Get More Happy With Happy Town News

Published 09/10/2025 · Updated 09/10/2025

If you think our happy town is far too happy, just wait until Happy Town News gets its hands on it. It will be O-Town on valium.

Yes, our Happy Town News (the city media relations department) is filling the Ottawa City Hall news vacuum with its own happy weekly newsletter covering what else? Why happy city hall. Anybody see a bias there? You know, the city hall covering city hall by the people who are paid to make city hall look good. Were we to rename Happy Town News, we’d call it Happy Happy Happy Town News.

One wonders how HTN (now HHHTN) would have covered the safety-cone-throwing incident by Beacon Hill-Cyrville Councillor Tim Tierney. Maybe “Tierney sets world record in cone-tossing.” Or perhaps Rideau-Vanier Councillor Stephanie Plante’s social-media scrap with sprung-structure opponents. “Plante conducts fruitful dialogue with Barrhaven residents.”

You will remember the daily summaries HTN wrote covering the judicial inquiry into Ottawa’s troubled light rail. They were so sweet you had to floss after reading them. HTN could make a latrine smell like a rose. The whole sordid idea of city hall covering the judicial inquiry was roundly condemned by none other than the inquiry itself. But don’t let ethics get in the way of twisting the news or shovelling a large load of compost.

Nature abhors a vacuum in nature and in news. Something must fill the vacuum. And none are so vacuous as the missives from HTN. What was once news is now propaganda. Good night and good luck.

Here is the release from Happy Happy Happy Town News below announcing its own Happy Town Newsletter that was demanded by the people of Ottawa. Or so we are led to believe. Has the City of Ottawa ever been known to rig a survey?

Let’s make some comparison’s here: Cat-dog; Poilievre-Justin; Oil-Water; Red Sox-Yankees; Happy Town News-Truth.

I feel happier already:

Ken Gray

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Your City News, now in one weekly email

If you have ever felt overwhelmed by the number of emails in your inbox every day, you are not alone.

That’s exactly what hundreds of Ottawa residents shared earlier this year through the City Buzz: Public Engagement and Communications Review. When asked how and when they would prefer to receive news from the City, the response was clear: many residents want fewer emails, more concise content and a simpler way to stay informed.

In response to this feedback, the City of Ottawa is launching the City News weekly round-up: a new email format that delivers a summary of the week’s news products, every Thursday. Each edition includes brief summaries and links to full articles, making it easier to catch up on what matters, without the volume of daily notifications.

The results of the City Buzz survey helped shape this new option. While some residents appreciate receiving news as soon as it’s published, 54 per cent of respondents said they would prefer a weekly newsletter. Another 87 per cent indicated they would rather receive short summaries with links rather than full articles in the body of the email.

The current version of City News, which delivers full stories as they are published daily, will continue for those who prefer more frequent updates. The new weekly round-up offers an alternative, designed for residents looking for a more efficient, simplified approach to staying informed.

Both versions are now available, giving residents more choice in how they engage with municipal news and services. To subscribe or to update preferences, visit our eSubscriptions sign up form.

Whether you prefer staying up to date as stories break or catching up once a week, City News now offers more flexibility to fit your inbox.

You will still get up-to-date emergency information

During emergencies or urgent situations, you need to know the latest and up-to-date information to ensure the safety and well-being of you and your household. But don’t worry, if you subscribe to the weekly newsletter, you will still receive the latest news when it’s issued – keeping you informed with the information you need.
For more information on City programs and services, visit the City of Ottawa website, call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401) or 613-580-2400 to contact the City using Canada Video Relay Service. You can also connect with us through Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Bluesky and Instagram.

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Come On Get Happy (2020 Stereo Mix / Extended) - The Partridge Family