News

A look at 150 years of communications at Ottawa Police

by Dawson Hebert-Arsenault, December 2017 (with information from The History of the Ottawa Police by Gilles Larochelle)

Today's technology provides many ways to contact police but what about 150 years ago?

Ottawa in the 1800's was a very different time and place. This logger's town was feared across North America for the brawlers and bruisers that lived here.  Construction on the Rideau Canal brought in hard-working and hard-drinking men from across the globe. Frequent arrests of the day included...

Women's rights - We've come a long way baby!

By Peggy Staruch, November 2017

In the late 1960s, as the world began to see shifting attitudes about gender, race, and stereotypes, an ad campaign seemed to embrace the feminist revolution that was unfolding. It showed a woman, by herself, in various roles from businesswoman to superman -- and underneath in bold text it said; "You've come a long way, baby."

As women, we have come a long way.

In 1851, New Brunswick permitted deserted or abandoned women to have their own finances and manage their...

Throughout its history, Ottawa Police has valued the work of volunteers

By Dawson Hebert-Arsenault, September 2017 

(with records from A History of the Ottawa Police by Gilles Larochelle)

At one time, policing in Ottawa was handled entirely by volunteers. These were good-willed members of the community who supplemented their daily labour with police work at night.

In the beginning, Bytown was a brutish logging town that was feared across North America. There was a large group of labourers in the area working on Colonel By's Rideau Canal. These men would take to...

Paving Scam still present in Ottawa

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, July 14, 2017      3:30pm

(Ottawa) — The Ottawa Police Service Organized Fraud Unit continues to investigate paving scams in Ottawa. Last year, investigators warned Ottawa residents about this scam. Investigators are again reaching out to the community with the same message.

Complaints have been received from people who have “hired” paving contractors who come to the door, with promises of an inexpensive paving job for their lane. No paperwork is exchanged, a verbal...