ASK ALEX: Trend Report

 Q: What three items should I add to my wardrobe this season? A: Be bright, be bold and stand out in the cold! Invest in some quality winter accessories that will make a fashion statement and function to keep you cozy. Modern updates can make over an entire look and accessories are a

Rural Rant: Eating Safe Beef

 Listening to recent news reports about recalled meat products makes one wonder: is it possible to buy safe beef? Yes. Well, pretty much. Nothing is perfectly safe. But there are ways to reduce the risks for the consumer and for the industry. First, it’s important to recognize where the problems arise—and it’s not

Dining that rises above

 At the NAV CENTRE, there is something for every taste when it comes to dining. The NAV CENTRE recently opened The Propeller, a licensed buffet restaurant with an aviation theme that includes three aptly named seating sections: North Runway, South Runway and the Tower – each with a view of

‘Tis the Season for HOT OTTAWA FINDS!

           This holiday season is all about local shops. Give a gift that’s one of a kind! Check out these great looks and more at BGGO Boutique and Unique Accessories. All Clothing from BGGO Boutique in Ottawa's Glebe. www.bggo.ca HATS AND ACCESSORIES: Unique Accessories in the

Rare artifacts reveal the real meaning of Haiti’s Vodou tradition

 A powerful new exhibition at the Canadian Museum of Civilization (CMC) brings to Canada, for the first time, over 300 objects from one of the world’s most important collections of Vodou artifacts. (“Vodou” is the new politically correct word for “voodoo”.) Vodou, which runs from November 15, 2012 all the

Real Sports Bar & Grill Grand Opening: The Ottawa Chapter

 Now open in Ottawa is the second Real Sports Bar & Grill in all of Canada. It is similar to the one in Toronto but has its very own elements of excellence. The opening night celebration started at 8pm on Thursday, November 15. The 14,000-square-foot sports bar was packed. Located

Healthwise: Maintaining your Health over the Holidays

 We all know that the holidays are approaching fast. It is easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of social commitments and to-do lists. However, maintaining our mental and physical health this season is critical. It is sometimes easier to sacrifice healthy food choices, adequate sleep and relaxation in

Conference and meeting venue delivers extraordinary value close to Ottawa

 It's event planning season in Eastern Ontario and the largest conference and meeting venue in the region is gearing up to make sure everyone leaves a winner — especially those who make events happen. Situated on the scenic banks of the St. Lawrence River in Cornwall, the NAV CENTRE is

Time to Refine? Should Canada Refine its Own Oil?

 By Anna May Burke For decades, Canada has worried about its image abroad as a country that merely exploits its precious natural resources, exporting its raw commodities. And yet, at the same time, going back at least to Premier Peter Lougheed days in Alberta in the 1970s, there has also

Capital Clips – He Does Design

 Tim Sherstyuk took an Ontario Summer Company grant for a driveway sealing business and turned it into a web design agency. Confused? It goes like this. His driveway business needed an online presence and, while creating it himself, he realized his real gift was generating on-line traffic. Tim describes Elonta

CANADIAN RAILWAYS: Assisting Canada’s Environmental Performance

 Canada’s railways run an average of 1,100 passenger and goods trains every day, often over some of the world's most rugged terrain and in some of the world’s worst weather conditions. Canada’s railways have the best safety record in North America and provide by far the safest means of ground

Professional Incorporation: Are you taking full advantage?

