PWD Demands Left Behind as On-Demand Service Arrives

 Last Thursday, city staff decided that Blackburn Hamlet would be a good area to begin the test pilot to see if on-demand transit service would work in Ottawa. A Para Transpo bus will be used as part of the test pilot. Users will be able to book a ride through

Navigating Bluesfest

 If you’ve been a frequent attendee of RBC Bluesfest since the “Big Man” Clarence Clemons took to the stage back in 1994, you’ve grown accustomed to change. I’m not just talking line-up fluctuations, but entire festival uprooting! What started at Majors Hill Park would move to outside City Hall and

Did Ottawa Really Need Another Skating Rink?

 Photo by Emily Kathen 2017 in Ottawa was a year full of excitement. From the Red Bull Crashed Ice championship, to the fire-breathing La Machine, to the 150th Grey Cup Festival, Ottawa was the place to be to celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary of confederation, and unsurprisingly held the number one

Recovery Day Ottawa Spreads Hope and Awareness

 “If we don’t break the stigma associated with substance use disorders and process addictions, then we will never see recovery. If there is no visible recovery and support for recovery, then there is no visible hope for those suffering and those that care for them. This is a complex issue

Report: City’s Waste Diversion Performance is Garbage

 According to a recent press release from Ecology Ottawa and Waste Watch Ottawa, the Nation’s Capital is greatly lagging behind other major municipalities in the province when it comes to the amount of waste that we recycle and compost. Findings of their report “Improving the City of Ottawa’s Waste Diversion

Feast of Fields 2017 (plus TICKET GIVEAWAY)

 We want to send you and a guest to Feast of Fields 2017! Comment on this post for your chance to win tickets. Feast of Fields Wednesday September 13 Ottawa City Hall – Jean Pigott Hall 5:30pm Atelier, Beechwood Gastropub, la Maison Conroy, The Piggy Market and the Albion Rooms,

Monsters Walk Among Us

 Ottawa Life’s Festival City Series is back! We'll provide a unique look at some of your favourite events. We’ll go beyond the music with artist interviews, volunteer profiles, concert reviews and spotlights on the tastes, sights and sounds of the festival season.  Your city! Your festivals and events! Like a good sunscreen,

Turn Meal Time Into HANG Time at Sky Lounge

 Ottawa Life’s Festival City Series is back! We'll provide a unique look at some of your favourite events. We’ll go beyond the music with artist interviews, volunteer profiles, concert reviews and spotlights on the tastes, sights and sounds of the festival season.  Your city! Your festivals and events! Like a good sunscreen,

Learn Laugh and Listen at Recovery Day Ottawa Benefit

 Images courtesy of Recovery Day Ottawa People with addictions are weak. They bring it on themselves. They are just lazy.  They need to grow up. These are the types of stereotypical misconceptions people like Gord Garner strive to remove every day. As the Festival Producer for Ottawa’s annual Recovery Day, Garner

JUNO Spotlight: Music on Canvas

 Any time I see a musician release a literary work, star in a film or open a restaurant, my initial reaction is a mix of skepticism and cynicism. Admittedly, musicians trying on other hats rubs me the wrong way: they already have one slice of pie – who said it

Ottawa’s Family Friendly New Year’s Eve Events

 2017 is sure to be a special year for Canada, marking 150 years since confederation. Here in the capital this monumental year will be welcomed in style. Ottawa is offering plenty of family friendly and free options for ringing in the new year. We’ve compiled a list of some of

The Undead Are Coming!

 All photos by Andre Gagne. With broken, battered bodies they walk the streets. Their hungry moans can be heard for blocks. Many are calling out for “brains” but most would probably settle for a pumpkin spice latte. They are the undead –or at least a reasonable facsimile of the undead–

A ‘Volunteer Rendezvous’ at City Hall

 In exactly one week, Volunteer Ottawa will be hosting its Volunteer Rendezvous at City Hall – connecting prospective volunteers with a wide selection of organisations looking for help. On September 22nd between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Volunteer Ottawa welcomes one and all to come join the fun, learn about

The Festival of India Returns with a Wave of Culture and Colour!

 All photos by Andre Gagne. To the sound of a sitar, a surge of culture and colour is about to wash over Marion Dewar Plaza bringing with it all the traditional food, workshops, dancing and, of course, music that is the Festival of India. The three-day event beginning on August

Auto Writer Hones Green Driving Skills on 2016 EcoRun

 The 2016 EcoRun wrapped up with closing speeches at Ottawa City Hall. Twenty-seven vehicles, minus my EV, made the journey from Toronto to the nation’s capital. (photo courtesy AJAC) Closing speeches under the hot sun at Ottawa City Hall may sound enticing, but thanks to the whims of lithium-ion batteries,

Festival City Contest: Win Tickets to the TD Ottawa Jazz Festival’s After Dark Series

 Soil & "Pimp" Sessions will show you why they are masters of Japanese "death jazz" on July 2. Photos provided by TD Ottawa Jazz Festival.  The 24th Street Wailers take to the After Dark stage on June 26. UPDATE: Huge congrats to the winners of our first Festival City contest. Ben Sandy Bolduc,

City Announces New Plan for Safer Streets

 Over are the days of cars ruling the roads, as the City of Ottawa has just put a red light on their 50 year-old practice of automotive domination. On October 7, the Transportation committee unanimously backed The Complete Streets Implementation Framework, keeping the interests of pedestrians, cyclists, and transit users

Pedal Past Dark with Tour La Nuit

 All photos courtesy of Ottawa Vélo Fest. Every cyclist knows the dream of having an entire main road to themselves. There really isn’t anything like flying down Colonel By Drive on Sunday Bike Days or turning the art gallery corner to find the Alexandra Bridge completely empty. This Friday, Capital

Margaret Chwialkowska Illustrates Reflection in Annex Gallery Exhibit

 All photos by David Barbour  Ottawa-based artist Margaret Chwialkowska’s solo exhibition, “The Illusion of Reality,” brings a marvelous must-see energy to the Ottawa Art Gallery’s Annex Gallery at Ottawa City Hall. In this collection, Chwialkowska delves into the theme of reflection. Her work explores the evolving natural landscapes and the mind

Bite the Winter Blues With Ottawa’s Gastronomic Extravaganza

 Photos courtesy of Anne Girard ’Twas the night before Winterlude, when in downtown Ottawa… Leading hotel chefs were stirring and sipping fine wine! The second annual Dine Wine Wintertime will take place the evening of January 29 at Ottawa’s City Hall in support of the Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa. For

Back to the Ballot Box

 What you need to know about the Mayoral Candidates for Ottawa’s 2014 Civic Election Do you know who you will be voting for on Monday, October 27? With the civic election approaching, OLM took a look into what each candidate envisions for the city, should they be elected to office.

Festival of India

 Over 4,000 attendees took in the sounds, smells and tastes of India at the third annual festival this weekend. The festival took place in front of City Hall and the grounds were complete with a stage, vendors, food tents, a cooling tent, picnic tables and an area where various workshops

Not Malevolence but Massive Mind Numbing Incompetence by City Hall Civil Servants

 Kirkpatrick or the Council--One of Them or BOTH Have to Go Ottawa city Manager Kent Kirkpatrick is (over) paid at $330,000 per year. That he has no shame and has yet to submit his resignation in light of yet another complete debacle under his guidance as the top city civil

Over the Hedge: Community Gardens are Sprouting in Ottawa

 “The greatest fine art of the future will be the making of a comfortable living from a small piece of land.” -- Abraham Lincoln The sun is shining, the weather is sweet, and Julia Lipinska can’t wait to get her hands dirty. She is ready to dig, to weed and