It Takes Three to Plan a Wedding

 When local wedding planner, Lynn Lee thinks back to her wedding day in the late '80s, she laughs. “Back when I was planning my wedding I certainly didn’t think I was going to be a wedding planner. It was not an affair to remember,” she said. Weddings were simpler back then

Remembering Budge Crawley’s “R.C.M.P.”

 In 1959-60, the distinguished Quebec actor Gilles Pelletier (who had earlier appeared in Otto Preminger’s The 13th Letter and in Alfred Hitchcock’s I Confess) came to Ottawa to shoot 39 episodes of the R.C.M.P. (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) television series, coproduced by Crawley Films, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and the British Broadcasting Corporation. Executive

A Vision for a Global Green Economy

 We are living in a time of multiple environmental issues. 2011 saw news headlines of nuclear contamination, oil spills, and natural disasters, to name a few. Policy makers are facing serious – and at times, overwhelming – questions: How do we provide clean water, adequate sanitation, and proper nutrition to

Bette’s Etiquette Beat ~ For the New Year!

 Welcome to 2012!  So does a New Year mean a new you? There is nothing like January 1st to start thinking about how you want to better yourself over the next twelve months; exercise more, eat healthier, do better at school/work, and be kinder to others. I must say, I

DVD Review: Final Destination 5 – A One-Way Trip Worth Taking

 How many horror movie franchises have descended into terminal mediocrity by the time they reach their fifth installment? Think of Howling V: The Rebirth (1989), Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning (1985), Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989), A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989), Children of

The NHL’s Concussion Epidemic

 The final act of Marc Savard’s hockey career may well have occurred in his absence, when the Boston Bruins defeated the Vancouver Canucks in seven games to claim the 2010-11 Stanley Cup. Savard’s name is listed on the Cup along with those of his Bruins teammates, even though he missed

Recipe: Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

 With the cold weather officially setting in the city, we all long for something warm, cozy and comfortable, this includes food. There is no better comfort food in the winter time than a hot bowl of hearty soup. This recipe (originally found here) for roasted red pepper and tomato soup

Performance, Style, Grit ~ The Audi A3 Enough Room for My Hockey Equipment and Stick

 If you want a car that combines style, grit, lively handling and performance while allowing for practical things like a hatchback/wagon design that provides ample cargo space, look no further than the Audi A3. Its classy interior retains the luxury and style that Audi is known for, but it does

Wines to Look Forward to….

 From time to time, I am going to take the opportunity to tell you about exciting wines that are coming to Ontario.  I always like to share insider information with my readers particularly because sometimes I know about wines coming into the marketplace long before the folks at Vintages put

What is the Price of Confidence?

 My mother inspired this month’s subject matter with one of her Italian phrases: “L’avaro è come il culo che ha paura che gli rubano la camicia”, which means, “A miser is like the butt that’s afraid of having its shirt robbed from underneath it”. After we all had a good

Ottawa Food Bank Hits Record Numbers With Holiday Campaign

 Every year the Ottawa Food Bank provides assistance to families in need in our nation's capital; this year was no exception.  During its 2011-2012 annual Holiday Food Drive, the Ottawa Food Bank collaborated with 430 local organizations to collect canned goods, 50 more than the 2010-2011 campaign. In addition, many

2012 Republican National Convention: A Colossal Undertaking

 The 2012 Republican National Convention will be held in Tampa, Florida, August 27-30. The Tampa Bay Times Forum [JD1] will serve as the convention venue, and the Tampa Convention Center will be used for the Media Workspace. What goes into planning a colossal event like the 2012 Republican National Convention –

Schools Keep Health in Mind

 Once considered an affliction mainly suffered by adults, mental illness now increasingly affects children. Studies show up to one in five Canadian youth experience mental illness – and for some of them, the pain becomes too much.  In 2011, 4,000 lives in Canada were lost prematurely due to suicide. Many

Proposed development threatens Jasper National Park

 A recent decision by Parks Canada regarding the national treasure that is Jasper National Park is cause for alarm. Given that Parks Canada is mandated to protect our landscapes and ensure ecological integrity for present and future generations, many Canadians are outraged by the possibility of a new ‘visitor experience’

The Wedding in 2012: Top Wedding Trends of the Year

 The New Year ushers in new resolutions, diets, more snow and wedding season. The Wedding Palace Bridal Show was held last weekend at the Ottawa Convention Centre. Brides-to-be were treated to the top trends for weddings in 2012. Here are some of the highlights: The Anti-Wedding Cake Cake pops are

DIY: Fringe Necklace

 Living in a cold climate such as Ottawa can really put a damper on one's wardrobe. However, no matter how fridgid the temperature is, you can always use a statement necklace. Frindge necklaces are flashy and can be used to dress up or down any outfit. They look great over

Adrienne Clarkson: Room for All of Us

 In her latest book, Room for all of Us, Canada’s former Governor General, Adrienne Clarkson, shares her poignant views on immigration, displacement and belonging. The novel follows the lives of ten extraordinary individuals, revealing some of the most harrowing experiences in their journey to get to Canada.  The book shares

Relics of the Past

 The Mill Street Brewery might tempt you to put a hold on your New Year's resolution diet once they start tapping their kegs on January 27, 2012 at the historic limestone mill. Situated between Lebreton Flats and the Portage Bridge, this unique building once occupied by the renowned old Mill

Recipe: Marvellous Maple Curry Chicken Penne

 The New Year is a time for resolutions, making (and breaking) goals and staring anew. Although the most popular resolutions start with "go to the gym everyday" mantra, we all know how difficult these goals are to uphold. So why not make a different kind of resolution this year? One

Cutting Edge Technology in Window Blinds will Help You Outsmart the Smart Meter

 Although the weather outside cannot make up its mind, the cost of heating is making itself ever so present with every bill that reaches our mailboxes. We all love the sun streaming through the windows especially this time of year, when every second of sunshine is worth its bandwidth in

Jen’s Jibberish: Riding away on the RyderBike

 It is official and it is sad.  Winter is here, the holidays are over and if you are like me, you are a bit thicker around the middle after the excesses of the season. Even more sad, gone are the easy days of slipping into running shoes and heading outdoors

Russia 6, Canada 5

 Two periods into Tuesday night's World Junior semifinal, I had an entire article penned about Canada's catastrophic loss to Russia, about the crossroads Hockey Canada now faced, about how the Russian development model had definitively eclipsed ours. Canada trailed 5-1 after 40 minutes, and Nikita Kucherov added a sixth goal

DVD Review: Dolan’s Cadillac

 Filmed in Saskatchewan, DOLAN’S CADILLAC (2009) had everything going for it: it’s based on a hard-edged crime story by horror master Stephen King; it stars Wes Bentley (American Beauty, Ghost Rider) and Christian Slater (True Romance, Interview with the Vampire); and it features Vancouver-born actress Emmanuelle Vaugier (Saw II, Saw

New Year’s Resolution – Eat Local

 Out with the old, and in with the new! A new year is a great opportunity to consciously start over and do things differently. It should come as no surprise that resolutions are usually centered around health and fitness, but this year, why not try a new kind of diet?

Ottawa Rock Lottery in Review

 “Why have a scene when you can have a community?” This is the Ottawa Rock Lottery’s mantra, one fitting in regards to its latest friendship with the Ottawa International Film Festival (OIFF). Now that 2012 has graced us with its presence, let's look at the last significant film event to take