THE ALFIE ISSUE

He’s the face of the Ottawa Senators. Daniel Alfredsson. Captain, hero, hockey god. Father, mentor, community builder. As Alfie winds down his 17th season with the team, Ottawa Magazine deconstructs an icon: 11 perspectives on Number 11

Letter from the Editor

Thirteen years ago, Toronto’s late, great Saturday Night magazine published a brilliant article on a rising NBA superstar by the name of Vince Carter. The magazine’s editor asked 15 writers and artists for their impressions of Number 15, the new face of the Toronto Raptors. The resulting piece made for a great read. Carter was analyzed as a cultural invader, a Torontonian, even as an armpit (basketball fans will understand this — there are a lot of armpit shots at the free-throw line). You didn’t have to be a sports nut to enjoy the story, just a follower of local news and pop culture. After all, this guy was everywhere.

Which brings me to Daniel Alfredsson. For years, I would periodically ponder that Saturday Night article, waiting for the right moment to profile an Ottawa sports personality so well known that even the least-sports-minded local would recognize him on sight. That man is Number 11, the captain of the Ottawa Senators. A private person in a very public role, Daniel Alfredsson is both the face of the team and a community builder. In media interviews, he’s open and honest, sensible and direct. We feel as though we know him, but we don’t really. And that’s a credit to a huge star who has managed to protect his private life and self. We asked an array of accomplished writers — some who know the captain personally, others who have never met him — for 11 perspectives on the multi-faceted star wearing jersey Number 11. The results,
I hope you’ll agree, are both fun and revealing.

COMING UP: You’ve been asking for it ever since Ottawa Magazine published the first “101 Tastes to Try Before You Die” in 2009. That issue disappeared off newsstands within days and remains a popular page on our website. This past spring, food editor Shawna Wagman teamed up with food writers Anne DesBrisay and Cindy Deachman to comb the city’s bistros, bars, and markets in search of the 101 most enticing flavours of 2013. What does this list have in common with the one that caused such buzz in 2009? Absolutely nothing. And that’s a testament to just how fast the food scene is evolving — and how delicious and ambitious it has become. Get ready to be tempted all over again by the city’s bounty. Also on the bill: summer fiction to enjoy at your leisure and an Asian-inspired cottage-home on the water.

Sarah Brown, EDITOR

feedbackottawa@stjosephmedia.com

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THE 15TH ANNIVERSAY ISSUE

It has been an era of quick-paced change for a capital that has, since amalgamation, rapidly morphed from big small city to small big city. As Ottawa Magazine commemorates 15 years of covering the capital, we’ve put together an enlightening retrospective of our favourite moments — features and photos that immortalize our city in transition

Letter from the Editor

The timing of Ottawa Magazine’s 1998 launch could not have been more fortuitous. The very next year, the province passed the City of Ottawa Act providing for the 2001 amalgamation that saw six former cities (Ottawa, Nepean, Kanata, Gloucester, Vanier, and Cumberland) join with four former townships (West Carleton, Goulburn, Rideau, and Osgoode) and one former village (come on down, Rockcliffe Park) to form the Ottawa we know today. Those first few post-amalgamation years were contentious ones, creating ample fodder for a city magazine. But, more importantly, the formation of the new Ottawa marked the beginning of an era of unusual change in the capital, not only transforming the way our city operates but, more importantly, redefining how we, as residents, view our hometown.

When we talk amongst ourselves, we still self-identify by geography (east enders, west enders, south enders, for example) and neighbourhood, but when’s the last time you answered Nepean or Vanier when asked what city you hail from? Ottawa Magazine has been privileged to be part of the ongoing conversation around what Ottawa is and where we’re headed. As the magazine celebrates its 15-year anniversary — and that 15-year discussion — we take the opportunity to look both backward and forward.

On the light side, the 15^th-anniversary feature highlights some favourite covers and how they came to be, and pokes fun at politicians past and present with a spotlight on 15 years of political cartoons. We also remember 15 features — some weighty, some light — that continue to resonate. Looking forward, 15 notable residents tell us about their Ottawa — how they came here and where they see the city in 15 years’ time. Enjoy the ride.

COMING UP:  Steady. Historically it’s a word used as a dig by Ottawa detractors. But as the real estate market in other major cities cools, the capital owns its moniker with pride. No worries here of bubbles and downward spirals. Steadiness is a good thing as locals head into the spring/summer buying season in a positive frame of mind. This year our annual May real estate edition is themed around neighbourhood enclaves as we explore some hidden and not-so-hidden gems, searching out communities with that all-important “it” factor.

Sarah Brown, EDITOR

feedbackottawa@stjosephmedia.com

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THE INTERIORS ISSUE

From an architectural photographer and his graphic designer partner seeking an oasis away from the city to an architect building his own home from the ground up, this year’s Interiors issue goes behind the scenes with the experts themselves to showcase the painstaking thought and creativity that goes into designing and decorating their own homes. Also in this issue: A grandmother who posed for members of the Group of Seven and the artwork that came of it, plus an artist who turns old radios into MP3 players, a look at local collectors and their collections, and more than 160 pages of great city style and stories.

Letter from the Editor

An issue devoted to experts and their spaces is something I’ve always wanted to do. Each of us seeks to shape our home into a place where we feel comfortable and happy, a space that rejuvenates us at the end of a busy day. Unfortunately, most of us amateurs go about this noble goal in a slapdash sort of way. How radically different is the process of home design — and the results — when a curatorial eye is at play?

