The January 2022 issue of The Centretown BUZZ is out! We hope you’ll enjoy reading it.
The BUZZ is only available online this month. We know that many of you prefer it on newsprint, but with the latest highly-infectious spike in the COVID-19 pandemic, we didn’t want to risk the health of our volunteer delivery team going door to door. We hope to be back in print in February.
You can read the paper either as a PDF (click on the image above) or as individual articles. The one advantage of going online is no limit on the number of pages we can print – except the number of articles we can write and edit! This issue is larger than usual, with 14 pages, and has allowed us to cover some issues in more depth.
Since our last issue, the city election season has begun. No one can actually register as a candidate until May, but people are already indicating their intentions, including two from Centretown. We have an extended interview with Councillor Catherine McKenney about why they are running for mayor. We also interviewed Ariel Troster, the first person who’s announced for Somerset Ward councillor, about her background and her reasons for running. And we have a comment piece about the possibilities opening up with this election.
So you want to build a park? As community groups in west Centretown and Hintonburg have discovered, the new park space at 1010 Somerset Street West will require some very careful planning, especially of what’s underground, in order to make the best use of the space. We interview them about the issues they’ve raised with the city.
The Turning Point on Cooper Street has been a mecca for music and film lovers for decades. Stephen Thirlwall profiles the store and its current owner Nick Beaton, and how its loyal clientele for used CDs and DVDs has kept it afloat.
The next phase of the Rochester Heights development will include an unusual partnership. One of the buildings in the complex on the south side of Gladstone Avenue will be sublet to PAL Ottawa, an organization of creative artists, technicians, and arts administrators. We tell you how this will benefit older (and often poorer) arts workers and the community at large. We also tell you more about how Phase 2 will fit into the community.
Our Skyline columnist, Robert Smythe, profiles two “missing middle” developments in Centretown.
No one objects to turning a parking lot into an apartment building? But razing an apartment building in order to put up a parking lot? Too Joni Mitchell, yet that’s what’s proposed on Nepean Street.
The City of Ottawa has created shortlists of possible future walking and cycling projects, and is asking the public to name their top five in each category, as well commenting on the projects. We tell you more about the projects in and near Centretown.
The city is also asking for comments on the first draft of its Transportation Master Plan. We tell you why this draft TMP is very different from previous TMPs, and it’s not just the policies.
The controversy over the location of the new Civic hospital campus and its parking garage just isn’t going away, and will be back at the city’s Planning Committee in February. And a famous former Ottawan has chimed in, too. We tell you why he’s concerned.
Our columnist Ryan Lythall explains why (poor) snow clearing and salt application can make people with disabilities feel shut in.
The Centretown Community Health Centre explains how it helps people who need advice or access to COVID-19 vaccines.
Looking for online concerts or films to keep you occupied as we (try to) hunker down again? Our What’s On column has suggestions.
And we have letters to the editor, comment pieces, columns and more.
Read this month’s newspaper online here, or as a flipbook. We also have a high-res version for printing your own copy.
We need your ideas, feedback, and ads
Please let us know what you think of this issue: which articles did you enjoy most? Is there anything we missed? Email us at editor@CentretownBuzz.com.
As always, this newspaper is a community effort. Thanks to everyone who contributed articles, photos, ideas, tech support, and proofreading to this issue.
Our next issue will be published February 18. Tell us your feedback, ideas, and news tips at editor@centretownbuzz.ca or 613-565-6012 x2! Our deadline for letters, articles, and ideas is Monday, February 7.
And if your business would like a boost from advertising in The BUZZ, we’re happy to talk: ads@centretownbuzz.ca or 613-565-6012 x 1. The deadline to confirm ads is Monday, February 7.
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