Changing the landscape: Algonquin’s program suspensions underscore importance to community
30 of Algonquin's programs have been suspended, highlighting the community impact the college brings.
Ottawa homeless shelters, forced to adapt in a long, cold winter, thankful for public compassion
Data from the City of Ottawa shows the average number of individuals staying in temporary shelters has nearly doubled since 2022, reaching more than 3,800 shelter stays across the city in January 2026 alone.
Indigenous group aims to help small businesses thrive in the digital economy
Ashley-Rose Machendagoos, an Ojibway woman who owns a business selling beaded earrings and beaded kits, says she struggles with all the technology required to have an online store.
Tired of getting ghosted by employers? New Ontario law supports job seekers
Ontario is changing their legislation surrounding employment. Some of the changes help protect rights for job applicants who are facing rising rates of employer ghosting after interviews. These changes are meant to help ease the current unemployment rates in Ontario and Canada.
Advocates question the lack of data collection so far as part of Ottawa’s anti-racism strategy
Despite the anti-racism strategy being in place since 2022, a local community advocate says that the crucial part of collecting race-disaggregated data is still missing.
Beer festival a reminder of the quality of local suds as U.S. booze ban hits one year
It's been exactly one year since the Ford government pulled U.S. liquor from LCBO shelves and one local beer maker says he's worried more about American suppliers than he is about his own business.
For Ottawa renters struggling to keep up, could tenant unions be a solution?
Market pressures and a lack of support from the provincial government is pushing more Ottawa renters to explore the idea of tenant unions.
A fowl tale: Secondhand Stories sanctuary brings chickens compassion
Liz Wheeler is the proud owner of Secondhand Stories chicken sanctuary, the home to 22 chickens. And it all started with some decluttering.
Ontario universities face funding crisis causing some to see tuition increase as better than program cuts
“Ontario’s post-secondary sector is on the brink of a financial meltdown,” according to a recent editorial in the Toronto Star. The crisis has one student thinking a tuition increase would be better than program cuts.
Bracing for impact: Landlords and tenants wonder whether new Ontario law will improve access to rental housing
Experts not sure that Ontario's new law governing landlord-tenant disputes will solve affordability problems for renters.
The Arctic is alive and some rare extinct rhino fossils tell us how
It has four toes, rather than the usual three. It is around one metre tall, small, like a carnival pony. And it has no horn. Some 23 million years ago, the creature roamed the High Arctic, crossing between North America and Eurasia — a feat researchers previously thought impossible. “It” is a recently discovered, extinct rhino. Epiatheracerium itjilik, the Arctic...
Environmental groups support Ottawa’s landfill purchase, but caution more needed on waste diversion
Some advocates call the purchase of a new landfill in Ottawa environmentally beneficial as the city develops a new waste management plan.
Ontario’s $7M arts funding promise ‘using scotch tape to fix a leak,’ writers say
A recent $7 million pledge from the Ontario government has left some in the literary sector divided on whether it will meaningfully address the realities facing the arts.
Social media and personalization drive nail art trends in Ottawa
Across Ottawa, nail art is more than beauty, it’s identity. And one student nail artist is helping define the look.
Gas prices remain high compared with other costs, leaving Ottawa residents scrambling to cope
Despite overall inflation falling, gasoline prices are still consistently higher than all other essential goods in Ontario, putting financial strain on Ottawa residents.
University students under ‘stress’ as rent prices increase rapidly
The cost of rent in Canada has risen 5.2 per cent since October 2024, well above the overall inflation rate of 2.2 per cent, Capital Current’s analysis of data Statistics Canada data shows. That is hard to manage for anyone who rents but for university students it can been very difficult. For this cohort, low-cost, short-term rental units are vital....
Kemptville nights: Goldwyn’s injects some new life into growing community
On Sept. 27, a country-style bar opened in Kemptville's downtown core.
Rosey Edeh powers on from Olympian to on-air role model
The co-host of CTV Your Morning Ottawa since 2020, she is a familiar face in the local arts, sports, music and technology communities.
