Our favourite ice sculpture at Ottawa’s 2013 Winterlude

We finally dropped by Winterlude this weekend for a quick tour of the ice sculptures, and we were totally amazed.

This year the National Capital Commission (NCC) hosted 26 carvers from 11 countries in its 26th International Ice-Carving Competition.

This was our favourite: 

“Senses” by Ottawa’s Suguru Kanbayashi and Kevin Ashe (located in Confederation Park)

We know what you’re thinking: we picked the Ottawa artists as our favourite and we just so happen to host a blog about celebrating the city and it’s people. Well, we didn’t realize they were from Ottawa until after, we swear! And though this one didn’t appear to place in the top three – we think it absolutely should have.

What’s your favourite ice sculpture this year? 

A tour of Ottawa’s Wed by Hand

wedbyhand.com

We love weddings, but we especially love weddings that feature local food and vendors. That’s why we were so excited when Krista Leben invited us and a bride to Ottawa’s Indie Wedding Show – Wed by Hand. 

Here’s a visual wrap-up of what we loved:

Inspiration from Amy + Jen Decor

 

A different take on wedding cake from Koko Chocolates

 

Registry ideas from Kitchenalia (thanks for the great dishtowel!)

 

Vintage rentals from Pieces of Love (amazing business idea!)

 

Cake pops from Bake Mob (great name!)

 

Bouquets in mason jars (great idea!) from Sparrow Floral Design

 

Tiny food from Thyme & Again (yum)

 

Beautiful (and vegan!) cake from Auntie Loo’s Treats

 

Macaroon tree from Hearty Bakery

 

Gorgeous letterpress designs from Tartine Paperie

 

Custom soap from Moon Bubbles Natural Soap

 

Amazing surprise in the gift bag from urbanite jewelry (thanks Krista!)

 

Our one purchase (great table gift idea?)

 

Thanks again for the invite – it was a great event, and our guest bride was thrilled. Do you have unique wedding ideas that feature Ottawa’s best?

The NCC’s Yumi Webster shares her secret (and how you can warm up at Winterlude)

Born and bred in Ottawa, Yumi Webster is passionate about Canada’s Capital Region, museums, photography and peanut M&Ms. Sometimes, she tweets. She works at the National Capital Commission as Coordinator of School Programs and Youth Engagement. All opinions here are her own.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret about me. But before I do, there is something you need to understand about where I work.

I work for the National Capital Commission, and we are champions of winter.

During that cold snap we had in mid-January when everyone else was suddenly Googling “last minute sun holiday cheap,” people at my workplace were high-fiving each other in the elevator and saying, “This is great canal weather!”

So, here’s my secret: I really, really dislike the cold. Oh, I get out on the Rideau Canal Skateway every year, and I’ve been snow shoeing in Gatineau Park. I enjoy the Winterlude ice sculptures and I’ll definitely be bringing my toddler to Snowflake Kingdom for the snow slides. But the truth is, after about 30 minutes outside in the cold, the novelty of having rosy cheeks wears off and I just want to go inside and drink hot cocoa.

She might work for the NCC, but Yumi secretly hates the cold…

“I think one of the events should take place indoors,” I told my boss, earnestly, hoping she couldn’t smell desperation. “Somewhere warm. Cozy, even. Maybe with hot cocoa.”

And that is how “Chill Out and Warm Up,” a showcase of heart-warming short films created by youth, came to be.

The evening, which is geared toward young adults, ages 16 to 24, is taking place at HUB Ottawa on Saturday, February 16, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. We’ll be screening nine short films, some of which have won fantastic awards and all of which are awesome and uplifting. Admission is free.

Not only did youth create the films, but we also had a group of youth help us select them. They did a fantastic job. Sarah and the Sock Puppet is goofy and quirky, and delivers a message about being true to yourself without getting hokey. I was both moved and impressed by a fantastic hip-hop video created by four girls in a youth detention centre in British Columbia. And I fell a little bit in love with Jérémie, a 12-year-old boy from Quebec who has a lot to teach us about turtles and a positive attitude.

 Oh, and there will be hot cocoa. And popcorn. And maybe even cookies.

