‘I’d rather waste money than time’: Frustrated bus riders brace for overhaul of city routes
After her 10-hour retail shift at Tanger Outlets, the last thing Monique Obasi wanted to do was wait for her ride home to the Morgan Grant neighbourhood in Kanata. So, at 9:45 p.m., Obasi hurried to the nearest bus stop. In the home stretch of her run, she watched the bus speed past her stop, right in front of her...
Photography program helps people with Down syndrome explore their visual creativity
The True to Life project is the work of photographers Kelly McDonald and Emillie Swain, who have taught photography to students with Down syndrome for roughly a decade.
‘Set up for failure:’ Harm reduction advocate slams transition to HART hubs
A leading defender of harm reduction services in Ottawa says the Ontario government’s push to convert safe consumption sites to HART hubs is misguided. Rob Boyd, CEO of Ottawa Inner City Health — one of just three remaining safe consumption sites in the capital — said the province’s new approach to Canada’s overdose and toxic drugs crisis means Ontario is...
‘If we’re hurting, everybody’s hurting’: Dunn’s closes ByWard Market eatery
After an 18-year run, Dunn’s Famous Deli is joining the growing list of businesses that have closed in the ByWard Market. After surviving the COVID-19 pandemic and an ever-changing business landscape, Russell Garland, Dunn’s owner, says rising safety concerns and a lack of tourists as the main reasons for the restaurant’s closure in late March. “Homelessness, drugs, shootings and stabbings....
Local literacy advocate ALSO hosts annual ‘celebration of banned books’
A local literacy organization celebrated “banned books” with readings from high-profile Ottawa-area authors and a silent auction fundraiser. Alternative Learning Styles and Outlooks, better known as ALSO, organizes the yearly event to highlight the harms of banning books. ALSO is an adult and family literacy group that works with students who require extra support for youth because of mental health...
Groups push to shape election debate around Middle East conflict, protests
As Canadians head into the final 10 days of campaigning ahead of the April 28 federal election, a pro-Palestinian advocacy group and B’nai Brith Canada — the leading voice of the country’s Jewish-Canadian community — are attempting to shape the discussion around the Israel-Hamas conflict and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Vote Palestine says its “goal is to pressure all...
Election 2025: Observers say high stakes could offset voter fatigue
For Bella Arsenault, one word defines her feelings about the upcoming federal election: exhaustion. “It’s so sad to see how much the news and election in the United States are affecting our election,” the Ottawa resident and Dalhousie University student told Capital Current. “Everything is focused around the States, and that’s annoying and frustrating to see.” She has other grievances...
Battles in Ottawa Centre, Carleton highlight quest for local seats in federal vote
Campaigns are in full swing across the nation’s capital as federal election day — April 28 — is now just two weeks away. The parties’ local machines are humming across Ottawa’s nine ridings meaning signs are in the ground, boots are on the pavement and faces are at the doorstep. Some riding boundaries have been changed and a few ridings...
Flames of Belonging: Iranian Canadians leap into spring at ancient fire festival
Under a crisp, late-March sky in Dunrobin, bonfires lit up the night as dozens of Iranians gathered to celebrate Chaharshanbeh Suri, reviving an ancient Persian tradition with laughter, music and fire. What began as a Zoroastrian ritual thousands of years ago has become a cherished cultural festival for millions. Held on the eve of the last Wednesday before Nowruz, the...
City gives $30,000 boost to accessibility makeover at conservation area to let those with disabilities enjoy nature
The Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation has received a $30,000 grant from the City of Ottawa to begin an expansion of its Nature for All project creating better access to the Baxter Conservation Area for people living with disabilities . The project’s first phase saw construction of a boardwalk across a marsh to allow people using wheelchairs or walkers — as...
With fate of 24 Sussex unclear, experts extoll historic value of official residences
With the future of 24 Sussex Drive in doubt and Canadians two weeks away from electing a new prime minister, local heritage experts are urging protection of the historic home and turning a spotlight on the capital’s rich history of prime ministerial residences. Years of neglect have put the official residence of the prime minister at risk. In one of...
More than books: The Ottawa Trans Library is preserving and building a culture
With challenges on 2SLBGTQ+ books on the rise in Canada and American libraries, Alice Holland is one of the volunteers at the Ottawa Trans Library, protecting trans art and building community to counter transphobia and censorship.