Escape to Mont Tremblant

 If you ask me, January and February are the hardest months of the year to get through. Not only is all the hype from the holidays over, but the snow and slush on the roads make getting around town a huge headache! I have experienced my fair share of winters in

Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame Profile: J.P. Parisé

 J.P. Parisé: Athlete, Ice Hockey Imagine being 16-years-old and recruited by the NHL. This is a dream for many young hockey players. Amazingly, for J.P. Parisé, it was reality. Parisé began his NHL career with the Boston Bruins and then played for the Minnesota North Stars, Toronto Maple Leafs, New

Sarah MacDougall: poetic songs from Canada’s North

 Canada’s own northern star is shining bright from the humble community of Whitehorse, Yukon. Nestled within the magnificent landscape and vibrant cosmopolitan lifestyle of the city is singer-songwriter Sarah MacDougall. She is gearing up to release her new album Grand Canyon. “I am excited to share it with the world,”

Devastating Indifference

 Featured Image: nabanews.net Andrew White speaks slowly and deliberately, partly the result of his thoughtfulness but also due to the ravages of his multiple sclerosis. “The bounty on my head has gone up recently, to around $70 million”, he says. “I’ve thought of finding someone to carry it out, as long

Five challenges for bending the health care cost curve in Canada

 By Greg Marchildon and Livio Di Matteo Why health reform remains a challenge Canadian economists received a pleasant surprise this year: expenditure growth on public healthcare in Canada finally appears to be slowing down. However, it is unclear if this slowdown is the result of explicit success in sustainably bending the cost-curve

Canada eyes Kazakhstan as a top priority market

 On December 16, folk festivals, parades, displays of traditional food and fireworks took over many cities across Kazakhstan. Cheering crowds flooded main streets to celebrate the country’s 23rd birthday. In connection with Kazakhstan's Independence Day, prominent Canadian politicians and members of the business community shared their experiences of working with

The 2015 Federal Election is a chance to put the disastrous Harper era behind us

 ABOVE: The Conservative Party led by Stephen Harper won a majority in the 2011 federal election. (PHOTO: CBC) By Paul R. Meinema After nine years of scandals and cynical policies from Stephen Harper's Conservative government, it is clear that Canadian voters have grown weary of the Conservatives' ideological, secretive, and

Take a stroll in Moss Park

 Photo: Mark Halliday Any play by Canadian playwright George F. Walker is a satisfying theatre experience. Sometimes disturbing, funny, moving or sad—sometimes all at the same time. Walker’s work is always thought provoking and entertaining. Last year, the Great Canadian Theatre Company’s season included the hilariously brilliant moral-questioning Walker comedy,

Why ISIS and its friends must be opposed

 On the eve of the outbreak of the Second World War, and even for a while in its early stages, many in Canada were opposed to going to war. While amongst them, there were a few proto-Nazis and Nazi sympathizers, the vast majority were merely isolationists, pacifists and some on

Lingering legal wars of the officially recognized Métis Nation

 While Canada has made headway in addressing injustices of First Nation groups, it has largely overlooked the rights of Métis - another significantly large Aboriginal population. The Métis have been tossed back and forth between federal and provincial governments, each disputing its jurisdictional responsibility to deal with them as a

Heartburn: is medication your right option?

 Paul is a policy analyst working for the Government of Canada in Ottawa. With recent cut backs in his department his work load has been significantly higher over the last two years. About six months ago he began to notice what he described as heartburn. At first it was mild

The Strumbellas on music, tour life and making it big

 Photo credit: Heather Pollock “I know I’m supposed to say my favourite part of being on tour is meeting the fans,” says the Strumbellas frontman Simon Ward. “But really it’s trying all the different food from everywhere we travel.” If I wasn’t a fan of the Strumbellas before, you can bet

Older adults living with mental illness need specialized housing

 New Calgary report warns more homeless seniors a real possibility By Pat Cashion and Lee Tunstall Older adults living with mental illness often face a double stigma in our society—both from aging and from mental illness. They are some of the most invisible and most vulnerable individuals in our communities,

Improving safety—the mainstay of the pipeline industry

 Pipelines are a safe and efficient means of transporting large quantities of energy sources and fuels. These liquids and gases need to be kept in controlled conditions to ensure they do not pose any risk to the public and the environment. That’s why safety is the top priority for the

Curtain Call

 Enriching lives through the magic of theatre, Phoenix Players is a registered charity dedicated to bringing high-quality, affordable entertainment to Ottawa communities. It has been a long journey to success for Phoenix Players. In 2001, the initial founders were motivated by their passion for theatre and wanted to improve the

Publisher’s Message: Wrong

 In January 2013, Ottawa Life Magazine featured Kathleen Wynne on its cover with the headline A Few Good Women. Wynne was running for the provincial Liberal leadership which she would end up winning later that month. Today, she is Ontario’s first female Premier and the first openly gay Premier in

Why Does Canada do so Poorly on Children’s Health Rankings?

 Studies show early childhood education and family supports yield excellent return on investment. Something is amiss in Canada. A 2014 UNICEF report compared the health and development of children in Canada with 28 other wealthy nations. In spite of being a G8 country, Canada’s children rank number 17th, a status

Why One of Canada’s Big Banks is Calling for Greater Income Equality

 Studies finds public investments in childhood education, health and affordable housing good for the economy. A moneylender sees the light, discovering a spirit of giving and generosity. It’s a classic Christmas tale of redemption – and redistribution ­­– but this year the convert in question appears to be one of

It’s Time to Include Dental Health in the Healthcare System

 Canada’s most vulnerable populations have the highest rates of dental pain, decay, disease and the worst access to care. There are many reasons why some Canadians choose not to go to the dentist, but a new report released recently from the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS) found that cost

Oil: A High-Stakes Game of Chance

 Popular wisdom has it that the only certainty in life is death and taxes. Until a few short months ago, most economists, politicians, political pundits and journalists would have added to that short list a perpetual increase in the price of oil. But, in today’s interconnected world, much can happen

Chiu, Maas Tasked with Improving Redblacks

 Jason Maas fields questions at a press conference. Photo credit: Lucy Scholey/Metro The Ottawa Redblacks will assign the arduous task of improving their offence on the respective shoulders of Bryan Chiu and Jason Maas. Chiu, who was hired as the team’s new offensive line coach on Dec. 23, held the

How Healthcare is Rationed Differently in Canada and the United States

 No country can afford to give every citizen every healthcare services. By Trudy Lieberman As an American journalist sitting in a Toronto coffee bar, I began chatting--as I often do in another country--with people about their healthcare system. One employee taking people's orders was about to go off duty and

New Hospital Funding Model is a Leap of Faith

 Activity-based funding may discharge patients from hospital ‘quicker but sicker’ Most Canadians probably don’t realize that health care in Canada is quietly undergoing a major transformation in funding that could significantly impact patients.  Three provinces—Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia—are implementing a new funding model for hospitals and other provinces are

Ontario Spends More than $11 billion a Year on Prescription Drugs

 Why an income-based drug plan would not be good for Ontario’s economy or its seniors Ontario spends $11 billion per year on prescription drugs. Nearly half of this is spent on medicines used by senior citizens, a group that receives public subsidies for nearly all of their prescription drug costs

Preventing Radicalization: Two-Decade Social Experiment

 The Assembly of Nations unites all 140 nationalities living in Kazakhstan to promote cooperation and to give them political voice. Nine representatives of the Assembly are elected to the legislative chamber of the Parliament. On Wednesday, October 22, Ottawa woke-up to the sounds of shooting coming from Parliament Hill, the