Hour 2 of Ottawa Now for Thurs. May 14th, 2026

Thanks to recent changes by the Ford government, Ontario's Open and Closed menu for Victoria Day is looking a little bit different this year. And the next year. And the year after that. CFRA's Chris Holski explains why. Meantime, Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe has introduced a motion to cut monthly patio fees for the entire Summer. Typically, the monthly patio permit rental rate is $16.49 per square metre. If approved, that extra expense gets wiped away during the warmest months of 2026, which would do a world of good for Downtown business owners. How much relief would this provide? Is this a discount that our municipality can afford? We dig deeper in Hour 2 with our Reality Check Panel.