Originally Posted by
Viich
There are still loads of bikes being sold with 26" wheels. Not as many as when it was the MTB standard size, but more than enough for continued industry support. 7 speed cassettes and 27x 1-3/8 tires are still readily available, and neither of those have been commonly sold on new bikes since the 1980s.
Perhaps that is the case in Ottawa (lucky you!). It is far from a universal experience for the rest of us. Neither of what you describe is available in local shops here and have to be special ordered and / bought from an online retailer and paid duties on.