Shaw Rocket Prize Awarded by Kids for Kids

 All photos by Andre Gagne. On Wednesday night the Shaw Rocket Fund held its annual evening of kid friendly revelry at the Shaw Centre to announce the winners for the Shaw Rocket Prize. A champion for children and youth, the not-for-profit Shaw Rocket Fund, invests in quality Canadian children’s programming

Rare insights into campaign war rooms – an Ottawa must read

 There are more civil servants than politicians and journalists in Ottawa, but increasingly, and of necessity, allegedly neutral government employees are political players, their lives often turned around by the incoming government’s new policies and priorities. They will find veteran campaign manager John Laschinger’s new book, Campaign Confessions, Tales from the

Navigating the Rough Waters with Chantal Kreviazuk

 Two mothers share a piano bench, one is a two-time Juno Award winner and member of the Order of Canada, the other is an activist, former television host and spouse of the Prime Minister. Both are beautifully butchering John Denver’s “Leaving on a Jet Plane” like there wasn’t a captive

Ottawa Vanier MP Mauril Bélanger – May A Son Of Ottawa Rest In Peace

 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued the following statement after learning of the death of Member of Parliament Mauril Bélanger. “I was incredibly saddened to learn today of the death of my friend and colleague Mauril Bélanger. On behalf of all Canadians, Sophie and I offer our deepest condolences to his

Ottawa to Host Grey Cup for Birthday Celebrations

 CFL Commissioner Jeff Orridge, Redblacks ownership Jeff Hunt and Mayor Jim Watson pose with the cup. The Grey Cup is coming to Ottawa. In an on-field announcement Sunday the CFL officially told fans that the city will be hosting the 2017 Grey Cup. The game is the newest addition in

Capitals Thoughts From Someone Who Has Lived And Worked In Both

 One big difference between Ottawa and Washington DC is that the wicked House of Cards fourth season is the stuff of binge watching in the capital of the most powerful nation on earth — to the point where the plot’s twists are fully outlined in advance in The Washingtonian —

Society Salon Celebrates Grand Opening

 The newest blow dry bar and salon to come to downtown Ottawa celebrated their grand opening in front of city officials, longstanding clientele and friends on Tuesday. Standing outside the Sparks Street location, Society Salon owner Stefania Capovilla unveiled the new blow dry bar featuring two blow dry chairs and

Budget Day 2016

 Ever wish you were a journalist working on Parliament Hill? In the slideshow below, celebrated photographer Jean-Marc Carisse captures the excitement of Budget Day 2016. [wzslider height="600" transition="'slide'"]

A Revolution in Political Communications

 It’s a safe bet that the large numbers of younger Canadians among the 3 million new voters who cast ballots in the last election did not open a paper or watch TV news to get their political information. This is the internet, mobile phone and social media generation, and they

A Great Time To Be Alive with Megaphono Round Two

 All photos by Andre Gagne.  “What a great time to be alive,” says Amanda Lowe as she strums a few notes on her guitar. If you are a music fan in Ottawa this week, those words couldn’t be more true. Lowe was taking the stage in the aptly named Pressed

Toward a True Health Accord

 By Ryan Meili This week Canada's Minister of Health, Dr. Jane Philpott, will meet with her provincial and territorial counterparts in Vancouver. This is no ordinary get-together. In his letter to the Minister, Prime Minister Trudeau tasked Philpott with "engaging provinces and territories in the development of a new, multi-year Health Accord

Dear Health Minister – Please Reinstate Funding for Cochrane Canada

 Cochrane is a key global healthcare resource that needs Canada’s involvement Imagine you’re our new Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau. Despite a grueling election campaign, you’re flush with energy and idealism in a country where “better is always possible.” One key priority is improving Canada’s prosperity but there are also many

Five Quick-Wins for Trudeau’s First Day in Office

 Photo by Jean-Marc Carisse While it takes time for a new prime minister to translate campaign rhetoric into effective policies, there are at least five quick-wins that Justin Trudeau can achieve on his very first day in office. All five can be implemented in a few minutes through simple orders-in-council

Why the Federal Government Needs to Keep its Promise to End Income-Splitting

 Children’s Health More About Good Social Policy than Medicine Alone. More of Canada’s children are living in poverty than ever before. A new report reveals that child poverty rates in Canada remain unconscionably high. Almost one-third of children in Toronto live in low-income households. Population measures of child health in Canada are also troubling,

Liberals Have Plenty of Talent to Make Up Gender-Balanced Cabinet

 Photo by Jean-Marc Carisse. Justin Trudeau promises to have gender parity in his cabinet. He announced that in his Democracy package back in June and, when asked about this on the weekend, he reaffirmed his position. So who are the women who could make up his cabinet? In a 30-member cabinet, Trudeau

Spur Celebrates Politics, Art and Ideas

 Photo by Beibei Lu As the fervour surrounding the election wanes and Ottawa adjusts to new leadership on the Hill, the air is rife with a variety of questions raised in October: From the local: How is it that in a city and country as wealthy as this one, more

Back to the Future

 Photo by Jean-Marc Carisse. Last night Liberal leader Justin Trudeau won a majority government in a historically long three-way race. Moving into his father's old house, Trudeau has created what many are calling Canada's first political dynasty. The Liberals swept across Atlantic Canada early on, taking every available seat in

What You Need to Know About the Election

 On your marks, get set, go! The race is on. The federal election to determine Canada’s 42nd parliament and leader has begun. Set to end with the October 19 election, this campaign will be the longest in over a century (since 1872), running for a full 78 days. In Canada,

The Métis — Ignored No Longer

 There are emerging signs that the Federal Government is finaly recognizing Métis land claims. The people of the Métis Nation number 350,000 who are spread across much of Canada and some of the northwestern U.S.A. The definition of the members of the Métis Nation put forward by the Métis National

Putting Healthcare on the Federal Election Agenda

 A federal election could be called any time in the next few months, judging by the media coverage and the ramping up of political activity. Many issues have been crowding into the media headlines in anticipation of the election -- but with a notable absence of any consideration of healthcare

Pipeline Construction – The Federal Stance

 Energy exports, particularly oil and gas, are a key pillar of the Canadian economy, support hundreds of thousands of jobs in Canada and provide great wealth to the nation. With the 2015 Federal election just around the corner, Canadians are focused now more than ever on the three major federal

Political Power Brokers of the National Capital Region

 "It would not take long for a future tax-and-spend government to imperil the economic stability Canada enjoys": An Interview with Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre (Nepean-Carleton) As told to Harvey F. Chartrand Pierre Poilievre is the 34-year-old Minister of State (Democratic Reform) and four-term Conservative Member of Parliament for Nepean-Carleton. After

“Look at me, not my chair”

 Peter Mackay, Justin Trudeau and Martha Hall-Finley participating in Chair-Leaders, a nationwide campaign with events taking place all across Canada. Life isn’t easy for people living with spinal cord injuries. One of the main issues has been and remains to be their mobility. Several things in today’s society make it harder for

Back to the Future: The Fall and Possible Rise of the Liberal Party of Canada

 By Dan Donovan and Simon Vodrey It has come down to this. On Election Night, May 2011, the once great Liberal Party of Canada was pummeled. It seemed unbelievable that the “Natural Governing Party of Canada” had fallen from grace with a loud thud, placing third in the polls, unable

The Legacy Conference opens doors for Generation Y

 On Saturday, November 17, The Legacy Conference will be held at Ottawa’s National Arts Centre. The Legacy Conference is a meeting of like-minded individuals dedicated to creating open dialogue about the worlds of entrepreneurship and business. The conference is aimed at Generation Y in order to give these young people