Apple's planned Ottawa retail store should open its doors by the end of August, a reliable source tells MacNN. The store -- Apple's ninth in Canada and the first for the country's capital -- is at least expected to open before the end of 2009, one of only 25 new outlets scheduled worldwide this year. The reduced construction comes in the wake of a global economic recession.

Canadian broadcaster CTV meanwhile reports that while the Ottawa store should open in late summer, the general manager of the Rideau Centre says the mall remains in negotations with Apple. Few if any details have been cemented as a result, though job applications are already being accepted. The lack of an Apple Store has long been a frustration for Ottawa residents; the city's only dedicated Apple suppliers are Carbon Computing and the Mac Group.