Features
Ottawa residents want change, but voter turnout remains low for municipal elections
Less than a year remains before Ottawa residents head to the polls and cast their ballots in the October 2022 municipal election. Between the string of LRT service interruptions, increases to police funding despite demands to defund and concerns of developer influence, there is growing dissatisfaction among residents who feel their concerns are ignored by the city council.
Starting small: How young entrepreneurs are realizing their business dreams during the pandemic
MacKenzie and Samson are among some of the young entrepreneurs who seized the pandemic as an opportunity to turn their business dreams into reality. But these endeavours are not without their challenges.
Plant parenting: Plant care grows in popularity during the pandemic
Plant care has been on the rise amongst Millennials and Gen Z since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020. Amid pandemic lockdowns, Ottawans flocked to open garden centres to fill their homes with nature. Now, over a year and a half into the pandemic, the growing trend shows no signs of stopping as people turn caring for plants into self-care.
Is polyamory the new marriage?
Twenty-somethings are ditching traditional relationship customs in place of polyamory and no one is talking about it. 1 in 5 Canadians have been involved in a consensual non-monogamous relationship yet the idea surrounding having multiple partners continues to be taboo amongst older generations. Boomers can learn a thing or two from young people who are choosing openness and honesty over infidelity and divorce.
Ottawa’s food banks see rising poverty problem first-hand
Ottawa has many hungry people, and food banks are a support source of last resource for some of them. Hunger already affected some of the most disadvantaged individuals in Ottawa, and economic precarity and skyrocketing costs of living brought about by the pandemic dramatically worsened the situation. Food banks have found themselves on the frontline of Ottawa’s increasing poverty problem, and the coming winter promises to be tough.
Fans flocking back to mid-sized concert halls a welcome sight for artists, owners
Mid-sized concert halls play a unique role in the live music ecosystem, but they are a struggling segment of a battered business. Industry leaders, however, are hopeful that with a bit of help, it won’t be long before fans can ride the rail in the front row.
In with the new: How young people are leading the fibre art revolution
The pandemic provided many young people with the time and resources to discover and pursue new hobbies. Knitting and crocheting, two activities generally associated with an older generation, became the source of many viral trends and provided much needed relief from the stress of the pandemic. As a result, social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram quickly turned into hubs of creativity.
Tipping culture: Where do we go from here once minimum wage increases for liquor servers?
Liquor servers, who currently earn $12.55 an hour, will soon be making $15 an hour. As wages and the cost of living in Ontario go up, people in the hospitality industry – everyone from consumers to experts – wonder what the future of tipping entails.
Inside Ottawa’s restaurants: How Instagram is changing the business
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an influx of Ottawa bloggers who are flocking to Instagram to post about local restaurants. Social media influencers are changing the dynamics of local businesses and more importantly, the future outlook of social media as a marketing tool.
With Parliament returning, young members of a defeated Green Party grapple with its racism and transphobia problem
In a year that saw the hottest temperatures in Canadian history, and record-breaking floods this week in B.C., the Sept. 20 federal election provided an opportunity for the Green Party. But two months later, the Greens are arriving in Ottawa without a leader and with a host of internal issues that has many supporters wondering how the party can rebuild itself.