Pandemic highlights need for more Canadian-based breeding for guide dogs
COVID-19 is wreaking havoc on Canadian guide dog organizations' funds and dog supplies.
Teaching Black history and culture needs to be a mandatory part of the Ontario curriculum, advocates say
Experts say education about Black history and culture is an essential part of combating racism both inside and outside of the classroom.
Pandemic rise in domestic violence mirrored in increased animal abuse, warns Ottawa Humane Society
The Ottawa Humane Society reports an increase in animal abuse linked to domestic violence over the course of the pandemic.
Noise complaints in Ottawa surge to seven-year high during COVID-19
Stay-at-home measures may be helping fuel a rise in noise complaints during the pandemic.
Lookahead ’21: Centre 507 cooks up a plan to remodel kitchen where 35,000 meals have been prepared since 1983
Officials with Centre 507, the adult drop-in centre in the heart of Ottawa, say they’ll be working hard in 2021 to deepen their connection with the community and step up the centre’s effort to improve services for those in need. This effort will be highlighted by a renovated and upgraded kitchen where some 35,000 meals have been prepared over the...
The pandemic piles on: Parents caring for children with disabilities face even more stress, loneliness and isolation
Lack of community support, doubled with isolation, has resulted in increased anxiety among parents caring for children with disabilities
Pandemic pressures have added to the struggle for newcomers and refugees in Ottawa
Data shows that refugee communities in Ottawa are being harder hit by the COVID-19 pandemic
Plan to scrap ‘racist’ streaming in Grade 9 hailed as major step for Black students in Ontario
Beginning in Grade 9, all the way through his high school career, Ethan Itwaru had a ritual of visiting the guidance counsellor once a year. His annual battle to secure the grades he needed to earn in some of his classes had him regularly questioning whether to switch to the hands-on applied stream or stay in the post-secondary-track academic stream....
LGBTQ2+ Canadians may face increased housing insecurity amid COVID-19: experts
A recent Statistics Canada analysis suggests LGBTQ2+ Canadians could find themselves at greater risk of homelessness during the pandemic.
Pandemic amplifying discrimination, economic disparity faced by new Canadians, people of colour: experts
How the pandemic has made an impact on the social issues occurring in Canada.
Rise in online gambling has experts warning that the house usually wins in the long run
With online gaming sites gaining traffic over the pandemic, experts say players new and old should proceed with caution.
Pandemic intensifies silent sorrow of Canada’s asylum seekers
Depression, anxiety, the pandemic is intensifying the mental stress already faced by refugees who have landed in Canada.
Community service grant program helps young Canadians give back
#RisingYouth Community Service Grants are helping people ages 15-30 across the country give back to their communities.
Ottawa artist, musician keeps creating even as COVID-19 threatens his safety
Chris Binkowski recently celebrated his 40th birthday, something few people with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy achieve. He is also an artist and musician dealing with COVID-19 from an assited living facility.
Vintage shop brings a message of social service to Centretown year-round
Leigh Reid and Karen Nielson, the owners of highjinx, approach social services in a simple way by giving people what they need, when they need it.
‘Names Hurt’: Confronting the embedded racism in Ottawa streets and landmarks linked to slavery
In the wake of the North America-wide anti-racism protests spawned by the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd, Canada has seen a growing movement to highlight systems of oppression and systemic racism. As a part of this, citizens have begun to question the symbols around Canadian cities that honour racist figures and they are pushing for renaming's.
Ottawa transit riders band against OC Transpo fare hike as 2021 budget nears finalization
The transit committee voted 8 to 3 in favour of the 2021 draft budget on Wednesday, leaving transit riders and advocates to rally against a 2.5 per cent fare increase ahead of final approval by city council on Dec. 9.
Ontario moves to make daylight savings the only time — eventually
A brief look at Ontario's new Bill 214, passed Nov. 25, seeking to permanently make daylight saving time the standard for the province.
Ottawa’s 2020 Brian Kilrea Award winner is so much more than a football coach
The story of Jean-Sorphia Guillaume goes beyond the football field and into the community where he has helped many succeed in football, but more importantly in life.
Faces of change: Renée Michaud works to connect people during the pandemic
Local artist and entrepreneur Renée Michaud has adapted her community-based art events to keep people connected during the pandemic.
In a downtown park torn up by construction, dedicated volunteers help flowers bloom amid pandemic gloom
Sarah Lozowski smiles through her floral-patterned face mask as she explains what she’s planting. Today it’s tiger lilies, which she has donated more than once from her garden at home to begin filling the bare plots in tiny St. Luke’s Park, tucked away just off Ottawa’s busy Elgin Street strip of bars and restaurants. “They tend to spread everywhere!” Lozowski...
Affordable housing, safety among the priorities in Ottawa’s Women and Gender Equity Strategy
The City of Ottawa is preparing to move forward to the next phase of its Women and Gender Equity Strategy after a delay because of the pandemic. A brief report updating city councillors on the two-year-old initiative was issued Oct. 30. It included a summary of priorities for action — including more affordable housing and improved safety — that were...
