Eligibility for arts awards revamped in nod to wider circle of ‘creatives’
Arts Ottawa has revamped its eligibility criteria for the capital’s annual awards, a move organizers say, widens the circle of recognition and reflects changes affecting the local arts scene. The awards also acknowledge the impact artists and arts leaders have on the community. “The Arts Ottawa Awards celebrate the artists, cultural workers, organizations and community builders who make Ottawa’s arts...
Ottawa curling stars Homan, Miskew spark change to Hall of Fame eligibility
The Ottawa Sport Hall of Fame has changed the way it welcomes active athletes to the ultimate club of excellence for local athletes. The move was sparked by the international success of Ottawa curlers Rachel Homan and Emma Miskew, three-time world champions and five-time winners of the national Scotties Tournament of Hearts. Homan and Miskew won the bronze medal game...
Ottawa set to expand community grants program to include waste diversion
A plan to expand Ottawa’s community grants program to include projects designed to reduce or reuse waste has the support of the city’s environment committee, though some councillors question whether the funding amount is adequate.
Ottawa plans to seek bird-friendly designation under Nature Canada program
The City of Ottawa is advancing an application for designation as a Bird Friendly City under a national program led by Nature Canada.
Navigating a new world order: Canada has a treacherous path ahead as it boosts defence spending
The government of Canada has a difficult task ahead for its national defence upgrades, from a new aggressive posture from the Trump administration, very negative attitudes towards that posture among Canadians, the geographic reality of sharing the longest undefended border in the world with the U.S., and an increasing sense that Canadians are under threat.
Transit group shows why official OC Transpo numbers don’t match reality for most
A new website from a volunteer transit advocacy group shows why Ottawa’s official bus reliability numbers don’t match the actual experience of most riders.
Gotta go? Stand-alone public washroom promises downtown relief — at long last
A stand-alone public washroom planned for the corner of Somerset and Bank streets in Centretown will be the first of its kind in the capital when it opens this fall. Somerset Coun. Ariel Troster said the facility will be 400 square feet and believes it will have two stalls. Troster said she was “shocked” to learn there were no stand-alone,...
Some fans say they bet on sports responsibly, but acknowledge it’s a dangerous game
How the growing popularity of sports gambling in Canada has affected business.
Coming to Canada: Migrants seek opportunity for a better life as doors start closing
As Canada scales back its Temporary Foreign Worker Program, Youssef Bouderbela reflects on joining before obtaining legal status.
Confederation Heights master plan impresses River Ward residents
A master plan to turn surplus federal land in south-central Ottawa into a bustling community has been introduced to residents. The plan envisions turning the Confederation Heights area — with Canada Post’s headquarters at its heart — into a campus with high-density housing, parks, retail space, stronger transit infrastructure and an upgraded RA Centre recreation complex. The plan has been...
Heritage Ottawa talk highlights Indigenous influence at Kìwekì Point
A recent Heritage Ottawa lecture on Kìwekì Point — the National Capital Commission’s reimagining of what was once called Nepean Point in downtown Ottawa — showcased the central role of reconciliation-oriented design and Indigenous collaboration in the $45-million project. Garry Meus, a senior landscape architect with the NCC, guided attendees through the vision for the landmark during his Jan. 21...
Ottawa Sport Council urges city to invest more in basketball courts
This story includes voices from OSC and OBN board members and local youth basketball coaches on why Ottawa needs to invest into indoor basketball facilities.
Natural wine tempting drinkers looking for a healthier option
Natural wine is on the rise in Ottawa offering consumers healthier alternatives.
City plants seed for Ottawa community gardens to bloom
Ottawa gardeners hopeful new City program promising increased garden space bears fruit.
Ottawa Rapid FC’s first signing of the season can’t wait to get started
After signing with Ottawa Rapid FC of the Northern Super League, Sadie Waite can't wait to kick off her professional career.
How’s your New Year’s resolution? Gym owners have ideas for keeping on track
People start the new year full of plans to keep their resolutions, only to see their resolve crumble by late January.
Rights, resilience and radio helping Ottawa’s Iranian-Canadian diaspora navigate Iran’s crisis
As Iran struggles under economic collapse and the aftermath of a brutally violent crackdown, Iranian-Canadian families in Ottawa anxiously await news of loved ones trapped behind closed borders. Support has been visible especially when more than 100,000 demonstrators poured into the streets of Toronto on Feb. 1 to support anti-government protests in Iran and to condemn the religious regime’s violent...
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.
Ottawa councillors opt for a pedestrian bridge over LeBreton instead of Preston extension
Ottawa city councillors have rejected the idea extending Preston Street through Lebreton Flats, opting instead for a pedestrian and cycling bridge over the area.