Melanie Brulée has grown from singer-songwriter to music industry champion
Melanie Brulée has moved from folk-rock country artist to a leader of Ottawa's music industry coalition.
‘Overdue’ Ontario minimum wage increase keeping workers treading water, employees, experts say
While Ontario has raised the minimum wage rate again, it's really only keeping low-income workers up with inflation and not helping them move forward, experts say.
Some Ottawa Metro stores reduce daily student discount to once a week as food insecurity rises
Some Metro grocery stores in Ottawa are cutting a daily discount for students to once a week as the affordability crisis continues to grow in the capital.
Many Ottawa Valley residents unhappy about glyphosate spraying
A recent aerial-spraying campaign using the herbicide glyphosate prompted the emergence of a citizen-based action to oppose such spraying campaigns in the Ottawa Valley and Ontario.
Doug Ford’s push to ban speed cameras sparks public backlash over safety concerns around schools
Doug Ford's ban on speed enforcement cameras is rising safety concerns among parents and others in Ottawa.
Perley Health turns to children to help improve dementia care
Ottawa’s Perley Health is building a dementia-friendly daycare to explore how children may improve quality of life for seniors with dementia.
Giving a dam for 50 years: Canada’s relationship with its national animal
The beaver has been an official symbol of Canada for 50 years, but we don't treat them with the respect that deserve, experts say.
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...
Ontario young adults still struggling from COVID effects on the industry, latest labour force survey results found
Simerdeep Dhaliwal looked for a summer co-op placement in his field for a long time before he finally found a spot. The 20 year old Algonquin College information and technology student says he was lucky in another some aspect of his overall job search, such as finding a part-time job at a MacEwen gas station fairly quickly. But with the...
The searchers: Young Ontarians struggle to find work in current economy
Young men and women are having a challenging time searching for jobs- here's why.
Choice, no choice: More young women finding themselves in part-time jobs, data shows
Last fall, Carleton University student Kate Yoshida was juggling her studies with a part-time job. The 20-year-old media production and design student was working in the communications department of the Canadian Forces Housing Agency. “I took the job just because it was my first full-time summer job that was related to my field of study,” she said. Yoshida began working...
‘It’s been anxiety-inducing:’ Ontario youth unemployment rate among the highest in Canada
In February 2025, 15 to 24 year olds in Ontario experienced the third-highest rate of unemployment in the country, according to a Capital Current analysis of Statistics Canada's labour force survey.
No matter the weather, the City of Ottawa urges vigilance behind the wheel to limit collisions
With Ottawa’s weather constantly fluctuating and the new daylight hours in effect, city officials are urging commuters to be careful on the roads. On March 7, Ottawa Police responded to 36 vehicle collisions over four hours following a thaw-freeze weather event. Heidi Cousineau, the Manager of Traffic and Mobility at the City of Ottawa, says many factors contribute to the cause of...
Watershed watchers issue flood alerts along swelling Rideau, Ottawa rivers
Flood season has arrived in the Ottawa Valley and conservation officials are warning local residents to prepare for the springtime swelling of the national capital’s waterways. After record-breaking mild weather — including a high of 16.3 C on March 16, the highest temperature for that date in Ottawa — heavy snowmelt and rain are rushing over frozen ground and gushing...
One in four struggle to afford food: How Ottawa’s Parkdale Food Centre is managing demand
The Parkdale Food Centre is barely able to keep up with the demand as amid rising food prices.
One person, two votes? What would the Ontario election look like with a different voting system?
The vote also exposed some of the oddities in our electoral system, as the Progressive Conservative majority came despite the party winning only 43 per cent of the popular vote. In an election where only 45 per cent of eligible voters showed up to the polls, the party won a strong majority with only 19 per cent of eligible voters....
