Weird and Wonderful Venice Beach

 Attention sand-lovers and sun-worshippers: if beaches are your thing, Southern California is for you! The area boasts hundreds of kilometres of idyllic white sand beaches, and is undoubtedly one of the world's top destinations for sun, fun, sand, and sea. So when I had an opportunity to visit SoCal recently, there

The charm of the Laurentian Junior Music Club: Encouragement, dedication, excellence and longevity

 Ottawa is charmed with an array of arts and culture gems satisfying a variety of interests. One of these is the long running Laurentian Junior Music Club (LJMC) and its series of concerts. The club has been operating in Ottawa and providing a comfortable and intimate venue for young musicians

Senate Reform, Part IX: Top 20 Moments

 Two weeks ago, Ottawa Life profiled the greatest players in the history of the Ottawa Senators, starting with numbers 20 through 11 and moving on to the top 10. With the franchise’s 20th season set to begin on October 7th against the Detroit Red Wings, here are our choices for

Aussies The Little Stevies: Not So Little Anymore

 The Little Stevies’ lives truly are like a little folk song. This traveling trio from the land down under have not only mastered the laidback strums and effortless harmonies that contribute to that feel-good folk sound, but whether or not they know it, they coincidentally have an upbringing and ongoing

Having her cake and sharing it too…

 It was not that long ago that if you were in need of a signature cake for that special occasion or to quell that hard to ignore sweet tooth that the answer to your needs was as simple as Cakes by Tatiana (CbT). An Ottawa institution for many years in

Canadians: Guardians of Equality and Justice

 Equal access to social services, education, and safe water, are of the most pressing issues for Canada’s First Nations People.   In Canada, there are countless organizations that are working toward the common cause of improving the quality of life for Canada’s First Nations People.  These organizations are necessary tools in

A Taste of Summer

 Summer is slowly nearing to an end. One can almost hear the pitter-patter of (not-so) eager little feet awaiting the school bell and the silent sighs of relief from parents (very) eager to get their little (and not-so-little) ones off to school for another year. But before the bell rings

Aaron Ryder, Man Behind Donnie Darko and Memento Offers Advice to Ottawa’s Budding Filmmakers at OIFF

 It was Saturday evening, and I was at the movies. A common weekend pastime for many, however this particular weekend respite was anything but routine. It is because on this Saturday, I was able to pick the mind of a top Hollywood producer - Aaron Ryder. Part of Ottawa International

The Wizardry of Alex Anthopoulos

 Five months ago, the Toronto Blue Jays ended spring training with Juan Rivera, Jayson Nix and Corey Patterson on their Opening Day 25-man roster. All three were veterans who had enjoyed undistinguished careers over several years in the major leagues; all three had been acquired in the months before the

Going Back to School Green

 Do you hear it? A collective groan is building across the nation as kids realize they are getting closer to that dreaded time of the year – back-to-school. While some parents are silently rejoicing as they count down the days, others are feeling stressed as they begin to sort through

Remembering Jack Layton: 1950 – 2011

 For many Canadians yesterday began as an ordinary day. The sun rose on a prematurely cool August morning. A new work week had begun. And then the news that Jack Layton passed away at approximately 4.45a.m. that morning at the age of 61 started to spread. In this era of

Bayshore opens new Farmer’s Market

 The freshness factor in Ottawa has hit an all-time high, as one of Ottawa’s leading shopping centres opened a new open-air farmers’ market this month, providing area residents with the very best that Mother Nature has to offer. Following a tremendously successful opening on Aug. 3, community leaders and shoppers

Sephora Opens a Second Ottawa Location in the Bayshore Shopping Centre

 Ottawa just got more beautiful. Sephora, the French cosmetics retail giant, first moved to Canada in 2004 in Toronto. Now, with 25 northern stores, the black and white striped entrance is becoming a fixture on the Canadian retail landscape. If you have yet to visit a Sephora location, I suggest

Minor League Baseball: Back to Ottawa?

