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

FEATURES

Superhero Smackdown
With Ottawa Comiccon just around the corner, Roger Collier profiles four hard-core fans (and checks out their superhuman costumes)

20 Top Neighbourhood Enclaves
Ottawa is a city made up of many distinct enclaves — vibrant (and often well-hidden) micro-neighbourhoods with unique histories and personalities developed through time and geography. Laura Byrne Paquet and Janet Uren highlight 20 residential enclaves with a difference

COLUMNS

The Rise and Fall of Patrick Brazeau
An outspoken advocate for Aboriginal rights, he made history as one of the youngest people ever appointed to the upper chamber. Four years later, Brazeau has been forced to take a leave of absence from the Senate as he fights criminal charges. A chronology of a Senate appointment gone terribly wrong.  By Mark Bourrie

Back to the Future
The founders of the Fairhaven co-operative in 1947 combined revolutionary architecture with plain old-fashioned independence, hard work, and community spirit. By Janet Uren

THIS CITY

JITH PAUL’s winding journey to film industry mover and shaker • Solving a cycling mystery • Wired for success in academia • TELLING TALES of births and blogs • City-sponsored cool, one futuristic art project at a time • Chatting about debt and Dragons with DAVID CHILTON

CITY SELECT

My Look
Melissa Reeves aims for a city-hippie vibe

Super Shopper
Old Ottawa South becomes a go-to  destination for modern furniture

Tasting Notes
Celebrating the return of spring with New Zealand sauvignon blanc

Restaurants
Food trucks on a roll * Popcorn with pizzazz * Spotlight on Almonte Riverside Kitchen * Plus our star-rated reviews

May Events
STAR WARS lands in the capital • Belting out gospel hits with BIG SOUL PROJECT • Five JANE’S WALK routes to try out • Exploring home and habitat with ceramic artist LISA CRESKEY • Plus our arts and entertainment listings

The post MAY ISSUE: Daniel Alfredsson: 11 essays on No. 11. On newsstands April 25! appeared first on Ottawa Magazine.

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

FEATURES

Celebrating 15 Years of Everything Ottawa
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

Official Ottawa
What you see is what you get. Or is it? The political machinations meet the daily mundane when photographer TONY FOUHSE turns his lens on the structures and subtext of our capital

COLUMNS

Idle No More
With the launch of his second novel, former Ontario lieutenant governor James Bartleman aims to be part of a literary revolution that shatters false stereotypes about native Canadians By Paul Gessell

Wild in the City
Ottawa may be the second largest metropolitan area in Ontario, but our geography and wildlife are more typical of a northern Ontario town than a southern Ontario city. And conflict between people and animals is on the rise as the city expands. Why, then, does the city have no wildlife strategy?

THIS CITY

JOANNE THURLBECK’s transformation from BMX spectator to elite racer • Competing to build a better Ottawa • Partying where the wild things are (a.k.a. the CANADIAN MUSEUM OF NATURE) • Telling tales of births and marriages • A fashion moment with AMANDA NIMMO

CITY SELECT

My Look
Slow goods practitioner Dominic Coballe opts for the tailored look

Super Shopper
Greet the return of sunny days and above-zero temperatures with colour and whimsy

Culture
The lecture circuit is the new gathering place for the young and curious — where plenty is discussed but nothing much is said B

Food
A crash course in food politics in Ontario schools leaves the food editor feeling distinctly queasy

Tasting Notes
Heralding the long overdue resurrection of Merlot

Restaurants
Weekend tamale-making comes to Vanier * Rabbit on the rebound * Plus our star-rated reviews

April Events
Hitting the home stretch with the OTTAWA SENATORS • Five top picks for the NORTHERN SCENE festival • Focusing on Women and war at the CANADIAN WAR MUSEUM  • 150 years of Canadian wedding fashion at the MISSISSIPPI VALLEY TEXTILE MUSEUM  • Plus our arts and entertainment listings

The post APRIL ISSUE: Our 15th anniversary Issue is on newsstands today! appeared first on Ottawa Magazine.