(For the record, there are plenty of great outdoor youth events during Winterblast, if you’re one of those people. Check out the Winterlude website to plan your Winterblast Weekend. Or follow the NCC on Facebook or Twitter.)

Thanks Yumi! What’s your favourite part of Winterlude? 

Creative Mornings: Steve Beauchesne of Beau’s Brewery

If you haven’t been to Ottawa’s Creative Mornings, you really should check it out.

This event was definitely our favourite so far, where Steve Beauchesne shared the role that design and creativity played in shaping the craft brewery’s beloved brand.

Miss it? Watch the whole talk:

To learn more about Creative Mornings, head on over to the website. 

Dance party museum style: Ottawa’s Nature Nocturne

Ottawa’s first Nature Nocturne was held at the Canadian Museum of Nature  January 25th (Photo courtesy of the Canadian Museum of Nature).

Kimberly Senf (Twitter) is a displaced Montrealer living in Ottawa, by way of Halifax. She’s a librarian by trade,  currently working for the government as an information manager. An avid bookworm, she loves to visit the library and roam the aisles, lugging all-too-many books home each time. Dedicated knitter, coffee lover and garage sale enthusiast, she enjoys wandering around Ottawa neighbourhoods to find previously undiscovered pockets of the city. She’s also one of the co-founders of the retired Montreal blog, The Tragically Unhip.

Have you ever wondered what might happen if museums were open to the public at night?

These cavernous buildings filled with historic and cultural gems are the perfect place to host a night on the town with a twist. The Canadian Museum of Nature has found a way to get people interested in a different museum experience with Nature Nocturne – an evening of music, dancing and artistic delights, as well as the chance to explore the many exhibits on at the museum.

For more info, visit nature.ca.

Friday night marked the inaugural Nature Nocturne experience and before 10 p.m. the event was sold out to a mass of excited party-goers. Ottawa’s night owls ventured off Elgin Street and into the museum to experience not only the new exhibit, Nature Unleashed, but also the music samplings on offer by the DJ and to take advantage of a dance floor in the newly-renovated section of the museum.

It’s not every day that you get a chance to dance beneath a whale.

Social media was a huge part of the evening, as party-goers could tweet photos of their adventures, which were in turn live-streamed on a huge screen above the main staircase. Perhaps the only downside of the evening is how successful the event was, and the sheer mass of people that overtook the museum for the night. Next time around, I’m sure the museum organizers will add a few more coat check locations as well as another bar to the mix, so that everyone can spend a little more time dancing and a little less time waiting in line for drinks.

I will say that I do hope that the organizers include more entertainment and activities in the next iterations of the event. I attended a similar event in Sydney last year, Jurassic Lounge, which was an evening filled with music, various styles of entertainment, workshops, and even a scavenger hunt.

While drinks and dancing go hand in hand, it would be great to get more of the museum’s content intermixed with the monthly night at the museum events.

Either way, I’m keen to take my dancing shoes out for another night at the museum in February.

Thanks Kimberly! To see some great photos taken from the evening, head on over to the Ottawa Citizen.

Ottawa seen 365 ways in 365 days: Christophe Ledent shares his story

Christophe Ledent (Blog/Facebook/Twitter) is an amateur photographer who moved to Ottawa nearly three years ago to work for the Government of Canada.

A little over five months ago I set out to discover Ottawa through photography. Some would even say I am a tourist in my own city, a tourist looking to discover everything Ottawa has to offer. 

In a way, this is true.

But the real truth is I’m just a guy trying to make a new place home by setting out and discovering new things about a city I barely know while learning the art of photography, a passion I only just rediscovered after more than 10 years of not owning a camera.

My Ottawa 365 Photo Challenge: Everyday for 365 days, I upload a picture of Ottawa shot from a new and hopefully exciting location.

While I could go into a long story about why I only just recently decided to set out on this challenge, I would much rather share what I have learned so far about Ottawa because, like many people I know who have moved here, it’s the combination of the people I have met and the unique-to-Ottawa places I have discovered that now allow me to call Ottawa home.

Here we go.

The most obvious realization is that as Canada’s capital, Ottawa is host to some of the most memorable celebrations, commemorative ceremonies and festivals I have ever experienced, including the Canada Day party and Remembrance Day.

