The second-annual Ottawa Foodie Challenge: A day of bicycle-powered fun

Hilary Duff (blog/Twitter) is a quirky 21-year-old who loves multimedia journalism, cycling, food blogging, and churning massive amounts of baked goods out of her cramped student kitchen. She is also a contributing editor for Local Tourist Ottawa.

Take a typical day in the life of Hilary and multiply it by a trillion. Welcome to my Sunday.

My days are normally composed of food, biking and roommate love, and this past weekend all three were exaggerated exponentially. To my great pleasure, I might add.

Sunday was the date of the second-annual Ottawa Foodie Challenge.

Perplexed? For those that don’t know, OFC is an event held to help combat community hunger and raise money for the Ottawa Food Bank. The day operates like a scavenger hunt: participants are given a list of tasks at the beginning of the day that they need to complete and photograph over the next several hours. This year’s challenge saw 30 teams competing for the grand prize: a load of wine, gift certificates for local restaurants and food shops, and bragging rights for the next year.

As soon as I heard about the hunt, I knew it was right up my alley. I asked my roommate Brittany if she wanted to be my partner and, just like that, Team YUKON DO IT! was born. I was more that a little pleased to become a honourary Yukoner for the day.

Brittany and I with our Yukon ski team jackets (well, with her Yukon ski team jackets..)

Being students, Britt and I faced a tricky dilemma: we don’t have a car. This concerned us. We knew the hunt would send us across the city, and that time and speedy transportation would be of the essence. A combination of determination and a desire to be active (mixed with our no-other-option circumstances) led to our decision to do the OFC on our bikes.

And so, on Sunday morning, Britt and I rolled up to the Urban Element in Wellington West for the morning kick-off. After the grand prize was announced and several delicious Life of Pie freebie scones were consumed, we received THE LIST. Our route was promptly plotted, and we left in a flurry, leaving behind a screeching of tires and a blur of saddlebags.

Task 17: You at any bagel shop with a bagel on your fingers

For the next six hours, Britt and I made our way across the city, fueled only by our competitive will to win and a bag of a dozen day-old bagels that we had bought to complete an earlier challenge. I swear, doughy carbohydrates have never tasted so good.

As far as neighbourhood hopping went, we planned the day to minimize backtracking, a goal that I think we accomplished fairly well. Being on bikes, we managed to illegally enter parking lots, dodge/carefully peddle through construction, park on sidewalks and nearly run over a few people in the Market.

This year’s tasks were fun and creative, some more challenging than others. Here are the stories that accompany a few of our favourites…

1. Task #20: You and a Kraft single beside the most expensive piece of cheese you can find

Who knew that journalism student persistence would pay off in the form of processed cheese? For this challenge, Britt and I were left stranded outside of La Bottega in the Market, at a loss for where to find a piece of cheese to juxtapose the $74.99/kg chunk we eventually found. The answer was McDonalds. Surely the golden arches didn’t use real cheese on their Big Macs, I thought. After rushing to the cash at the downtown location and pestering a couple of employees, I eventually managed to convince one of them to wrap up a piece of their processed cheese for me. Disobeying social norms and asking strange requests while pouting really pays off. 

2. Task #23: You holding a live “Sebastien” from the Little Mermaid

Come on, you can’t honestly tell me that you wouldn’t love to hang out with a lobster. Maybe it’s because I’m a Pisces and one with the water, or something, but holding a wriggling sea creature was one of the highlights of my day. 

3. Task #36: You shaving chicken off any shawarma skewer

Britt and I biked past shawarma shops all day long, telling ourselves as we whizzed past each that we were reserving this task completion for Cedar Springs, the tiny grocery shop and shawarma deli in our neighbourhood, Old Ottawa South. It was the end of the day when Britt and I finally burst into the shop and begged the men behind the counter to let us wield sharp knives and pose with their chicken spits. After some persuasive talk and a promise to plug their groceria to everyone we know (plug, plug, plug) they let us take our picture. Bonus: they even lent us a chef’s coat and hat so we could check that task off our list. Britt still has the hat and can be seen wearing it around the house on occasion. 

