Co-Op Students Explore Ottawa Part Two – Justine on Parliament Hill

 All photos courtesy of Alissa Dicaire What would you do if you were a tourist in Ottawa? Ottawa Life Magazine asked our co-op students this question and put them to the test. Each student was asked to pick an area of the city that they wanted to explore for an

Eryn O’Neill Explores Ottawa’s Urban Side

 Above: “Infrastructure” Oil on Canvas by Eryn O'Neill, 30x48, 2015. If someone asked you to describe Ottawa, what would you say? The first images that come to mind might be the canal, Parliament Hill or one of the many museums in this historic city. But Eryn O’Neill had a different idea. O’Neill,

Fair Elections start with an independent Commissioner

 Elections law enforcement starts with a strong Commissioner, who has the independent authority to investigate offences. The Fair Elections Act empowers law enforcement by giving him sharper teeth, a longer reach and a freer hand. Sharper teeth means tougher penalties for existing offences which has received broad support from parliamentarians,

Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Honourable John Baird weighs in on the crisis in Ukraine, strong ties with Israel, growing ties with Kazakhstan and his priorities as the MP for Ottawa West-Nepean

 OLM: Can you comment on your impressions on the Ukraine situation after your visit with members from Canada’s Ukrainian diaspora? My visit to Kyiv was a very sobering one. Just last December, I was in the Maidan speaking with Ukrainians about their aspirations for a better, brighter future, one that

Man’s Best Friend and Life Saver: Relieving the Symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder with Service Dogs

 PHOTO CREDIT: Sylvain Chartrand The bridge was high enough with sharp rocks beneath that ensured death would be imminent.  He carefully tucked his suicide note between the lamp and photo frame next to his friend’s favourite TV chair and headed out into the bitter night towards the bridge that he envisioned would

The Blue Story of the Ottawa River

 As I travel the Ottawa River, I can't help but be impressed with its magnificent diversification. Every turn in the waterway brings a rich new experience. Along the shoreline are subtle signs of those who came before us, and in the tranquility of early morning one can almost hear the

No More Mudslinging: Deeper Focus on Accountability Needed on the Hill

  Senate spending scandals shouldn’t be an excuse for pointing fingers, but an opportunity to improve accountability across the board in the Canadian government.  The latest investigations into the expenses of Conservative and Liberal Senators Mike Duffy, Patrick Brazeau, Mac Harb and Pamela Wallin, have proven troubling. After being reviewed by

Democracy Watch Unloads on Harper Government for Chronic Lack of Accountability in Series of Cover-ups

 According to Democracy Watch, "biased, lapdog investigations mean cover-up of Senate scandal most likely outcome and public inquiry will be needed – Wright, Duffy should be found guilty of violating ethics rules, and possibly other laws "Ethics Commissioner has covered up twice already for Nigel Wright, Senate Ethics Officer is

Fire on the Hill: A Canadian historical suspense novel by Frank Rockland

 Discover what really happened on the night of February 3, 1916, when a suspicious fire destroyed the centre block of the Canadian Parliament Buildings. On tours of the Center Block of the Parliament buildings, guides explain that the previous building was destroyed by a fire on the night of February 3,

Andrew Cash: Not Your Typical Member of Parliament

 Andrew Cash, New Democratic Party Member of Parliament for Toronto-Davenport, serves as the deputy critic for Canadian Heritage and sits on the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, but he is unlike many of his predecessors who have held this position in the past. Prior to his running for public office

Power Shift Returns to Ottawa

 Power Shift represents a series of annual youth summits on an international level.The first Power Shift was held in 2007 in Washington, D.C., where over 20,000 young Americans gathered together outside their nation’s capital to promote environmentalism and lobby for government action to combat global climate change. Since then, the

Farmers In Crisis: While the Provincial and Federal Government Argue – Farmers Pay the Price

 Ontario's leading agricultural agencies recently signed a joint letter to Ontario Agriculture Minister, The Hon. Carol Mitchell, expressing their concern that the McGuinty government and the federal government do not have a strong enough sense of urgency about Ontario agriculture. "We are living the crisis every day on our farms

Mr. Immigration Minister, It’s Getting Heavy: An Open Letter to Jason Kenney From Lainie Towell

 Dear Honourable Jason Kenney,   I wanted to thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to appear on CTV's Canada AM, to discuss immigration/marriage fraud. After I spoke on Canada AM about my fraudulent ex-husband who misrepresented himself to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA )and

Innovation in Canada’s Science and Technology Sector: Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s New Strategy

 Governments do not create prosperity. It's created by business and the best thing government can do is mitigate any unnecessary interference with companies as they do their business. Canada has the world's fifth-largest aerospace industry with world-beating companies, such as Bombardier and CAE, and with the workhorse of NASA —

Is this the end of the Prince of Wales Railway Bridge?

 I fear for the future of the Prince of Wales railway bridge that crosses the Ottawa River a mile upstream from Parliament Hill. You've probably seen and admired it many times, without knowing its name. Just a short walk from the new Canadian War Museum, the old railway bridge crosses

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

The master plan for the growth — A Plan for the Capital

 By Katharine Fletcher Capital cities are fortunate entities. Their unique role is to symbolize a people's concept of nationhood. As such, they present particular challenges to planners. Ottawa is no exception. Does Ottawa and the National Capital Region (NCR) embody a sense of Canadian-ness? Marcel Beaudry, chairman of the National

Heroes betrayed —The Merchant Seamen story

 By Cliff Chadderton It is mid-January of 1940 in "an East Canadian port." Canada is at war. The recruiting offices are open. You see a poster of a soldier in a tin hat. You recall the slaughter of the trenches in Flanders in World War I and mutter: "No thanks."

Ottawa’s grand boulevard: Vision or nightmare

 By Jeannie Dempster In the mid-1800s, Parisian architects redesigned the entire city, replacing the twisty medieval streets with long, wide boulevards. Given the many violent uprisings of that era, the military favored the new roads, for they provided a much better view down the gun barrel at the angry mobs storming