NCC gathers public feedback on updated master plan for Greenbelt lands
The National Capital Commission has hosted a series of open houses and conducted an online survey to gather initial public input into its new draft master plan for managing the region’s extensive Greenbelt lands. An open house at the Nepean Sportsplex on May 20 offered members of the public an opportunity to look at display panels detailing various planned updates...
Capital Coun. Shawn Menard celebrates park victory, confirms re-election bid
Capital Coun. Shawn Menard led members of the Ottawa East community in celebration Saturday after a beloved patch of parkland was recently saved when a 50-year-old plan to build a freeway through the green space was scrapped. Menard also said the neighbourhood’s victory in the battle to preserve the “People’s Park” has helped convince him to run for re-election as...
Closed work permits in Canada akin to modern slavery, advocates say
“Your housing is dependent on that person, your access to health care, your status, everything is tied to that person. Is that an employer? Is that a farmer? Or is that your master? ” Alladua said, echoing sentiments from his book.
Collaboration and improv key to Ottawa’s only hip hop jam sessions
The booming sound of live music fills Red Bird on Bank Street where Ottawa’s only hip-hop jam session takes place.
Ottawa cricket players welcome plan to build six new pitches across the city
The city of Ottawa is planning to build up to six new cricket pitches to meet demand. Players and clubs are excited to see the continued growth of cricket on Ottawa.
Ottawa’s first Brazilian bakery seeks to be a cultural hub
Ottawa has just gained its first Brazilian bakery. "That's Bananas" seeks to be a cultural hub serving authentic Brazilian food for Ottawa's Brazilian community.
Just Food is sprouting food sovereignty in Ottawa
Urban agriculture in Ottawa is building skills, strengthening communities, and reshaping local food systems beyond the grocery store.
Local food businesses build community and profits with the help of social media
The Great Canadian Poutinerie sits in the heart of a kilometre-long commercial stretch of Bank Street in Ottawa’s Centretown. Mustard-yellow crossing signs along its bustling sidewalks match the restaurant’s retro storefront. A small black sign outside the entrance frames a cartoon of Patrick Morin, who recently went viral online for his General Tso -flavoured poutine — a testament to the...
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 entrepreneurs test demand for New York-style bagels with pop-ups
Small business Baci's Bagels is bringing New-York inspired bagels into the capital city. The couple behind it talks about their plans and popular bagel pop-ups.
Bearing damage means full LRT Line 1 service won’t return until at least late May, says OC Transpo
OC Transpo says it will take at least six weeks to fully restore O-Train Line 1 service, but that there is no longer a risk of a long-term shutdown.
OC Transpo finds more damage on LRT cars, delaying a return to full service on Line 1
OC Transpo says full service on the LRT may not resume until late May or early June, after additional damage was discovered in the cartridge bearing assemblies of the cars.
As coffee prices climb, Ottawa roaster works to keep cups affordable
Gord Fitzpatrick has had seen the spike in coffee prices first hand. “This is the highest the prices have been,” said the owner of Kafia International Coffee and master roaster. “It peaked around September or October and has dipped slightly, but still high.” Fitzpatrick imports “green bean” coffee, the unroasted crop bought from wholesalers that finds its way to local...
Data shows hard-hit Ottawa topped Toronto in per capita rate of flu cases
Like many who had the flu last winter, Piper Long was fighting off feverish hot flashes and shivers that left her bedridden for a week in November. At first, Long said she thought it was a cold. But when her fever topped 100 F, she said she knew she had taken a turn for the worse. “It was just awful,...
Discovery of new damage delays return to full train service until late May, says OC Transpo
OC Transpo says it has found “unexpected” and “additional” damage on LRT cars that is delaying plans to fully restore service. At transit committee on April 9, OC Transpo said full train service is expected to resume by end of May. Line 1 has been operating with single-car service since January after damage was found in the cartridge bearing assembly...
Right-on-red inquiry: Councillor finds more questions than answers on pedestrian safety priorities
A downtown councillor is questioning Ottawa’s policy on red light right-hand turns after what she describes as a very dangerous summer for cyclists and pedestrians.
While progress has been made, Ottawa sees a hard road ahead tackling homelessness
Ottawa says it has made progress on its housing and homeless plan, but the city sees many challenges ahead as it continues to try and ensure everybody is housed.
