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Macleans.ca

Canada’s magazine

Okay, seriously, what’s up with our water system, Ottawa?

First, it was “maintenance work” on city pipes that brought Parliament to a squelching halt; then, a burst water main shut down the patio at Hy’s on the Friday before the Victoria Day long weekend — and now this:

First, the committee system breaks down, and now this.

UPDATE: Colleague Wherry has the details.

Just after Question Period, the House of Commons was shut down for the rest of the day, by unanimous consent, due to the (temporary, we hope) demise of the parliamentary plumbing system, which crashed earlier today due to unspecified water pressure issues in the downtown core. Committees are cancelled, MPs’ offices are closing early, staffers are going home, and ITQ is going for ice cream, but will report back later. Hopefully with actual answers on what went so very wrong with our institutional innards, and when we can expect to be back at work. Further bulletins as events warrant.