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

FEATURES: AT HOME WITH THE EXPERTS

In Living Colour
In designing the interior of her own house — a century-old brick double in New Edinburgh — decorator Henrietta Southam was prepared to take chances, break the rules, and be very, very patient as she hunted for treasures to adorn her space

Patience Rewarded
An architect couple envisage their new house as a work-in-progress — a living lab whose elements can be modified gradually as their family changes and new ideas present themselves

Onward and Upward
In designing his first house for himself, Barry Hobin goes tall, building a three-storey showstopper with glorious vistas of the Gatineau Hills

Human Nature
An architectural photographer and a graphic designer combine their skills to imagine a home that marries tranquility and modernity

Preservation Recommended
Irene Langlois modernizes a neglected century-old Glebe house in a way that honours the building’s history and maximizes the light

COLUMNS

Ideas in the Making
Looking at three projects and the people and processes behind them (a super-compact, super-narrow house; two innovative art installations in Moscow; and a new condo building in Hintonburg)

Great Space: Sitting Pretty
Now an 86-year-old grandmother, Margot Johnston discusses the legacy of her father, former National Gallery of Canada director Harry Orr McCurry, and tours Ottawa Magazine through her art-filled
“granny cube”

The Collectors
Baseball cards. Butterflies in shadow boxes. Vintage couture. What is it about collectors and their collections? What objects do they pursue and why? Five gatherers discuss their flights of fancy

THIS CITY

Marc Adornato turns old radios into MP3 players • Eyeballing crafty castoffs and found materials in woodworker Oliver Drake’s studio • The changing face of Old Ottawa East • A mouse-inspired objet d’art • Artists create a chain of love • Instagram writ large

CITY SELECT

Food
The most unusual story of a yak farmer

Tasting Notes
Wines to warm heart and soul

Restaurant Reviews

Events Calendar
Make the most of February and March

The End
The Ogilvy Building gets a facelift

Sourcebook
Ottawa Magazine visits three kitchens and two bathrooms to bring back the goods on how — and where — the homeowners got their great ideas this city

The post Interiors 2013 Issue on Newsstands January 24 appeared first on Ottawa Magazine.

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

Letter from the Editor

Reinvention is the name of the game in the restaurant business and food editor Shawna Wagman is thrilled to report that the city’s culinary cool kids are turning haute cuisine on its head this season. Seems the chefs are feeling a touch rebellious. Linen napkins and fancy plates are out the window and local gastronomes are suddenly being challenged to embrace whatever food — and vibe — pleases the chefs. In describing the trend, Wagman says the city’s most ambitious restaurants today remind her of “a reality show in which the audience stumbles into the kitchen on the chef’s day off.”

Daring their customers is risky for both chef and diner. But the rewards are also potentially greater. When chefs feel like they’re cooking for themselves, they can be less inhibited and, hence, more creative. The movement is called Young Cuisine and it has diners lining up to jam into rustic restaurants with mismatched chairs and shared tables. Once there, they chow down on, well, whatever has the chef pumped-up this week. It all makes for an exhilarating — and talk-worthy hot-10 list this year.

After you’ve indulged in Wagman’s 12 pages of food fantasy, turn the final page and head straight into the next story for an antidote to all the eating out you’re about to do. Filled with invigoratingly sporty ideas, our Winter Primer will have you raring to get outside and make the most of the fresh powder in your backyard. From the extreme (ice climbing, anyone?) to the recreational (family snow-shoeing is more your speed), we’ve got you covered.

COMING UP: We’re already working furiously on the 2013 Interiors issue, which hits newsstands in mid-January. This year, we’ve managed to get invites into the homes of some of our favourite tastemakers, who have graciously toured us around their living rooms and boudoirs, kitchens and closets. Now we’re putting together all the luscious photography and getting the goods on their at-home design and decorating philosophies. Prepare to be wowed.