What we learned was surprising. Diversity was the name of the game in the new, or newly renovated, homes of our six experts, all involved professionally in fields that centre on architecture and design. There is, it turns out, no magical crib sheet. We saw bright and bold, fresh and family-friendly, contemporary, romantic, and sometimes any number of these themes at play in one location. But there was one unifying feature. The expertise of these homeowners allowed them to be selective. With a true sense of what would work, they chose brilliantly in creating homes that reflect who they are and that bring them great joy.

They may not end up looking exactly as originally imagined, but no matter. In conceiving this issue’s series of three “Ideas in the Making” columns, we sought to explain the creative process from start to (almost) finish — to get inside the minds of talented creators who come up with the projects we wish we’d developed. Writer Patrick Langston does an outstanding job of exploring the thinking behind three ideas currently in various states of completion: a Japanese-inspired skinny house, a Canuck-themed art installation, and an eco-fashionable condo project. Doesn’t get much more varied than that.

Coming Up: April marks Ottawa Magazine’s 15th anniversary! Tune in as we cele-brate — and have some fun with — some of the thousands of stories that have graced our pages as Ottawa has grown from a big small town to a small big town. As well, we take an unorthodox look at official Ottawa and follow a victim of crime as he documents his arduous recovery process.

Sarah Brown, EDITOR

feedbackottawa@stjosephmedia.com

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FEATURE

Young Cuisine
Good vibes, affordability, and porky excesses are all part of a new wave of urban cuisine that is transforming the way this city eats

FOOD EDITOR SHAWNA WAGMAN’S HOT 10 LIST

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FEATURES

Dangerous Liaisons
Inside the shocking online worlds of three teen girls charged with pimping out their “friends”

Get Unplugged!
Feeling over/underwhelmed by the utopian promises of technology? You’re not the only one. The pendulum is swinging away from the perilous digital revolution and inspiring a growing movement toward downshifting. The discerning hipster is now championing the throwback culture. Herewith — a great big first pump for the return to simpler times!

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The Green Design Issue

As consumers become ever more conscious of the need to mitigate their environmental footprint, they’re pushing designers, architects, and builders to get with the green program. With green building techniques slowly moving from niche to normal status, Ottawa Magazine takes a close-up look at the work and ideas of some inspired local innovators.

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The Best of Summer Issue 

*  50+ ways to pack your summer with Olympics-inspired fun

*  Sporty indoor pursuits and gadgets for the inspired fan

*  Medal-worthy snacking suggestions for the games-obsessed foodie

*  Sporty pursuits for the outdoorsy Olympian wannabe

*  Blockbuster shows and quirky events to get you into the mood

*  Making the Olympics as entertaining as possible — one drink at a time

*  Meet London-bound modern pentathlete Melanie McCann

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The MAY real estate issue

•  Where to buy right now

•  The 20 best neighbourhoods (for the rich, for DINKs, for families, and for the cash-strapped)

•  New Edinburgh struggles to manage change

•  Pitching a new museum in Chinatown

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From Ottawa Public Health, OSDUHS 2009 Youth Mental Health Report and Fact Sheet

• One in 10 Ottawa students report poor mental health
• One in four Ottawa students visited a mental-health professional in the past year
• There is an average of 52 suicides [all ages] a year in Ottawa; rates have been decreasing in Ottawa and Ontario since 1988
• In 2009, eight per cent of Ottawa students reported that they had seriously considered attempting suicide during the past year
• Male suicide rates are at least double the female rates; the highest rate of male suicide occurs in the group aged 50 to 64 years*
• Rates of emergency-room (ER) visits for self harm have been significantly higher in Ottawa than in Ontario
• Females, particularly those aged 15 to 19 years, have the highest rate of ER visits for self-harm incidents
• Most self-harm ER visits involve drugs, medications and alcohol (69 per cent)

*Author’s note: It is important to understand that while many teenagers suffer from some form of mental illness, and need to receive timely and effective treatment and support, suicide remains a rare event in this age group. There is no epidemic of teen suicide in Ottawa. That said, any suicide, of anyone, at any age, is one too many, and represents a tragic degree of devastation for families and communities. Speaking openly about mental illness, seeking help, encouraging others to seek help, knowing the signs to watch for that someone may be depressed and/or suicidal, and ensuring adequate community resources are available so that meaningful help is provided when it is asked for, is the only way to help the mentally ill, and possibly prevent suicide.

Where to get help:

24/7 Crisis Line – Youth Services Bureau (YSB)

Within Ottawa: 613-260-2360

Outside Ottawa (toll free): 1-877-377-7775

www.ysb.ca (0 to 18 years)

Crisis Line:

Within Ottawa: 613-722-6914

Outside Ottawa (toll free): 1-866-996-0991

www.crisisline.ca (16 years and older)

Tel-Aide Outaouais:

Gatineau: 819-775-3223

Ottawa: 613-741-6433

Rural Outaouais (toll free): 1-800-567-9699

Ottawa’s Youth Services Bureau now offers a Youth Mental-Health Walk-in Clinic, at 2301 Carling Ave. (corner of Richardson Ave. near Lincoln Fields Transit Station), Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 am to 8 pm (last session at 6 pm). For more information, click here.

Support for parents and caregivers of children up to the age of 12 is available through the Parents’ Lifeline of Eastern Ontario: www.pleo.on.ca

Other useful links and resources provided by Children’s Mental Health Ontario: www.kidsmentalhealth.ca

For a full list of mental-health-related resources available to youth, click here.

•  Pitching a safe-injection site for Ottawa

•   Exit interview with former police chief Vern White

•   Spring gardening primer!

•  Singing the praises of the new café scene

•  An insider’s look at the fiction publishing business

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