Children’s mental health appears poorer than parents think, study indicates
Children are more likely to perceive their mental health negatively than their parents, according to data from the Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth.
‘Influencers’ a major source of election information for young people, report says
A new report from researchers at the University of Ottawa finds that social media influencers are becoming a central source of political information for young voters.
‘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.
Green groups alarmed as city explores ‘waste-to-energy’ incineration project
This spring, as the City of Ottawa reviews its options for the future management of municipal waste, officials will explore a controversial proposal to build a waste-to-energy incinerator. Local environmental groups are concerned about the emissions and toxins that could be produced by an incinerator and argue the facility would incentivize overconsumption instead of encouraging greater waste reduction and higher...
Group calls on federal candidates to support ceasefire in the Middle East
A grassroots organization representing some 250 groups across Canada is putting pressure on candidates in the federal election to support the Palestinian people and end the violence in the region.
‘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...
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...