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.
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...
Grassroots art collective marking 10-year milestone with November exhibition
Ten years of community-based art will be celebrated with a special show later this year. Artawa, a grassroots collective run by Kina Forney, is marking its 10th anniversary in November with the group’s biggest exhibition yet. The event’s theme has not been decided. Forney said she wants to get input from the Artawa members before she makes any final decisions...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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.
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...
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.
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.
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.
From local bars to national TV, Karamilk has championed Ottawa’s drag scene
After stepping onto the stage at Ottawa’s Lookout Bar for her very first drag performance two years ago, Carleton graduate Karamilk has made her national debut on the sixth season of Canada’s Drag Race.
“Why not?” Ottawa musicians intrigued by allure of Eurovision
The federal government’s budget includes $150 million to modernise CBC's mandate and explore participating in Eurovision.
BookTok turns a page in Ottawa’s literary scene
What began as a niche online community for book lovers has evolved in just a few years into one of the most influential forces in publishing, and Ottawa’s bookstores are feeling the effects.
Double Experience’s Brock Tinsley inspires Ottawa creatives to ‘level up’
Brock Tinsley, the nerd rock guitarist, has spent a decade performing videogame-inspired music internationally and uses his experience to help artists reach the next level in their own career.
Restaurant critic Peter Hum has an appetite for food, jazz, travel and family history
Capital Current introduces people who have had an impact on the city. Who is he? Peter Hum is the Ottawa Citizen’s restaurant critic. He will serve an eight-week stint as resident chef at 1 Elgin restaurant early in 2026. From Vienna to Peru, then from Hong Kong to mainland China, Hum is travelling this month, eating and writing about food along...
Rosey Edeh powers on from Olympian to on-air role model
The co-host of CTV Your Morning Ottawa since 2020, she is a familiar face in the local arts, sports, music and technology communities.
Geoff Cass brings music to the neighbourhood with Red Bird Live
What is Red Bird Live? Its founder says it's a place to bring everyone together for the love of music.
The man behind the queen: Eric Vance brings ‘sunshine’ to Ottawa drag
In the Ottawa drag scene, Eric Vance is better known as Sunshine Glitterchild, the queen he's performed as for nearly five years.
Sharing plates and conversation: Revello Williamson fuels connection through food reviews
Learn more about an Ottawa-based food reviewer who spreads laughter and joy one review at a time.
Melanie Brulée has grown from singer-songwriter to music industry champion
Melanie Brulée has moved from folk-rock country artist to a leader of Ottawa's music industry coalition.
New Ottawa event series creates safe space for Black rave culture and artists
Plantains&Caviar is a new series in Ottawa focused on spotlighting newer Djs and Black rave culture.
Building a bass line: Hip-hop showcase introduces emerging talent to a hungry Ottawa audience
The music collective 808s Creative State held a showcase in an Ottawa barbershop recently to introduce performers to a local audience.
‘Special’ Nepean bookstore closing after 50 years
After 50 years of business, The Book Market Nepean will close it's doors soon.
‘We need to unearth these stories’: Ottawa’s first all-Chinese hockey team showcased in new Glebe mural
Tia Wong, artist and long-time Glebe resident, turned the story of Ottawa's first all-Chinese hockey team into a mural celebrating local history and diversity.
Ottawa crime writers gather grim tales in new anthology set in the capital
Capital Crime Writers is releasing an anthology called A Capital Mystery, available Oct. 15. The group has supported and fostered a community of crime fiction writers since the '90s.
Rising popularity of K-pop and K-dramas a sign of shifting perceptions of Korean identity and culture
Nukes. Bombs. War. North Korea. These are words Jenny Kwak, a 22-year-old Korean-Canadian, often heard when people discussed her heritage. Growing up in Toronto, she always felt like she stood out. Her food was different. Her features didn’t fit in. When she met people who weren’t from her community, she learned to steel herself for the stereotyping. Then came 2012,...
Here comes the night: Mathieu Grondin aims to bring new energy to Ottawa after dark
Mathieu Grondin became Ottawa's Nightlife Commissioner 15 months ago. His mandate in Ottawa includes implementing the city’s Nightlife Economy Action Plan and leading the newly created Ottawa Nightlife Office.
Althia Raj balances politics and community in Ottawa
Althia Raj has spent years reporting and providing analysis of the happenings at Parliament Hill. She is also active in Ottawa's arts scene.
Ashley Fraser captures Ottawa through her camera lens
Ashley Fraser's camera has captured Freedom Convoy protests, Snoop Dogg's Ottawa visit and many more Ottawa events.
Bytown is “the best” for We Were Sharks guitarist Colin Jacques
We Were Sharks guitarist Colin Jacques explores his connection to Ottawa after performing in the city's biggest music festival.
