October 19 is Centretown BUZZ Day, celebrating the community paper’s 25th anniversary.
Category: October 2020
The Centretown BUZZ turns 25!
This month marks the 25th anniversary of the publication of the BUZZ’s first issue in October 1995
It was 25 years ago today…
The Centretown BUZZ: Our first five years
Robert Smythe The notion for a new community newspaper, with a progressive voice, was hatched around the big chipboard table in the Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation’s (CCOC) meeting room during late summer 1995. Joining reps from the non-profit housing corporation…
Editors reminisce: Memorable stories & people in The BUZZ
Three former editors of the BUZZ tell us about the paper’s history while they were editor, the stories they covered, and why they think community news is important.
Skyline: Second thoughts – Developers trim their towers
Developers have recently scaled back plans for two Centretown projects following public consultation.
Boushey’s remembered in new city square
Alayne McGregor A beloved Centretown grocery store will be remembered in a newly renovated downtown square. On September 23, Ottawa City Council voted to rename the pedestrian space at Waverley and Elgin Streets to Boushey Square to honour Boushey’s Fruit…
Where can Gatineau transit fit on Centretown streets?
Alayne McGregor Where should the Gatineau buses go? While Ottawa’s light rail system has removed most of its buses from downtown, buses from across the river still clog Wellington Street in downtown Ottawa. The Société de transport de l’Outaouais (STO)…
VERSeFest 10 finds new avenues to convey poetry to online audiences
Alayne McGregor The pandemic has made VERSeFest more creative by using its virtual format to find new ways of interacting with poetry. The 10th edition of Ottawa’s international poetry festival, cancelled this spring, has been rescheduled to November 6 to…
McNabb respite centre: “it feels amazing to feel clean”
Alayne McGregor The city closed its respite centre at McNabb Community Centre on October 9, right before Thanksgiving. The centre had offered accessible toilets, showers and meals to more than 300 visitors each week–as well as a cool place, including…
Kerry Kaiser, the CEFC’s welcoming face, steps down
Martha Musgrove Kerry Kaiser, the long-standing and much-loved coordinator of the Centretown Emergency Food Centre (CEFC), is stepping down at the end of 2020. Established in 1978, the CEFC is one of the busiest food centres in Ottawa, serving a…
The Good, the Bad, and the Bumpy: Celebrating 25 years
Ryan Lythall This month marks the 25th anniversary of the publication of The Centretown BUZZ. I want to talk about how the paper has played a vital role in keeping me informed, how I became involved with the paper, and…
What’s on this month, in Ottawa and beyond
Tony Wohlfarth October offers a range of in-person and online entertainment choices. National Gallery of Canada Moyra Davey is a renowned Canadian conceptual artist. The Faithful, a retrospective of her work, is on display at the gallery (380 Sussex Drive)…
Dundonald Park: An urban oasis in the midst of asphalt and cement
Stephen Thirlwall Rosemary Leslie, a park neighbour, gave a beautiful online description of Dundonald Park: “It has got everything: downtown, trees, green space, kids’ play area, dog walking area, game tables, benches, outdoor movies, festivals, teens, business people, guitar players,…
McKenney aims to dot Centretown with green parkettes in new developments
Alayne McGregor As large projects continue to fill in Centretown, residents can expect to see more small, green parkettes as part of those projects, says Councillor Catherine McKenney. This month, the city asked residents to suggest ideas and review a…
Planet of the Scapes: Happy anniversary!
Pearl Pirie Can you believe it? 25th years of The Centretown BUZZ! That coordinated effort for a silver number of years deserves a standing ovation, bringing news to and from the community. Sweet to see a milestone number that isn’t…
Comment: An simple change for the environment: drink Ottawa’s excellent tap water, instead of from plastic bottles
The Ottawa Water Study/Action Group For many generations now, we have been building our world without considering the environmental costs. (Think fracking and pipelines.) Change is going to require different expectations and attitudes, more local and less international dependency, better…