 Last week, the Ottawa Citizen reported that two deep-pocketed local bidders are currently in talks with the city of Ottawa to obtain a Double-A baseball franchise by 2013 or 2014. According to city councilor Rick Chiarelli, negotiations are progressing rapidly, with one Toronto party and one American party expressing interest

Ottawa International Film Festival Premieres in Style

 The Ottawa International Film Festival (OIFF) is not a household name – yet. However, judging from its impeccably-organized kick-off party, which took place Wednesday evening at Ottawa’s Gordon Harrison Art Gallery, it may well be heading in that direction. The festival started off with a bang. Party-goers got to witness

Fall Fashion Forecast

 The leaves are not turning red quite yet, but already the newsstands are filled with bulky and glossy September issues full of fall trends and forecasts. So what are some of these predicted fall fashion trends? Resident fashion expert here in the city, Erica Wark of Erica on Fashion is really

Italy’s Best-Kept Secret

 I remember the morning when I woke up to a ceiling with frescos and a crystal chandelier. I was lying alone in a king-sized bed in the suite of Hotel Vittoria, in Faenza, Italy, where as the legend goes, the great Italian poet Giosuè Carducci used to lodge. So this

Senate Reform, Part VIII: Top 20 Players (10-1)

 In honour of the Ottawa Senators’ 20th anniversary season, we took a look at the 20th through 11th greatest Ottawa Senators players of all time. Here are the top 10. 10. Zdeno Chara While the number 10 slot may seem slightly too low for a player currently sitting among the ranks

Senate Reform, Part VII: Top 20 Players (20-11)

 The Ottawa Senators franchise is set to celebrate their 20th season in 2011-12, and in preparation for the milestone, the club has unveiled a new tagline for their anniversary (Hockey Makes Us), as well as a promotional calendar for each of their 41 home games. In recognition of the modern

David McCaffrey: Ottawa’s Leading Bridal Couturier Ventures into Eveningwear

 “You will never have a dress that fits better.” That is a promise that David McCaffrey, the designer behind Ottawa’s leading bridal boutique, McCaffrey Haute Couture, makes to every customer. He knows better than most that from a family birthday to celebrating a win on sports betting Canada after your

Rascal Flatts End Capital Hoedown 2011 on a High Note

 Zeus must be a country fan. Despite weather predictions of thunder showers all day on Saturday, the last day of Capital Hoedown saw sunny skies and warm temperatures. The day began with a performance by the Hoedown Showdown winner, a country band with a rocker edge called Wyatt. Their sound

The Queens of Country Draw Huge Crowds on the Second Day of Capital Hoedown

 With the success of Thursday’s show, I had doubts that Friday could top the likes of Kenny Chesney and Doc Walker. But Jason Blaine, Billy Currington, Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood certainly gave them a run for their money, playing to a packed Le Breton Flats on a warm evening.

Kenny Chesney Jump Starts Capital Hoedown to a Screaming Crowd

 “We’ve been looking forward to this day for a long time!” Everyone in the crowd on the first day of the 2011 Capital Hoedown could agree with the day’s second act, Tara Oram, who said  that she and her band had been looking forward to the event since the day

Team Game: Learning from the Champs

 The Vancouver Canucks entered this year’s Stanley Cup playoffs as prohibitive favourites, posting the NHL’s best regular-season record and boasting the league’s most prolific offense. The 2010-11 Miami Heat were the talk of the NBA, pairing two established stars in LeBron James and Chris Bosh with resident superstar Dwyane Wade

Jason Kenney Hits a Nerve with Blunt Letter to Amnesty International (Canada) That Questions Their Credibility and Objectivity

 By Dan Donovan, Publisher and Managing Editor The Credibility of the actions of Amnesty International (Canada) and their continual and constant criticism towards the Harper government have been questioned by many over the past 5 years as the organization has consistently aligned itself with whatever position the NDP or “left”