Local photography exhibition celebrates the musicians behind Bluesfest

Originally from Scotland, Helen Morris arrived in Ottawa almost six years ago. She loves being able to bike to work in the summer and skate along the Rideau Canal to the office in the winter. Other interests include dark chocolate and Wensleydale Cheese.

If you are heading down to Bluesfest tonight or tomorrow take a few moments to step out of the heat into the cool and peaceful Ottawa Studio Works on Preston and check out some stunning portraits of musicians past and present.

Harry Nowell

For more than a decade, Ottawa photographer, Harry Nowell has been a frequent visitor to the city’s Bluesfest and Jazz Festival. While the rest of us are immersed in the music and soaking up the atmosphere, Nowell is behind the camera and is so focused that he says he couldn’t even tell you which song was being played.

Last year, Nowell renovated an old rooming house on Preston and transformed it into a studio, exhibition and teaching space. In July, the crowds suddenly began to stream past the door and parking was at a premium. It was Bluesfest time. The onset of the outdoor music festival prompted Nowell to take a look back over a decade’s worth of music photos and pull together a retrospective of his work in time for this year’s Bluesfest.

Nowell's favourite photograph - Broken Social Scene (Photo: Harry Nowell)

While the musicians express themselves with their voices, Nowell aims to create a magical blend of light and vibrant colour in order to bring out the artists’ music as well as their personalities.

Ben Harper (Photo: Harry Nowell)

In the portraits, Ben Harper stands, fist raised, signalling the end of a song. Canada’s Feist appears utterly focussed on the music, her expression suggesting she is midway through a melancholy song. Nowell captures an altogether more mischievous look on the face of American bluegrass country singer and fiddler, Alison Krauss. He explains that it is his job to bring out the essence of the artist, whether that essence is glamorous or a bit scruffy.

The photographer’s own favourite is a picture of one of the members of Canadian indie rock band Broken Social Scene.

Also part of the exhibit, Nowell picked two photos of the American pianist Herbie Hancock. The first image shows him with a Fazioli piano, one which Nowell says was brought over from Toronto because “nothing in Ottawa would do.” The second photo has a very different tone, as Hancock speaks to the audience at Jazz Festival as the musicians on stage appear to listen intently.

Feist performing at a past year's Bluesfest (Photo: Harry Nowell)

A long way from his original degree in finance and economics, Nowell now works full-time as a professional photographer, something he says he loves. He also runs a range of camera skills workshops. He says it has been a long, hard road from his first photography job taking cheesy tourist photos at the top of Sunshine Village ski resort to now owning his own studio and running his own business. But Nowell is one of life’s enthusiasts and it is this enthusiasm and passion that comes out in his work.

Nowell is on hand tonight and tomorrow night from 5 to 8 p.m. in his gallery at 160 Preston St. The exhibition can also be seen by appointment until August 10, by contacting Nowell via email or phone (819-827-9460).

Interesting gallery find, Helen! We are definitely interested in seeing more of Harry’s stunning photography – will you be going to check out his exhibit over the next few days?  

The perks of being a Bluesfest volunteer: Joel Eastwood on beer tents, free music and how he didn’t get to drive a piece of heavy machinery

Joel Eastwood (Twitter) is entering his fourth year in journalism at Carleton University. Originally from Hamilton, Ont., Joel escaped to Ottawa at the first opportunity and is trying his darndest to blend in with the locals. Joel curls in the winter, complains about the heat in the summer and procrastinates all year round.

For most Ottawa locals, Bluesfest is a summer staple. The annual music festival plays out over two weeks on the grassy slopes of Lebreton Flats surrounding Canada’s War Museum, and, contrary to its rather genre-specific title, showcases all manner of musical artists.

Although I’ve lived in Ottawa for three years, this was the first time I would be in the capital for Bluesfest, and I was determined to take advantage of it. Last year I was in France during the festival, enviously reading friends’ reports of the shows. This year it was my turn to flood my Facebook feed with breathless accounts of the acts I had seen.