Sarah Brown, Editor

feedbackottawa@stjosephmedia.com

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

COLUMNS

For the Record
He’s recognized by Guinness World Records as the youngest person ever to ski from land to the North Pole. Chelsea’s Tessum Weber on surviving in the Arctic — and the beauty of an unconventional upbringing in a family of explorers and adventurers

The British is Coming
The new owner of the historic British Hotel is dreaming big, with plans to restore what had become a run-down Aylmer drinking den and turn it into business- and family-friendly restaurants and much-needed office space

Make Tracks
Get the most out of winter this year. Try a new sport (skate-skiing, anyone?) or take your routine to a new level. Step out in style and meet other snow bunnies. Or pack the whole family up for a weekend getaway to remember. Our guide to winter sports has something for everyone — even the armchair adventurer

THIS CITY

Avi Caplan builds the city’s awesome credentials, one project at a time * Locking in your love interest * Pushing Canadian icons for profit * Telling tales of births and engagements * Adding up 25 years of good works * Partying with a walking iceberg

CITY SELECT

MY LOOK
Fashion consultant Rosina Mahlangu on looking stylish in winter

GREAT SPACE
Owner Shalindhi Perera teams up with architect Andrew Reeves for a full-scale renovation of a house that started life as a butcher shop

SUPER SHOPPER
What would the editors buy? Editor Sarah Brown, acting senior editor Misa Kobayashi, and art director Jane Corbett present their holiday wishlists and hostess gift picks

TASTING NOTES
Which wines you should seek out at this year’s Ottawa Wine and Food Festival

RESTAURANTS
The power of chilies on a cold winter’s night * Pogos are trending * Plus our star-rated reviews

WINTER
Love, betrayal, and pointe shoes with Guangzhou Ballet Company * The secrets of local theatre success with Linden House Theatre  * A Q&A with the Ottawa Choral Society‘s new man in charge * The city’s arts followers choose their Best Bets for winter * Plus our arts and entertainment listings

The post Winter 2012 Issue on Newsstands October 25 appeared first on Ottawa Magazine.

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!

Letter from the Editor

It was a story that sent shock waves through the community. In the early days of June, police arrested three teen girls, laying dozens of charges — among them human trafficking, kidnapping, forcible confinement, and sexual assault. Even the police seemed taken aback, admitting in media interviews that they’d never before been involved in a case in which teen girls were charged with pimping out their friends. But what terrified parents was the manner in which victims had allegedly been lured — targeted through social media, teen girls were supposedly enticed to parties, then forced to have sex with men who paid. The story tapped in to parents’ worst fears — that in this age of texting and facebooking and tweeting, they’re powerless to monitor who their daughters are talking to, powerless to keep them safe from predators. And who had considered that those predators might just be their classmates? A mother herself, reporter Judy Trinh got in touch with local law enforcement agents to get background on the case, but she was equally quick to make contact with groups of local teens, discovering that in this age of instant sharing, the names of the suspects are an open secret among hundreds of teens around Ottawa. They helped Trinh create a picture of the dangers teens face — and how they’re being preyed upon — in the online era.

On a completely different tack, Ottawa Magazine connects with local urban hipsters for a playfully ironic look at where the hipster culture is headed and what’s hot right now. “Get Unplugged!” is a homage to the discerning hipster’s latest passions. We’re labelling it the great downshift — seems everyone has a hankering for a simpler, less plugged-in era. And, bonus, you’ll soon know how to make an Old Fashioned cocktail.

COMING UP: Get ready for the great shakeup. Every year at this time, food editor Shawna Wagman tastes and takes notes, ponders the varied meals she’s enjoyed over the past year, and proclaims her hot-10 restaurants. We’ve been privy to a sneak peek, and we can guarantee that her “Where to Eat Right Now” list will cause a real stir. Let the debate begin! Also in the next issue: An ode to the glories of winter, big plans for a historic building, and a spotlight on a young record breaker.

Sarah Brown, EDITOR

feedbackottawa@stjosephmedia.com

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!

COLUMNS

Members Only
So discreet, you’ve likely never heard of it, the Institut canadien-français is the city’s oldest private club. But 160 years of tradition does not guarantee survival and so the private club is working quietly to renew the faith

Malls R Us
Apple rumoured for Bayshore, Nordstrom buzz for Rideau Centre, major makeovers in the works at multiple malls, and new shopping venues planned for the Glebe and Kanata. In 2012, everyone wants to get in on the retail action in Ottawa. Why we’re so hot right now

Head for the Hills
Do it as a day trip or a weekend jaunt. The Ottawa Valley’s got good food, scenic drives, and quirky shops. Plus world-class leaf watching, hiking, and some very pretty lakes and rivers.

