This is Ottawa

Once upon a time, Ottawa was dubbed ‘Silicon Valley North’. But what’s it like to start-up a tech company here these days? Robyn Bresnahan attends a pitch-a-thon for budding entrepreneurs and hears why they think Ottawa’s still got it.

This city is much more than tulips and politicians. A million people now call Ottawa home. Each week, host Robyn Bresnahan seeks the answer to one question about the city we love. She finds the characters at the heart of the story - whether it's in the burbs, along the Greenbelt or right in the core of the capital.

Imagine that you’re an artistic dancer. But your ‘studio’ is a sauna. And you have to perform in 85C heat. Welcome to the world of ‘aufguss’ - a communal ritual involving music, theatre, dance and SWEAT. Robyn Bresnahan meets the local sauna aficionados mixing artistry with athleticism.

On a hot summer’s day, what feels better than a cool dip? And if you’ve ever looked longingly at Dow’s Lake, wishing you could dive in - good news! Now you can. But how’s the water quality? Robyn Bresnahan dips into the data. 

A 14-storey office tower at the corner of O’Connor and Slater streets is about to be destroyed. But how do you bring down a building in such a densely packed area? Robyn Bresnahan learns about the painstaking preparation that goes into flattening a high-rise and finds out what’s set to replace it.

Libraries are known as quiet and calm places. But in recent years, there’s been an uptick in cases of harassment, suspected drug overdoses and thefts. Robyn Bresnahan sat down with three library workers, including Ottawa’s chief librarian, to find out how they’re coping.

You might scoff at the thought of catching your dinner from the canal. But how edible are the fish that swim between Dow’s Lake and downtown? Robyn Bresnahan goes boating with a fish expert to find out what comes out at the end of a rod - and what people do with the fish they catch in the canal. 

There’s a new breed of run club exploding in the capital. It attracts social-media loving millennials and Gen Zs who combine workouts with hangouts over coffee and craft beer. Robyn Bresnahan laces up to meet some of the fast and the curious.

For the past 32 years, the Elgin Street Diner has never locked its doors. Not once. In fact the day the owner bought it, he threw the key down the drain. Considering it’s one of Ottawa’s last remaining 24/7 diners, Robyn Bresnahan decided to pull an all-nighter to find out what it’s like in the wee small hours.

For the past 32 years, the Elgin Street Diner has never locked its doors. Not once. In fact the day the owner bought it, he threw the key down the drain. Considering it’s one of Ottawa’s last remaining 24/7 diners, Robyn Bresnahan decided to pull an all-nighter to find out what it’s like in the wee small hours.

Jokes about public servants = yes. Jokes about politics = hard no. A crew of Ottawa comedians tells Robyn Bresnahan what material works on audiences. And why they feel the city’s comedy scene is vastly underrated.

Even if you don’t give a hoot about baseball, this episode will surprise you. Did you know the original Ottawa Senators were NOT a hockey team? And that the uniforms of Ottawa’s first professional team became an international mockery? Robyn Bresnahan hears about the hits and misses of baseball in the city – and how once upon a time, the best team on the planet played here.

Ottawa’s alternative schools are facing the chopping block. The board says they’re under-enrolled and under performing. But kids and parents say they’ve been life changing. Robyn Bresnahan hears from both sides.

We have an update to one of our favourite episodes. The one about where to find love in Ottawa when you’ve given up on online dating. Robyn Bresnahan reconnects with a woman who’d tried everything from Bumble to badminton - but found a partner in the most unexpected of places. 

Dr. Tracy thinks it’s okay to go to bed angry. She’s also got advice for when your partner feels more like a roommate. The couples therapist has hundreds of thousands of followers. And few of them know she’s based in Ottawa. Robyn Bresnahan books an appointment on the therapist’s sofa to find out who she is and what her idea of a perfect date night in Ottawa looks like.Thanks to Cloud10 for the use of clips from the podcast 'Dear Dr. Tracy'.

This episode is going to suck. Because it’s about leeches - and how the Ottawa Hospital uses them on patients. Robyn Bresnahan checks out the “hotel” where the leeches stay and meets the nurse who has to convince people that sticking a leech on their skin is actually a good thing. 

