This is Ottawa

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.