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...
Diverse hiring can’t solve systemic issues in Ottawa policing, advocates say
While the Ottawa Police Service is highlighting the diversity of its newest class of recruits, some advocates fear broader representation in law enforcement won’t necessarily lead to positive changes for racialized community members. The Ottawa force’s newest class has 36 recruits speaking 14 languages including Tamil, Sinhalese, Hindi, Marathi and Kurdish, the OPS stated in a Feb. 27 news release. ...
New plan scraps proposal to turn ‘People’s Park’ in Old Ottawa East into four-lane highway
The City of Ottawa is no longer considering building a freeway that would have run through an expansive greenspace along Lees Avenue next to Springhurst Park, often referred to as the “People’s Park.” The open space in the Old Ottawa East neighbourhood across from the Lees LRT station has been slated for development as a highway corridor since 1966. This...
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...
Liberal incumbent aims to hold Ottawa Centre against high-profile NDP challenger
Yasir Naqvi said he is “feeling the same sense of support” as he attempts to hold onto the riding of Ottawa Centre in the April 28 federal election. He does face a serious challenge from former NDP MPP Joel Harden, who has already defeated Naqvi once in the 2018 provincial vote in Ottawa Centre. The riding, which encompasses much of...
OC Transpo crackdown on fare evasion draws ire of free-transit advocates
An Ottawa advocate for free transit says an OC Transpo crackdown on riders who evade paying their bus or LRT fare is unfairly punishing low-income people who can’t afford to use the city’s troubled transit system. In a report presented recently to the transit committee, OC Transpo detailed the levels of fare evasion in the city and its approach to...
Councillor calls on city to fix Ottawa’s most accident-prone intersection
An Ottawa councillor is demanding urgent improvements to an intersection in his ward that the Ottawa Police Service has identified as the most accident-prone in the city. According to an annual report on collisions — there were nearly 20,000 in 2024, the data shows — the highest concentration of crashes occurred at the intersection of Hunt Club Road and Riverside...
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...
It’s the law: Ottawa Police Service Board developing diversity plan
The Ottawa Police Service Board is developing a diversity plan to comply with a 2019 provincial act requiring police boards to create and adopt plans that ensure police services reflect the diversity of the communities they serve.