The Best of Summer Issue
* 50+ ways to pack your summer with Olympics-inspired fun
* Sporty indoor pursuits and gadgets for the inspired fan
* Medal-worthy snacking suggestions for the games-obsessed foodie
* Sporty pursuits for the outdoorsy Olympian wannabe
* Blockbuster shows and quirky events to get you into the mood
* Making the Olympics as entertaining as possible — one drink at a time
* Meet London-bound modern pentathlete Melanie McCann
Letter from the Editor
It happens every four years. Love sports or ambivalent about them, you’d have to live under a rock to avoid the Olympic fervor that will reach fever pitch as the big event approaches. (The Games run from July 27 to August 12, for the record.) That’s why, as athletes from Canada and around the globe perform their spectacular athletic feats in London, we’ve come up with our own Games super-pack for Ottawa. Inspired by the summer’s biggest sporting event, our “Best of Summer” guide is an ambitious hot-season agenda with ideas for every kind of fan. Wondering what to drink while watching table tennis? We’ve got you covered. Motivated to take up trampolining? We know who’s got bounce. All that Brit culture have you dreaming of Shakespeare and soccer? Got some thoughts on where to find those, too. In fact, we have more than 50 ideas, so dive in and create your own summer program of events. In conjunction with the Games super-pack, we have profiled five athletes — one London-bound and four young competitors who will be watching their idols go for gold. Their competitive spirits — and pure love of sport — are what the Olympics are all about.
Sneak preview! Acclaimed short story writer Dorothy Speak’s new collection, Reconciliation, will be released this fall and we were lucky enough to snag one of the stories for this issue. Set in the Glebe, “The Sins of the Father” is a poignant and contemplative tale, one best enjoyed in the quiet shade of a big tree.
Congratulations to food editor Shawna Wagman and photographer Christian Lalonde, who have both been nominated for National Magazine Awards for a collaboration that appeared in 2011. Wagman was recognized for “Ideas on a Plate” — a top 10 restaurants list that recognizes the chefs who are combining a respect for culinary tradition with vanguard ideas. Lalonde got the nod in the Creative Photography category for his luscious interpretation of Wagman’s feature. The winners will be announced at a gala evening in Toronto on June 7.
COMING UP: Our local building boom continues apace. And more and more of the houses, condos, and office buildings on the market are advertised as “green.” While many architects, developers, and builders are driven by environmentalism, others admit that they’re motivated more by experimentation — so many new green products on the market to try out, they say with a gleam in their eye. And still others whisper that, as buyers become increasingly educated, being known as a green expert simply makes good business sense. Ottawa Magazine takes a look at how the green movement is changing our living spaces.
Sarah Brown, EDITOR
feedbackottawa@stjosephmedia.com
FEATURES
Best of Summer
50+ ways to pack your summer with Olympics-inspired fun
Where Water Moonlights as Soul
Five scenes from the Ottawa Rowing Club
The Sins of the Father
New short fiction by Dorothy Speak
COLUMNS
Get Your Motor Running
Zen and the art of motorcycle rebuilding. Talking shop — and philosophy — with Harley-Davidson devotee Rob Watt
Water Fight
The crusade to clean up the Ottawa River is both monumental and complicated, given the size of the waterway and the number of jurisdictions it flows through. Can one person — a symbolic guardian known as the Riverkeeper — wield enough power to effect real change?
THIS CITY
Exploring the tweet success of the Social Capital Conference * I spy a community garden * art stars and rock stars on the party circuit * hooked on hookahs * Telling tales of stylists and chefs * the rickshaw chronicles
CITY SELECT
MY LOOK
Retro 80s love with Peter Joynt
GREAT SPACE
A tour of the Château Laurier’s storied Karsh Suite
CULTURE
The new ways of working (or, why everyone has two or three jobs these days)
FOOD
A culinary road trip to Montreal
WINE SCENE
A roundup of tips to enjoy the best the city has to offer this summer
TASTING NOTES
Planning a weekender to Prince Edward County
RESTAURANTS
A family-style dinner at Table 40 * Talking beer and croissants with Wellington Gastropub co-owner Shane Waldron * gourmet onion rings at ARC Lounge * Plus our star-rated reviews
SUMMER EVENTS
Hip-swivelling party music at JAZZFEST * Going local at BLUESFEST * A trio of Ottawa writers to put on your summer READING LIST * Artist Anne-Wanda Tessier explores old-fashioned letter presses with a show at PRESSED * Plus our arts and entertainment listings