4. Task #9: Crawl down Preston with a plate on your head! (Make sure we can see the Little Italy street sign!)

In which we convinced the fine folk at Pub Italia to lend us a plate as we biked one-handed down Preston Street holding said dish. Bikes tossed aside, we paid tribute to the next Dishcrawl Ottawa neighbourhood.

 5.  Task #32: You rolling a sushi roll anywhere but at home

This was actually the most difficult challenge to accomplish. We were close to giving up on this one after several sushi restaurant visits filled with rejection and sadness (they all claimed something ridiculous about health regulations…). Finally, one sushi joint on the corner of Murray Street and Dalhousie let me behind the counter. I think they could see the desperation in my eyes.

To see all our pictures from the other challenges, check out the Flickr set Britt and I submitted to be judged. Please ignore my helmet hair and general dishevelment.

That night at the closing ceremonies, people didn’t even recognize us. We promptly reminded them that we were the girls on bikes wearing spandex and Yukon ski team windbreakers. This helped.

When the lead organizer Carolynn got up to announce the winners, Britt and I held our breath. We had completed all the tasks except one, but were unsure how well our score would stand up to the 29 other teams.

And then we won.

It was a FANTASTIC moment, and we ecstatically jumped out of our seats to accept our prize, golden crowns and dog-toy-on-a-plate sandwich trophy, the latter of which now sits on our fireplace mantle.

The place of pride

It was the perfect end to an already great day. Thanks again to Carolynn, Larissa Beznaczuk-Smyrnew, Kyle Braatz and Matt Richling for doing such a great job planning things.

Now, would someone like to massage my calves? I’m feeling a little sore…

To check out the other albums from the Ottawa Foodie Challenge, visit their blog where they’ll eventually be posting the links to all the Flickr photo sets. Did any of you participate in the OFC? Tell us about your day! 

On the menu for Hintonburg: A flurry of new restaurant openings, with a side of gentrification

Burnt Butter (1100 Wellington) is just one of several new restaurants moving into Ottawa's Hintonburg neighbourhood

Hilary Duff (blog/Twitter) is a quirky 21-year-old who loves multimedia journalism, cycling, food blogging, and churning massive amounts of baked goods out of her cramped student kitchen. She is also a contributing editor for Local Tourist Ottawa.

The Hintonburg restaurant scene is on the rise.

The neighbourhood is the latest in Ottawa to facedown with the issue of gentrification. The sweeping of new eateries has caused some businesses, like the old KFC location, to shut down, worrying some lower income families in the area that relied on the diner’s weekly specials. Now, the folks at the Hintonburger (who are moving into the old KFC location in 2012) are looking to help fill that gap.

And so, here’s what the Hintonburg food scene is looking like now. The trend is generally a positive one, and we recommend you check out the up-and-coming restaurants while they’re still young.

This radio piece was first produced for the current affairs radio show Midweek, broadcast every Wednesday from noon until 1:30 p.m. on the Carleton University radio station CKCU-FM 93.1.

Need a visual to illustrate the last few restaurant openings? Here’s a look at the new places that have opened (or plan on opening) in the neighbourhood. Click on the map pointer to find out more.

View Larger Map

What do you think of the new restaurants in Hintonburg? Which is your favourite so far?  

Charles Crosbie’s wrap-up of this weekend’s Taste of Wellington West festival

Charles Crosbie (blog/Twitter) moved from Toronto to the Hintonburg area after discovering it three years ago. He is an occasional blogger and the founder of Clout, a boutique marketing firm on Wellington West. 

This year’s Taste of Wellington West festival was a great success, as evident by a turnout that seemed to dwarf prior years: some of this year’s new attractions, alongside participation of 35 of the area’s amazing cafes and restaurants, drew a large amount of happy visitors to Hintonburg.

The classic car show was one of the main components of Saturday's festival

Crowds along Wellington West were elbow-to-elbow in many hot spots, chatting in line-ups and enjoying everything the area’s local shops had to offer. In addition, more than 50 local businesses took part in sharing and showcasing their offerings at this year’s festival, holding sidewalk sales and gatherings.