Ottawa secondhand bookstore starts a second chapter
Ray and Trish Tropiano have opened a second location of Re-Read Used Books in Riverside South.
Lower tax rates on apartment buildings may mean lower rents for tenants
Tenants in older Ottawa apartments may see a slight reduction in their rents after the city moved to adjust tax rates on older residential buildings.
Numbers illustrate how public money is helping build NHL arenas
Despite not paying NHL players directly, Canadian governments have recently been dipping their toes more heavily into professional hockey funding by way of arenas.
Councillors push for more transparent real-time tracking of transit reliability
Long wait times, delays, ghost buses have plagued some 300,000 daily OC Transpo users in 2026. Low operator and bus availability, extreme weather and mechanical problems only exacerbate the problem. And real-time tracking tools meant to help OC Transpo users make decisions about their commute have become unreliable for some. On Jan. 5 alone, for example, more than 800 scheduled...
OC Transpo hiring underqualified candidates, Ottawa’s Auditor General says
Ottawa’s Auditor General has found OC Transpo engaged in hiring practices which prioritized underqualified candidates, a report to the city’s audit committee showed.
Ottawa councillors approve high rise development at Gladstone and Loretta
A high-rise development on Gladstone Avenue beside the O-Train Corso Italia station appears set to proceed after the plan was approved by Ottawa’s planning committee.
Ottawa police say translation system in body-worn cameras already helping in the community
Ottawa police are touting the success of their body-worn camera pilot project so far, saying the technology in the systems is helping them respond more quickly to community needs.
AI in body-worn cameras major time saver, Ottawa police tell board
Ottawa police say they are already seeing benefits from the Artificial Intelligence system built into the body-worn cameras, a system the force plans to continue expanding in the coming years.
Skin cancer in Canada: Experts urge sunscreen use as warmer weather approaches
With warmer weather approaching, health experts are reminding Canadians that protecting their skin from the sun is more important than ever.
LGBTQ2+ activists, police say drop in hate crimes not accounting for large number of unreported incidents
The number of reported hate-motivated crimes directed at the LGBTQ2+ community is declining in Ottawa, which would be good news if there wasn't so much uncertainty around the numbers.
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.
ByWard Market William Street pedestrian project delayed over fears of impacts on businesses
The plan to transform William Street into a permanent pedestrian-only street is on hold and Ottawa city councillors are questioning why that decision was made without council’s approval.
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.
OC Transpo’s efforts to improve bus reliability hampered by delays in e-bus deliveries
While bus reliability at OC Transpo appears to be improving, the transit operator is still struggling to get delivery of new buses that would help replace its aging fleet.
Craft breweries must find ways to adapt to declining beer consumption in Canada
As consumers continue to turn away from craft beer and amid closures of microbreweries, one craft brewer says he still optimistic about his industry.
Atlético Ottawa plays historic ‘home’ Concacaf game in Hamilton, sending fans scrambling
Atlético Ottawa fans travelled to Hamilton, Ont. for the club's continental debut after it was relocated due to Lansdowne 2.0 construction.
Fitness influencers promote risky, unproven fitness products called peptides online — and health experts are ringing alarm bells
Fitness and wellness trends are nothing new to social media. Influencers promote and sell items to their audiences and their messages often convince consumers the products are safe. The latest social media buzz is around peptides being peddled online to buyers looking to build and heal muscles — and experts are warning about risks. Michael Osborn, a university student in...
Ottawa councillors approve Stittsville quarry expansion over environmental objections
Ottawa city councillors have approved a Stittsville quarry expansion despite residents’ fears of negative environmental impacts.
As welcoming ‘third places’ decline, Rough Draft Events is building a community for young adults in Ottawa
When she started her online stationery business in 2024, Cara Loop never thought she’d become an event planner. Two years later, she’s the creative mind behind a rotating calendar of trivia nights, themed events and affordable craft workshops across Ottawa. Rough Draft Events, founded by Loop, hosts workshops at community-oriented businesses such as Arlington Five, Equator Coffee and Manor Park Brewing (formerly Small and Local Beer co.), with a focus on accessibility and low-cost participation. In a...