Ottawa’s multicultural communities boast impressive giving habits
A recent nationwide study shows our multicultural communities are more inclined to support charities and nonprofits compared to the average Canadian. With one in three Canadians projected to be immigrants by 2036, Ottawa’s community leaders, expert researchers and marketers agree that engaging diverse communities should be top of mind for the charitable sector.
Ottawa food banks continue to see rising demand as a COVID-19 winter approaches
Ottawa’s food banks are reporting an increase in demand for their services as the city grapples with the effects of COVID-19.
Ottawa charities ‘concerned but hopeful’ as funds drop during COVID-19
Ottawa's charities are not immune to the economic impact of COVID-19. Decreasing fundraising revenue may affect their ability to provide support.
Officials hopeful they can keep Ottawa homeless shelters safe from COVID-19
While Ottawa's homeless community has seen few cases of COVID-19, the virus has disrupted routines and services necessary for continued physical and mental health.
Faces of Change: Abdirizak Karod works to unite Black people in Ottawa
Abdirizak Karod is a mentor and community leader, who has continued to support the Somali community in the face of budget cuts.
Faces of change: John Woodhouse pushes for mobility justice in Ottawa
For children, seniors, and people with mobility issues, navigating the City of Ottawa is not always safe. Volunteer, John Woodhouse is working to create a more accessible and walkable city.
COVID consequences: How pandemic fears — and coronavirus cases — have hit Carleton’s residences
Students living in Carleton University residence this school year manage their expectations as a second COVID-19 case is reported on campus.
Documentary holds a mirror up to the issue of skin lightening
Since the 1970s, Fair & Lovely has been a popular face cream in many countries around the world. It’s especially well-known in South Asia, and throughout the South Asian diaspora. It isn’t sold directly by the company in Canada, though consumers in this country can obtain the cream from product importers — and sometimes on store shelves. But against the...
The boundaries of free expression are up for debate in the Age of COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter
An open letter signed by public luminaries in Harper’s magazine has sparked a lively public discussion on the boundaries and limits on free speech. How do Canadian thinkers respond to this debate?
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.
‘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.
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.
‘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...
BIPOC students want action at Carleton’s J-School, not just words — and I’m one of them
While it's nice to see Carleton University's journalism programs vowing to make courses more inclusive for BIPOC students, we need to see action first.
Signs and sounds from Edmonton’s Fight for Equity anti-racism rally
Nearly 15,000 gathered on the grounds of the Alberta legislature in Edmonton Friday evening for a Black Lives Matter protest. Organizers said the Fight for Equity rally aimed to spark awareness and conversation about racism, inequality in the justice system and police brutality. Here are some of the signs and scenes from the mass demonstration, along with audio clips capturing...
In photos: No Peace Until Justice march filled downtown streets
Protestors gathered in Ottawa on June 5 for an anti-racism march in light of the recent death of George Floyd.
Podcast: From homeless to housed
Homelessness among youth is a growing crisis in Canada - and it’s more common than you might think. In this podcast, we hear from two people who were able to overcome homelessness as young people.
At a distance: Rural churches navigate COVID-19 closures
As churches across Ontario are forced to shut down physical gatherings, a few rural communities are delving into online exploration.
Escape from Canada: A stranded international student describes the journey home in a time of COVID-19
Diary of an international student from Australia who is forced to leave Canada early on an emergency flight, due to COVID-19.
Study underlines that air pollution a leading cause of premature death worldwide
While Ottawa air quality is considered low risk, a new study shows that long term exposure to air pollution is a major health threat worldwide.
Out in the cold: Pandemic reveals soaring number of families among Ottawa’s ‘hidden homeless’
Homelessness in Ottawa does not just involve single men. Families too are part of the growing crisis in the community.
Student seeks compensation after battling bed bug infestation
Carleton student Isabel Faria's summer and fall semesters were occupied primarily by a run-in with bedbugs in her rental home.
Housing justice program gives struggling tenants hope
Darin Loewy has been living in the same Rideau Street apartment for 20 years. The last four have been unbearable. The 53-year-old sleeps with the light on because if he turns the lights off he wakes up with cockroaches crawling all over him. The doors have no hinges and the stove has only one fully working element. “I have had...
Ottawa seniors group proposes inter-generational housing project
Young and old alike could soon be living under the same roof thanks to a new housing proposal in Old Ottawa South.
Founder of home for survivors explains the reality of human trafficking in Canada
Before Jodi Mosley became co-founder and chair of the Board of A New Day Youth and Adult Services, she worked with high risk youth from transition homes. This is where she first encountered human trafficking.
Rise in reported hate crimes prompts Ottawa police to revive specialized unit
The Ottawa Police Service has revamped its hate crimes unit due to a recent increase in hate motivated activity in the past year.
Wet’suwet’en pipeline protests extend across Canada to Ottawa
More than 200 supporters of the Wet’suwet’en nation marched through downtown Ottawa recently.
Hungry in the Capital: Food bank use rising in Ottawa
Average income may be rising in Ottawa, but low income households are facing increasing rates of Food Insecurity.