'Rotten egg' smell wafting from Rideau station, commuters say
Hillary Johnstone | CBC News | Posted: January 31, 2020 3:38 PM | Last Updated: January 31, 2020
First there was the smell of sewage at Parliament station, now this.
Some commuters on Ottawa's LRT system say they've noticed an unpleasant odour wafting from Rideau station.
"Rotten eggs, like rotten milk," Olivia Crawford said, describing the smell she noticed Thursday evening.
"Like, a not great smell. Like a bathroom kind of smell, I guess ... like a sulphur-y kind of smell," commuter Andy Thompson agreed.
"Rotten egg, sewer — kind of just bad," Samantha Nowell confirmed.
It's not the first time a bad smell has assaulted the noses of passengers on the four-month-old Confederation Line.
Since its launch in mid-September, riders have complained about a bad smell at Parliament station, one stop west of Rideau station.
In December, after weeks of obfuscation, the city finally confirmed the stench stemmed from a sewer line that was punctured during LRT tunnel construction.
RTM investigating
The smell at Rideau station seems to be a new thing.
"[Thursday] is the first day it was really, really bad. It's always been up at Parliament though," Thompson said.
"I would definitely appreciate if it could go away," said Marc Richer.
In a statement, the city said the odour at Rideau station has been reported to the company in charge of maintaining the Confederation Line.
"Rideau Transit Maintenance (RTM) is aware and is currently investigating the cause. Staff will monitor the situation and work closely with RTM to resolve this issue," said Michael Morgan, director of the rail construction program.