THIS CITY

NAC English Theatre director Jillian Keiley on how she plans to make her mark * A sculpture with a backstory * Climbing Everest for a cause * Telling tales of love and philanthropy * City versus suburbs smackdown * Wild kingdom comes to Cube Gallery 

CITY SELECT

MY LOOK 
Librarian Kevin Wollenschlager on the art of dishevelled elegance

GREAT SPACE
Chris Corner buys the urban townhouse of his dreams — then teams up with interior designer Lori Andrews to modernise the look of the spectacular light-filled space  by sarah brown

FOOD
Deconstructing Ottawa’s current nostalgia for the good old days

DRINK
A quirky Q&A with local wine wizard Steve Robinson

TASTING NOTES
Blends are the new darlings at the LCBO this fall

RESTAURANTS
Bridgehead’s eye-dazzling roastery * Talking pig cheeks with a culinary arts instructor  * Spotlight on Union 613 * Taste-testing hummingbird chocolate * Plus our star-rated reviews

OCTOBER EVENTS CALENDAR
Love, betrayal, and pointe shoes with GUANGZHOU BALLET COMPANY * The secrects of local theatre success with LINDEN HOUSE THEATRE * On the road for the CROWN & PUMPKIN STUDIO TOUR * New CRIME FICTION for fall * Plus our arts and entertainment listings

The post October 2012 Issue on Newsstands September 27 appeared first on Ottawa Magazine.

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.

Letter from the Editor

When starry-eyed converts to the religion of green get talking, it’s easy to glaze over — to get the sense that no matter how hard you try, you’ll never reach true eco-enlightenment. You’ll never be sustainable. That’s when that little voice inside your head whispers that it all seems too complicated, that it’s not even worth trying. Time to give that little voice a kick in the pants. While researching and assigning the Green Design issue, our mantra was “Yes, you can.” Green is relevant, green is important, and green can, and should, be sexy.

With that in mind, we took a trip out to see Algonquin College’s award-winning Centre for Construction Excellence, a “living lab” of a building that is inspiring the next generation of engineers, designers, and builders. The green wave is unstoppable, and we’re pumped that students now have this innovative building as motivation.

But what about taking “Yes, you can” to a personal level? Ottawa Magazine toured three stunning new houses to get a micro look at how the eco-conscious owners interpreted green and put their convictions into practice. When it comes to green, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. That’s why it’s so valuable to hear the owners explain what challenges they faced (and what compromises they made along the way). In some cases, the greenest option was too expensive, while in others, a coveted item was not available locally. In all cases, the completed houses are visually stunning — and should motivate us all to try a little harder on our own home fronts.

A big thanks goes out industry greensters Teresa Hanna (an almost architect), Pamela Tourigny (a marketer for terra20), and Emma Doucet (a designer) for telling us about their journeys to environmental awareness — and where they source natural products for home and garden. The three were also great sports, posing for light-hearted portraits in “green rooms” designed by photographer Rémi Thériault, who took the theme to a whole new level.

COMING UP: Each generation looks to the future, predicts what’s coming next, and desperately searches for the newest trends. But in 2012, Ottawa’s trendsetters are doing a 180 — they’re looking to the past to chart our course. Call it the great downshift. Meet the cultural movers and shakers who are championing a simpler, less plugged-in era. Yes, it’s Ottawa Magazine’s guide to unwiring and the people behind the movement.  Also on tap: A look inside the city’s retail scene, a road trip to the Ottawa Valley, and a spotlight on the latest culinary hotspots.

