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...
Trade war tactics: Outdoor markets highlight value of buying local
Ottawa Street Markets founder shares why buying Canadian is important during the U.S.- Canada trade war.
Growing food may soon be allowed alongside Ottawa roads if council approves
Ottawa residents may soon be able to grow food on city-owned property near roads, if a motion passed by the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee is adopted by full council. If the motion amending a bylaw is adopted, it would allow fixed planters placed half a metre away from the sidewalk and 1.5 meters away from the road on streets without...
More government funding needed for Ottawa food banks, advocates say
Advocates say current levels of funding for food banks and services are no longer enough to address food insecurity in Ottawa.
“All of us have lost”: Sudanese Canadians build community at a time of war
Sudanese-Canadians are turning to each other to foster community and help their loved ones in Sudan as violent conflict rages on.
Ottawa Food Bank may have to cut food distribution in 2025
Food inflation is persistent, and demands on food banks have grown. But the city's contribution hasn't.
City Builder: Najia Haneefi advocates for Afghanistan women and girls’ liberation
Najia Haneefi is a long-time advocate for the educational freedom of Afghan women and girls. She is a co-chair of Right to Learn Afghanistan Ottawa, which is responsible for educating young Afghan children via online libraries and classes.
City Builder: Chef Ric Allen-Watson cooks up some hope with the Ottawa Mission
Ric Allen-Watson is the Ottawa Mission's Director of Food Services. He started the Mission's Food Truck in 2020, now serving 10,000 meals weekly, and founded the Food Services Training Program in 2004.
City Builder: Wendy Leung helping communities access surplus food with Foodsharing Ottawa
Who is she? Wendy Leung is the volunteer executive director of Foodsharing Ottawa. The organization collects surplus food from local businesses and distributes it to people in need. What is her background? Leung’s background combines biochemistry, regulatory affairs and public health, with experience in business development and digital services. “I love connecting the dots across various fields and using what...
City Builder: Allan Reesor-McDowell changes leadership roles, from refugees to released prisoners
On Sept. 6, 2024, Allan Reesor-McDowell became the new Executive Director of the John Howard Society of Ottawa.
Words matter: Seeking asylum in Canada is not illegal
Earlier in June, U.S. President Joe Biden announced measures on migrants who cross the U.S.-Mexico border that allow authorities to deport or turn them back to Mexico without having the chance to claim asylum. One of Donald Trump’s main campaign agendas is to deport millions of undocumented migrants and prevent others from crossing borders. In recent years, tensions over Quebec’s Roxham Road...
One in 11 people worldwide face hunger: UN report
The global food security has remained stubbornly poor for three straight years, according to a new UN report. Published by five United Nations specialized agencies, the new State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report has found nearly 733 million people faced hunger in 2023, equivalent to one in 11 people on the planet. The total is about...