Joel Eastwood at Bluesfest (photo: Adam Dietrich)

A brief disclaimer: I wouldn’t call myself a diehard music lover per se, if only because the term conjures up images of a bedroom plastered with vintage band posters and vinyl sleeves. My dresser drawers don’t house any band T-shirts or shoeboxes stuffed with ticket stubs. I like music – I appreciate music, even, if that doesn’t sound too pretentious – but don’t know the difference between a treble clef and a triad, I can’t sing worth a damn, and I tell people I play guitar in the same sense that North Korea tells people it is a democratic people’s republic.

I’m also not much of a festival goer. I’ve never been to any of the big North American music festivals (Coachella, North by Northeast, Osheaga, etc.) and, with the exception of a lone visit to Hamilton’s Festival of Friends, the only music festival I’ve attended is the annual Celtic Roots festival in picturesque Goderich, Ontario.

The crowd during the Dropkick Murphys performance on July 9 (photo: Adam Dietrich)

So, in brief, I was excited for the prospect of seeing live music in an outdoor setting, but unsure of what exactly to expect. Thinking ahead, I signed up to volunteer at Bluesfest, partly out of a desire to see how things ran behind the scenes but mostly out of a stubborn refusal to spend any more of my sparse student budget than necessary.

Back in high school I worked on the stage crew for several productions. At Bluesfest, most of the technical work is left to the professionals, so I signed up for the closest thing I could find – inventory control. I wasn’t quite sure what it was when I picked my required six shifts, but it sounded a lot more interesting than scanning tickets.

As I learned at the start of my first shift last Tuesday, inventory control is responsible for keeping the drink tents stocked with beer, pop and water. The drinks are stored in large metal containers – dubbed pods – which sit behind the beer tents, and most of the volunteer work involves guarding the pods and radioing back to the inventory control headquarters called “the cage” whenever something runs low.

I’ll be honest – this didn’t quite live up to my far-fetched fantasy of operating a crane or forklift (really, I was hoping to drive some sort of heavy machinery) – but while it’s not a particularly glamorous job, it’s turned out to be a whole lot of fun. Depending on the shift and the location of the pod, the job ranges from long periods of idling to short bursts of frenetic activity when an emergency crops up. Plus, I got to careen around the festival grounds in a golf cart the day before the festival opened, which was pretty cool.

While the job description is fairly straightforward, every four-hour shift throws up all sorts of unexpected little challenges that require a bit of lateral thinking and a little muscle. To date, I’ve helped paramedics track down ice and festival-goers find their drunk friends, and learned how to jimmy open the big black security fences using a padlock and a piece of pipe.

A handful of last year's volunteers (photo: Marc Lavoie, from the Bluesfest flickr page)

The hours are made a lot more rewarding by the people I’ve spent them with. Festival volunteers run the gamut from high school students scraping together their necessary hours to veterans who have volunteered for years. The volunteer organization runs largely on an honour system and I’ve heard frustrated tales of volunteers skipping out on shifts or crashing golf carts. But that’s all hearsay; in my direct experience, everyone I’ve worked with has been enthusiastic, good-natured and eager to help.

Of course, I’d be lying if I said I was volunteering purely for the warm fuzzy feeling I get from helping my fellow man. It’s a nice feeling, but I volunteered for the perks, and there are plenty. We get two T-shirts, unexpectedly hearty hot meals with every shift, a discount on merchandise, and, best of all, free access to the entire festival.

I’ve tried to take full advantage of all that free music, attending every night of the festival’s first week. The experience was nothing short of fantastic. Over six nights I danced to a dozen different acts, ranging from blues rockers The Black Keys to mix maestro Girl Talk, who showered the crowd in confetti and toilet paper.

Bluesfest stage crew attempt to control a canvas flap before the Black Keys' performance last Friday (photo: Adam Dietrich)

But I’ve enjoyed the smaller shows most of all. I actually skipped the first half of the Black Keys’ set to see Newfoundland darlings Hey Rosetta! play on the other side of the park. An unplanned 45-minute intermission brought about by raging rain didn’t dampen the band’s soaring harmonies or the crowd’s unfettered energy.

In my mind Hey Rosetta! was topped only, performance-wise, by fellow Canadians Library Voices. Hailing from Regina, Saskatchewan, the eight-member band pumps out the sort of irresistible driving indie pop that slaps a smile on your face and puts a spring in your step. The band didn’t so much play their instruments as fling them around the stage with wild abandon, at one point almost harpooning an audience member with a wayward drumstick.

