The gift of your time is the most valuable thing you can give your children

 QUESTION: I recently have found myself a single parent with three small children. I am not yet thirty years of age and now regret that I did not finish my education. I am very worried about the long road ahead, ensuring that my children have what they need to grow

Heart to heart with Adele Blair — Divorce and the holidays

 ​Question: Dear Adele, My husband and I were separated earlier this year and are proceeding to a divorce. We seem to be at war over how our two young school-age children should spend the Christmas holidays. Our legal bills are skyrocketing and I wondered if you have any suggestions. We

Heart to heart with Adele Blair

 “My partner and I have decided we do not want to have any children. We plan to tell both of them tonight”. There are few parents who have survived the challenges of raising children who cannot get a chuckle out of this recent jocular post on Twitter. While numbers vary

5 ways to support your local food bank

 Spring is an important time for food banks. While donations typically peak around the winter holiday, they are often lowest during the late spring and summer. Chris Hatch, CEO of Food Banks Canada, shares his tips for collecting donations so your local food bank can stay stocked for months to

When Media Stories Get Things Wrong: Five Things About Autism That Everyone Should Know

 Too often well-meaning journalists get it wrong when they write about autism.  It’s not so much the content of their stories that misses the mark as the language they use to describe autism itself.  It can be easy to unintentionally offend – or worse, misrepresent – the autism community you

It’s Time to Clear the Room

 There are certain things that we just don’t discuss at cocktail parties. However, Rogers Daytime host Derick Fage is looking to change that on November 12th. Rogers Daytime host Derek Fage. As the spokesperson for the Canadian Continence Foundation, Derek is looking to raise awareness and funds for an organization

OPSEU Unites for Equity

 OPSEU unit steward Rhonda Ferguson. The role and responsibility of OPSEU’s Provincial Women’s Committee is to advocate for women within the union, supporting their workplace needs and rights. The committee members often take on roles as mediators, advisors and investigators under OPSEU’s Harassment and Discrimination Prevention policy. They can also help with equity language

What’s Your Story? The Future of Healthcare

 Photo Courtesy of Dollar Photo Club. Jane, 44 lay frozen on the treatment table. A few seconds before a searing bolt of pain had gone through her back as though someone had just stabbed her with a red-hot poker. She looked up at the health practitioner and asked, “I don't understand

Working Together Towards Equality

 The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) comprises working men and women from a variety of fields. From education to health care to social services, OPSEU represents about 130,000 workers across Ontario. One of the many causes OPSEU fights for is gender equality, an important issue for so many of

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

Shave for a Cure

 During cancer treatment, patients often tend to lose their hair. A common way people show their support to family, friends and others going through treatment is by shaving their heads. It binds people together in an effort to show their love and care. On Wednesday, April 8, from 4 p.m.

Spread Some Good this New Year With FlipGive

 Just because it's January doesn't mean the giving season has to end. Why not give two gifts, with one card? FlipGive is a Canadian company founded in 2008 connecting shoppers and local fundraisers with major online retailers. The website raises money for community-based causes through gift card purchases. For each sale

Where are the Accessible Toilets Ottawa? GottaGo!

 Nowadays, the most vulnerable members of our population—children, seniors and persons with disabilities—are in search for clean and safe public washrooms in Ottawa. But Rachel Canham, a Carleton University researcher, is steering the pursuit for public toilets in a whole new direction. “I feel like while the need for public

Orange Art Gallery: Pushing boundaries in the capital community

 Following a trip to NYC with husband and co-owner Matthew Jeffrey four years ago, Ingrid Hollander felt that Ottawa needed a contemporary gallery willing to take big risks. “We found that galleries here had a much more retail-oriented, commercial focus. We wanted to provide a cool space that could showcase

Publisher’s Message: Gone Too Soon

 Two things I really love in life are playing pickup hockey with my pals and working at the magazine. The past couple of months have seen sad events on both counts. Harvey Chartrand, a longtime editor of Ottawa Life Magazine passed away suddenly last month. Harvey was a funny, gentle

Ottawa Strong

 Yesterday marked a confusing time in Canada’s history. Today we are thinking of everyone in Ottawa as the news continues to come in. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family, friends and loved ones of Corporal Cirillo and everyone else in Canada’s Capital. Thank you to the officers

Industry Leaders Rally Together to Support ALS Canada

 From left to right: Sir Terry Matthews, Debbie Weinstein and Bruce Lazenby Terry Matthews, high tech mogul; Bruce Lazenby, president and CEO of Invest Ottawa; and Debbie Weinstein, founding partner of LaBarge Weinstein LLP to participate in ice bucket challenge to raise funds for ALS Canada Leaders from Ottawa’s business

Win two tickets to the Mercedes-Benz Start Up

 Win two tickets to the Mercedes-Benz Start Up event in Gatineau!! Comment under this article or one of our Facebook or Twitter posts and you will be entered into a draw to win a set of tickets! Winners will be announced on Monday, August 18th. If you're a fashion lover you

Afghanistan and the Polls: Change the Question – Change the Numbers

 Quick media conclusions on polls released regarding Canadian participation in the Afghanistan mission are flawed. Part of the difficulty in interpreting the polls lies in the fact that the two principal polling firms involved with the longest databases use very different questions in their polls. Strategic Counsel, which is the