City beautification projects one key to saving habitat for native bees
The city is reviewing their plans on how to best help pollinators. Experts are calling for a focus on native bee species and preserving their habitat.
Part of Bank Street closes to vehicles to boost business, ensure social distancing
A section of Bank Street will join the growing list of Ottawa streets opting to close to motor vehicles to ensure safer social distancing this summer.
The show must go on: The Gladstone will host audiences on a Midsummer outdoor patio
Live theatre will be back on in Ottawa July 29. There have been logistical challenges and creative solutions, but The Gladstone in Little Italy is ready to stage a pandemic-adapted, “socially-distanced live-in-person” production of Midsummer [A play with songs] for a 12-day run on its outdoor patio. Midsummer is an acclaimed 2008 play by Scottish dramatist David Greig, punctuated with...
In the summer of COVID-19, Canadians are embracing local travel — and giving hope to the tourism industry
WINNIPEG — For many Canadians, summertime is travel time. This year, though — in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic — many people are choosing to stay closer to home. “This year, I’m essentially travelling locally,” said Lauren Brown, a world traveller and Toronto-based blogger who runs DIY Vacation, an online resource with tourism tips for destinations all over the...
ACORN campaign pushes for free internet for low-income Canadians during pandemic
ACORN has been campaigning for free internet for low income Canadians during the pandemic. Who is being impacted and what are some challenges to making this happen?
Museum celebrates women in service during Second World War with exhibition of art by Molly Lamb Bobak
The Canadian War Museum has created a virtual exhibition of war art by Molly Lamb Bobak
Special event for frontline health workers kicks off Ottawa Art Gallery reopening to public
The Ottawa Art Gallery is reopening the the public on July 9, with new safety measures in place to protect visitors and staff.
Pandemic lessons: Ottawa management expert looks into the future of remote work
One Ottawa executive broke down tips she learned about working remotely as well as, her predictions for how this experience will permanently affect the workforce.
Super Felix Brothers: Gatineau author — and mom — addresses sickle cell anemia, diversity in her storytelling
GATINEAU — When Nahomie Acelin and Ronald Felix discovered two of their three sons had sickle cell anemia it would have been natural for them to focus on the negative. But they chose a different way of coping with the diagnosis. “We made a family decision last summer that, instead of complaining, we will talk about (the diagnosis) and turn...
Remote rituals: The Jewish community is sustaining faith, upholding sacred traditions during the pandemic
In a pre-pandemic world, eight-day-old Theo Rapkin would have had his bris ceremony in a Montreal synagogue, surrounded by friends and family, his parents and a rabbi. There would have been prayers and a brunch. The bris — formally known as the brit malah, or the “covenant of circumcision” — is a ceremony performed on the eighth day of a...
Four Ottawa-area public health units issue mandatory-mask directive for enclosed public spaces
Ottawa Public Health has shifted its approach to reducing the spread of COVID-19, and is now officially requiring that city residents wear face masks in indoor public spaces. In a statement issued jointly on Monday by four regional public health units in Eastern Ontario, including Ottawa Public Health, the agencies stated that they were “invoking a directive under the province’s...
Keep cats inside to reduce toll on birds, small mammals and other urban wildlife: conservation experts
Wildlife experts list cats as one of the greatest threats to urban wildlife caused by ordinary people.
High-profile changes to voicing of non-white characters draws animated response from Black Canadians
With The Simpsons announcing that white voice actors will no longer portray non-white characters, Black Canadians want to see better representation throughout the entire animated industry.
Drive-in film series just one of the initiatives aiming to give Canadian culture a boost
The Summer Blockbuster Series will be popping up in cities across several provinces, and the event will give Canadians a chance to enjoy free movies while maintaining physical distance at a drive-in. It will also be a celebration of Canadian film, an industry that has been hit hard by pandemic restrictions.
Pets, vets, vaccines and the pandemic: Animal and human health entwined more than ever in COVID times
With COVID-19 forcing people to practise physical distancing, a pet can make a big difference in terms of emotional support. Fortunately, while the novel coronavirus is believed to be a zoonotic disease – which means it was transmitted from animals, presumably bats, to humans – research shows it’s very unlikely people can get it from their pets. And despite some...