If you’re a fan of any sort of music at all, there’s probably something you’ll like at Bluesfest; if you don’t want to listen to music, there’s a performance by Nick Jonas (hey-oh!). But seriously, so far Bluesfest has been a blast. And the best part? Well, probably the free admission. But the second best part? It’s barely half over.

Thanks for sharing your volunteer tale with us, Joel. For the record, we’re also very sad that you didn’t get to ride a forklift (maybe next year, right?). Have any of you ever volunteered at Bluesfest or do you have any festival stories to share with us? Comment below! 

“I’m dancing so hard I need a HIP replacement” – Melodie Cardin’s take of Bluesfest day 5

Melodie Cardin (Twitter) has lived in the National Capital Region since 2000. A 2007 graduate of Carleton University’s school of journalism, she’s now the manager of communications for a small project assisting Canadian researchers to collaborate internationally. The following views are her own.

Thursday afternoon, smacking myself in the forehead for not having thought of it earlier, I realized that my little brother, who now lives in Montreal, is just as much of a Tragically Hip fan as I am. I quickly texted him an invitation to come to Ottawa and, two days later, we found ourselves en route from my Beechwood Village apartment to Lebreton Flats. After a quick stop on Somerset Street for a bite of lunch at the Yangtze (his sweet and sour pork was quickly devoured, my shrimp chow mein? Not so much), we headed to Bluesfest. It was to be my fifth Tragically Hip concert and my third at Bluesfest.

This year's Bluesfest is on until Sunday, July 17

Bluesfest is generally my favourite event in Ottawa’s calendar, combining two weeks of great concerts with the best weather Ottawa generally has to offer. There are so many great things about Ottawa: the beautiful bike paths, the gorgeous river vistas, the many excellent museums, the farmers’ markets, but when it comes to nightlife I am often a little jealous of those in Montreal. Not so during Bluesfest.

We arrived in time for the start of Rich Aucoin’s performance at 5 p.m. on the MBNA stage. I had read in the papers that the set-up this year was causing long line-ups, but whether they fixed the problem or we were just early enough, it definitely wasn’t an issue.

We met a friend of mine and parked ourselves down on the grass for a few songs, before discovering it was not our cup of tea and decided to wander. That’s one of the nice things about the festival – with all the concurrent acts, if you don’t like the band you can easily find another one. We headed over to the Subway stage and settled in to listen to Ray Bailey, whom we enjoyed much more.  For anyone who hasn’t been to Bluesfest, it’s not strictly a “blues” festival, but they usually have at least one bluesy show happening, and this was it. I was also pleased to discover the B. Goods bakery van there, as I’m a fan of their gluten-free chocolate mint and orange hazelnut cookies.

Dennis Coffey (photo via Ming Wu, http://photogmusic.com)

At the end of his performance, we listened to some of a show I don’t remember much about, and then wound up back at the MBNA stage for the last of Dennis Coffey, who we thought was great.

It is around this time, I find, that the afternoon festival begins to morph into its evening self, which is a totally different animal. When I go to Bluesfest for the afternoon acts, I’m not a lawn chair girl. The reason for this is that as comfy as they no doubt are in the afternoon, I’d have no place to put them in the evening when it gets busy. Many, however, enjoy bringing lawn chairs or stools or picnic blankets to spread out during the afternoon. In previous years, I’ve seen a bit of conflict happen at the end of the day when those who’ve been camped out on lawn chairs near the stage all afternoon are forced to fold up their chairs and make space for the hordes coming to see the evening show. This didn’t seem to be too much of an issue on Saturday, though, as everyone near me peacefully folded up their chairs.

Erykah Badu performing at Bluesfest (photo via Ming Wu, http://photogmusic.com)

Anyway, the crowd thickened as Erykah Badu performed on the Claridge Homes Stage (what an amazing performer she is, incidentally) and we found our spots for the Tragically Hip. At this point I made an amazing discovery: I could see. In the past couple of years, the set up at Lebreton Flats has had the main stage at the east end. At 5’5” I am always a bit too short to see the stage. This time, the Bluesfest setup had the stage at the southwest end of the main lawn, with a wide audience rather than a deep one, and the sight lines were much better for my vertically challenged self.

