This is Ottawa

Long hours, little pay and limited power — or on some school boards under provincial supervision, none at all. In Part 2 of our series In Hindsight, Robyn Bresnahan speaks to Justine Bell, a former English public board school trustee for Ottawa's Somerset zone. Why did she resign? What does she wish she’d known before taking the job? And she explains why she's concerned that the role is becoming increasingly 'politicized'.

Keith Egli was at a dinner party complaining about a transit strike, when the person at the end of the table told him to stop whining and run for city council. So he did. And he was the councillor for Knoxdale-Merivale ward for 12 years. In the first of our four-part series “In Hindsight,” leading up to the municipal election, we explore the ups and downs of being an Ottawa city councillor – and the one thing Keith Egli wished he knew before becoming one.

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. In this encore episode, Robyn Bresnahan hears memories from those who were there in its heyday and explores whether Le Hibou could ever rise again.

It’s like eBay - but run by the Canadian government. The GC Surplus site sells everything from ATVs used by the military to Air Jordan sneakers confiscated at the border. In this encore episode, Robyn Bresnahan gets a tour of the Ottawa warehouse - where she discovers the most gobsmacking item of all.

You can learn a lot about Ottawa through its street art - from protest movements to the histories of neighbourhoods. But graffiti and murals are often temporary. So  a local software developer created a digital map - to archive the art. Robyn Bresnahan bikes the city with him, meeting street artists along the way. 

Now that it’s been decided that 24 Sussex Drive will be restored rather than torn down - what else should change in the area? The authors of a new book on the Prime Minister’s official residence say this is a golden opportunity to not just reno the house - but the entire area around it.

Street racing is dangerous and illegal. Yet the roar of revving engines and screeching tires can be heard across the city all summer. In this encore episode, Robyn Bresnahan speaks to a former street racer who drove “without any concerns or worries of others” - and to a police officer who explains why these speedsters are so hard to nab.

Remember the time an MP was hit by a bag of flying feces in the House of Commons? Or the day a man accidentally blew himself up in a Parliamentary bathroom stall? What about the Playboy magazines you could sign out from the Library of Parliament? Robyn Bresnahan gets a history on Parliament from the author of a new book about hijinx on The Hill.

Why can you get a residential street parking permit on some Ottawa streets, but not others? That’s the question a couple living near Mooney’s Bay had after being denied a parking permit for their second vehicle. Now they have to move their car every three hours. Robyn Bresnahan hears from them and their city councillor who argues ‘street parking is not a right.’

Estate sales used to be the domain of the boomer generation. But if you’ve been to one lately you’ll notice a shift in who’s there to shop. Robyn Bresnahan joins a long queue of Gen Z treasure hunters to find out why estate sales are having a moment.

What happens if you accidentally throw dog poop in the blue bin? Do our plastics get shipped overseas? Why can you throw things in the blue bin that weren’t previously allowed? Kids have a LOT of questions around recycling. We put them to the CEO of Circular Materials, Allen Langdon.

If kids want to recycle plastics at Ottawa schools, they’re out of luck. Blue bins were removed in September 2025. Robyn Bresnahan dives into why the program was trashed, the implications and whether recycling should be a public service rather than a for-profit endeavour.

We’re the capital of Canada. Yet the limited number of direct flights in and out of YOW frustrates locals and visitors alike. Robyn Bresnahan finds out who holds the cards when it comes to getting more non-stop routes – and meets a television executive who’s dubbed Ottawa “the greatest city you can’t get to.”

On a hot summer’s night in 1940, a bus pulled up to Elmwood School in Rockcliffe. 23 British children disembarked without their parents. What happened in the years that followed, changed their lives forever. Robyn Bresnahan picks up the tale with the Ottawa playwright putting their incredible story on stage.

The Dow’s Lake dock is back for another season of swimming. But a new survey suggests people are still hesitant to dive in. In this encore episode, Robyn Bresnahan spends a day on the water with a science professor to find out how clean the lake is - and what comes out at the end of a fishing line.

Campaigning has started for Ottawa’s next municipal election and Mayor Mark Sutcliffe has some competition. CBC Ottawa’s municipal affairs reporter Arthur White-Crummey takes us through the candidates so far. Plus we visit a popular dog park to chew the fat about the things that would make Ottawa better.

Need a saw to build a deck, but it’s not in the reno budget? Borrow it. Want to try camping, but you don’t have a tent? There’s a lending library for that. Stuff is expensive, but Robyn Bresnahan discovered you can be a loaner in Ottawa when it comes to just about anything.

Grade 9 is a biggie. The first year of high school. New class formats. New friends. Hormones. Social media. Robyn Bresnahan spends a day at St Francis Xavier school in Riverside South talking to ninth graders about dating, summer jobs, homework and what keeps them up at night. Credit to the Barenaked Ladies for 'Grade 9', Disney/Pixar's Finding Nemo and Disney's High School Musical.

