Ottawa’s Neighbourhoods: Gatineau

 One thing you notice in Ottawa is that you can often get by without speaking French. When I moved here for university, to a city on the border with Quebec, I thought that I’d encounter French-speakers on a weekly basis, and that my language skills would improve. (Certainly, that would

7 of the Best Gambling Places to Visit on Your Next Vacation

 ABOVE: Casino de Montréal If you are looking to gamble on your next vacation, you are in luck. Check out our list here of some of the best gambling places to visit. The exclamations of joy, the sound of chips clinking together, and the lights flashing all add up to

What you need to know about Quebec’s face-covering ban

 Photo credit:  Michael Swan/Flickr Quebec’s not-so-newly passed law known as Bill 62 has banned face coverings for public workers and anyone receiving public services. Proposed by Premier Philippe Couillard’s liberal government and passed in October of 2017, the ban is officially known as an act to foster adherence to State

Perfect 10 for 887 at the NAC

 Photos by by Erick Labbé It is always an absolute joy to see a play written by Robert Lepage but to have the chance to see him live in person working his magic on stage is almost a religious experience. To even try to write about him and his genius

Provinces must act to prevent another OxyContin debacle

 By Vanessa Gruben and Louise Bélanger-Hardy This past week, 10 provincial governments have accepted a class-action settlement with Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin.  The settlement concerns the misleading claims Purdue Pharma allegedly made to physicians about the addictive nature of the drug. These claims may have contributed to Canada’s

Exploring a New Musical Genre of Guitar Sexet at Chamberfest

 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,

Tree-mendous Tremblant!

 Photos by Andre Gagne and provided by Les Refuges Perchés, Scandinave Spa and Casino Mont-Tremblant When I was ten I wanted a tree house. I mean, hey, who didn’t when they were ten? The idea was a simple one. I’d build it atop the old tree in our backyard, the one

La P’tite Cabane d’la Côte: a sweet and unforgettable visit

 In today's hectic working and social environment where fast food has become our best ally, grandmother's recipes become a treasure. We all have missed the warm, welcoming and peaceful atmosphere in which we lived when grandmothers were the point of union in our families. To relive such moments, as well

The Transformative Effects of “Village Tourism”

 While vacationing in Belize a few years ago, I partook in a riverboat tour. Winding its way through a maze of waterways, it provided me the chance to see howler monkey-infested jungles and small, backwoods communities. Nearing lunchtime, our tour group rested for an hour in a small, nameless village

Ottawa Needs To Think About the Odawas

 Illustration: Shooting the Rapids by Frances Hopkins (1879) Official Ottawa is struggling to define a new era of relations with our founding nations almost indifferent to the central role they played in the exploration and opening up the continent to trade. In fact, the very savvy Odawa peoples based in

Hit the Links with the Ladies’ Foursome at Hudson Village Theatre

 Summer is here and that means that the Hudson Village Theatre (HVT) season has finally arrived. It is one of the true joys of summer because without fail, the HVT offers up stellar theatre. Ottawa Life will feature more about the HVT in the days to come, but for now

The Good, the Bad and the Unintended Consequences of an Expanded CPP

 By Robert L. Brown Amazingly, eight of ten provincial finance ministers and the federal government have agreed to a modest increase in the Canada Pension Plan (CPP).  The two provinces who have not signed on are Manitoba, where the government is only four weeks old, and Quebec, which has chosen

Ottawa Boxers Bring Home Gold

 Photo Courtesy of Erica Adjei. Two local boxers are putting Ottawa's name on the boxing-world map, bringing home a national title and medals from this year’s boxing championships in Quebec City. Erica Adjei (26) and Dave O'Reilly (28) competed at the 2016 National Canadian Boxing Championships earlier this month. When they

Before Bytown – Part 2

 Watercolour of Wrightstown in 1830. (Archives of Ontario C10006) On the 18th of June, 1812, the United States declared war on British North America, leading to a two and half year conflict and indirectly to the founding of Ottawa. The City was formed alongside the Rideau Canal, as the British

Speaking the Language with Julie Corrigan

 Photo courtesy of Jen Squires Born and raised in Shawville, Quebec, to a family of musicians, it’s no surprise that Julie Corrigan took easily to strumming the guitar. With a fiddle-playing grandfather, a guitarist for a father and a mother who’s a natural on the piano and mandolin, music is in Julie’s

Canadians Should Modernize not Privatize Medicare

 National Medicare Week has just passed, buoyed with optimism as a fresh-faced government takes the reins in Ottawa – elected partly on a promise of renewed federal leadership on health care.  Yet these “sunny ways” are overcast by recent developments at the provincial level that entrench and legitimize two-tier care. Saskatchewan

Arthaus – Ottawa’s Uber-Cool Condo Project

 The condo building topping off the future Ottawa Art Gallery and Groupe Germain hotel will be named ‘Arthaus,’ the building’s developers announced October 2. The new structure will stand just beside the old arts court, on the corner of Daly Avenue and Waller Street, and should offer nearly 100 condos beginning at

Best Casinos in Ottawa, Ontario

 Photo by Jamie In Bytown Playing the slots, blackjack, tables and cards at casinos is a popular pastime among many Canadians. This can be seen in the growing popularity of the Canadian online gambling industry which generates around $16 billion a year in revenue. However, while online gambling is popular thanks

An Old Guitar and an Ottawa Bar

 Union Duke’s soaring vocal harmonies and throbbing beats have enlivened hearts and dance floors across the nation. The quintet is sure to have Ottawa concertgoers heel-stomping and hip-swaying with their performance at the Black Sheep Inn on July 31. Balancing a mixture of soulful indie rock, bluegrass and country, the

Meet Country Super Star Myria Webber

 All photos by Paul Couvrette. Myria Webber, a 20-year-old crooning Canadian country singer-songwriter, is all about the Nashville sound while keeping her French- Canadian influence. Born and raised in Quebec, Webber has been singing and performing live since the age of seven. With a history in the music business— both

This Glass Menagerie Shines and Glows

 All photos by Michael Green Photography. Tennessee Williams’ classic play, The Glass Menagerie, is not what you would call upbeat. In fact, it is downright depressing, and what makes it all the more sad is the fact that much of what happens is autobiographical. However, when the brilliantly written play

Bluesfest Beats

 Photo courtesy of Steve G The RBC Ottawa Bluesfest is here! As the festival plays on, OLM will continue to highlight must-see performances by some of the acts that you may have not yet discovered–so Ottawa music lovers listen up! An exciting variety of bands and artists will rock the festival this

Head to Hudson for a Great Blind Date

 It takes an incredible combination of wit and talent to create what Rebecca Northan has ingeniously done in her play Blind Date. It is an innovative piece of theatre that brilliantly mixes improvisation with traditional theatre. It has had successful runs in London, New York, Toronto and across Canada for

The NAC’s Needles and Opium Mesmerizes

 Photo credit: National Arts Centre Spectacular is the only way to describe Robert Lepage’s reproduction of his 20-year-old play Needles and Opium, currently playing at the NAC. Photo Credit: NAC The play centres around three characters. Jean Cocteau shares his thoughts and impressions on his first visit to the U.S.

Pick Zaac For Your Weekend Concert

 Zaac Pick will have Ottawa stargazing with his performance at the Black Sheep Inn on May 7, where he will be sharing songs from his new folk-pop album Constellations. The Vancouver-based singer-songwriter released his debut full-length album last month. Co-produced by Jonathan Anderson, the album was recorded over a span