The sight lines were also really good to the two screens so we could easily read the Twitter feed running along the bottom of each. Some of those tweets really made us laugh, eg. “I’m dancing so hard I’m going to need a HIP replacement.” (Incidentally, though – does anyone LIKE being proposed to via Tweet?)

The Hip show, of course, was completely mind-blowing. They played quite a bluesy set, including an unforgettable, melancholy rendition of “Fiddler’s Green.” I particularly loved when they started playing “New Orleans is Sinking,” moved on after the first verse to “Nautical Disaster,” and then came back to finish the last verses of “New Orleans.” I’d never noticed the common theme in the two songs before.

A photo from 2008 when The Tragically Hip last performed at Bluesfest (photo via The Tragically Hip website)

My little bro was happy because they played his favorite Hip song, “Poets,” and although I was a little surprised and disappointed that they didn’t play anything off the newest album, “We Are The Same,” which I’m completely in love with, I had a great time. It was actually a very golden oldies type set, with the only really recent song they played being “In View” from “In Between Evolution.” They did, however, also play a couple of new songs, which made up for it. Anyway, with the Hip, any set is great – they’ve never written a song I didn’t like. There were lots of tweets about how The Tragically Hip are Canada’s band, and I tend to agree.

Seeing them, again, in Canada’s capital, made my weekend.

Stay tuned for Melodie’s review of another Bluesfest show later this week, featuring a great Canadian band, Metric (she’s also going to try out the bike parking!). Did you go see The Tragically Hip show last Saturday?  What have you thought of Bluesfest so far?

A special thanks goes out to Ming Wu (website) for letting us use some of his stunning photos!

Ideas should shape the song: Q&A with musician Larra Skye

Larra Syke will perform tonight in Kemptville

Larra Skye is a singer/songwriter from Toronto.  She is a vegan, and lover of books and bicycles.  Her album of original music, The World Disappears, was named the #1 bestselling independent jazz album of 2006 by HMV Canada. She’s now recording her second album in June, and is currently touring the Ottawa and Montreal area.

Tell us a bit about how you found music.

It’s hard for me to imagine when music wasn’t a part of my life.  One day I decided to pick up the guitar and learn it (there was always a guitar in my house growing up).  I think I was around 11-years-old.  I started to learn classical guitar from the books in my parents’ bookstore, and I was listening to their music collection — Simon & Garfunkel, CSNY, and the Beatles.  From there, I started to write songs, formed a band, and performed in venues until I recorded my solo album, The World Disappears, with a team of people when I was 21.

How would you describe your sound?

It’s intimate, folk/pop, with some jazz influence.  It’s a mix of sounds that’s hard to define, but it’s definitely on the softer, mellow, side. Some people have said my voice reminds them of Feist, St. Vincent or Sarah Harmer.

We’re told you have  musical roots in Ottawa, can you tell us about that?

One of my first outdoor music festivals was in the Ottawa area when I was 19-years-old  (the now-defunct Women’s Voices Festival). We were about to drive there when the drummer’s car broke down, so my Mom actually drove us in her minivan all the way to Ottawa from Newmarket.  We arrived at the gig 15 minutes before going on stage. The crowd at the festival was lovely, appreciative — and all women. 

The next day, I remember driving into the city and seeing the Parliament buildings for the first time.  Took my breath away.

Photo Credit: Keidi Photo

Have you spent a lot of time in Ottawa since? What do you think?

I love Canada Day in Ottawa and, of course, Bluesfest.  My favourite restaurant in the entire world is in Ottawa: Zen Kitchen.  I was on tour last fall in Portland, Oregon, which is a mecca for vegans, and I would still choose Zen Kitchen over all the food I tried there, and I love the fact that they have many non-vegan fans.  Their food is accessible to everyone.

Can you tell us a bit about your upcoming album?

It’s called Wishing Tree and it’s going to be produced by Marc Rogers, who has worked as a bassist and/or producer with Canadian artists Sarah Harmer, Justin Hines, and the Philosopher Kings, among others.  We made some demos last fall that I put online, and I’ve started a pre-orders page to help fund some of the recording costs.

We start recording next month — it’s a very exciting time!

I’m also writing a French song for my new album with a songwriter who resides in Ottawa — Marcel Aymar, from the Franco-Ontarian group CANO.

Who are your favourite musicians? Who inspires you?