From noisy neighbours to potholes to illegally parked cars, Ottawa’s 3-1-1 operators take hundreds of calls a day. What’s the job like? Robyn Bresnahan meets three operators to hear how they deal with complex questions, angry callers and some downright odd situations.

The Dominion Observatory at the Experimental Farm is most famous for astronomy. But that’s not all. Robyn Bresnahan hears about the fascinating history of parties, underground tunnels, earthquakes and a woman’s fight to wear pants in the workplace.

The Governor General's husband shares a story at our live show.

Two more stories from our live show at Red Bird. One involves an unexpected encounter with a childhood bully. And the other pokes fun at a very Ottawa obsession. If you hate smiling, this episode is not for you.

It’s our 50th episode!!! To celebrate - we did it live on stage at Red Bird. Five Ottawans got up in front of a packed audience and told stories about when this city surprised them. This week we’re airing the first two stories, starting at a bygone beloved local diner. Pull up a stool and enjoy.

Young Addy Myers was kicked in the chest by a horse, causing a rupture to her heart. She was airlifted to hospital by a specialized team from the children's hospital, CHEO. Robyn Bresnahan hears the story and gets a chopper ride with the crew responsible for emergency care in the air.

Rates of HIV are rising in Ottawa. But a diagnosis today is not the death sentence it once was. Robyn Bresnahan goes for tea with someone who tested positive shortly after arriving in Canada. They talk about finding love, keeping secrets from family and what happened when they decided to disclose their HIV status to their boss.

Rats coming up through toilet bowls. Rats hanging from bird feeders. What can be done once rats decide to make your home THEIR home? One city councillor has suggested rodent birth control. Another says education and prevention is the answer. Robyn Bresnahan meets a woman whose backyard was overtaken by rats - and rings up Alberta’s ‘rat czar’ to hear how that province stays (mostly) rat-free.

Some of Ottawa’s corner stores have been around for decades. But their numbers are shrinking. Robyn Bresnahan goes behind the counter to find out what life is like, how booze is changing the game and what would be lost if independent corner shops continue to close.

Lice lice baby. After a COVID siesta, lice are back. And so too is a strain referred to as “super lice”. Robyn Bresnahan combs through how to spot the difference and hears why one pharmacist says the current Canadian guidelines on treating lice need to be updated.

Fasten your seatbelts and hear what happens when host Robyn Bresnahan gets a lift from Manotick to City Hall with Mayor Mark Sutcliffe. When they hit gridlock, Robyn surprises the Mayor with questions from Ottawans between the ages of 12 and 73. And when the Mayor boasts he can sing - she challenges him to prove it. It’s Carpool Mayor-aoke! Kind of.

The made-for-TV movie industry is booming. Particularly when it comes to holiday rom-coms. Robyn Bresnahan hears why producers love Ottawa as a location for these schmaltzy flicks - and what it takes to make the city look like Christmas in the middle of summer.

In the last decade, the number of vehicles stolen in Ottawa has shot up by nearly 250 per cent. Now some residents are fighting back. Robyn Bresnahan meets two victims of vehicle theft who’ve taken measures to thwart thieves. She finds out which Ottawa neighbourhoods and types of cars are targeted most often.

If you round a corner at the Canadian War Museum, you’ll come across an imposing black armoured car. It belonged to none other than Adolf Hitler. How on earth did one of Hitler’s cars end up in Ottawa? And how does the museum balance public interest with critics who say it “glamourizes Nazism”?

It can now take years for someone who has escaped domestic violence to find an affordable place to live in Ottawa. Robyn Bresnahan visits a shelter that is supposed to be a temporary refuge – but has become much more permanent for one woman and her family.

When it comes to trees, not all neighbourhoods are equal. Robyn Bresnahan takes a stroll from a “have” into a “have not” community with two tree experts to learn about why tree equity matters and what the City is doing to achieve it. 

For one week only we’re calling ourselves 'This is Ottawa, Illinois'. Robyn Bresnahan reaches out to the city south of the border to talk to fellow Ottawans about life there, how they’ve been thinking about the US Presidential election and what comes next.

Since 1982, Yangtze restaurant on Somerset Street has been a destination for lovers of dim sum. But the family behind it has decided it’s time to move on. Robyn Bresnahan meets its manager to find out why, what’s next and what its closure means to the families who’ve been eating there through the generations.