 By Kash Pashootan Many self-managed professionals are already reaping the benefits of professional incorporation. When you incorporate, significant tax advantages, retirement planning, and estate planning opportunities become available. Prior to incorporating, it’s important to weigh the benefits and attributes, as well as consider the specific rules that govern your profession

Insightful Reading on Urban Sustainability

 The University of Toronto Press has published Urban Sustainability: Reconnecting Space & Place, edited by Ann Dale, William T. Dushenko and Pamela Robinson. Given ongoing concerns about global climate change and its environmental and economic impacts, the need for urban sustainability has never been greater. Urban Sustainability: Reconnecting Space &

Something “Completely Yummy”: 2011 Montes Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon

 I’m going back to Chile for the second week in a row and once you put your lips on a glass of this wine, you’ll realize why I am recommending it. You see, just recently in Toronto, the Chileans came to town and held their annual Grand Tasting, which they call Discover

A Successful Legacy

 The third annual Legacy Conference was held on November 17 at the National Arts Centre. The conference was organized by volunteer students from both uOttawa and Carleton University in an effort to give young people in Ottawa a chance to learn about and discuss changes and challenges in the worlds of business and

Putting the “Science” in “Science Fiction” – Electro

 Maxwell Dillon is a criminal from the Marvel Universe who took the name Electro after he gained the ability to manipulate electricity. The villain can generate electricity within his body and use it to shock his victims by touch, launch bolts of lightning and control machinery. Electro has used his powers to fight

Paul Brandt – Getting back to his gospel roots

 Paul Brandt's newest record Just As I Am, released in October, is an interesting departure for this Canadian country star and multi-music-award winner. Just As I Am is a reference to Brandt's gospel roots, and the record is a collection of traditional favorites. If you're not interested in an album with overt Christian

Accreditation improves the quality of Health Care: Collaborating on Quality

 By Wendy Nicklin Discussions about health care often feel like a stalled conversation; they frequently focus on lagging wait times, meeting the needs of an aging population, and working with limited resources. With these and so many other challenges, it is not always evident to the public that within health

Mother Mother: Back to Basics on The Sticks

 At the peak of digital possibility, for every one artist capitalizing on the technology age, two are cursing its contribution to the demise of good music. For every Rebecca Black, there is a Neil Young – an established artist there to remind us that it didn’t used to be all

A ”Less Is More” Approach to Canadian Health Care: Reformulating the Canada Health Transfer

  Change has come to Canada’s health-care funding model. In December 2011, federal Minister of Finance Jim Flaherty announced that the Canada Health Transfer (CHT) – the legislative vehicle through which much of the funding (some $29 billion for the 2012-2013 period alone) for Canada’s provincial and territorial health-care systems is

Eating Healthy, Seeing Great!

 By  Dr. Thomas A. Noel There’s an old saying: you are what you eat. This proverb is closer to the truth than we might expect, even in the context of, believe it or not, your sight. The eye has a very thin tissue called the retina which helps us see. The

Crazy for Condos in Canada’s Capital City!

 Take a look around our city. Condos are sprouting up everywhere,  rejuvenating older, traditional neighbourhoods and filling in vacant lots. New condo sites will forever change a district’s character – specialty retailers, exotic or down-home eateries and unique hole-in-the-wall attractions that are emblematic of an area’s particular ambience and style

Capital Clips – Ottawa’s Randy Shaughnessy named Photographic Artist of the Year

 Ottawa-based photographer Randy Shaughnessy has received the award for the Ontario Photographic Artist of the Year at the 2012 Annual Awards Banquet of the Professional Photographers of Canada – Ontario (PPOC-ON). Randy also received an award for Best in Class in the Animal-Wild/Domestic Category. The noted photographer is an accredited

Political Advice from 1929 Holds True in 2012: America Votes to Uphold the Status Quo

 Shortly before Republican Herbert Hoover was inaugurated as the 31st president of the United States of America on March 4, 1929,former Republican president Calvin Coolidge offered him some helpful advice. He told President-Elect Hoover that: “If you don’t say anything, you won’t be called on to repeat it.” Eighty-three years

Who’s Responsible for the Health of Canada’s Health Care System

 “Our health outcomes, with a few exceptions, are among the best in the world and a strong majority of Canadians who use the system are highly satisfied with the quality and standard of care they receive. Medicare has consistently delivered affordable, timely, accessible and high-quality care to the overwhelming majority