Photo Credit: Keidi Photo

There are so many.  I love Joni Mitchell and Aimee Mann. And Mark Lanegan and Leonard Cohen.  This week, I’ve been listening to P.J. Harvey’s new record, some Janis Ian, and Donovan.  I love all music, from classical to hip-hop.

Where are you hoping to take your career?

I’d really like to tour in Europe once the new album is out next fall.  In five years I hope to have released a few more albums/EPs, continuing to make music and write new material.  In ten years I’d like to be producing other artists as well.  I’ve always loved the recording and production side of making an album, trying new sounds and ideas to shape the song.

Larra Skye will be performing a solo acoustic concert TODAY at The Branch in Kemptville (15 Clothier Street).  For reservations, call 613-258-3737. And it’s FREE admission, and opens at 7 p.m.

There are 307,910 (potential) singletons in Ottawa…so where are they?

Jocelyn Wentland (blog/Twitter) hails from British Columbia, but is calling Ottawa home while she completes her Phd in Psychology (specializing in sexuality) at the University of Ottawa. Jocelyn’s research interests include casual sexual relationships, female sexuality, mate selection, the ‘technologized’ dating script, erotic photography, sex education, and women’s health.

When Jocelyn isn’t sex researching, blogging, or tweeting, she enjoys observing the mating rituals of Ottawa’s inhabitants.

Sex Research and the City's Jocelyn Wentland

So I’m not from Ottawa. I’ve lived here for two and a half years during which I’ve been both single and non-single, and I’m often told that it’s hard to meet people in this city.

I also often hear that there is a disproportionately higher number of single women in Ottawa, but to tell you the truth, I hear these comments no matter where I have lived, and I can’t figure out why people say this.

We know that there is a disproportionate number of female students on many university campuses across Canada -  and I think somehow that transfers to the overall gender breakdown for many cities.

So let’s explore the 2006 Census Canada – the most recent numbers for Ottawa:

• 615,635 – This is the number of men and women (over 15) who are not in a common-law relationship (as in, not married but could still be dating someone and potentially not ‘available’). Of these, 322,435 are women and 293,205 are men.

• 29,230 – This is the number of ‘extra’ women, assuming that all these women are appropriate dating partners for their male counterparts. So heterosexual men may have a slightly larger dating pool assuming that men and women are roughly equally likely to be in a relationship. Non-heterosexual women may have a larger dating pool! Also, there are waaaay more female widows versus male widows which might explain some of this lopsidedness.

• 669,380 – This is number of men and women (over 15),  not including the widows (30,000) and married people (325,220), so 307,910 men and women in Ottawa who have neither never been legally married (again, may not necessarily be single) or are currently separated (but could still technically be ‘married’).

• 297,055 – The overall number of men and women between the age of 20 and 44 in Ottawa. Some of these are not ‘single,’ but of these 297,055 there is likely a fair amount that also fit into the 307, 910 individuals who have never been married. Think Venn diagram.

Heck, I’ll even go so far as saying that even if there were only 10,000 single people in any desired age range/gender, I think that most people could find a reasonable match. So when you hear someone say there are no single people in Ottawa, you can kindly refer them to this blog.

So where to meet any of these 307,910 (potential) singletons in Ottawa, you ask?

Location. Location. Location. Where’s the best place to meet people in Ottawa? Well, the short answer is: I don’t know. What may work for me, might not work for you, but might work for your friend from work. And what might work for your brother might not work for me. And what might work for my single Aunt might not work for you.

I really don’t think that the location matters as much as the attitude you wear. That being said, dance clubs are never really my suggestion. I’ve always thought more lounge-ish pubs and bars are where it’s at. Being out in a fun location that can inspire more mingling than some other locations – but it can’t be a pub where people are tucked away in dark corners at tables because that doesn’t encourage people to ‘stop by’.

Think of locations where there are high-top tables (there’s something about being at eye level that encourages more chatting), open spaces (no dark cozy corners – those are for first dates), and a chill environment.

Target specific events. There are obviously events that are more single-friendly than others. For example, my personal motto is to avoid couple-y things like couples retreats, couple massages, or places that are listed as having a romantic ambiance while single.