Canada’s Borer War: Ottawa on front line in fight against ash-killing beetle that has wiped out 50,000 trees
Ottawa's war on the Emerald Ash Borer enters a new phase.
Liberal MP Francis Drouin open to renaming federal riding that honours 19th-century slave owner Peter Russell
Liberal MP Francis Drouin, who represents the Ottawa-area constituency of Glengarry-Prescott-Russell, says he’s open to renaming his riding to erase its association with 19th-century slave owner Peter Russell. Russell, a top-level administrator in Upper Canada in the late 1700s and early 1800s, fought for special exemptions for slave owners, including himself, when the British colony passed the Anti-Slavery Act in...
Vehicle collisions biggest threat to urban wildlife, say experts, but little roadkill data available to alter course
In Ontario alone, 14,000 wildlife collisions occur annually. Vehicles continue to be a major threat to the province's urban wildlife, according to experts, but the government has fallen short of implementing necessary policies to protect them because of the lack of records and data available.
Watch: Cooking in Quarantine
In Capital Current's new cooking segment, Kate Schellenberg and Eden Suh show you how to make herbed potato salad and delicious tomato tarts.
Scenes of Canada: Spellbinding, diverse and gorgeous
Capital Current reporters gathered together photos of their favourite places in Canada.
Canada Day, your way: How these patriots are celebrating their Maple Leaf pride during the pandemic
With major celebrations cancelled across the country, Canadians are finding different ways to celebrate Canada Day during the current pandemic.
A Capital Current Explainer: Benefits for Canadians struggling during the pandemic
The federal government several benefits to assist those who are struggling financial as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Let's break each benefit down from the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit to the Canadian Emergency Business Account!
‘My Ottawa’ includes a new saving pass for residents to boost local businesses
Ottawa Tourism launches #MyOttawa pass to incite local residents to explore the city in efforts to revitalize the visitor economy.
End date set for National Gallery’s lockdown
The National Gallery of Canada will end four months of lockdown on July 18. In a media release, the gallery said it will be open to a limited number of visitors four days a week — Thursdays to Sundays — for the time being. The opening hours will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and until 8 p.m. on...
Ottawa artists keep creative in a time of COVID-19
These local artists took their time in quarantine and created inspired art.
Ottawa Fringe steps onto a digital stage
Ottawa Fringe organizers have announced they will hold this year’s festival virtually. How are organizers and participating artists adapting to the performing arts in the time of COVID-19?
Climate change creating unpredictable future of ‘extremes’ for people living in Ontario floodplains
Climate change is fuelling extreme weather events such as flooding and governments are acting slowly in helping people adapt to this new reality.
Canadian Museum for Human Rights under fire for systemic discrimination against LGBTQ2S+ community
Pride Winnipeg is re-evaluating its relationship with the Canadian Museum for Human Rights after accounts emerged that the museum hid LGBTQ content upon request.
Back To School? Alberta government releases three scenarios for sending students to class in September
When classes resume in September, the Alberta government will make its final decision on which plan will be most effective.
Heartfelt letter from OrKidstra teacher sends ‘inspiring’ message during COVID-19 crisis, anti-racism protests
Ottawa's social music program, OrKidstra, is creating spaces for Black and POC voices to better support their students.
‘Know that you are special’: Cards, letters deliver powerful message to Ottawa seniors in pandemic isolation
As the temperatures neared the mid-30s on Father’s Day, Debbie Abfalter took a detour on her way to the beach to stop at the Stirling Park Retirement Community. Despite the blistering heat, residents gathered outside of their building — located near the Merivale Mall in west-end Ottawa — to greet her. That’s because when Debbie stops by she always brings...
Lack of volunteers during pandemic leaves Ontario’s wildlife centres overflowing with critters
Wildlife care centres are suffering from a series of pressures during the pandemic: more animals in need, fewer volunteers, and always a lack of funding.
Waiting for Stage 2: Toronto and Peel to move on, Windsor-Essex fails to meet reopening criteria
With Ottawa and other Ontario regions wrapping up their first week in Stage 2 of Ontario’s COVID-19 reopening plan, three regions in the province — as of Monday, June 22 — remained stuck in Stage 1 because of concerns about continued transmissions of the virus. The regions initially left out of the second stage were Toronto, Peel, and Windsor-Essex. That...
