Thursday heat and Bluesfest nights — summer's in full swing

Morning's 21°C but humidity's pushing it to feel more like 27—slap on sunscreen if you're out for long stretches, because the UV's sitting at 8, which is high. You've got a solid 15 and a half hours of daylight to work with today, sunset's at 8:52 PM, so there's real evening left in the tank once you're done work.

Nothing major blocking your commute this morning that we're tracking. If you're biking in, the feds returning to the office has mechanics saying demand's been steady—worth knowing if you're thinking about riding more often.

Couple things happening in the city worth a heads-up. The Department of National Defence just picked up two properties for $59 million, and there's movement on housing too—a community group's proposing a 128-unit affordable tower in Little Italy on Loretta Avenue, which the city committee's already greenlit a bylaw to crack down on bad-faith renovictions. Real progress on that front. On the emergency side, firefighters dealt with a blaze in Orléans yesterday and one in Kinburn earlier in the week—all contained, but crews had their hands full with the smoke.

Food-wise, if you're hungry for lunch near the Hill, there's a solid roundup of hidden spots worth tracking down. New Yangtze Restaurant's back in Chinatown after nearly two years away, so that's worth a visit if you're craving dim sum or anything else from their menu. And Chiqui Bakery's opened in Vanier with Mexico City–style pan dulce, if you want something sweet. Grocery sales are running through the 15th if you're planning the week.

Tonight's the real draw though. Bluesfest kicks off at LeBreton Flats at 5 PM—grab a Thursday pass and catch some live blues. With the warmth and the sunset holding on past 8:30, you've got a beautiful window for it. If live blues isn't calling you, the National Arts Centre Orchestra's playing at 8 PM if you want something quieter, or there's an ABBA Celebration over in Gatineau at Theatre du Casino du Lac Leamy at the same time. The Titans are also home at the stadium at 3:30 this afternoon against the New Jersey Jackals if baseball's your thing.

Get out there and enjoy the evening. Summer's moving fast.