Living in Ottawa, we are lucky to be home to some great festivals and shows which seem to gather young-ish folks where people are more likely to be single versus other groups. Think Bluesfest, Westfest, Ottawa Folk Festival. How about the Ottawa Wine & Food Show? These events usually cater to groups versus couples. And there is usually a vibe present at these events that is conducive to chatting up others.

Join something. By yourself. I’ve said this before...How about join a social club or team? Try the Ottawa Sport & Social Club or the Ottawa Carleton Ultimate Association. But you gotta do this one by yourself. This will force little shy you to be a bit more social and make new friends. New single friends, even.

Singles Groups. Ottawa is home to many singles groups that cater to the crowd who aren’t fond of heading to the market to ‘pick up.’ There are events catered to singles ranging from group outings and activities, brunches, lunches, and dinners, to dances and for all age ranges.

Click here for a list of Ottawa singles groups.

No big groups. Groups are overwhelming. My best nights for meeting people were always when it was myself and one other girlfriend. Maybe three total. Why? Because big groups are intimidating to approach. Also, most people don’t really give off warm welcoming vibes to others when sitting/standing in a large group. But in a small group of two or three, you’re more likely to be looking around at your surroundings and be making an effort to talk with others.

Leave the cheese. No need for cheesey pick-up lines, groping, or grinding. How about a simple hello? I used to celebrate a faux birthday but you can only do this for so long at the same location before it’s really obvious that it’s just a ploy to meet others. “Hello” is by far the best pick up line.

Body language/eye contact. Make the first move. Send someone you are interested in a positive vibe. No crossed arms. No death glares. Where did the art of buying drinks for someone go? I know times are tight, but $5?! If you aren’t down with sending or buying a drink, then send someone a big smile. Smiles are free. Smiles also break the tension immediately.

One thing I’ve noticed in Ottawa is that people tend to be a bit more quiet or shy, but I don’t think that is indicative of a lack of interest.

So be a brave grasshopper and make the first move!

Do you have a question or comment about dating in Ottawa? Leave Jocelyn a comment below!

The Festival of Chocolate – a delicious event for a great cause

The Festival of Chocolate: Thursday February 10, 2011 at Lago

 

Katherine Carter has lived in Ottawa for five years, and is the Community Relations Coordinator for the city’s Distress Centre. She is also the head of  this year’s Festival of Chocolate. This week, Local Tourist Ottawa was lucky enough to have a short Q&A with her to learn a bit about this fundraiser.

The Festival of Chocolate sounds like a delicious event! Who will be competing and how will the chocolatiers be judged?

We have such wonderful competitors this year that I’m really excited about. This year, Roch Fournier (Rochef Chocolatier), who was our winner from last year’s competition, will be returning for his second year. We are also fortunate to have the lovely Amanda Lunan, (Auntie Loo’s Treats)  who is a vegan baker, and Joe Collabro (Paticceria Gelatteria Italiana), an accomplished baker/chocolatier who has worked in the industry for more than 30 years. Roch, Amanda and Joe are three very talented individuals who come from different backgrounds and styles – a combination that is sure to add more to this year’s competition.

Each chef will have about 10 to 15 minutes to present their piece to a panel of judges, an amazing group including Ron Eade (Ottawa Citizen food critic), Chef Herve Chabert (Le Cordon Bleu) and Heinrich Stubbe (Stubbe’s Chocolates). The competitors will talk about what they used for ingredients, their inspirations and what they are hoping the guest and judges will experience. The judges will then have the opportunity to give their feedback, ask questions, and will score each competitor based on such things as use of chocolate, taste and creativity.

One thing to keep in mind is that this is an event that is meant to, above all, be fun.

The culinary network in Ottawa is so vibrant and passionate that it’s great to get everyone together where there’s no pressure of a formal competition, but we figured that because our competitors take their work to heart, we would make sure that the judges we had were able to speak from a similar perspective so that if they so desired, they could use that feedback to put directly back into their businesses and grow their inventory.

So what does this mean for the people who attend?

When the people arrive at the event, there will be the opportunity sample lots of chocolate from a variety of vendors, some who will be on-site to talk about their products. Kathleen’s Kitchen is one who has been a big supporter of ours and both Jack and Kathleen will be there to present their wonderful truffles. Guests will also be treated to a complimentary beverage of their choice. Throughout the night we there will also be a silent auction with some amazing items up for bid like Bluesfest passes, spa gift certificates, and much more.

