Ottawans may have trouble getting Operation Red Nose help this year

Operation Red Nose may have a bit of trouble reaching clients on the Ottawa side of the river this year.

The free program, which is run by volunteers, acts like a taxi service to help holiday party revellers get home safely. If people have had one drink too many, or if they're tired, volunteers arrive to take them and their vehicle home.

But Operation Red Nose doesn't have a base in Ottawa this year because it couldn't get the necessary insurance on time.

To fill the gap, Opération Nez Rouge Outaouais in Gatineau, which has been running for 30 years, has offered to take over. Its local insurance sponsor is Desjardins Insurance, and the company agreed to cover Gatineau-based volunteers who help people in Ottawa.

Still, English speakers may have trouble finding the volunteer program and making bookings.

As of Friday, the website rednoseottawa.com just says "Stay tuned for more information."

The mobile site — the one people would most likely be looking up while they're out on the town — doesn't list Ottawa.

The phone number 613-820-NOSE is forwarded to the Gatineau office, and the call centre says it's bilingual, as it has been in the past.

But a CBC reporter who called on Friday had difficulty making himself understood with the woman taking calls, and no one felt comfortable enough to give an interview in English.

The volunteer acknowledged that the Ottawa site was down, but suggested it would be fixed in time for next year.