A few of the most notable participating local eateries were area newcomers. Alpha Soul‘s amazing samplings drew in visitors who stayed on their patio for an afternoon pint of delicious Kichesippi Beer; Isobel’s Cupcakes and Cookies, which opens in October, handed out samplings of their beautiful baked goods; Burnt Butter Italian Kitchen had the hungry gathered by the dozens outside; and, wood-fired pizza joint Tennessy Willems also had line-ups down the block to try their gourmet goods.

Hip hop at the Hintonburger

Hintonburger, the area’s year-old, rustic burger trailer near Somerset, had a winning setup: amazing live hip hop music and samplings of their homemade corn-dogs brought in a large crowd. They also (smartly) had additional picnic tables set up in their lot to allow visitors to stop by for one of their famous burgers while listening to the live tunes.

Cozy’s Restaurant, which has been under new management for just one week, was re-introducing itself to locals and making a great first impression on newcomers by giving away delicious samplings of their homemade pizzas. Regular favourites like the amazing Absinthe had lines around the block to sample their fare. Bridgehead was buzzing with visitors who were able to sample their red berry rooibos iced tea.

Area bars and taverns, such as The Royal Oak, Carleton Tavern and The Elmdale (which had a killer blues band in the adjacent parking lot) were also flooded with visitors.

Buskers at the weekend festival

Alongside the amazing eats and drinks this year, the festival offered some great new sights and activities for the day. Attractions like the kids play area in my office’s parking lot at Rosemount Avenue that sported a humungous bouncy-castle, street performers along the strip, live acts at various venues and a bike parade were all hugely popular.

One of the highlights of this year’s attractions was the classic car show component that was arranged in association with one of the coolest shops in the city, Fabgear 64. All kinds of antique and vintage rides lined Wellington West, including Fabgear owner Bob’s own beautiful cars, 1940′s business coupes, mid-sixties muscle cars like a Mustang GT 350 and cute mid-century compacts.

The streets of Wellington West were lined with classic cars like this one

The organizers crafted the perfect recipe of a great event. Visitors were able to enjoy a diverse and entertaining afternoon while being exposed to some of the amazing offerings – old and new – that have made Hintonburg one of the hottest up-and-coming areas of the city.

Thanks for letting us know about Saturday’s ongoings, Charles. We’re hungry now… Did any of you go to Wellington West for the weekend’s festivities? 

‘Poetry can be all around you’: Kathryn Hunt recounts sharing random acts of poetry

Photo Credit: Brian Pirie

Kathryn Hunt  is a displaced Maritimer who first arrived in Ottawa 15 years ago. A published poet and freelance writer, Kate blogs, performs and talks the city’s budding literary scene at every opportunity! She also enjoys cycling and rock-climbing in her spare time.

A volunteer at the Arc Poetry table during ArtsPark

Last weekend I spent a day helping to man the Arc Poetry Magazine table at ArtsPark in the Parkdale Market in Hintonburg. ArtsPark has been running since 2004, helping to boost and celebrate the burgeoning arts district that Hintonburg has become, but this is the first time I’ve been able to go. (I used to live in Hintonburg, but it was a rather sketchier part of the city back then…)

When I arrived at the Parkdale Market it was a misty day — not quite raining. But that didn’t seem to have affected the crowds, who were already milling around the stands, sipping local coffee and munching local snacks. I locked my bike up to one of the (many) bike racks, and headed in to the collection of tables, stands and canopies in search of the Arc table. I found it just inside the park, under one of the permanent canopies, next to the ArtsPark information table. It was already staffed by a cluster of poets, some of whom had been wandering around the park performing ‘random acts of poetry’: stopping passersby and offering to read them a poem from a collection of chapbooks and small press publications.

Photo Credit: Brian Pirie

We had a ‘poetry factory’ set up: two metal boards covered in magnetic words, so that anyone passing could spend a few moments moving words around and creating a poem. Anyone who created a poem would get a chance to draw for a prize – a free copy of Arc, or even a year’s subscription. There was also a typewriter , which drew a lot of attention, where volunteer poets would, for a dollar or two, compose a poem on the spot for passersby.

It’s kind of amazing that there are some people who, when you ask them, “Hey, would you like a poem?” look at you in suspicion, mumble something like, “No thanks,” and sidle away as though you just offered them –- oh, I don’t know, a political tract or a credit card application. But it’s also amazing that there are people who when you offer them a poem written, on the spot, just for them, light up. “Really? You’ll write me a poem?”