Around eight o’clock our lovely master of ceremonies for the evening, Jen Traplin (LiVE 88.5) will start the chef competition… and then we’re off for another round of chocolate delights!

What’s this I hear about firefighters?

Ha! It’s true, we’ve been really fortunate to have the help of the Ottawa Professional Firefighter’s Association, they’ve been amazing. This year, they will be serving chocolate throughout the evening and are also helping us to raise money by raffling off some awesome prizes like Sens box seats and a Netbook. Again, it was just a natural evolution of the event through the contacts we had in the community and these guys are simply the best.

The Festival of Chocolate is a fundraiser for the Distress Centre of Ottawa and Region. Tell us about the Distress Centre and the services you provide.

The Distress Centre provides 24/7 confidential telephone call in services for individuals of all ages to connect with when they are in distress or feel they are deteriorating further into crisis. People can call for any reason: emotional support, stress, bullying, mental illness or even if they are thinking about suicide or are worried about someone at risk of suicide. Our volunteers receive the best training, currently we provide the most training hours of any Distress Centre in Canada (59) which includes the LivingWorks ASIST Suicide Intervention Certification, a course which is given to many professionals including community health care workers, psychiatric nurses and police officers.

We are volunteer based and an access point into the mental health system, since 2003 we’ve operated the Ottawa Hospital’s Mental Health Crisis Line so that should a person’s situation require an extra level of care we can actually transfer them directly to a crisis team worker. It’s a wonderful marriage of community grassroots working with professional care.

We are an important service for Ottawa, Champlain District and West Quebec because mental health affects us all, and we should all play a role in maintaining our own and our communities wellbeing. The Distress Centre exists so that anyone at anytime can always have someone to reach out to for help and support.

Tickets for the Festival of Chocolate are $50 per person and must be purchased in advance. Please call 613-238-1089 x 222 to buy your tickets, and support the Distress Centre of Ottawa and Region.

Thanks for chatting with us Katherine!

Hey Mena G. – welcome to Ottawa!

Mena G. is a fundraising consultant who moved to Ottawa in August 2010…and it all started because of a conversation in a British pub, with an old school friend and her Canadian husband.

We were so delighted when my friend from her school days said she was coming home for a visit.

She had moved to Canada the previous year and had just relocated from Nova Scotia with her new husband to Ottawa.  As we sat eating our meal in the Bumblebee (yes, it’s the name of the pub) in front of a roaring fire, they talked about Ottawa – a city that they described as a delightful mix of city excitement and facilities surrounded by beautiful lakes and countryside. They told us tales of skating on the canal, going to ice hockey games, husky sledging, Bluesfest… and well…by the end of the conversation, we’d decided to move.

So for a last reality check before I became too firmly fixed on the idea, I asked my friend, “Okay, be really honest, what DON’T you like about living in Canada?”

She said, “the cold.”

“And that’s all?” I asked.

“Yep, that’s about it,” she replied matter-of-factly.

Needless to say, it didn’t put us off. So just under two years later, after much form-filling, travelling back and forth, buying a house, setting up accounts and various other things… here we are.

My husband moved over two months before me to organize the house while I finished up my job back home, and I still remember clearly the first night I got here.  It was a warm summer evening and rather than give in to the jetlag, we went for a walk down the street where we live and I was amazed by how many people were out the front of their houses.  Whether they were tidying their lawns, playing with the children or chatting to the neighbours, it was a real difference from the fortresses we tend to build for ourselves in the United Kingdom, from which we only venture out of to put out the rubbish or get into the car to go to work.

Since that first night, we’ve travelled a bit further than the street where we live, around the lakes of Gatineau, explored downtown shops, the ByWard Market and of course the Parliament buildings. But for me, my favourite experience so far, and one that I imagine we will repeat many times, is barbecuing on Petrie Island. Who’d have thought it – a beach in Ottawa!

Our next adventures we hope will include camping in Gatineau forest, hiring a cottage on a lake and indeed, skating on the canal.

As for the one thing my friend said she didn’t enjoy – the cold – I’ve yet to discover what that will be like.  But, I’m starting to get a taste of it, and I think I might end up agreeing with her!

Are you new to Ottawa? Share your first impressions with us!