Sarah Brown, EDITOR

feedbackottawa@stjosephmedia.com

FEATURES

Getting a Green Education
Algonquin College gets top marks for its Centre for Construction Excellence, a “living lab” of a building that is inspiring the next generation of engineers, designers, and builders

My House
Ottawa Magazine visits three environmentally-friendly houses and quizzes the owners on how they turned their eco house plans into reality

Green Space
Faced with the threat of development, a community rallies to buy a historic quarry, “building” a green refuge at the heart of their neighbourhood

Super Shopper
Three industry greensters dish on their favourite products

COLUMNS

Prize Fighters

Best-selling author Tim Cook launches Warlords, a book that tackles the wartime performances of prime ministers Sir Robert Borden and William Lyon Mackenzie King. At the same time, the much-lauded military historian wages his own personal war — against cancer

The Ex Files
When journalist MARK BOURRIE began working for the local bureau of the Chinese news agency Xinhua, he was excited by the prospect of informing China about Canadian politics. But a shady request during the Dalai Lama’s visit in April was too much for this journalistic conscience. He quit. Now Bourrie gives a behind-the-scenes account of his two years in the employ of Xinhua

THIS CITY

Jeffrey Simpson disses the health-care system * Lunching with September’s movers and shakers * Packing a picnic basket for Harvest Noir * Theatre by the decade * Telling tales of weddings and anniversaries * Alanis gets the fridge-magnet treatment * The Wabano Centre’s tile style

CITY SELECT

MY LOOK 
Talking street style with Carolynn Lacasse

CULTURE
Lessons from the demise of The Ottawa XPress

DRINK
Ottawa’s newfound reputation as a burgeoning city of beer

TASTING NOTES
Gamay gets the respect it deserves

RESTAURANTS
Edgar’s Marisol Foulcault talks about her second “baby,” Odile * Competitive taco making at TacoLot  * Munching on honey balls * Plus our star-rated reviews

SEPTEMBER
Big screen fun at the ANIMATION FESTIVAL * A new and improved FOLKFEST * OPERA LYRA OTTAWA scores homegirl Joyce El-Khoury * WINGS OVER GATINEAU-OTTAWA takes to the skies * Plus our arts and entertainment listings

The post September 2012 Issue on Newsstands August 23 appeared first on Ottawa Magazine.

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

Letter from the Editor

It happens every four years. Love sports or ambivalent about them, you’d have to live under a rock to avoid the Olympic fervor that will reach fever pitch as the big event approaches. (The Games run from July 27 to August 12, for the record.) That’s why, as athletes from Canada and around the globe perform their spectacular athletic feats in London, we’ve come up with our own Games super-pack for Ottawa. Inspired by the summer’s biggest sporting event, our “Best of Summer” guide is an ambitious hot-season agenda with ideas for every kind of fan. Wondering what to drink while watching table tennis? We’ve got you covered. Motivated to take up trampolining? We know who’s got bounce. All that Brit culture have you dreaming of Shakespeare and soccer? Got some thoughts on where to find those, too. In fact, we have more than 50 ideas, so dive in and create your own summer program of events. In conjunction with the Games super-pack, we have profiled five athletes — one London-bound and four young competitors who will be watching their idols go for gold. Their competitive spirits — and pure love of sport — are what the Olympics are all about.

Sneak preview! Acclaimed short story writer Dorothy Speak’s new collection, Reconciliation, will be released this fall and we were lucky enough to snag one of the stories for this issue. Set in the Glebe, “The Sins of the Father” is a poignant and contemplative tale, one best enjoyed in the quiet shade of a big tree.

Congratulations to food editor Shawna Wagman and photographer Christian Lalonde, who have both been nominated for National Magazine Awards for a collaboration that appeared in 2011. Wagman was recognized for “Ideas on a Plate” — a top 10 restaurants list that recognizes the chefs who are combining a respect for culinary tradition with vanguard ideas. Lalonde got the nod in the Creative Photography category for his luscious interpretation of Wagman’s feature. The winners will be announced at a gala evening in Toronto on June 7.

COMING UP: Our local building boom continues apace. And more and more of the houses, condos, and office buildings on the market are advertised as “green.” While many architects, developers, and builders are driven by environmentalism, others admit that they’re motivated more by experimentation — so many new green products on the market to try out, they say with a gleam in their eye. And still others whisper that, as buyers become increasingly educated, being known as a green expert simply makes good business sense. Ottawa Magazine takes a look at how the green movement is changing our living spaces.

