ST. PETERSBURG: The Most Beautiful Northern City of Them All

 St. Petersburg, often referred to as the Venice of the North, is truly a remarkable city. Whether during the white nights of summer - the sun doesn't set until after 10 pm each night from March to late August) or the special charm of the white days of winter (from

Sometimes Compensation is the Road to Closure

 For more than 150 years, the Government of Canada attempted to assimilate aboriginal children by placing them in residential —otherwise known as boarding — schools. Since it was too difficult to change adults, they began "Christianizing" children as early as age five. But over the years, tens of thousands of

Is this the end of the Prince of Wales Railway Bridge?

 I fear for the future of the Prince of Wales railway bridge that crosses the Ottawa River a mile upstream from Parliament Hill. You've probably seen and admired it many times, without knowing its name. Just a short walk from the new Canadian War Museum, the old railway bridge crosses

The O-Train: Getting It Right the First Time

 The City of Ottawa's plan for an expanded 0-Train is being tackled in rather a piecemeal fashion. Eventually, trains will replace much of the bus service that clogs downtown streets at rush hour. Futuristic trains (aka Light Rail Transit — or LRT — vehicles) will glide from Bayview Station to

A New Russia Emerges

 Canada and Russia are kindred spirits. We share the coldest climates in the northern hemisphere, a multicultural population spread over vast landmasses, and regional governments that blame all their problems on a federal or central authority. In Canada, the provinces blame the feds, while in Russia, regional governments blame president

An interview with Russian Ambassador to Canada Georiy Mamedov

 Ottawa Life will takes you into the heart of the new Russia. We will look at the business opportunities, bilateral relations, cultural and arts scene, and tourism potential and get the pulse of a country very similar to our own. We begin our series with Russia's man in Canada, Ambassador

Are we taking too many pills?

 By Jennifer Paterson More Canadians are taking prescription medicine than ever before. Many busy people believe in the don't-think-twice, pop-it-in-your-mouth, "magic bullet" cure for all illness and disease. Total drug expenditures per Canadian were tallied at $681 in 2004 — up almost 8 per cent from 2003, according to a

We dare to compare search and rescue aircraft for DND

 By Dale Hovdebo Canada has one of the world's largest landmasses and, fronting on three oceans, one of its longest coastlines. This nation is not only responsible for monitoring a vast maritime area, but must maintain a large enough presence in the Arctic to support our claim to sovereignty. Search

A week in paradise at Playa del Carmen’s Gran Porto Real

 The week started out great. We put the kids on the Zoom Airlines flight direct from Ottawa to Cancun. Zoom, an Ottawa-based international charter, offers flights and all-inclusive packages to southern destinations. (This year, the Mexican destination is Puerto Vallarta.) Arriving in Cancun, we are taken on charter buses south