Hour 2 of Ottawa Now for Wed. April 23rd, 2025

The Beer Store is set to close its Carling Avenue location later this Spring. Once the doors are officially shuttered on June 15th, it will mark the second Ottawa-based Beer Store closure of 2025. This sudden exit leaves Ontarians with a lot of long-term questions, as the province continues to expand the sale of alcohol to convenience stores and big box stores. Kristy Cameron digs deeper with Rod Phillips, a Professor of History at Carleton University who also teaches a course on the history of alcohol. In other provincial news, the Ford government is set to launch a financial investigation into Ottawa’s largest school board, with overtures about the province possibly taking control of the OCDSB. In a statement released today, the Ministry of Education says an investigator will validate the school board’s current financial position. Then, they will recommend whether the Ministry should take charge or not. We go 1-on-1 with Education Minister Paul Calandra in Hour 2.