Jessica Traina curates what Ottawa has to offer
Jessica Traina has turned a way to explore Ottawa into a career as an local content creator, sharing guides and tips with thousands of followers.
Bestselling author Katie Tallo sets mystery thrillers in Ottawa
Katie Tallo is an international bestselling author of mystery thrillers, who finds inspiration and sets novels in Ottawa neighbourhoods and businesses.
Afrobeats jazz quintet aims to bring people and music together in a happy blend
The John Dapaah Quintet is sharing their unique fusion of African music and jazz with Ottawa this summer. “With every song we do, we try to mix it up in a sense. We kind of throw a popular song in there that the audience might not be expecting,” said John Kofi Dapaah, director and pianist of the quintet. “An example...
Photography program helps people with Down syndrome explore their visual creativity
The True to Life project is the work of photographers Kelly McDonald and Emillie Swain, who have taught photography to students with Down syndrome for roughly a decade.
City seeks public input for five-year plan to transform Ottawa’s cultural life
The City of Ottawa has begun a major public consultation aimed at creating a new five-year plan for the development of the capital’s cultural life. “This is the first city-wide cultural planning exercise since 2012 and aims to help the city better serve the evolving needs of Ottawa’s culturally diverse populations,” according to the official announcement in late March. Everything...
Local literacy advocate ALSO hosts annual ‘celebration of banned books’
A local literacy organization celebrated “banned books” with readings from high-profile Ottawa-area authors and a silent auction fundraiser. Alternative Learning Styles and Outlooks, better known as ALSO, organizes the yearly event to highlight the harms of banning books. ALSO is an adult and family literacy group that works with students who require extra support for youth because of mental health...
Museum of Nature mineralogist wins major prize for photographic gems
A Canadian Museum of Nature mineralogist has been awarded one of the field’s most prestigious prizes for his striking photographs of geological specimens. Michael Bainbridge, the Canadian Museum of Nature’s assistant curator of mineralogy and a highly accomplished photographer, was recently presented with the Carnegie Mineralogical Award at the annual Tuscon Gem and Mineral Show in Arizona, the largest of...
Touch Grass is creating a community in Ottawa around queer ballroom dance
or Zineb Allaoui, being part of the queer ballroom scene has been instrumental in helping her find a sense of belonging in Ottawa. After immigrating to Canada from Morocco five years ago, Allaoui said finding the Kiki ballroom scene allowed her to express her queerness in a way she couldn’t back home.
Money museum aquires ancient Roman coin, other ‘once in a lifetime’ items
What do a 1,700 year old Roman coin and a Canadian penny worth thousands of dollars have in common? They’ve just been added to the collection of historical currency held by the Bank of Canada Museum in downtown Ottawa. Some of the museum’s most significant artifact acquisitions in 2024 were recently highlighted in a curator’s blog post detailing the latest...
Ottawa Public Library says cost for new Bookmobile has doubled — thanks, in part, to Trump
The Ottawa Public Library plans to use almost all of its $1.8-million budget surplus from the past year to replace an aging Bookmobile, one of the city’s two travelling mini-libraries for underserved communities. According to a staff report, the city’s next Bookmobile will cost $1.5 million to put into service by 2026 — double the cost of the last one....
Music Week to boost capital’s bid to be ‘Nashville North’ nighttime hotspot
Ottawa band Whiskey River played a live show at the Lowertown Brewery in the Byward Market on March 8. . [Photo © Gavin Ramnauth
Cozy reads and romantasy: Ottawa library users increasingly turning to fiction
Ottawa public library users are increasingly turning to fiction, according to data from the Ottawa Public Library.
Intersectional art exhibits showcased resilience in Black History, Winter Pride
Black and queer communities flooded Arts Court in downtown Ottawa last month to celebrate intersectionality with two multidisciplinary art exhibits. The early February vernissage, an ode to Black History Month and Ottawa’s Winter Pride festivities, spearheaded the undercurrents theatre festival organized by the Ottawa Fringe Festival. In one room, Capital Pride and the Ottawa Trans Library curated a colourful display...
Crépu celebrates the creativity of Black hair in Ottawa
From a young age, Charifa Labarang had a fascination with hair. Long before she mastered her craft, the Gatineau-based hairstylist and designer spent hours experimenting, using her hair as a canvas for creativity and self-expression. As she taught herself to cornrow, braid, and twist, she discovered that hair could be more than just a style—it was a medium for innovation...
Ottawa artists celebrate a ‘deep’ and ‘nuanced’ culture during Black History Month
As Black History Month winds down, many artists are gratified for the opportunity to celebrate Black contributions to the arts and to reflect on the work of those who came before.