Many of the degrees hanging on the walls of our nation’s capital were minted in Atlantic Canada, I’ll tell ya right now. For the seventh year in a row, Ottawan alumni of the fine educational institutions to the East will congregate to celebrate all things Atlantic. I recently chatted with Jennifer Henderson, the event’s lead organizer, to explain what it’s all about. The event has the simple and noble goal of “welcoming alumni and friends from Atlantic Canadian universities. Our focus is on connecting friends and having a good time”.... | Continue reading article

Ravenswing stands out as being one of the more interesting, fun, and accessible grassroots creative events in Ottawa. I went last Sunday, May 26, and there were zines, live music, as well as Do it Yourself (DIY) arts and crafts vendors offering quality stuff. The event had gotten bigger and more bustling than years past. The diversity of participants of all generations and interests, as well as a group of passionate and dedicated volunteers gave the event an incredible energy. “Ravenswing is a labour of love.” said co-Director Lauren Potosky,... | Continue reading article

Editor’s note: Apt613 itself received an Awesome Ottawa grant in 2012 for our lecture series.  Doesn’t everyone want their city to be a little more awesome? Awesome Ottawa – a group devoted to promoting awesomeness in the universe – will be celebrating its third birthday and the contributions they have made to the worldwide ecosystem of awesome on June 11 . The first Canadian city to have an Awesome chapter, Awesome Ottawa is part of a global movement of self-organizing groups made up of ten or so individuals who hand over $100 of their own... | Continue reading article

Last week, details emerged for this year’s Fringe Festival, and what a festival it promises to be. This year, Ottawa’s biggest theatre festival will get even bigger, sporting 54 productions over its ten day run. Beginning on June 20th, fringe-goers will be treated to some of the most eclectic theatre out there, and for only ten bucks a ticket, it’s hard to resist spending a night or two enjoying the unpredictability and energy found at the Fringe. And this year, there’s even more reason to get down to Arts Court. In addition... | Continue reading article

Think you are up to date about local happenings? Test your knowledge with our local news quiz, five questions designed to test whether you’ve been paying attention. How to score: 5 out of 5: News stud! I hear The Citizen is hiring… 4 out of 5: Cheater! You work at City Hall. 3 out of 5: Not bad, but you may want to check your #ottcity Twitter feed a little more often. 2 out of 5: Newspapers are dying, but you should still try to pick one up once in... | Continue reading article

Guest post by Anne Walsh, who works in Kemptville an art therapist. For those of us who were born and bred in Ottawa, the arrival of farmers and their produce signals the start of spring. The colorful array of fruits, veggies, baked goods and fresh flowers transforms the ByWard Market from drab and cold to bursting with life and activity. I set out to interview farmers who have been selling their wares on the ByWard Market for multiple generations. As I interviewed hard working farmers, my sense of alarm grew.... | Continue reading article

Joe Rios has come a very long way since becoming a runner more than three years ago – thousands and thousands of kilometres to be more precise. Back in 2009, Rios paid little attention to fitness, a problem given his family’s long history with diabetes. When a friend convinced him to register for the Ottawa Army Run half-marathon, however, he surprised himself by signing up. “I was inactive, I was asthmatic, I was overweight,” says Rios of his physical condition at the time. During an initial training run, he recalls, he... | Continue reading article

Calling all fashion-forward cyclists! Our favourite bike blog Ottawa Velo Vogue (OVV) is raising money for Cycle Salvation tomorrow night at Kichesippi Beer Co and they want you to be there! Zara Ansar and Michelle President (of OVV) have been busy putting together Velo Vogue: A bicycle fashion show, which highlights the latest trends in clothing, accessories, and bikes (vintage and new) from local and international designers. The event is sure to be a fun time – what with China Doll playing host, great beer and tasty food, door prizes, a silent auction – and it’s... | Continue reading article

Post by Tianmo Zhang Enriched Bread Artists is about experimentation. As one of the most prominent (and largest) artists-studio collectives in Ottawa, Enriched Bread Artists (EBA) strives to assert its relevance and dedication to both art and artists, while continuously challenging artistic and social exchange within the community and abroad. Tonight, EBA brings those qualities to light with the opening of Dutch Settlement, the first segment of a two-part exhibition project in collaborative exchange with artists from Quartair Contemporary Art Initiatives of the Netherlands. Initiated by Ottawa curator and artist... | Continue reading article