Piecing Together the Abstract

 Photos by Alex Mazur. Have you ever let your mind wander while watching passing clouds floating through the sky? Suddenly those white wisps look like a sailboat, or that fluffy cloud looks unmistakably like a cuddly bunny. This psychological phenomenon is called pareidolia, an instance where the mind recognizes familiar

How to Reign in the Excessive Costs of Policing

 Photo by Darryl T. Davies. While it’s a good thing that the major players involved in policing in this city have agreed to work out their internal problems there are important issues that need to be addressed.  First and foremost is the question of who exactly rules the police?  In

A Trainload of Memories

 All photos by David Eisenstadt. Raised in Calgary, I visited Banff year ‘round, travelled by car through the Rogers Pass and saw much of BC’s interior. I never travelled there by train. That changed when my wife Rhoda and I discovered the Rocky Mountaineer and their various routes through the

Why it’s Never too Late for Low Income Canadians to File Their Taxes

 Those earning $40,000 a year or less may be eligible for a range of benefits. Most Canadians would like to see an end to poverty.  What if we told you that one organization, using the existing social benefits system, found a way to get $21 million into the pockets of

Cloudy with a Chance of Design

 It is a bit overcast in Miami today, perfect day to mooch about in the Design District. I popped by for a cappuccino with my friend and designer extraordinaire at Tui Lifestyle. I absolutely love Tui’s take on furnishings… Miami modern chic meets warm inviting home. I could spend endless

Fiery Folk: Union Duke Lights Up the Blacksheep Inn

 Matt Warry-Smith, a member of the Toronto band, Union Duke, has a tattoo on his leg of the words “Keep Music Evil” that’s visible below the cut off point of his Bermuda shorts. The audacity of the phrase, coined by Anton Newcombe, epitomizes the band’s fresh and furious take on

When is Police Use of Force Justified?

 I am a seventh generation Black Canadian. I was also a police officer for 36 years. I have worked in a city, rural, and federal environment. The growth of the Black Lives Matter movement has come out of the lack of information, accountability, and racist behavior by some individual police officers.

Chinese Investors Remain Confident about Canadian Market

 I. Chinese Investment in Canada Continues to Grow. Canada has been one of China’s favourite global destinations for investment in recent years. China’s Ministry of Commerce statistics shows that China’s non-financial outbound direct investment (ODI) rose 14.7 per cent year-on-year to a historic high of US$118.02 billion in 2015. This

A Woman Judge’s Season of Disillusion

 Below is an excerpt from January: A Woman Judge’s Season of Disillusion by Marie Corbett. January is the story of Corbett’s personal and professional lives becoming painfully entangled. Facing a number of important trials while trying to comfort an ailing friend, Corbett must find an answer to questions she’d never

Ontario Offers Free Legal Advice for Survivors of Sexual Assault

 One in three women and one in six men experience some form of sexual assault in their lives. Knowing that this is a struggle many Canadians endure, the Ontario government has come up with a way to help survivors take their first steps forward in the aftermath of assault. Ontario

Sleeman #RailsideReps are Living the Dream

 Many Canadians dream about going on a cross-country tour by rail. Leaning back against a comfy seat and watching lakes, rivers and, eventually, mountains pass by while the nostalgic clank of the rails rattles beneath you sounds like a great way to see the country. But even in their wildest

With a Song in My Head

 Moviegoers of yesteryear may remember the classic film With A Song In My Heart. I remember this flick and the actress Susan Hayward who jumps off the screen in my mind. However, what’s really going on in my mind since mid-October 2015, I’ve come to call With A Song In

A sneak peek at the Milton Shoe Company

 We've got a little secret for you. If you're looking to put the right foot forward into your next business venture, or you've always wanted to walk a mile in the shoes of great movers and shakers (and just plain stylish men), but never had the funds to do so...now is

Inner City Children’s Vision Is Being Left Behind

 Why Ontario needs a universal vision screening program for preschool children By Anand Bery and Wynn Peterson We can remember many of them, leaning forward, almost off their tiny kindergarten-sized chairs, squinting with one eye to try and make out a rather large 'H’ or ‘O’ on a chart across

Slideshow: CanWNT Beats Brazil at TD Place

 During last night's 'Road to Rio' match in the TD Place,  Canada's Women's National Soccer Team swept Brazil with a penalty-time goal that ended the match 1-0. Ottawa's face-off was a chance for the Canadian team to even the score with Brazil after the yellow-clad team beat the Canadians 2-0

A Musical Farewell with Oliver Jones

 Photos by Andre Gagne and supplied by the National Arts Centre. Oscar Peterson watches the sun set from the corner, his piano by his side. A swinging melody plays from above as a couple hurriedly approaches. “I hear he plays just like him,” the woman says, jutting her thumb towards

Guantanamo’s Child: Omar Khadr

 Focusing on one of Canada’s most controversial cases, Guantanamo’s Child is a documentary which tells the story of Omar Khadr, a Toronto-born Canadian citizen who was captured in Afghanistan by American forces in 2002 and convicted of war crimes at the age of 15. After spending a decade behind bars

Four Amazing Canadians that Make us Proud

 Not all symbols of national greatness come in the form of the tallest skyscraper, a country's economic standing or its position in global rankings. Sometimes national greatness is achieved by something as small as one individual. Canada has many reasons to be proud of its celebrities, and here are just a few

Turkish Canadian Community Raises Money for CHEO

 On Saturday April 23, distinguished guests gathered to celebrate Turkish National Sovereignty and International Children’s Day at a fundraising gala organized by the Turkish Cultural Canadian Association (TCCA), the proceeds of which will be donated to the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO). This yearly event, organized by the Turkish

Under the Influence with Philip Sayce

 Imagine, if you will, growing up on a musical diet cooked up by you parents' record collection. The needle drops and Stevie Ray Vaughan, Hendrix and BB King, legends of guitar, write the script of your youthful fantasies of one day, just maybe, you would play even a slice of

Lighting Up Acoustics With ‘Midnight Machines’

 Stripped-down, raw music is what Canadian singer-songwriter Lights was aiming for with her newest album Midnight Machines. Released on April 8, it features eight acoustic tracks. Six of them are from Little Machines, her last record which won the Juno Award for Pop Album of The Year in 2015. Lights

The Ottawa Baby Show: What I Learned, What I Saw, What I Wish I’d Known!

 Whether you’re thinking about having a baby, are a first time parent or on your second kid and counting, the Baby Show at the EY Centre offered something for everyone. You know you’re in the right place when the first thing you see as you step inside the Baby Show

The Many Journeys of Laila Biali

 “Intense focus on the verge of chaos at all times,” says Laila Biali on how her new album House Of Many Rooms began its journey in the studio. With a full choir steeped in gospel grace, a 15-piece string section, one wailing sax solo and tonal shifts accentuating a more

A Corporate Stay is a Cozy Stay

 Whether you're travelling for business or for pleasure, homesickness is out of the picture with Corporate Stays. With multiple options in every major Canadian city, as well as locations in NYC, Miami, Mexico, Europe and South America, a Corporate Stay’s executive apartment provides you and your family with a comfortable, luxuriously furnished and

Boobyball Giveaway: 2 Tickets to Canada’s most out-of-this-world fundraiser

 The final countdown is on for Ottawa’s first Boobyball fundraiser in support of Rethink Breast Cancer. This years event, Planet Booby, is one of the most coveted and high profile fundraising events and will take over Ottawa on Friday, November 13th beginning at 8PM. Fashion Editor, Alexandra Gunn has tickets