Kids stop by the Arc Poetry table

People asked for poems for their children — often poems for infants in arms who won’t be able to read the poems for years. (By which time these poems will probably all be recycling: One of the interesting thing about the whole poetry factory idea, for me, is that all the poems are ephemeral. They’re not high art, they’re not going to last forever. This was a celebration of the fact that poetry can be all around you, and it can be just for fun, and it can be not meant to last.) They also wanted poems for occasions – there were at least two birthday poems composed, that I saw.

Mayor Jim Watson stops by the Arc Poetry table

The Mayor came by the table, wrote his own magnetic poem,  tossed his toonie into the jar and asked Pearl Pirie, who was manning the typewriter just then, to write a poem about Hintonburg. Others reached into the jar for a random subject (words and phrases cut out of magazines). A young man in a Yasir Naqvi jacket asked for a poem about public service. And inevitably, when they were handed their typewritten sheet with their typo-laden, brand-new poem on it, their faces burst into grins.

Meanwhile, around us there were  kids playing in the still-empty wading pool and on the large orange spheres that are scattered around the new Parkdale Market park, stands selling local crafts and foods, and a stage with alternating musical and spoken word performers. (We were a little too far away to catch every word of the sets by PrufRock, Ian Keteku and John Akpata, but phrases drifted over to us from the stage from time to time.) A unicyclist appeared, juggled for a few moments, attracting a crowd of young children who would run to grab the pins when he dropped them. After a while I spotted him unicycling around the park with a cluster of small children running after him in a stream like the tail of a comet.

Photo Credit: Brian Pirie

We packed up around 5 pm, along with the rest of the fair, and went our separate ways from the Arc table. I didn’t get out to see much of the rest of the festival (although I made a couple of trips to a nearby vendor’s table, where they were serving coffee that tasted, slightly, of cinnamon). But from where I was standing, behind the poetry table, it was a success. The sun even came out for the last hour or so. And I got to spend a day making poetry fun for people. Reminding them that poetry doesn’t have to be deathless, it doesn’t have to be scary or complicated or hard to understand, it isn’t made in isolation or in some strange artistic trance: Poetry can happen anywhere.

Wow! Thanks for sharing! And Kathryn will be performing with her poetry/storytelling troupe, the Kymeras, this Saturday at 8 p.m. in nearby Almonte, at the Old Town Hall.

Tasting gourmet pizza across the National Capital Region: Geneviève Brisson visits Tennessy Willems

Wild boar sausage wood-oven pizza from Tennessy Willems

Geneviève Brisson is a master’s student in communication at the University of Ottawa, working on a thesis on gastronomic tourism. An Ottawa native, she has an appetite for discovering everything the National Capital Region has to offer, especially its burgeoning food scene.

Pizza. A quintessential food of the Canadian diet – for better or for worse. I recently decided to embark on an exploration of gourmet/specialty pizza restaurants in the National Capital Region to discover pizzas that have character…and pizzazz!

I visited Tennessy Willems with my boyfriend a couple of weeks ago. This Hintonburg wood-oven pizza place just opened in December of last year.

When we came in from the cold on a Tuesday night of this month, the place was full, so we were offered a spot at the bar. Sitting at the bar turned out to be a really nice and casual way to spend dinner, not to mention that we had a good view of the mesmerizing pizza making techniques of the chef. Great entertainment!

The focus of the menu here is of course the pizzas, with about a dozen on offer ranging from $10 to 18$, but you will also find interesting appetizers, a few salads and other entrées, and three desserts. I also saw a soup being brought out of the kitchen during the evening, but none was listed on the menu (I questioned if the staff forgot to mention it to us).

We started our meal with a nice cheese plate of three Canadian cheeses, crostini, chutney, and caramelized nuts. My only complaint is that we could have used more crostini to finish the cheeses.

Cheese plate from Tennessy Willems

We then split the wild boar sausage pizza with caramelized apples, sage and old cheddar, which was brought with a bottle of chilli oil and a small bowl of chilli peppers to use at our pleasure. The pizza’s thin crust had slightly charred edges and a pleasant smokiness from the wood-burning oven. Delightful!

