This is Ottawa

When war came to their country, thousands of Ukrainians arrived in Ottawa. Four years later, some of them wonder whether they’ll ever be able to return to their homeland. Robyn Bresnahan meets up with two women who’ve settled into jobs and life in Ottawa - but feel torn about their future.

It’s an odd thing to get delivered to your doorstep – a single cucumber. But that’s exactly what neighbours in Hintonburg started receiving. We dig into the mystery, which appears to have a link to fraudsters. Romaine calm and lettuce get to the bottom of things.

More than 70 programs have been axed at Algonquin College over the past two years. The most recent cuts have angered students, professors and some local employers. But the College says – it had little choice. We dig into the state of post-secondary education and why it might be forever changed.

Some dual U.S.-Canadian citizens in Ottawa are giving back their U.S. passports. American President Donald Trump IS a factor. But not the only one. Robyn Bresnahan explores the complicated conversation around cutting ties to home and why so many are afraid to talk about it. 

There's a big, building-sized hole at the corner of O’Connor and Slater streets. A 14-storey office tower was brought down to make way for a new condo building. So how was it done? In this encore episode, Robyn Bresnahan learns about the painstaking work that goes into flattening a downtown high rise.

If food is medicine, why are so many hospital meals unpalatable? Robyn Bresnahan speaks to a patient who asked staff to stop bringing him food altogether. She also finds out what hospitals in Ottawa are doing to improve what’s on patients’ trays.

The second half of This Is Ottawa’s live trivia show got a little wild. There was karaoke, charades and a revelation of criminal activity. Featuring JUNO nominee Tyler Shaw, graffiti artist Mique Michelle, comedian Tavis Maplesden and musician Jon Hynes!

What is the most Ottawa thing you can do? In which neighbourhood would you find the intersection of Mulder Avenue and Scully Way? What’s a Gee Gee? Join in the hilarity from our Ottawa-themed live trivia show at Redbird, featuring comedian Tavis Maplesden, musician Jon Hynes and special guests!

There was a day when you couldn’t throw a bag of popcorn without hitting a movie theatre in downtown Ottawa. Where did they all go? In this encore episode, Robyn Bresnahan goes for a stroll with the man who literally wrote the book on the history of Ottawa’s cinemas.

It’s like eBay - but run by the Canadian government. The GC Surplus site sells everything from ATVs used by the military to Air Jordan sneakers confiscated at the border. Robyn Bresnahan gets a tour of the Ottawa warehouse - where she discovers the most gobsmacking item of all.

If you’re sick and tired of your bus being late or cancelled - this episode is for you. We’ll look at why service is so unreliable, how OC Transpo got into this mess, why the busiest routes in the city are cancelled the most often – and – when things are expected to get better. 

It’s an anxious time for federal public servants. Thousands of job cuts are coming. Robyn Bresnahan meets two former government workers who thought they’d be in the job for life, but jumped before they were pushed, reinventing themselves in second careers.

The steamy Canadian series Heated Rivalry has hit home for Ottawa players who spent years playing hockey as closeted athletes. But will the show be the catalyst for a cultural earthquake in hockey? They say that’s another story. 

The National Capital Commission has been a lightning rod for criticism. From shutting down a lemonade stand on Colonel By Drive to a Sparks Street with no spark - Ottawans have loved to loathe the NCC. But after a slew of new initiatives - and more to come in 2026 - are people’s tunes changing? And, if you listen then want to know more about the historic O'Brien House in Gatineau Park we have a whole episode on it here.

There’s a big increase in the number of women incarcerated in Ontario. The CBC’s Julie Ireton dug into why - and spoke with two women who were in and out of the Ottawa Carleton Detention Centre – and never want to go back.

Sometimes art imitates life. And sometimes life imitates podcast. That was the case for Robyn Bresnahan when she stepped outside one morning to discover her car was gone. In that moment, this episode from December 2024 flashed through her mind.

According to Ottawa Tourism, more Christmas movies have been filmed in Ottawa than anywhere else. In this encore episode, Robyn Bresnahan hears why producers love the city for cheesy holiday rom-coms – and what it takes to make the city look like Christmas in the middle of the summer.

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe steps up to the plate for a year-end interview. On the roster: Lansdowne 2.0, unreliable transit, civility at City Council and being called “anti-women” after a spat with the PWHL.And, if you want to hear the one where Robyn joins the Mayor on a morning commute from Manotick, it's here.

Making new friends in early parenthood can be trickier than you think. Because - beyond the baby - what else do you have in common? Robyn Bresnahan goes for brunch with a group of women who met on a matchmaking app for moms.

Hundreds of doctors are looking to leave Quebec -- angry at a new law. What will it mean in the Outaouais where doctors are already in short-supply? Could the discontent be a boon for Ontario? 

Fear and apprehension around math can start in elementary school. Recently, hundreds of school psychologists gathered in Ottawa to hear how math anxiety is impacting kids - and what can be done to overcome it.

