Zodiac animals underfoot, and brand new benches

by Eric Darwin (This article appeared in slightly different form as two separate posts on Eric Darwin’s blog West Side Action.) Pedestrians on the newly redone bit of Somerset in Chinatown between Booth and Preston are in for a real…

Is 201 Metcalfe sinking?

by Kathryn Hunt and Michael Lambert During the past several months, the owners of the Queen Elizabeth Apartments at 201 Metcalfe Street have encountered subsidence. Subsidence occurs when the ground beneath a structure begins to sink. It can be due…

Emerald ash borer threatens ash trees in Ottawa

The emerald ash borer (EAB) has almost become synonymous with invasive species since it was first identified in Michigan 10 years ago. Emerald ash borer is a non-native, highly destructive wood-boring beetle that feeds under the bark of ash trees.…

Barbara Ann Scott Gallery opens at City Hall

The official opening of the Barbara Ann Scott Gallery took place August 9, with Mayor Jim Watson thanking Ottawa’s most decorated athlete, Olympian and world champion figure skater, for sharing her historic memorabilia with her hometown. “The Barbara Ann Scott…

The Gouda Life: Whole Wheat Tortillas

by Kelly Brisson As I sat on the balcony of our apartment last week, finally welcoming August, I got that first bout of panic sparking through my veins. Summer is more than half over…how did that happen!? Every year we…

Registration season for Scouts – and Leaders

by Stan Grabstas, 36th Ottawa Scouts, Group Commissioner The 36th Ottawa Scouts will hold a registration night on Thursday, September 6, 2012 at the Glebe St. James United Church in Fraser Hall at 650 Lyon Street from 7:00 to 9:00…

What’s going on with Somerset House?

Stalled in talks? Held up in court? No one seems certain about the status of the hollowed-out shell of the former Somerset House, at the southeast corner of Bank and Somerset. The building itself dates back to 1897 and most…