Agreement aims to keep artists working in Gladstone high-rise development
A high-rise development appears set to proceed on Gladstone Avenue west of Preston Street, a project that will see the renovation of the historic Standard Bread Company building while maintaining a place for the artists who work there. The building, constructed in 1924 and designated as a heritage property in 2020, is home to the Enriched Bread Artists collective of...
Aberdeen Pavilion vendor laments impact of ‘Cattle Castle’ repair work
The Aberdeen Pavilion, the landmark heritage building at Lansdowne Park, is to be shut down for a major roof rehabilitation as early as this spring, city officials say. The upcoming construction is raising concerns about the closure’s impact on public events held inside the building, including the popular 613Flea market, which operates inside the building twice a month, hosting up...
Increased density coming to Ottawa as council passes major zoning changes
Ottawa city council has signed off on a new zoning bylaw, marking the city’s first major overhaul of its planning rules since 2008. The newly approved bylaw is intended to boost housing supply, reduce the city’s dependence on cars, limit urban sprawl and promote intensification.
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.
Technology and inclusive storytelling driving growth of Canadian museums
Interest in Canadian museums has grown rapidly thanks to the adoption of digital technologies and inclusive storytelling.
Coordination key to smooth renewal of Glebe Community Centre, residents, staff say
The Glebe Community Centre is undergoing renovations, but so far their programming has not faced major disruptions.
Meeting the public where they are, a fifth-generation Ottawa butcher shop thrives on social media
The Butchery in Ottawa gaining social media traction is a "big deal" says expert.
Bird flu battle: Ottawa protestors outraged over B.C. ostrich cull as experts watch danger posed by virus
Farmers are protesting the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's culling of more than 300 ostriches at a B.C. farm.
Ottawa’s ‘King of Christmas trees’ returns to parking lot of iconic Merivale Dairy Queen
Ottawa's King of the Christmas Trees is back in his kingdom at the iconic retro Dairy Queen parking lot on Merivale.
Sports car owners prepare for winter season amid early snowfall
With snow finally here, Ottawa sports car owners are deciding whether or not they are keeping or storing their cars away this winter.
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...
OC Transpo steps back from its electric-bus plan
City staff can now, once again, consider purchasing diesel and diesel-electric buses after a recent motion at the transit committee.
AI and GLAM: Emerging tech is changing museums and libraries
Pressure to apply AI tools to museum and gallery work is making professionals worry about how to preserve information they’ve been entrusted to protect.
Crime-preventing AI could soon watch over OC Transpo riders
OC Transpo plans to look into using artificial intelligence to monitor its closed circuit TV system on buses and in stations.
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.
Experts warn of rising Xylazine-linked overdoses in Ottawa and nationwide
Experts warn the surge in Xylazine-tainted drugs is part of a wider national pattern that is threatening the lives of addicts and users on the streets
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.
Clothing prices fall, but experts say fast fashion’s human and environmental costs are rising
The fast fashion industry may allow consumers to pay less for clothing, but the production of these garments results in lower quality, perpetuates unethical labour practices and damages the environment, experts say. Countries such as Bangladesh have hosted fast fashion factories for two decades. The industry is also underpinned by online sites such as SHEIN and Temu and chain stores such...
It’s mainly because of the meat: Rising prices are changing how Canadians shop
Rising prices for meat are shifting the choices presented to Canadian consumers.
The Ottawa Hospital bringing ER care to the home
The Ottawa Hospital is running Ontario's first Hospital at Home program.
From Centretown streets to Ottawa River shorelines, “third spaces” grow in the capital
"Street Seats" pilot project and NCC shorelines revitalization work to provide Ottawa residents and tourists with more third spaces.
As coffee prices climb, cafés and consumers have a decision to make
Coffee prices are rising because several factors leaving Canadian consumers juggling choices.
As Lansdowne 2.0 becomes the new reality, Beandigen Café and other affected shops left without answers
Small businesses in Lansdowne are unsure how they will cope with new construction plans and relocation.
Support for local farmers on the rise even as produce prices at grocery stores fluctuate
Produce prices at the grocery stores are in constant flux. Meanwhile, local farmers' try to keep their prices relatively constant, and seem to be gaining more community support.
The ink is drying: Ottawa’s downtown tattoo shops are fading
Oversaturation of the market and issues with operating downtown have forced some longtime tattoo businesses in Ottawa to close.
Glebe’s historic outdoor community rink makes a move to park near Lansdowne
The Mutchmor rink has regularly welcomed Glebe skaters since 1932. This winter, the rink will move across the Glebe, leaving some residents and community groups concerned.
Handmade ho, ho, ho: Putting a priority on meaningful gifts as budgets tighten this holiday season
As the holiday season approaches and prices rise nation-wide, Canadians are choosing to adapt in creative ways.
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....