To accompany the pizza, I had a glass of full-bodied Italian red wine from the short but interesting wine list, which went beautifully with the pizza. My boyfriend, excited by the local beer offerings on tap, went with a Beau’s.

For dessert, I couldn’t resist ordering the lemon tart. It was fresh and tangy, and the crust had a good texture (not too crumbly). Simply fabulous.

Lemon tart from Tennessy Willems

The atmosphere of the restaurant is warm and cozy.

Light strands decorate the windows, colourful art adorns the white walls, and the wood planks serving as table tops give off a sleek but warm feel. And I just love the wood pile by the kitchen.

Service is perhaps the slight low point of the place; it’s familiar and friendly, but still working out some kinks.

Given that I was there on a Tuesday night and the place was packed from the time we got there to the time we left about two hours later, I would maybe suggest making a reservation, especially on the weekend. You can also get pizza to go, but I would recommend eating at the restaurant for the nice atmosphere.

So, in the coming months, I hope to visit and revisit some of the gourmet pizza restaurants in the National Capital Region. Don’t hesitate to give me your recommendations!

Do you have a pizza place suggestion for Geneviève? Leave a comment below!

A taste of Ottawa’s best: Beau’s, Bridgehead and Hintonburger

For more info on Beau's All Natural Brewing Company visit: www.beaus.ca

Conor (a soon be lawyer) and Renée (a dedicated public servant) have lived in Ottawa their whole lives and couldn’t imagine living in a better city.  Their love affair with Ottawa stems from the serene calm that seems to surround the city, the camaraderie of the Ottawa Trivia League (they’re both on the team Spoiler Alert) and by trying new local things.

Conor was first introduced to Beau’s in the summer of 2008 when a friend gave him one of those easily recognizable ceramic bottles.

The Lugtread was delicious, local, and family brewed.  So when we heard that another rising local institution was teaming up with Beau’s we had to make it out to Bridgehead to celebrate Winterlude with Winterbrew, a coffee infused beer.

Bridgehead

The event took place at Bridgehead’s newest location on Sparks Street.  The place was jammed with all types. Who knew so many people liked beer and coffee! While we joked that The Drew Carrey Show had this idea years ago, Beau’s and Bridgehead put a little more thought into this beer’s recipe than getting buzzed on beer and coffee.

According to a press release from Beau’s, they “wanted to go with a medium altitude Central or South American coffee, because they tend to be very clean with flavours [they] thought would be complementary to the beer – nuts, cocoa powder and warm spices. There were a few coffees that would have done the trick, but we settled upon a coffee from around the town of San Juan del Rio Coco in Madriz, Nicaragua because of the pronounced Dutch-processed cocoa aromas.”

Bridgehead

The beer did not disappoint.

We were warned that the first sip would be strange and it was.  But half way through it became really tasty.  Peter and Conor, both heavy coffee drinkers, appreciated the sensation of getting pretty buzzed  and compared it to an iced Americano.  Renee and Kristen, who do not often drink coffee, didn’t enjoy it as much but finished their drinks in true Winterbrew style.

Cynical curmudgeon, Conor, scoffed at both Beau’s and Bridgehead who pride themselves on natural and organic as well as fair trade means of crafting their brews, for serving the Winterbrew in plastic cups until Peter realized that the cups were compostable. Nice touch.

Running with the local and organic theme of the night, we headed to Hintonburger on Wellington for dinner.

Hintonburger is located at 991 Wellington Street West

From the outside, it looks like a dive, but you should never judge a book by it’s cover because within is pure deliciousness.

The beef comes from Ottawa O’Brien Farms and are filled with herbs and seasoning.  No pictures of the burger themselves because we were too busy eating them and/or they were so delicious we ate them too fast.   We haven’t ventured away from the burger, but I hear they’re corn dog is delicious (and can’t wait to try it).

If you’re in Hintonburg you really need to stop in and try anything on their menu, but make sure to have money on hand as it’s cash only.

Thanks for the post you two! We hope to see more of you here…and in person!