127 – Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Ottawa also plays host to a number of amazing events, almost on a daily basis. From Zombie Walks, to the Plaid Parade, to Haunted Houses, to the latest festival or fair, there is always something going on in some part of the city.

119 – Ottawa’s first Plaid Parade

Love it or hate it, OC Transpo is part of your daily life if you live in Ottawa! One thing is for sure, we have some of the most beautiful bus stations I have ever seen, and this is even before the arrival of the LRT!

109 – Transitway at Lincoln Fields

Ottawa is much more than just a city centre; it spreads far beyond the Greenbelt and includes many unique places and towns, including Osgoode, Orleans—heck, we even have our own cranberry farm.

105 – Upper Canada Cranberry Farm

Galleries, museums, memorials and public art are everywhere. In every corner of the city, you are bound to come across a unique piece of art. From the reflective mirror ball in front of the National Research Council offices on Montreal Road, to the unique fire hydrants in Hintonburg.

Everywhere you turn, there is art, art, art!

45 – The Peacekeeping Monument

Greenspace! Ottawa is filled with parks, fields and forests just begging to be discovered, but the ultimate view is only a few minutes away in Gatineau Park.

96 – Fall colours as seen in Gatineau Park

I have quickly learned that balancing work, photography, blogging and social commitments is hard and that sometimes I just don’t have time to get out and look for a place to discover. Sometimes you just need to sit back, relax, improvise and see what your surroundings have to offer!

135 – Bytowne Cinema

Winter means shorter days and early darkness, but for a photographer it means a new motivation to get out of bed early! What they say is true, there is no better time to get out and shoot than at sunrise!

138 – Parliament at sunrise

Winter darkness has also forced me to learn how to shoot at night and to take advantage of some of Ottawa’s amazing buildings and light sources to produce some unusual photos (even though sometimes they really don’t turn out!)

126 – The Convention Centre

And finally the number one thing I have learned is that I still have so much to learn.

After nearly five months of challenging myself to try new things and seek out new places, there are just so many places and events left to discover. As proof, this map of Ottawa shows how much I have yet to cover. I hope you come along for the ride and that my photography skills improve, so that my photos are not a poor sight for your eyes.

 

I’m almost halfway there, but I feel like this project will never really end because as this city evolves there will always be something for me to capture and share!

Thanks for sharing your adventure with us Christophe! …and you’re too humble, those photos are AMAZING!

Thumbs up to the Taste of Ottawa – first-ever Westboro Holiday Food Market a big success

The Westboro Holiday Food Market took place on Dec. 9

Nicola Maule is an event planner who is always trying to bring a bit more excitement to Ottawa.

The first Taste of Ottawa- Westboro Holiday Food Market on December 9^th, 2012 was a gastronomic success!

More than 700 people visited the market, held at the Westboro Masonic Hall, and no one walked away empty handed including Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson. Many stockings will be filled with delicious treats this Christmas and taste buds will be spoiled.

The doors of the market opened at 10 a.m. and there was a non-stop stream of people for several hours which kept the hall humming. Customers loved the variety of products available and took full advantage of sampling items such as gourmet jams, shortbread, chocolate and honey.

The Relish gourmet food truck served delicious tacos outside the hall and hand thrown calzones baked in Flatbread Pizza’s wood burning pizza oven. The smells from the fire caught the attention of many people strolling by and they were not disappointed.

The market ran smoothly thanks to the help of dedicated volunteers. Three teenagers were on hand early in the morning to help the vendors set up their stalls quickly and efficiently.

The also event collected $1,077 and several boxes of food for the Westboro Region Food Bank.

And Westboro resident Brenda Couch won the gift basket filled with products from each vendor .

Diane Allingham and Jen Stewart, brokers with Royal LePage, sponsored the event and their support helped us advertise the market and provide it with signage so customers could easily find the hall.

 Taste of Ottawa vendors and organizers all went home with a big smile on their faces knowing that Ottawa’s gourmet food scene is healthy and growing!  After this event the Taste of Ottawa has 93 Facebook likes and 263 Twitter followers- social media is definitely a great way to reach the foodie community in Ottawa!

Congratulations to the organizers and volunteers who helped make this event possible! What is your favourite place in Ottawa to get unique holiday gifts?