Neighbourhood health hubs playing key role in city immunization efforts
Any Ottawa parent with a child who’s missing immunizations should be expecting mail soon — if they haven’t already received it. Since December, Ottawa Public Health has mailed about 11,000 incomplete immunization advisory letters to families with children missing one or more vaccines on their health record. Soon, the agency will send school suspension notices to those who have not...
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.
NCC approves sinuous ‘Motion’ design to replace iconic Alexandra Bridge by 2032
The Ottawa-Gatineau's Alexandra Bridge has had its new design approved. The new design, called "Motion" is set to replace the current bridge within seven years.
Ottawa commuters frustrated by fare hikes as city seeks transit funding
Kari Glynes Elliott, co-founder of Ottawa Transit Riders, remembers one particularly memorable conversation with frustrated commuters. A family of Syrian refugees “living on the poverty line” approached her advocacy group after purchasing a second-hand car “because they couldn’t trust the transit system,” she said. As Glynes Elliott recalls it, one of the family members, a senior, told her, “I can...
Organizers brave Ottawa cold, raising $28,000 for homeless youth in 24-hour challenge
Volunteers stayed outside in downtown Ottawa for 24 hours to raise awareness and money for homeless youth.
‘They’re saving money on the bill:’ How Canada’s GST break has taken a bite out of tips
Jeff Rheaume works the Monday night shift on Feb. 3 at his restaurant, The Broadway Bar & Grill Ottawa. [Photo by Mia Parker/Capital Current]
Tariffs could worsen Ontario rental market, expert says
Carleton University student Grace Rhodes hasn’t bought new clothes in two years. “I definitely don’t do stuff because I don’t have the money,” said Rhodes, who rents a home with five other students. Rhodes said the “crazy” state of the rental market makes it hard to afford student life and has already quashed her hopes of home ownership. “Absolutely not...
The price drop: Cheaper alcohol boosting family-owned convenience stores
Meet and Yashaswy Patel, two brothers living in Ottawa, have owned a convenience store called Our Neighbourhood Store for the past six months where the Patels know all about fluctuating prices for groceries, snacks and now alcohol. The presence of alcoholic beverages for sale in convenience stores started last fall when the province of Ontario increased the market for selling...
Making ends ‘meat:’ How an Ottawa deli is managing rising costs
For Paolo Di Rienzo, slinging hearty sandwiches and homemade cannolis has been the name of the game for decades now. Di Rienzo’s Deli and Grocery, on the corner of Beech Street and Champagne Avenue in Little Italy, has been a staple for many since 1973. Despite being a fixture of the authentic eats in Ottawa for more than 50 years...
Kebaowek First Nation benefit concert raises $14K to help fight nuclear waste facility
Members of the Kebaowek First Nation are buoyed by a successful concert fundraiser they say will help them continue their fight against a proposed nuclear waste facility that would be located near the Ottawa River.
Talking turkeys: Development bringing the big brown birds into more contact with humans
While the turkey population is stable, there's a reason Ottawans are seeing them more often.
“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.
GST tax breaks aren’t earning great reviews from some Ottawa businesses and consumers
Small businesses are not sure they will see positive impacts from the federal government's GST/HST cuts during the holiday season.
Breaking new ground: The Lookout Bar crowns it’s first king as Ottawa’s Next Drag Superstar
The Lookout Bar, Ottawa’s 2SLGBTQIA+ bar and nightclub, has crowned BJ Stroker as the winner of Ottawa’s Next Drag Superstar: All Stars, making him the first drag king to win the eight-week long competition. BJ, along with other drag artists in Ottawa, calls it a big win for drag kings because they are often overlooked and underrepresented in the community....
Lagging disability supports in Ontario just trap people in poverty, say advocates
Navigating the daily challenges of life, individuals on social assistance in Ontario find themselves struggling within a system that many feel traps people in poverty.
Ottawa EV drivers navigate shift to battery-powered vehicles as charging infrastructure slowly improves
Ottawa is getting greener by shifting to no fuel emission vehicles. EV drivers say the battery range on their electric vehicles can be worrisome.