Author: Centretown Staff

By Jason Kirby
It looks the same as any garden this time of year, with a few sunflowers standing beside wilted patches of vegetables, but the roar of the Queensway only 30 metres away signals you’re not in a quaint country garden.

This small green plot at the corner of Catherine and Metcalfe streets is the Bytown Urban Gardens and it’s part of a growing trend to bring green space back into city centres. read more

Preston St. festival teaches the art of wine-making

Ignoring the dozen wasps swarming around a large, open-topped crate of grapes sitting outside Il Garage Ristorante, Sophie Raynor-Grignon, 5, gingerly stood up and stomped barefoot in the fruit.

Applause broke out in the crowd of watchers, who had gathered to celebrate Preston Street’s first annual Grape Harvest Festival, La Vindemmia, held Sept. 26-28. With 15 cases of grapes from Musca Wine and Il Garage, anyone who wanted to could participate in a traditional Italian grape-stomping. read more

By Katherine E. Reyes
With a possible teachers’ strike around the corner, parents could be left scrambling for places where their children can stay during the day.

Teachers plan to strike if the Harris government adopts its education reform plans. The government plans to pass Bill 160 any day. The bill seeks changes such as a reduction in the number of teachers, the number of professional development days and class-preparation time. read more

By Roslyn McGilvery
Gay men in abusive relationships have nowhere to turn in Ottawa-Carleton, says a John Howard Society worker, so the organization is working to establish a referral service to provide support.

There is currently no service in the Ottawa-Carleton area that provides counselling or emergency shelter for gay male domestic abuse victims. read more