Ottawa Magazine Winter 2022-23

Growing up, I read a lot of science fiction. Sitting in the front garden, hidden from the street by a crop of bushes, I’d lose myself in the far-off worlds of Larry Niven and Isaac Asimov. The future was about the laws of robotics and space travel near the speed of light. Or so I thought. In reality, the future isn’t some far-off planet, it’s the community that surrounds us. Cheesy as it sounds, the future is in all of us. This issue is our second edition of the Future List, in which we seek out and profile people who are making the city better. These are individuals who have decided better is indeed possible, and have committed to shoulder some of the burden to get there. The catalyst for…

OLD HULL IS MAINLY KNOWN for its quaint entertainment quarter and its bleak office towers, but there’s a whole other side to this neighbourhood that’s celebrated by the popular Instagram account What the Hull? With more than 10,000 followers, it often sparks discussion online and off. Aimed at celebrating this unique part of Gatineau, the account focuses on its “weird and wonderful” aspects: a person in a bear head costume on the street, or a knife used to prop up a window. The posts work because, according to Matt, the anonymous account operator, they “show all the facets of Hull, which on the surface seems grimy, but is shown through a loving lens. If all of Hull’s unique properties disappeared, it would be Gatineau.” He started capturing photos when he…

You and council are all fairly new at this and there are a number of serious issues needing to be solved. How have you prepared for when things get tough? Well, first of all, there’s lots of experienced people on council who have been reelected. And none of these issues are new or surprising. We’ve been working on them for a while, and I’ve been following them as a resident, as a journalist, and just spent the last four months talking about them pretty intensively as part of the campaign. It’s not like as a mayor or a city councilor you walk into a room and you’re entirely by yourself and you have to come up with all the answers. You work with other people, you gather the best ideas,…

THE SHOW HIGHLIGHTS THE WORK of Frances-Anne Johnston, her husband, Franklin Arbuckle, and her father, Group of Seven member Franz Johnston. It’s largely viewed through the lens of Frances-Anne, an extraordinarily accomplished artist who worked her whole life to be recognized for her skill, rather than just her lineage. Works include many of her domestic scenes, a self-portrait of her life as a mother and as the wife of a successful artist. They are bursting with colour, detail, and knowledge of the international art scene, with allusions to Georges Braque and Henri Matisse. Alongside those paintings, OAG curator Rebecca Basciano has gathered some of the objects that she used in those paintings — vases, jugs, a pochette (miniature violin), and pieces of painted furniture, such as an armoire and sideboard.…

The whole thing started as a way to get out of the house. It was 2021, and lockdowns were once again in place. Jason Fournier needed some exercise, what better way than late-night walks? The city was quiet, empty, and dark. What quickly emerged to him was a way of seeing familiar places anew, so he brought along his camera. “It was my little way of getting through the pandemic with some sense of sanity,” Fournier says. “I also made a lot of connections. It resonated with people in a way that was indicative of the time.” As residents were encouraged to stay home to tamp down the spread of COVID, there grew a longing to get back to colourful alleys and memorable landmarks. So much so, Fournier was able…

Western Electric 91E The Western Electric 91E is the latest advancement in single-ended sound employing a completely new approach to single-ended amplifier design. At double the power, you’ve never heard the 300B express itself like this before. Made for listeners who demand the absolute finest in tube sound. Fezz Titania Evolution The Fezz Titania Evolution is an integrated tube amplifier based on KT88 power tubes. It is an extremely efficient and dynamic sounding amplifier. It sounds open, full of air, yet surprisingly neutral. VPI Classic Signature The VPI Classic Signature is the newest in the Classic line of turntables, which have long been VPI’s best-selling tables and for good reason - never before has VPI offered such a masterpiece in this price range. Tetra Speakers 515 Ottawa’s Tetra Speakers 515…