Depending on who you ask, roundabouts are either Ottawa’s answer to keep traffic flowing -- or 'pedestrian death traps'. Robyn Bresnahan heads to Ottawa’s newest roundabout in Orleans to hear why the City is in favour of building more roundabouts and how an engineer navigates criticism from those who feel they’re a dangerous waste of space.

Podcast listener Matt Bell has always been curious about something. Given that a central part of the city is surrounded by two rivers and the canal - is it technically an island? We took his question to a geology expert who initially guffawed and then dug into her stash of city maps to come up with an answer.

They’re read at sporting events, music festivals, school assemblies, corporate conferences and city hall meetings. But have they become more performative than meaningful? Robyn Bresnahan meets two women from different First Nations who share similar views on what land acknowledgements ought to include to make them more than “white noise”.

There are nearly 9000 students living in college and university dorm rooms in Ottawa. So what’s dorm life like? And how much has changed in the nearly three decades since host Robyn Bresnahan lived in residence? She takes a trip down memory lane to find out.

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 was closed. What happened? Robyn Bresnahan investigates.  

Mathieu Grondin says he’s been in “listening mode” all summer since being appointed Ottawa’s new nightlife commissioner. So what did he hear? Robyn Bresnahan meets him for an evening stroll – ending up at an Ottawa speakeasy – where he gets a grilling from three night owls.

There’s a community garden at the corner of Somerset and Preston streets. But if Can Le’s dream comes to fruition, shovels will soon be in the ground for a brand new museum to commemorate the Vietnamese “boat people”. Robyn Bresnahan digs into the story of how Ottawans opened their homes and hearts to thousands of refugees in what became known as Project 4000.

Between the Ottawa River, the Rideau Canal and the Rideau River, Ottawa has some prime waterfront space. So why aren’t there more cafes and restaurants along it? Robyn Bresnahan goes for a bike ride with a chef who sees so much potential along Ottawa’s waterways. Plus, an urban planner weighs in with a bird’s eye view.

Clubs, bars, internet dating — so much of queer culture is focused on spaces for young people. So where does one go to find connection in their senior years? Robyn Bresnahan meets two longtime friends determined to create a safe community for Ottawa’s 2SLGBTQ+ community as they age. NOTE: This episode has been corrected. The original version misgendered one guest.

Ottawa’s Glenroy Gilbert was part of the relay team which famously defeated the Americans in the 1996 Summer Olympics, bringing home gold for Canada in the 4x100m. Although it was the highlight of his sporting career, he confesses to Robyn Bresnahan he wishes he’d done things differently.

Life after an Olympic medal isn’t always easy. When the extreme training, intense discipline, physical pain and world travel suddenly ends, some athletes can end up in a dark place. Robyn Bresnahan talks to a decorated Ottawa paddler who’s now helping fellow Olympians transition from one stage of life into another. Please note that this episode discusses mental health with a brief mention of suicide.

You can rent an e-scooter in Ottawa with the scan of a QR code - but not a bike. While Montreal and other cities have had great success with bike-sharing, why did Ottawa’s past attempts deflate? Robyn Bresnahan hears about the wheels in motion to bring bike sharing back.

Residents in and around Calgary were asked to restrict their water use after a massive water main rupture. A local state of emergency was declared and infrastructure experts said the crisis should be a wake-up call for other cities too. Robyn Bresnahan wades into Ottawa’s system and hears about the work that's been going on since a local scare in 2011.

At 150 years old, Mechanicsville is proud of its blue-collar history. But like many other Ottawa neighbourhoods, old buildings are being replaced with new condos. Robyn Bresnahan takes a look under Mechanicsville’s ‘hood with a long-time resident who doesn’t want to see gentrification replace its gritty roots.

“The Pond” in Rockcliffe Park is a bucolic swimming hole in the city. But the lake right next to it is off limits to the public. Only residents who have homes backing on to the lake can swim or boat in it. How did this come to be? Robyn Bresnahan dives into the history of McKay Lake and hears how it’s more complicated than a tale of posh versus plebe.

"A lot of people laughed in my face and told me I should try hairdressing": tradeswomen in Ottawa have heard that - and worse. Despite a shortage of skilled workers, women are still under-represented. Robyn Bresnahan visits a garage in Manotick to hear what life is like for the only woman working there.