The Ardennes in Belgium

 Featured Image: Wikipedia The interest in the exploits and sacrifices of Canadian soldiers and other allied veterans on the battlegrounds of Europe is increasing as the veterans of WW2 continue to shrink with each passing year. We wanted to take a trip allowing us to spend a week leisurely travelling

Art Exhibit Showcases Grandeur of Local Environment

 Inspired by nature, award-winning Ottawa artist Margaret Chwialkowska will be featuring her solo exhibition “Gatineau Sublime” at the Galerie Old Chelsea from December 4 to December 31. Ever since Chwialkowska moved to Canada from Poland in 1979, she has been overwhelmed by the natural beauty of North American landscapes. Capturing the magic

How Lt Gen Currie turned the Canadian Corps into a national army

 Ask the average Canadian student about the origins of our nation and you will likely hear about Confederation and how Canada became a country with the passage of the British North American Act (BNA) in 1867. The fact of the matter is this is not actually the case. The BNA

How a National Drug Plan Can Boost the Canadian Economy

 Canadians pay among the highest costs per capita among OECD countries for prescription drugs, with one Canadian out of 10 unable to fill their prescriptions because of financial reasons. According to the recently released study A Roadmap to a Rational Pharmacare Policy in Canada, commissioned by the Canadian Federation of Nurses

Why Canadian Medicare Should Neither ‘Go Dutch’ or ‘to the Dogs’

 Canada’s health care system faced some provocative comparisons recently. First was Sarah Boston’s new book, Lucky Dog, in which she details her personal experience with thyroid cancer and navigating the Canadian health system. Boston, a veterinary oncologist, claims Canadian dogs often have better access to health care than their human

DesignerDIY: Spotlight on Scandinavian Style

 Understanding the key elements of the style being contemplated for any space are just as important as the final selections for that space.  Over the next several weeks, we are going to feature the 9 distinct themes that Bouclair’s newest collection {Atelier Bouclair} boasts.  These styles include Scandinavian, Industrial Chic,

Making Your Dream Vacation a Reality

 Last Wednesday, June 11, Onkar Travels released new brochures available for travel agencies and companies for their new season (October – March). Hosted at Indian restaurant, Aahar on Churchill Avenue, the buffet dinner was delicious before everyone settled in to learn of all the travel opportunities Onkar has to offer.

LutherCountry

 Images: Wikipedia & visit-luther.com Martin Luther, Johann Sebastian Bach, Georg Frideric Handel, writers Goethe and Schiller … all are well-known German cultural icons. However, what is less known, is that they all come from the same general region of Deutschland: the area currently known as LutherCountry. Two states, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia

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

Part Two: Norway Shows Canada a Better Way

 Continued from: Norway Shows Canada a Better Way On the entire issue of environ-ment policy, the Norwegian and Canadians are polar opposites. In Norway, the Cities of the Future project is a collaboration between the government and the 13 largest cities in Norway to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make

Vive la France!

 The best surprise of the Normandy trip was the pleasant drive through the rolling hills and dotted farm houses that encapsulate the entire region. In six days of driving though Normandy we had only one day of overcast skies and rain. Otherwise, it was sunny with not a cloud in

The Coolest Capital in Europe and the German Riviera

 The Germans do it all and have it all. Exceptional in every way, it is no surprise that Germany continues to hold the annual record as one of the world's most visited countries. In fact, it is one of the most educated and economically successful countries in the world. It

Ireland Welcomes You Home

 Your Irish Heritage Is Waiting To Be Discovered. It seemed fitting to take my daughter on a trip to Ireland to explore the land of her paternal ancestors. Thanks to the mild oceanic climate, the south and south west of Ireland are a beautiful lush green carpet peppered with towns,

BELGIUM AND LUXEMBOURG — The Way Life Should Be

 We can learn a lot about life from the Europeans. They take immense pleasure in good food, good wine, friends, family, music, theatre and history. While we appreciate those things here in North America, over there, it's different. We always seem to be in a hurry, wanting things now. In

The Campania Contradiction

 Naples and the Amalfi coast —History and a passion for excellence collide under gaze of Mount Vesuvius As our plane made its final approach over the Sea of Sirens the view of the Neapolitan islands of Capri, Ischia and Procida with their imposing rock faces dotted with cliff-clinging edifices and lush

Jim Watson’s mission: Reverse post-9/11 tourism slump

 Concerned about a "travel deficit" in Canada resulting from the combined impact of terrorist attacks and a stagnant economy in the United States, Jim Watson, president and CEO of the Canadian Tourism Commission, spoke to these concerns in a recent interview with Ottawa Life reporter Hank Reardon. An abridged version

Awakening the giant: The return of Poland

 In this issue of Ottawa Life, we begin the first of a two-part series on Poland. That is to say the new Poland – a country with a most intricate history of war and ideological conflict, but also one of sophisticated art and culture. Polish influence extends to Canada and