Anne Patterson says hello to Ottawa

Anne Patterson of Hello Ottawa

Anne Patterson is the creator of Hello Ottawa, a blog that photographs and interviews Ottawans about their relationship with the city, their favourite places, and their lives. When she’s not busy connecting with interesting people in the city, she’s a community manager at a locally-based NGO and the visual anthropology editor at Popular Anthropology Magazine.

You’re relatively new to Ottawa, what were your first impressions of the city?

Well, I first lived here very briefly in 2003, and at that time I found the city kind of overwhelming and difficult to penetrate. I felt like it was a beautiful place, but I didn’t connect with it – I didn’t know how. When I moved away I was glad for the change, but I spent the next seven years thinking about moving back. I’m not sure what it was that grabbed me, but I knew there was more to this place than I had found originally, and I really felt like I needed to give it another chance. I moved back in May of this year, and I’m really glad I did. I think a lot of people have a hard time figuring Ottawa out – it’s so easy to just think of it as a nice, family-friendly government city with a few nice parks, but there’s a lot more to it. There are thriving communities and a real passion for the city if you scrape the surface a little.

In September you launched Hello Ottawa – can you tell us a bit about that project?

Sure! Hello Ottawa is something that I had been thinking about for a good year before I finally moved to Ottawa. I knew, at the time, that I was going to be moving here and I really wanted to find a way to explore and learn about the place in a creative way. I’ve always been interested in photography, and I love learning about people’s lives. Profiling people seemed like a great way to do both of those things while also helping me feel like I was more of a part of the city. I started by putting up a couple of ads on Kijiji and Craigslist asking for volunteers, and from there it’s just snowballed. The response has been incredible. There’s been so much support and enthusiasm for it, I’m constantly amazed.

How do you select who you profile?

For the most part people contact me about being profiled, either because they’re readers or because friends have referred them. There isn’t really a selection process – pretty much everyone who contacts me is welcome to participate, although the response has been overwhelming enough that I may have to reconsider that. Each profile takes quite a bit of time, and there just aren’t enough hours in a day. I have no idea how I’m going to narrow it down – I feel like everyone is really interesting and deserves to tell their story. I’m also trying to reach out to some more marginalized groups and individuals so I can make sure that it’s truly a good cross-section of the community that’s being represented.

How comfortable are the Ottawa residents you’ve profiled with talking about themselves?

Most of the participants so far have been very comfortable with it. I’m not the greatest interviewer, so I try to approach it as a conversation, and then I reassemble the transcript into something resembling a more traditional Q&A. There is the occasional participant who is a little hesitant to talk about anything personal, which can be frustrating, but for the most part I’m usually surprised by how open people are willing to be.

Which profile has had the biggest impact on you so far and why?

That’s a hard one! They’ve all impacted me in one way or another, but one interview I conducted recently really stands out. It won’t be posted for a while yet, so I can’t say too much about it, but it was with a woman involved in the sex trade. It was completely fascinating and I’ve been thinking about our conversation ever since. Hearing about the challenges various individuals and communities face makes me feel like I’m not doing enough to help advocate for the causes I care about.

How have the people you’ve met and photographed transformed your overall view of the city?

This whole project has made the city seem a lot smaller to me. The first time I lived here, I was on my own and had just moved from the small town I grew up in. Ottawa seemed very large and a little incomprehensible. Now that I’m back and doing this project, I feel like I have a much better understanding of the city, and I really see the potential here. It feels like “my” city, not just a place I’m renting an apartment in. Meeting all these amazing people through Hello Ottawa has been great for that. I’ve made some genuine friends, and every person has taught me something new about this place.

How do you hope this blog will impact your readers?

I hope that the project will help people see a side of this city that isn’t immediately obvious. There are so many amazing things happening here, and I think that the people I’m profiling all have really valuable and unique insights. I also think it’s nice just to learn about other people that choose to make Ottawa their home. It helps city life feel a little less anonymous.

What places in Ottawa immediately became your favourite, and why?

I live in the Hintonburg neighbourhood, and I love it. The Hintonburg-Wellington West area is definitely one of my favourite parts of living in Ottawa. There’s a really solid sense of community, and I felt welcomed right from the start.  It’s got quite a history, and there’s a lot of change going on – I find it really exciting to be a part of that.

What is on your Ottawa and region to do list?