Creating space to move: A dancer’s mission to make dance accessible in Ottawa
A Carleton University student is bringing affordable, pay-what-you-can dance classes to Ottawa focused on accessibility and community.
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.
Proposed sale of Nepean public school site a sign of more privatization, critics say
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) has listed the Grant Alternative School building and associated plot of land for sale through a commercial real estate firm, prompting city officials and advocacy groups to express concern about private overreach into the public sector.
Residents fear mercury contamination as Kanata golf club redevelopment begins
Kanata residents are ringing alarm bells over mercury contamination at the former Kanata Golf and Country Club, an area that will soon be redeveloped for residential housing. “It is documented – there is mercury contamination across this entire site,” said Kanata North Coun. Cathy Curry during a planning committee meeting on March 4. “The city’s response was that ‘no, the...
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.
City rebuffs owner, grants heritage status to ‘rare’ Orléans farmhouse
Over the objections of the building’s owner, Ottawa city council has granted heritage status to a “rare and unusual remaining example” of a century-old farmhouse in Orléans. Located at 6654 Notre-Dame St. in the east-end suburb, Lauzon House is described by city heritage experts as an important link to the history of the early Franco-Ontarian farming community while exhibiting “a...
Carleton students split on proposed compensation for transit failures
Carleton University student Atisa Khalaj says she often outwalks city buses — even when it’s minus 20 C. “I have never had to spend this much money on Uber until I moved here,” said Khalaj. “I keep deleting that app and then have to re-download it because I’m stranded.” The second-year student at Carleton, says she’s frustrated and disappointed with...
Famed fossil marking ocean-land shift grabs spotlight in new Museum of Nature exhibit
More than 20 years after its discovery, a 375-million-year-old fossil creature called “tiktaalik” has crawled into public view at the Canadian Museum of Nature in downtown Ottawa. Tiktaalik roseae is a well-preserved fossil discovered in 2004 by a team of American paleontologists on Ellesmere Island in Nunavut and is a highlight in the McLeod Street museum’s new exhibit “Life Onto...
More than murals: Paint It Up! builds youth skills and neighbourhood pride in Ottawa
Tucked away on Wellington Street West, a vibrant peafowl fans its feathers across the side of a barbershop, a splash of colour that serves as a point of pride for area residents. Since its completion last year, “The Proudest Plumage” has drawn visitors, sparked conversations and helped community members see themselves reflected in the public space around them. The mural...
Adventure film showcases ice climbing in Rockies as climate-change sentinel
Ottawa audiences got a front-row seat to the thrill of extreme ice climbing at the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour, recently screened at the ByTowne Cinema. Hosted by Trailhead Paddle Shack, the 50th edition of the festival paired athletic feats with climate-focused documentaries, showing how high-altitude adventure offers a window on our warming world. “That mix of spectacle and awareness...
Council approves heritage study for Kanata’s Beaverbrook neighbourhood
City council has approved a comprehensive heritage study for Beaverbrook, the Kanata neighbourhood designed in the 1960s as a planned, nature-oriented community. The study could lead to Beaverbrook’s designation as a heritage conservation district, the first in Ottawa outside the Greenbelt and one of the few in Ontario recognizing a mid-20th century suburb. The proposal had earned support earlier from...
Carleton gallery fosters close-knit feeling with textile exhibit, fibre-art workshops
The Carleton University Art Gallery recently welcomed students with an interest in fibre arts – knitting, crochet, visible mending and more – to come together to create and celebrate its new exhibition, Material Journeys. The gallery held a third installment of its “Art + Friends” series Feb. 8, this time with a focus on textiles. Around 50 students sat around...
‘Don’t shut down the program:’ Students, industry fight to save Algonquin College music training
The sound of guitar solos, drums, bass lines and vocals fill room N124 at Algonquin College. The music recording lab class is covering a song with added elements of creativity to showcase their learning over the term. But next year, room N124 may be silent because the Music Industry Arts program is one of dozens that could be on the...
Over DND’s objections, city approves heritage status for old RCAF mess hall
An abandoned three-storey brick building in downtown Ottawa — its windows boarded up — once bustled with activity and used to make history. The century-old building at 158 Gloucester St. was designed and built in 1919 by Robert Holmes, a well-known figure in Ottawa’s architectural history. It first served as the headquarters for the Orange Order, a Protestant fraternal organization...