John’s Reno Tips: Home Reno Dos and Don’ts

 Are you looking to renovate your home this year? Often, when you don't have much in the way of experience, renovations can be more of a nuisance than anything. Some of the biggest problems typically arise from the smallest of details. The demolition and remodelling of an area in your

OPSEU’s Claire Tortolo Shines a Light on Inequality

 The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) represents a diverse group of 130,000 public employees across Ontario. OPSEU empowers members to solve workplace problems. The union's expertise extends to collective bargaining and dispute resolution, workplace health and safety, and protection of human rights. Gender equality in the workplace is just

Cycle City: Where Should You Buy Your Next Bike?

 Road bikes lined up at the Glebe Kunstadt Sports. Photo by Eric Murphy.   There are a ton of decisions that go into choosing a new bike, and none of them should be taken lightly. You need to decide if the frame you like or the handlebars you like suit the

The Heart of Wild Labrador: Adventure Canada Style

 All photos courtesy of Don MacLean. Once in his life a man ought to concentrate his mind upon the remembered earth. He ought to give himself up to a particular landscape in his experience; to look at it from as many angles as he can, to wonder upon it, to

Bringing the Inside Out

 All photos by Skylan Hill Since 2007, The Ottawa LGBT Film Festival has been the talk of the town. Now in its eighth year in Ottawa, the festival is among the top five LGBT film fests in Canada. Its aim is to showcase the best and most diverse films by,

Beguiled by Belugas and Charlevoix’s Charm – Part 1

 Photos courtesy of Charlevoix tourism. The colours of autumn are once again upon us, and while many flock to Gatineau Park for a taste of the glory, a short drive east will truly get you away from the fray of life. In about the same time it takes to drive to

How to Get a Part-Time Job in School

 It’s that time of the year again. Days get shorter and wallets get lighter as school bells ring and post-secondary students dole out the cash for tuition, residence, books and more. With rising costs, it’s no wonder nearly half of all students in the country are worried about paying their loans

What You Need to Know About the Election

 On your marks, get set, go! The race is on. The federal election to determine Canada’s 42nd parliament and leader has begun. Set to end with the October 19 election, this campaign will be the longest in over a century (since 1872), running for a full 78 days. In Canada,

Understanding Communication

 By Professor Stephen A. Stuart Photo Credit: Ryan McGuire Philip Glass, arguably the most influential composer of the late 20th century, started his career with a question, “Where does music come from?” He spent the next six decades of his life trying to answer that question and, over the years

O God Brings Spirituality to the Stage at the Ottawa Fringe Festival

 Audiences are encouraged to turn their phones off at most Ottawa Fringe festival but at O god they’ll be told to keep them on. Cast members of the interactive play, put on by Ottawa Faith and Arts, encourage the audience to tweet their thoughts on heaven and prayer before and

Quesada: The Taste of Success

 Steff Charbonneau behind the counter at his restaurant. Order up! Quesada, the Canadian-owned and operated Mexican fast casual chain, is busy building burritos as it continues to expand. When Steff Charbonneau, a full-time Ottawa firefighter and father, tasted Quesada for the first time, the authentic flavours of Mexico captured his attention.

Venture into the Mind of Experts with OSFAS

 With our busy day-to-day lives, it’s not too often we get the chance to sit back and engage in something new. If you have a passion for arts and sciences, here’s your chance to discover new information at the upcoming presentations from the Ottawa Society for the Arts and Sciences (OSFAS).

Ottawa Celebrates Diverse Cultural Roots

 Photo Credit: Connie Kaldor Embrace a return to your roots by taking part in the fourth annual Ottawa Grassroots Festival. The Grassroots Festival plans a spring weekend of family-oriented concerts and workshops each year thanks to its 100 per cent volunteer-run organization. The festival particularly focuses on folk music, dance

Not Just Another La Bohème

 From its inception in 2004, the mission of Pellegrini Opera has been to make top quality operatic performances accessible to everyone in the nation’s capital. Founded by internationally acclaimed soprano Maria Pellegrini, the local, non-profit organization is dedicated to bringing opera to those who would not normally have the opportunity

Take Me Back to Coles Notes before Take Me Back to Jefferson

 Photo Credit: Katherine Fleitas Before you head to the NAC for its latest production, Take Me Back to Jefferson, do yourself a favour and dig out your high school English class copy of As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner, or at least your Coles Notes version if you still have

Experiencing Wonderkind

 Learn what it means to feel “wonderkind” with the cross-Canada tour of Language Arts this spring. Toronto’s unique alternative jazz-pop band has been together for ten years, although it has been a rotating door in terms of members. Currently the band consists of classically trained Kristen Cudmore, drummer Neil MacIntosh, keyboardist Joel

Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame Profile: J.P. Parisé

 J.P. Parisé: Athlete, Ice Hockey Imagine being 16-years-old and recruited by the NHL. This is a dream for many young hockey players. Amazingly, for J.P. Parisé, it was reality. Parisé began his NHL career with the Boston Bruins and then played for the Minnesota North Stars, Toronto Maple Leafs, New

Five challenges for bending the health care cost curve in Canada

 By Greg Marchildon and Livio Di Matteo Why health reform remains a challenge Canadian economists received a pleasant surprise this year: expenditure growth on public healthcare in Canada finally appears to be slowing down. However, it is unclear if this slowdown is the result of explicit success in sustainably bending the cost-curve

Take a stroll in Moss Park

 Photo: Mark Halliday Any play by Canadian playwright George F. Walker is a satisfying theatre experience. Sometimes disturbing, funny, moving or sad—sometimes all at the same time. Walker’s work is always thought provoking and entertaining. Last year, the Great Canadian Theatre Company’s season included the hilariously brilliant moral-questioning Walker comedy,

How to Give Yourself a Much Greener Christmas

 Even though we love to shower our friends and family with gifts and special treats at this time of year, many of those holiday traditions aren’t very loving to our planet. Canadians exchange more than two billion holiday cards each year.  It’s estimated that we spend about $4 billion on

A Piece of Renovated Paradise

 Dreaming about your feet sinking into warm sand, instead of numbing snow? Meliã Nassau Beach is the vacation location for you. Meliã Hotels International, one of the largest resort hotel companies in the world, has just updated its Meliã Nassau Beach resort in the Bahamas, making an already luxurious experience

Wining and Dining at the Ottawa Wine & Food Festival

 I have lived in Ottawa for a mere two months, but the city has already given me so many unforgettable experiences. Entering my third month of life in the capital, I made a conscious decision to make the most of my time here and find new ways to embrace the

Dr. Shadi Shadid – The Dentist Who Gives You a Reason to Smile

 Humour, warmth, understanding and excellent care. These are the things you can expect when you walk through the door at Dentistry at the Crossing. Ditching the guilty lectures on plaque build up or swollen gums, Dr. Shadi Shadid, the charismatic owner of Dentistry at the Crossing, instead focuses on the

Is it Time to Allow Assisted Suicide?

 Most Canadians do not have access to comprehensive palliative care This week, the Supreme Court of Canada has been hearing an appeal by the B.C. Civil Liberties Association that could grant terminally ill Canadians the right to assisted suicide. With this impending ruling and the passing of Bill 52 in

Choosing a Career in the Trades

 J?urneyman is a program that encourages and supports female involvement in the trades. To be a journeyman in the trade industry is something individuals strive for, signifying that they are completely qualified in their chosen field. As members of the “JOurneyman” program, women give new meaning to the title and