Smells like Pancakes: Russian Community Celebrates Maslenitsa in Ottawa

 Head Sister Irina Shiraeva poses with dancers from Ottawa's School of Modern Dance and their teacher, Anna Kamsha. All photos by Damira Davletyarova. A little parish on 412 Booth St. smells like blini. You might call them pancakes or crêpes. It’s getting hotter in the kitchen. Flour particles disperse in the air.

CityFolk Impressions

 ABOVE: Ewan Currie from The Sheepdogs plays at CityFolk. (Photo by Michael Wing)  This year’s CityFolk festival swept into the new venue at Lansdowne Park on the perfect weekend. It was warm and sunny most days, with as little rain as anyone could have hoped for. The festival line up

Politics, Perogies and Celebrating Ukrainian Heritage

 Photo courtesy of Lemon Bucket Orkestra. This weekend, the first ever Capital Ukrainian Festival is bringing a handful of amazing bands and about 16,800 perogies to Ottawa. Aside from celebrating Ukrainian arts and heritage, the events will shine a light on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and the country’s long struggle

Crimea Uncensored: A Look from Inside the Peninsula

 Photo courtesy: Igor Mazurov, Flickr In 2014, on a sunny August day, my spouse and I were on our way to Crimea. We were driving along the shorelines of the Black Sea, curving green hills of the Caucasian Mountains. I have been following the Crimean crisis from home in Ottawa, watching

The Elmira Maple Syrup Festival—Canada’s Sweetest Tradition

 Photo credit: Explore Waterloo Region Traditions come and go, but there are some I can never imagine abandoning. One of these is the incomparable taste of fresh Canadian maple syrup and hot pancakes in the springtime coming from the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival! Maple syrup is an icon for the small

Calling All Superheroes!

 Are you a geek? Well, it’s time to celebrate! The Ottawa Geek Market is back at the Nepean Sportsplex to celebrate all things superheroes and gaming from March 27 to 29. Imagine 40,000 square feet of shopping, games and superhero-themed activities! Is there anything else you would rather be a

Celebrating the Cultural Fusion of the Métis

 Featured Image: Internationally-acclaimed troupe, the Asham Stompers promote the richness of Métis culture through dance. Métis arts, language and symbols are expressions of a unique cultural fusion. The people of the Métis Nation are distinct from other Aboriginal peoples. Their culture and traditions come from the combination of Aboriginal peoples and Europeans

Making the Most of Fall and Winter: 2014/15 Ottawa Event Guide

 “I’m bored! What should we do?” This familiar question far too often doesn’t have an answer. Stop right there! Look no further! OLM’s Fall and Winter Event Guide is here to relieve your boredom. With the turning of the seasons comes many new activities to kick the fall and winter blues

Ontario Wood: Choosing Local Benefits All Ontarians

 In the office of Forests Ontario, Rob Keen, CEO of the not-forprofit organization, sits at a beautiful, locally-crafted pine desk. “Some folks think that it’s a terrible practice to cut down trees,” he says. “They want the wood desk and cabinets and all the beautiful wood products, but don’t want

Made in Lanark

 With a rich farming heritage and an enduring “homemade” culture in food and crafts, Lanark offers daytrippers great opportunities to bring home a piece of the County. Enjoy the sweetness of one of densest collections of maple farms in Ontario, pick up the ingredients for a good charcuterie plate, stroll

Handmade Holiday Gifts for Beginners: Part III

 Basic Cross-Stitch: Make a Fridge Magnet First rule of cross-stitch: it looks much more difficult that it is.  Cross-stitch is done on Aida cloth which has a grid (much like graph paper).  Each stitch is made up of two smaller stitches that form an “X”: the first stitch travels diagonally

Holiday Handmade Gifts for Beginners: Part II

 Basic Sewing with Felt – Make a Tree Ornament Many of us have basic sewing skills learned long ago, or perhaps no sewing skills to speak of.  But don’t let your poor memory or lack of practice stop you from learning!  Here is a basic sewing project using inexpensive felt

Holiday Handmade Gifts for Beginners: Part I

 Venturing into the world of handmade gifts can be daunting to those of us who don’t think of ourselves as especially “crafty”.  But all you really need are some very basic materials and skills to get you started.  In the next 3 days, and just in time for the holidays,

DIY: Christmas in a Jar

 December is finally here and with it the Holiday festivities are about to begin! It's time to dig out your holiday decorations, festive lights and other yule-tide goodies. One of my favourite Christmas decorations are Christmas Villages. These are fun and adorable but it takes years to collect a perfect