Businesses won’t butt out for bylaw

By Jennifer McCarthy

Some local businesses are having no problem with Ottawa’s new smoking bylaw. They’re choosing to ignore it.

The bylaw came into effect on Oct. 1, and requires all bars and restaurants to designate 70 per cent of their space as non-smoking. The regulations have owners worried about losing smoking customers, but so far they haven’t been chased away. read more

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TV heading in same direction as magazines

Column: The Arts Beat

By Spencer Ferron-Tripp

The television revolution is turning your TV set into a magazine shop. And the effect is sure to be dramatic.
Or perhaps comedic, if you tune in to the Comedy Channel, one of 16 new cable channels which debuted this past week.

No longer will networks such as the CBC and CTV share the bulk of Canadian viewership. Indeed, the stalwarts of Canadian television may find themselves searching for a niche in an increasingly splintered audience. read more

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Richler leaves fans in stitches

By Bethany Harpur

A packed house was in stitches at the National Library Wednesday, Oct. 8 as renowned Canadian author Mordecai Richler read from his latest novel, Barney’s Version.

Chock full of sexual witticisms and sarcastic remarks, the reading tour introduced the public to Richler’s first novel in eight years, a novel that is currently number one on the best seller list and has been nominated for the Giller award in its first three weeks on the market. read more

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