There are so many things… I haven’t been to most of the museums yet, so that’s definitely at the top of my list. There’s a great theatre scene here that I haven’t really experienced yet – I’m looking forward to seeing some productions. There are also a lot events that go on that I’ve had to miss for one reason or another, so I really want to start making an effort to make sure I get out and experience what the city has to offer.

You’re about to experience your first winter in Ottawa – a notorious stretch of crazy weather that certainly has both its ups and its downs: what are you looking forward to?

Snowshoeing! I’ve owned a pair of snowshoes for about four years now, and I haven’t had a chance to use them yet. I love the snow – I grew up in a part of Alberta that saw some really impressive snow dumps, and since I’ve been in Ontario I haven’t seen anything that compares. I’m hoping for some good snow days!

Why do you think it is important for Ottawa residents to get out and explore this city and its people?

There’s no better way to feel connected to a place, and it really breeds community and a sense of belonging. People often seem to be almost apologetic about choosing to live here – but there’s no reason for that! Ottawa is a great city, and there are so many reasons to love it.

Thanks for the wonderful Q&A Anne! Everyone: be sure to check out Hello Ottawa – it is an awesome project that is truly shining a spotlight on our city and its people.

Q&A with Nadine Thornhill, award-winning playwright, actor and spoken word poet

Nadine Thornhill

Nadine Thornhill is an award-winning playwright, actor and spoken word poet.  She honed her theatre  skills amongst the freaks and geeks at the University of Waterloo.  Upon graduating, she moved to Canada’s capital where she has been living, loving and working ever since.   By day, she is the program coordinator for Planned Parenthood’s Insight Theatre. In her spare time, Nadine enjoys running, an occasional triathlon, and the antics of her husband and son.

Where did your passion for theatre begin?

When I was four or five, living in Toronto, a local designer asked my mom if I could model part of her upcoming collection for a fashion show.   I was a pathologically timid child, so I’m not sure why she thought I could handle the runway.  But my mom said yes and not long after, I was strutting my little stuff in front of a crowd.  And even though I could barely say two words to most people, as a model, my relationship to other people was different.  On the runway, I knew exactly what I was supposed to do.   And I knew exactly how the audience was going to respond.  The social interactions were all prescribed, which put me very much at ease.  I quickly developed a strong association between being on stage and feeling secure.

I sought out experience to perform and be on stage throughout my childhood, but it didn’t develop into a driving passion until I was twelve.  My parents took me to see Les Miserables. The first notes of music sounded through the theatre and within five minutes, I was head-over-heels with the conviction that I wanted to be on that stage.  Now that I’m an adult, my interests have expanded, but I can’t imagine that I’ll ever stop loving the theatre.

As a playwright and actor, how would you describe Ottawa’s performing arts scene?

I think Ottawa’s theatre scene is coming-of-age, so to speak.  The talent, intelligence, desire and resources required to be a strong presence in Ottawa’s art community all exist, but we’re still in the process of discovering and developing a unique, authentic identity.  In the eleven years I’ve lived in this city, I’ve seen incredible growth in Ottawa’s theatre scene.  It has grown, matured, and I have every confidence that it will continue to do so.

Meanwhile, I think Ottawa’s spoken word community has really come in to its own. This past October, Ottawa’s spoken word team won the national title for the second consecutive year, and  the world slam champion is an Ottawa poet.  Every spoken word event I attend is packed.  Every open mic seems to reveal a brilliant new artist.   Spoken word in this city was strong when I first got involved five years ago, but the work Ottawa poets are producing today is incomparable.

As an actor, how would you describe the Ottawa audiences you perform in front of?

I find Ottawa audience very generous.  Literally.  This past February I was the spoken word feature at Voices of Venus. It is a monthly event that takes place at Umi Cafe, and during my set, I mentioned how much I love Umi’s Nanaimo bars.  When I finished performing, three different people offered to buy me a bar.  It is possible I accepted all three…

But that experience is typical of the audience members I meet.  They’re very friendly.  And I think they appreciate that a lot of Ottawa performers are local people who live in their communities.  What better way to get to know your neighbour than over a rich, chocolately sweet, post-performance dessert?

Where do you find inspiration for your writing?