Sarah Brown, EDITOR

feedbackottawa@stjosephmedia.com

FEATURES

Best of Summer

50+ ways to pack your summer with Olympics-inspired fun
Where Water Moonlights as Soul

Five scenes from the Ottawa Rowing Club
The Sins of the Father
New short fiction by Dorothy Speak

COLUMNS

Get Your Motor Running
Zen and the art of motorcycle rebuilding. Talking shop — and philosophy — with Harley-Davidson devotee Rob Watt

Water Fight
The crusade to clean up the Ottawa River is both monumental and complicated, given the size of the waterway and the number of jurisdictions it flows through. Can one person — a symbolic guardian known as the Riverkeeper — wield enough power to effect real change? 

THIS CITY

Exploring the tweet success of the Social Capital Conference * I spy a community garden * art stars and rock stars on the party circuit * hooked on hookahs * Telling tales of stylists and chefs * the rickshaw chronicles

CITY SELECT

MY LOOK
Retro 80s love with Peter Joynt

GREAT SPACE
A tour of the Château Laurier’s storied Karsh Suite

CULTURE
The new ways of working (or, why everyone has two or three jobs these days)

FOOD
A culinary road trip to Montreal

WINE SCENE
A roundup of tips to enjoy the best the city has to offer this summer

TASTING NOTES
Planning a weekender to Prince Edward County

RESTAURANTS
A family-style dinner at Table 40 * Talking beer and croissants with Wellington Gastropub co-owner Shane Waldron * gourmet onion rings at ARC Lounge * Plus our star-rated reviews

SUMMER EVENTS
Hip-swivelling party music at JAZZFEST * Going local at BLUESFEST * A trio of Ottawa writers to put on your summer READING LIST * Artist Anne-Wanda Tessier explores old-fashioned letter presses with a show at PRESSED * Plus our arts and entertainment listings

The post Summer 2012 Issue on Newsstands June 7 appeared first on Ottawa Magazine.

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

Letter from the Editor

The best neighbourhood in Ottawa is….  I can guarantee that if I ask 20 people right now, each will give me a different answer. Where we choose to live is a very personal decision. In other words, it’s impossible to come up with an objective response. When I bought my current house, I was looking for proximity to green space and a solid neighbourhood school. You might be looking for a condo within walking distance of great restaurants and public transit. But though the term “best neighbourhood” is completely subjective, there is value in looking at Ottawa’s neighbourhoods through the data that’s out there. Analyzing the mountains of available stats can tell us everything from how much we’ll pay for a single house in our desired area to whether our neighbours are likely to be Conservative, Liberal, or NDP voters.

Writer Laura Byrne Paquet does a brilliant job of crunching the numbers to recommend the top five neighbourhoods for four types of buyers: those for whom cost is no issue, double income no kids, families, and the cash-strapped. She’s backed up by photographer Dwayne Brown, who captured the essence of the top ’hoods, and by Amanda Shendruk, who took some of the fun and obscure statistics we discovered and turned them into infographics. I love the list. How about you? Let the debate begin.

A groundswell of action to combat teen suicide started with the death of Daron Richardson in November of 2010. Her parents quickly teamed up with The Royal to launch the high-profile Do It For Daron (D.I.F.D.) campaign aimed at getting teens — and all of us — to speak openly about mental health. Journalist Moira Farr talks to the health-care professionals on the frontlines about the overwhelming need in our community. She then gets to the heart of the matter, interviewing teen mental health activist Hannah Brunsdon about how terrifying it was to have to wait for help as she suffered with depression and how she thinks the system should change. Farr tackles a hugely complicated issue in a manner that’s both respectful and compelling. Required reading for everyone in the city.

COMING UP: Sweet summertime. It’s coming up fast, and we’re already hard at work researching fantastic warm-weather road trips and adventures and interviewing locals whose jobs and hobbies epitomize the joy of summer. As well, because we hope you’ll find yourself lounging on a hammock or by the pool, we’ll definitely include a short story, penned exclusively for Ottawa Magazine.

The post May 2012 Issue on Newsstands April 26 appeared first on Ottawa Magazine.

• 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.

The post Out of the Shadows: Links to Teen Mental Health Resources appeared first on Ottawa Magazine.

•  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

Letter from the Editor

Though I never followed Vancouver politics particularly closely, for years I felt as though I had a pretty good understanding of what was going on in that city — albeit a few years after the fact.

