• The music issue
• Who’s got buzz?
• A guide to the upstarts and innovators of capital city
• In the clubs with Prescott and Sound of Lions
• The hip-hop hypsters
• The Peptides preach high drama
See the editor’s letter and a full table of contents below.
Letter from the Editor
The end of the year should be a time of reflection; a time to take stock. Maybe pause for just a moment in all that December running around to think about how the year went. Most of us would agree we have it pretty good.
To our south in Haiti very few residents could make that pronouncement — if they even found time for reflection amid their daily hardships. It was one year ago, on January 12, 2010, that a massive earthquake struck off the western coast of the island, demolishing the capital of Port au Prince and killing over 200,000 people. A year later, the city remains dangerous and chaotic, with 1,000,000 residents still living in temporary shelters and tents.
With such staggering numbers, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and impotent to help. But one local Haitian-Canadian has refused to give in to despair. A director-general with Health Canada, Gérard Étienne has been working feverishly since the quake struck to reunite Haitian refugees with family members in Canada. Writer Judy Trinh sat down with Étienne to find out how he keeps up the pace. She also met one very special little boy who was living on the streets in Haiti until Étienne managed to reunite him with his mother in Ottawa.
Speaking of what’s really important in life, what better time than December to pay homage to that storied Canadian tradition: the outdoor rink? Writer Jamieson Findlay and photographer Harry Nowell teamed up, laced up their skates, and set out to tell the stories — in words and photos — of five legendary local rinks. Each is a tale of true passion and unbridled joy. We bring you the glory of winter.
COMING UP: The much-anticipated annual Interiors issue hits the newsstands with more exquisite houses we would love to call home. So many stories; so many gorgeous ideas. A couple passionate about art design a house to showcase their collection. Another couple transforms a church into a home. A third creative couple sells their first dream house and builds a new one from scratch. And a fourth couple complements their home’s mid-century modern roots with exquisite period furnishings.
Sarah Brown, EDITOR
feedbackottawa@stjosephmedia.com
Table of Contents
Features
The Elemental Game
Discovering pure joy on five outdoor rinks
Scene Changers
A group of tastemakers and sound creators is shaping the direction of the ever-evolving Ottawa music scene. Your guide to the upstarts and the innovators of capital city
Columns
Agent of Change
In the wake of Haiti’s devastating January earthquake, Haitian-Canadian Gérard Étienne immediately stepped in to mobilize help for his homeland. But though he has helped hundreds, the plight of one particular little boy stands out
Swiped (in more ways than one)
Roger Collier sifts through the evidence of an elaborate local credit-card scam, in the process discovering a brilliant schemer who believed he was above the law
This City
Denise Chong goes undercover • The numbers game at TVO • Talking politics with Mathieu Fleury • Telling Tales of weddings and balls • Tweeting city hall • Seductive seamen
City Select
The List
Ten things theatre powerhouse Margo MacDonald can’t live without
Super Shopper
Hitting up the experts for 25 fab gift ideas
Drink
Collectors’ edition: favourite wines of 2010
Tasting Notes
The critics’ picks from the Ottawa Wine and Food Show
BY DAVID LAWRASON
Restaurants
Java fix at Morning Owl • The allure of the alfajore • Coffee for the connoisseur • Plus our star-rated reviews
December/January Events
The art of war at the CANADIAN WAR MUSEUM • Mad about banjos at the BLACK SHEEP INN • Frozen corpses at CANADA SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY MUSEUM • Motown is king at NACO POPS • Plus our arts and entertainment listings