Hour 1 of Ottawa Now for Mon. February 16th, 2026

If you’ve tried booking an Ontario Parks campsite this time of year, many campers know that this simple expedition can quickly turn into an online booking war. Ontario Parks can let you reserve campsites up to 5 months in advance of your arrival date. That is, if the timing and the stars align perfectly. And while the number of visitors surpassed 13.7 million in 2025, a lot of people hate the pre-booking system that comes before the actual camping. Kristy Cameron chats with Kevin Callan, better known as ‘The Happy Camper’, in Hour 1. Meantime, a local landmark in Hintonburg is getting ready for a massive makeover. Kitchissippi councillor Jeff Leiper has more on that. But first, we bring you up to speed on today’s top headlines, starting with the passing of a CFRA icon.