, which stands for Alternate Neighbourhood Crisis Response, allows Centretown residents to call 2-1-1 instead of local police. This is used in cases where someone is dealing with a mental health crisis or a substance abuse crisis. Somerset councillor Ariel Troster joins Kristy Cameron in Hour 1. We also check in with Sabrina Lemay, the Executive Director of the Centretown BIA. Meantime, Canada is trying to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040, but a new report is raising concerns and casting doubts over those projections. That’s because, according to the 2025 Canadian Cancer Statistics, cervical cancer rates have plateaued. In other words, they are no longer declining. We sift through the data as the show rolls on. But first, we bring you up to speed on today’s top headlines.