They’re not trained food critics. But tens of thousands follow their social media posts to find out where to eat. We go for lunch with four of the city’s top “food-stagrammers”.

Ottawa City Council has greenlit a project that’s been red hot with pushback. So now that Lansdowne 2.0 is a go, what does it mean for residents, visitors, festivals, sports teams - and the city’s financial future?

Marathon Village, near Carp has been in emergency mode. With very little rain over the past few months, wells have run dry and residents have had to change their water habits drastically. Robyn Bresnahan visits the community to hear about the frustration, confusion and worries for winter. Plus, two hydrologists weigh in with advice for what NOT to do if the well runs dry.

Fancy a new career? Ever considered witchcraft? Robyn Bresnahan meets three Ottawa witches, including the owner of a shop in the Glebe where business is brooming and a tea leaf reader who is thrilled that witches are having their hour.

Street racing is dangerous and illegal. Yet in neighbourhoods across the city, residents are woken up by the revving of engines and screeching of tires. Robyn Bresnahan speaks to a former street racer who drove “without any concerns or worries of others” - and to an officer who explains why these speedsters are so hard to nab.

In October 1975, an 18-year-old student walked into an Ottawa high school -- spraying bullets into a classroom -- then killing himself. CBC Reporter Guy Quenneville dug through archives and interviewed dozens of people -- including those who survived that day. Robyn Bresnahan talks to Guy about how that school shooting resonates half a century later.

Great news! One of our - and your - favourite episodes has been nominated for an international podcast award! It’s the one where Robyn spends all night at the Elgin Street Diner. What transpired was a very Ottawa slice of life. If you love this episode, please vote for it in the Signal Awards. Deadline is October 9th.

A beloved yoga and spin studio in Nepean is shutting down after 15 years in business due to a big rent increase. The owners say they bent over backwards to try to find a solution - but the landlord wouldn’t budge. Robyn Bresnahan hears why commercial rents are through the roof and talks to a small business owner who worries this will change the fabric of Ottawa - for the worse.

Le Hibou is a place of near mythical status in the Ottawa music community. A tiny coffee house on Sussex Drive where the likes of Neil Young, Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen played. Robyn Bresnahan hears memories from those who were there in its heyday and explores whether Le Hibou could ever rise again.

When the “Mole Mobile” came to Ottawa over four days, it was overrun with people. Robyn Bresnahan spoke to people who waited hours to see a dermatologist.

Time for some trash talk. The city’s main dump is filling up. And one of the options councillors are considering for the future is burning Ottawa’s garbage. Robyn Bresnahan dives into the debate with a politician in favour of incineration and a waste expert who thinks the idea is rubbish.

From the best of This is Ottawa: She was told to try hairdressing. Instead, she picked up a wrench. Despite a shortage of skilled trade workers, women are still under-represented. Robyn Bresnahan visits a Manotick automotive garage to hear what life is like for the only woman who works there.(Originally published June 10, 2024)

From the best of This is Ottawa: A young girl was kicked in the chest by a horse -- causing a rupture to her heart. The child was airlifted to hospital by a specialized team from CHEO. Robyn Bresnahan hears the story and gets a chopper ride with the crew responsible for emergency care in the air. (Originally published February 2024)

From the best of This is Ottawa: From its opening in 1982, the Yangtze restaurant on Somerset Street became a destination for lovers of dim sum. But in the fall of 2024, the family-run business closed and the building was sold. The woman who grew up at the Yangtze tells Robyn Bresnahan about the bitter sweet good-bye.(Originally published October 2024)

From the best of This is Ottawa: In 2018 a boutique hotel called The O’Brien opened to great fanfare in Gatineau Park. The derelict mansion overlooking Meech Lake had been given a multi-million dollar facelift - funded by taxpayers. But the following year, it closed. Robyn Bresnahan investigates.(Originally published September 16, 2024)

From the best of This is Ottawa: They come up through toilets. They dangle from birdfeeders. Sometimes rats make your home THEIR home. Some residents proclaim rodent birth control is the answer. Others say it’s keeping rats out in the first place. Robyn Bresnahan talks to an Ottawa resident who dealt with a backyard overtaken by rats.(Originally published January 27, 2025)

The black horses ridden by Canadian Mounties are recognized the world over. But their lives begin just outside of Ottawa. Robyn Bresnahan visits the local breeding farm to discover what it takes for a foal to become a Musical Ride horse – and what happens to those that don’t make the cut.

If you hate mosquitoes, Kanata North might be for you. It’s the only ward in the city that has a mosquito control program. But why? How safe are the pesticides? And is it realistic to expect neighbourhoods to be mosquito-free? Robyn Bresnahan casts a wide net in search of answers.

Roller derby has a reputation for being loud and rough. It’s definitely that. But it’s also one of the warmest, most joyful sporting communities you’ll find in the city. Robyn Bresnahan hits up a practice to meet players who joined for very different reasons - but stayed on for the same one.