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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
‘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...
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Ottawa Hospital bringing ER care to the home
The Ottawa Hospital is running Ontario's first Hospital at Home program.
Internationally educated nurses are untapped assets in solving nursing shortages
A recent Statistics Canada report explores how many internationally educated nurses are underutilized even in the midst of a national nursing shortage.
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....
Families on standby as child care costs plummet, while waitlists hit record levels
Child care is cheaper but that lower price is driving more demand leaving many families waiting for access.
Ottawa public charging station use surging despite slumping EV sales
Ottawa residents are using public charging stations for their electric vehicles (EVs) more often. Meanwhile, Canada’s overall EV sales dip for the first time in years.
Surveillance society? Ottawa police use of AI technologies concerning civil liberties experts
Civil liberties experts are expressing concern about use of AI technologies by Ottawa police.
Noisy air condition system rattles the Glebe and underlines concerns as urban intensification continues in Ottawa
Glebe residents are raising concerns about noise levels made by The Clemow building.
Support agencies hope Ottawa’s food security strategy will ease demand on them
A City of Ottawa food insecurity strategy aims to engage the provincial and federal governments to advocate for better funding for assistance programs.
Mending student-police relations in Ottawa schools is underway
The Ottawa Police Service has adopted a new approach to provide resource officers and to strengthen its relations with all Ottawa schools.
‘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.
‘Riding a wave of urgency’: Ottawans rally behind the fight to end youth homelessness
Experts say the fight to end homelessness is urgent. The Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa hosted its first annual Race to End Homelessness to raise money and awareness for the cause.
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.
Children’s mental health appears poorer than parents think, study indicates
Children are more likely to perceive their mental health negatively than their parents, according to data from the Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth.
‘Influencers’ a major source of election information for young people, report says
A new report from researchers at the University of Ottawa finds that social media influencers are becoming a central source of political information for young voters.
‘Set up for failure:’ Harm reduction advocate slams transition to HART hubs
A leading defender of harm reduction services in Ottawa says the Ontario government’s push to convert safe consumption sites to HART hubs is misguided. Rob Boyd, CEO of Ottawa Inner City Health — one of just three remaining safe consumption sites in the capital — said the province’s new approach to Canada’s overdose and toxic drugs crisis means Ontario is...
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...
Repair Café showcases circular economy’s role in fighting U.S. trade war
Advocacy groups are urging residents and Ottawa city hall to focus on strengthening the local circular economy — including the voluntary repair and recycling service provided by the Ottawa Tool Library — as part of the community response to the on-going U.S. trade war with Canada. The U.S. has imposed tariffs on many Canadian exports, including vehicles, steel and aluminum,...
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...
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....
Canadian voters prioritizing economic stability, incumbency amid Trump tariff threats
A perceived ability to protect Canada’s economic interests against U.S. President Donald Trump is one of the primary ballot questions uniting Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative success and Mark Carney’s popular rise with the federal Liberal party, according to one pollster.
Perth laments Algonquin’s uprooting of heritage building program ‘that’s going to save the planet’
Algonquin College will shutter its satellite campus in the historic town of Perth at the end of August 2026 because of severe financial challenges facing many Canadian colleges and universities following the federal imposition of new international student cap. The Perth campus has been home for more than a half-century to the Algonquin College Heritage Institute, which offers a flagship...
Liberals keep firm hold on Ottawa-Vanier as 60 per cent of voters stay away
The Liberal party is hanging on tight to Ottawa-Vanier once again after the recent provincial election, marking more than a half-century of electoral domination going back to 1971 under the former Ottawa East configuration of the constituency. But voter participation in last week’s election was lower in Ottawa-Vanier than in any of the nine Ottawa-area ridings. Only 39.83 per...
Osgoode councillor Darouze takes Carleton riding for PCs amid low turnout
Longtime Ottawa city councillor George Darouze will now serve the residents of Carleton in a different capacity — this time, as their MPP. Elected in 2014, Darouze was a three-term councillor for Osgoode Ward. Previously he was the president of the Osgoode Carleton Snowmobile Trail Club and a telecommunications manager. Darzouze became the Progressive Conservative party’s nominee in December following...
‘The only wrong vote is a no vote’: Citizens have their say on casting a ballot in the Ontario election
Fewer than half of all eligible voters across Ontario — and in each of Ottawa’s nine electoral districts — turned out to vote in the recent provincial election. A team of Capital Current reporters captured the views of local residents about why they did or didn’t cast a ballot in the 2025 Ontario election. Some — ultimately representing the minority...
Voter turnout drops as Liberal wins tight race in Kanata-Carleton
Despite seeing the second-highest voter participation in the city, Ottawa’s Kanata-Carleton riding still showed a lower voter turnout in the recent Ontario election than in the previous provincial vote in 2022. Only 48.56 per cent of eligible voters showed up to the polls, lower turnout for the west-end Ottawa riding than in the 2022 election, when 45,695 voters or...
Historic first: Fewer than half of eligible voters cast ballots in Ottawa Centre
For the first time ever in Ottawa Centre’s history, those who didn’t cast a ballot in the Feb. 27 provincial election made up the majority of the riding’s eligible voters. Out of 116,980 eligible voters in Ottawa Centre, just more than 58,300 people or 49.85 per cent made the trip to a polling station. With a provincial voter turnout of...
Tories hold Glengarry-Prescott-Russell as voter turnout stays below 50 per cent
Voter turnout in Glengarry-Prescott-Russell was up slightly in last week’s election compared with the previous provincial vote in 2022. But for the second straight time, fewer than half the eligible voters in the riding cast their ballots — a significant drop from the 2018 Ontario election. Even with an election called in response to Ontario and Canada’s high-profile clash over...
Liberal keeps hold on Ottawa South in Ontario election that generated low voter interest
It’s no shock Ottawa South stayed red in the recent Ontario election. Liberals have held the riding steadily since 1987, with this vote marking the fifth consecutive win for John Fraser. What is shocking, however, is, despite Fraser taking half the ballots cast, only 22.6 per cent of eligible voters in Ottawa South put an X next to his name....
NDP keeps Ottawa West-Nepean as turnout matches provincial average
With a voter turnout of 45.02 per cent, the riding of Ottawa West-Nepean closely mirrored province-wide participation rates of 45.4 per cent in the recent Ontario election. Ottawa West-Nepean’s NDP incumbent Chandra Pasma dramatically expanded her support across the riding in last week’s vote, taking 49.33 per cent of the ballots — an 11.79-point increase from the last provincial election...
After strong push to get out the vote, student group laments PC victory
After making a strong push to get young people to the polls on Feb. 27, the federation representing 350,000 college and university students in Ontario is lamenting the re-election of a Progressive Conservative government that it believes “will not prioritize post-secondary education and students.” The Ontario branch of the Canadian Federation of Students worked hard to motivate and mobilize postsecondary...
Tories renew mandate in election that majority of eligible voters sat out
Ontario Premier Doug Ford secured a historic third straight majority government after winning a snap election on Feb. 27. In a vote that saw the second-lowest voter turnout in provincial history, Ford’s Progressive Conservatives won 80 of 124 seats in the legislature, the NDP captured 27, the Liberals 14 and the Green Party two. One independent MPP was elected. Ford...
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...