Hour 2 of Ottawa Now for Wed. April 8th, 2026

Andrew Pinsent is filling in for Kristy Cameron this afternoon. She will be back in the hosting chair tomorrow. Prime Minister Carney is defending his government’s high-speed rail project to connect Toronto and Quebec City. Construction of the first phase, linking Montreal and Ottawa, is set to kick off in either 2029 or 2030, and the full project is estimated to cost between $60 billion and $90 billion. He says the project will create over 50,000 jobs and contribute $35 billion to the Canadian economy. But as we’ve seen, there's been plenty of opposition to this project in Eastern Ontario – from residents and farmers to local politicians. We check in with Katie Koopman, the Co-Committee Lead of Save South Frontenac. Meantime, Prime Minister Carney is also reacting to a last-minute temporary ceasefire deal in the Middle East, emphasizing that plenty of work must be done over the next 2 weeks. CTV U.S. political analyst and former Congressional staffer Eric Ham pays us a visit. And then, we try to lighten things up with some local music. Born and raised in Arnprior, folk-rock songwriter Vicki Brittle spent countless years developing her musical craft at local hockey games and bars. She has performed at incredible venues all across Canada, such as RBC Ottawa Bluesfest. Tonight, she is paying a visit to Broadway on Prince Of Wales, marking a slew of Ottawa Valley shows over the next month. Brittle joins the program in Hour 2.