I’m self-centered, I’m opinionated and I’ve been through a LOT of therapy.  My poetry and plays are either thinly veiled autobiography; pontificating on various social issues; pseudo-psychoanalysis of an emotional problem I’m having; or some combination of the three.

Nadine Thornhill performing in "Oreo"

Why do you think it is important for Ottawa to have a vibrant arts community?

I think it’s important for Ottawa for exactly the same reasons I think it’s important for any place.  The arts are a mode of communcation and interpretation.   We rely on artistic products to make sense of our world every day.  Even something as routine as a daily commute on the bus, involves an encounter with artistry.  Every ad on a bus was conceived and executed by a creative team.   A graphic designer determined the look and layout of the tickets we use.  Even the maple-leaf motif that identifies the vehicle as being part of the OC Transpo fleet is art.  What we read, what see, the way we speak, even the way we move through our community, is influenced by art and creativity.

It’s a necessary part of life.

You answer sex and relationship questions for our friends at Apartment 613, can you tell us a bit about that?

I LOVE writing Dirty Laundry, my column for Apartment 613.  As I said, I’m opinionated.  I also love talking about sex.  Once a month I get to combine all my loves into one awesome writing assignment.  I’ve had some very interesting, intelligent questions.  I enjoy the challenge of an unexpected letter that really forces me to consider an issue I may not have thought about much before.

You also have your own blog, and you are a pretty active participant in Ottawa’s social networking community – what are your favourite local blogs to read?

Ottawa is bursting with must-read blogs.  Apartment 613 is all excellence all the time.  I also love Spacing Ottawa.  Hello Ottawa is a newer blog that features everyday Ottawans and what they love about this city.  The O-Dot is a hilarious, satirical Onion-esque blog, but with a local focus.  A couple of my friends have launched a new blog, Ottawa Sneezers, a place where people can spread the word about must-see arts events around the city.

I gather from Twitter that you’re an avid jogger – what is your favourite route to run in our city?

There are a lot of great places to run in this city.  The recreation paths along the canal and by the river are beautiful, especially in summer and fall.  But there’s something about running in the city that I absolutely love. I like to start out from my home in Westboro and run out the University of Ottawa – that route takes me through Wellington West, Hintonburg, Little Italy, Chinatown, Centretown, Sandy Hill…some of my favourite neighbourhoods.

You recently performed at Our Unspoken Words, a book launch and fundraiser for the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Ottawa, as well as the Ottawa Storytelling Festival. Can you tell us a bit about those events?

Our Unspoken Words was powerful, but challenging.  The evening began with women reading stories from the book, Our Unspoken Words.  Those performance were challenging – affecting, but brutal and heartbreaking.  I was part of quintet that also included Danielle K.L. Gregoire, Jessica Ruano, Michelle Blackburn and Faye Estrella.   We were all very emotional charged.  After hearing stories of women whose children had been killed, I had a great deal of difficulty performing a piece a wrote about my own son.  At the same time, I knew I had the support of my fellow poets, and the audience was one of the most attentive I’ve experienced.   In the end, I was honoured to have been part of it.

The Ottawa Storytelling Festival was a blast.   I didn’t really perform, but I had the privilege of introducing Ben Haggarty, a world-reknowned professional storyteller.  My favourite part of the evening was sitting backstage before the show.  Mr. Haggarty and a couple other storytellers were chatting – small talk between storytellers is conversation on a level that I have never experienced.  There were metaphors, characterization, and witty rejoinders flying around the room.  I was so riveted, I forgot to be discreet about the fact that I was eavesdropping.

What’s next for you?

I definitely want to do more spoken word in the new year.  I  would love to create a collection of my poems, either as a book or a CD.  I have a really exciting project in the works with Apartment 613.  We’re not quite ready to announce it yet, so I can’t say more, but I think it’s going to be a big hit!  I’m writing a new script which I plan to produce for next summer’s Fringe Festival.  And I’m going to try my hand…erm…feet at a half-marathon in the spring, so I’m learning to embrace the chilly joys of winter running.

What is one thing about Ottawa you think people don’t know that they should?

Did you know that it’s illegal to eat ice cream on Bank Street on a Sunday?  Apparently it’s an old obscure law, that’s never been taken off the books.

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