Demand for downtown parking exceeds supply on certain weekday mornings. To score a spot, some commuters have a strategy. Robyn Bresnahan hung out in some downtown parking garages to hear why commuters feel the cost and stress of parking downtown is still worth it. And if you want to hear more on Ottawa's transit woes, that episode is here.

When war came to their country, thousands of Ukrainians arrived in Ottawa. Four years later, some of them wonder whether they’ll ever be able to return to their homeland. Robyn Bresnahan meets up with two women who’ve settled into jobs and life in Ottawa - but feel torn about their future.

It’s an odd thing to get delivered to your doorstep – a single cucumber. But that’s exactly what neighbours in Hintonburg started receiving. We dig into the mystery, which appears to have a link to fraudsters. Romaine calm and lettuce get to the bottom of things.

More than 70 programs have been axed at Algonquin College over the past two years. The most recent cuts have angered students, professors and some local employers. But the College says – it had little choice. We dig into the state of post-secondary education and why it might be forever changed.

Some dual U.S.-Canadian citizens in Ottawa are giving back their U.S. passports. American President Donald Trump IS a factor. But not the only one. Robyn Bresnahan explores the complicated conversation around cutting ties to home and why so many are afraid to talk about it. 

There's a big, building-sized hole at the corner of O’Connor and Slater streets. A 14-storey office tower was brought down to make way for a new condo building. So how was it done? In this encore episode, Robyn Bresnahan learns about the painstaking work that goes into flattening a downtown high rise.

If food is medicine, why are so many hospital meals unpalatable? Robyn Bresnahan speaks to a patient who asked staff to stop bringing him food altogether. She also finds out what hospitals in Ottawa are doing to improve what’s on patients’ trays.

The second half of This Is Ottawa’s live trivia show got a little wild. There was karaoke, charades and a revelation of criminal activity. Featuring JUNO nominee Tyler Shaw, graffiti artist Mique Michelle, comedian Tavis Maplesden and musician Jon Hynes!

What is the most Ottawa thing you can do? In which neighbourhood would you find the intersection of Mulder Avenue and Scully Way? What’s a Gee Gee? Join in the hilarity from our Ottawa-themed live trivia show at Redbird, featuring comedian Tavis Maplesden, musician Jon Hynes and special guests!

There was a day when you couldn’t throw a bag of popcorn without hitting a movie theatre in downtown Ottawa. Where did they all go? In this encore episode, Robyn Bresnahan goes for a stroll with the man who literally wrote the book on the history of Ottawa’s cinemas.

It’s like eBay - but run by the Canadian government. The GC Surplus site sells everything from ATVs used by the military to Air Jordan sneakers confiscated at the border. Robyn Bresnahan gets a tour of the Ottawa warehouse - where she discovers the most gobsmacking item of all.

If you’re sick and tired of your bus being late or cancelled - this episode is for you. We’ll look at why service is so unreliable, how OC Transpo got into this mess, why the busiest routes in the city are cancelled the most often – and – when things are expected to get better. 

It’s an anxious time for federal public servants. Thousands of job cuts are coming. Robyn Bresnahan meets two former government workers who thought they’d be in the job for life, but jumped before they were pushed, reinventing themselves in second careers.

The steamy Canadian series Heated Rivalry has hit home for Ottawa players who spent years playing hockey as closeted athletes. But will the show be the catalyst for a cultural earthquake in hockey? They say that’s another story. 

The National Capital Commission has been a lightning rod for criticism. From shutting down a lemonade stand on Colonel By Drive to a Sparks Street with no spark - Ottawans have loved to loathe the NCC. But after a slew of new initiatives - and more to come in 2026 - are people’s tunes changing? And, if you listen then want to know more about the historic O'Brien House in Gatineau Park we have a whole episode on it here.

There’s a big increase in the number of women incarcerated in Ontario. The CBC’s Julie Ireton dug into why - and spoke with two women who were in and out of the Ottawa Carleton Detention Centre – and never want to go back.

Sometimes art imitates life. And sometimes life imitates podcast. That was the case for Robyn Bresnahan when she stepped outside one morning to discover her car was gone. In that moment, this episode from December 2024 flashed through her mind.

According to Ottawa Tourism, more Christmas movies have been filmed in Ottawa than anywhere else. In this encore episode, Robyn Bresnahan hears why producers love the city for cheesy holiday rom-coms – and what it takes to make the city look like Christmas in the middle of the summer.

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe steps up to the plate for a year-end interview. On the roster: Lansdowne 2.0, unreliable transit, civility at City Council and being called “anti-women” after a spat with the PWHL.And, if you want to hear the one where Robyn joins the Mayor on a morning commute from Manotick, it's here.

Making new friends in early parenthood can be trickier than you think. Because - beyond the baby - what else do you have in common? Robyn Bresnahan goes for brunch with a group of women who met on a matchmaking app for moms.

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.