Councillor grilled over donut joke, gaping holes in report on ‘Scott’s Excellent Adventure to Tennessee’
City Coun. Scott Moffatt visited waste-processing plant in Tennessee and talked about Krispy Kreme donuts in his minimalist report.
Teachers, parents, health experts share mixed feelings about plans to reopen Ontario schools in September
As the talks about reopening schools in September are underway, teachers and parents try to figure out what's best for students and society.
‘Do I pay the rent, do I take the internet?’ Protesters demand free online service
With the pandemic magnifying the need for internet access, ACORN Toronto rallies for Internet for All and the University of Toronto implements a new service to help students.
An unceremonious goodbye: graduating in a pandemic
For those of us graduating this June, so much feels uncertain. And alongside the practical concerns, there's a sadness about the way school ended.
Watch: Bagpipers give seniors in the Glebe reason to dance
Bagpiping brothers are using their imagination and their music to help seniors cope with the isolation caused by the pandemic.
The Eyes That Bind: Non-verbal communication in the age of COVID-19
A woman who wears a Niqab, a man who’s deaf, an actor,a psychotherapist and a researcherweigh in on communicating with concealed faces. Have you ever heard of a Duchenne smile? While an ordinary smile might be bound to the mouth, the Duchenne goes beyond, incorporating other parts of the face to great effect. “It’s the difference between somebody who smiles,...
Ottawa Board of Health declares racism a public health issue, Black leader applauds ‘important gesture’
In the wake of the Ottawa Board of Health recognizing racism as a public health issue, community organizers who work at the intersection of race and health reflect on the way forward.
COVID-19 cycling surge leads to more riders — and potentially more accidents without safer infrastructure
Ottawa is seeing a surge of cyclists on the roads, with bike shops struggling to service them and city council struggling to keep them safe.
Get ready for more heatwaves, floods and ice storms, report on Ottawa’s changing climate says
Ottawa councillors looked beyond the pandemic this week to another looming crisis. They were combing through a massive, two-volume report presented to the city’s environment committee that revealed some worrisome projections about climate change in the national capital over the next 30 years. The key findings: Ottawa should expect a warmer, wetter and — on average — more disaster-filled future....
Nature’s baby season during COVID-19 leads to rekindled love of wildlife — and a spike in unnecessary ‘rescues’
With 'baby season' in full swing across Ontario, experts are sharing their advice for reconnecting with urban wildlife while dealing with the realities of COVID-19.
Angry Ottawa cyclists protest for safer streets after string of serious collisions
Following a dangerous week of serious car-bike collisions in Ottawa, cyclists are gearing up Thursday for a protest ride to the corner of Elgin and McLeod streets to demand greater safety on city roadways. The Bikes on Elgin protest ride was planned as a peaceful procession from City Hall and down Elgin Street to McLeod in response to a crash...
Ontario’s Bill 184 ‘slap in the face’ to struggling residential renters, critics say
While commercial evictions have bene put on hold, residential evictions are still only discouraged by the provincial government. Advocates say this is a slap in the face to low income tenants.
‘Insurmountable’ odds: Canada loses bid for seat on UN Security Council to Ireland, Norway
Canada lost its bid for a two year term on the United Nations Security Council.
‘Russell’ slavery storm reaches Ottawa via Russell Road: ‘To preserve Black history, we need to re-write it’
A controversy over the historical namesake of Russell Township just east of Ottawa has reached the nation’s capital along Russell Road — the route that runs between urban Ottawa and the nearby rural area named for a slave owner. Peter Russell was also a top Upper Canada administrator in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Godlove Ngwafusi, a leading...
Circle Concerns: Some Ontarians are wary of expansions to social gatherings
With Ontario allowing residents to form social circles without social distancing with up to 10 people, some Ontarians are wary of a potential COVID-19 spread.
The price of protection: The physical toll of PPE on health care workers
Health care workers in Ontario are wearing more PPE to protect against COVID-19, but all that extra equipment can take a toll on their well-being.