You see, from 1998 to 2006, I was an avid watcher of the CBC television drama series Da Vinci’s Inquest and its successor, Da Vinci’s City Hall. The lead was Dominic Da Vinci, Vancouver’s hard-nosed and charismatic chief coroner and, later, mayor. The Da Vinci persona and plot line were loosely based on the career trajectory of former Vancouver mayor Larry Campbell, who had also been a coroner. Each week Da Vinci would invariably butt heads with various police and political opponents as he sought to establish a safe injection site for the addicts of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside — and I would sit in front of the tube, shaking my head at how difficult it seemed to be to set aside political and moral objections to get done what needed to be done.

During his tenure as mayor of Vancouver, which lasted from 2002 to 2005, Larry Campbell was both lauded and vilified for establishing the city’s vanguard safe injection site in 2003. Known as Insite, it remains the only legal supervised injection site in North America. Dozens of medical studies have catalogued its benefits.

For our cover story, Roger Collier profiles the outspoken Dr. Mark Tyndall, one of the country’s top infectious disease experts — and a man on a mission to get Ottawa its own safe injection site. Reading Collier’s article on Dr. Tyndall was, for me, a bit like reliving Da Vinci’s Inquest. In Vancouver, the battle for a safe injection site ended in victory. In Ottawa, Dr. Tyndall faces opposition both from the mayor and in police circles. Here, the probability of a future safe injection site remains murky.

For years, we have packaged our favourite gardens with the annual Interiors edition. They formed a beautiful complement to the houses but always seemed a bit overshadowed by their brick and mortar counterparts. For the first time, gardens — all 17 pages of them — have their own issue in which to shine. Let the green season begin!

COMING UP: As the weather warms up, Ottawans start getting itchy feet, checking out their friends’ digs, perusing the real estate listings, and wondering whether it’s time to spring clean — then put their house or condo on the market, sell, pull up stakes, and try out a new neighbourhood. This May’s real estate edition is themed around the idea of the ideal neighbourhood, with our picks for the most satisfying places to live. See if you agree.

Sarah Brown, EDITOR
feedbackottawa@stjosephmedia.com

Table of Contents

Features

Safe is the New Risky

Dr. Mark Tyndall thinks the national capital needs a safe injection site. But championing the cause of harm reduction is proving to be a hard sell

A Vision in Green
19 pages of inspiring garden editorial

My Garden: Merilyn Simonds answers questions about A New Leaf, a book of spiritual musings prompted by a year of growing seasons in her expansive eastern Ontario garden

Hot Plants: What to add to this season’s gardening wishlist

Floral Therapy: A landscape project promotes healing through greening

Daytripper: A visit to the glorious Jardins d’Emmarocalles near Ripon

Making a Splash: The joy of swimming in a natural granite pool

On the Rocks: An unusual garden in Pakenham is inspired by owner Paddye Mann’s Newfoundland roots

Mining Rock for Garden Gold: A rock and crevice garden filled with rare perennials

Super Shopper: Garden-friendly pieces for your outdoor spaces

Columns

Whodunit? And How?

A stroke of good luck led Peggy Blair to a solid agent with great connections. In the wake of her, the mystery writer offers an insider’s look at the trials and tribulations of getting a first book published

This City

Connecting with Hub Ottawa executive director Vinod Rajasekaran * Judging the competition with poet David O’Meara * Telling tales of supermodels and developers * Taking bets on Ottawa’s future

City Select

MY LOOK
Talking about travel — and cool kicks — with Mauricio Ortiz

STYLE
Four local jewellery designers are bringing accessories to the fore

CULTURE
Pitching writers and songwriters as torchbearers in the campaign to make the capital ever more cool

FOOD
Singing the praises of the café scene

TASTING NOTES
Toasting the new Argentina

RESTAURANTS
Pretty plates at Sushime * Taste testing some seriously gooey sticky buns *  Talking poutine with Beckta chef de cuisine Dirk McCabe * Plus our star-rated reviews

APRIL EVENTS
WHALE WATCHING at the Museum of Nature * EXPERT PICKS for the culturally inclined * VEGFEST lowdown with Josh Flower * Plus our arts and entertainment listings

The post April 2012 Issue on Newsstands March 22 appeared first on Ottawa Magazine.