This is Ottawa
What would it take to make the Rideau Canal swimmable? Where do you go to find love in Ottawa when you've given up on online dating? Every week, host Robyn Bresnahan seeks out people to answer one question about the city we love. New episodes every Monday.
S2 E56 · Mon, April 07, 2025
UPDATE: And the bride wore…a barbarian warlord dress?
We have an update to one of our favourite episodes. The one about where to find love in Ottawa when you’ve given up on online dating. Robyn Bresnahan reconnects with a woman who’d tried everything from Bumble to badminton - but found a partner in the most unexpected of places.
S2 E55 · Mon, March 31, 2025
An Ottawa couples therapist is hot on social media. Who is she?
Dr. Tracy thinks it’s okay to go to bed angry. She’s also got advice for when your partner feels more like a roommate. The couples therapist has hundreds of thousands of followers. And few of them know she’s based in Ottawa. Robyn Bresnahan books an appointment on the therapist’s sofa to find out who she is and what her idea of a perfect date night in Ottawa looks like. Thanks to Cloud10 for the use of clips from the podcast 'Dear Dr. Tracy'.
S2 E54 · Mon, March 24, 2025
Why does the Ottawa Hospital use leeches on patients?
This episode is going to suck. Because it’s about leeches - and how the Ottawa Hospital uses them on patients. Robyn Bresnahan checks out the “hotel” where the leeches stay and meets the nurse who has to convince people that sticking a leech on their skin is actually a good thing.
S2 E53 · Mon, March 17, 2025
What’s a day in the life of a 3-1-1 operator like?
From noisy neighbours to potholes to illegally parked cars, Ottawa’s 3-1-1 operators take hundreds of calls a day. What’s the job like? Robyn Bresnahan meets three operators to hear how they deal with complex questions, angry callers and some downright odd situations.
S2 E52 · Mon, March 10, 2025
What went on inside Ottawa’s Dominion Observatory?
The Dominion Observatory at the Experimental Farm is most famous for astronomy. But that’s not all. Robyn Bresnahan hears about the fascinating history of parties, underground tunnels, earthquakes and a woman’s fight to wear pants in the workplace.
Fri, March 07, 2025
BONUS EPISODE: When did Ottawa surprise you?
The Governor General's husband shares a story at our live show.
S1 E51 · Mon, March 03, 2025
LIVE SHOW - PART TWO: When did Ottawa surprise you?
Two more stories from our live show at Red Bird. One involves an unexpected encounter with a childhood bully. And the other pokes fun at a very Ottawa obsession. If you hate smiling, this episode is not for you.
S1 E50 · Mon, February 24, 2025
LIVE SHOW - PART ONE: When did Ottawa surprise you?
It’s our 50th episode!!! To celebrate - we did it live on stage at Red Bird. Five Ottawans got up in front of a packed audience and told stories about when this city surprised them. This week we’re airing the first two stories, starting at a bygone beloved local diner. Pull up a stool and enjoy.
S1 E49 · Mon, February 10, 2025
What does a day in the life of CHEO’s critical care response team look like?
Young Addy Myers was kicked in the chest by a horse, causing a rupture to her heart. She was airlifted to hospital by a specialized team from the children's hospital, CHEO. Robyn Bresnahan hears the story and gets a chopper ride with the crew responsible for emergency care in the air.
S1 E48 · Mon, February 03, 2025
What’s it like to live with HIV today?
Rates of HIV are rising in Ottawa. But a diagnosis today is not the death sentence it once was. Robyn Bresnahan goes for tea with someone who tested positive shortly after arriving in Canada. They talk about finding love, keeping secrets from family and what happened when they decided to disclose their HIV status to their boss.
S1 E47 · Mon, January 27, 2025
What can be done about Ottawa’s rat problem?
Rats coming up through toilet bowls. Rats hanging from bird feeders. What can be done once rats decide to make your home THEIR home? One city councillor has suggested rodent birth control. Another says education and prevention is the answer. Robyn Bresnahan meets a woman whose backyard was overtaken by rats - and rings up Alberta’s ‘rat czar’ to hear how that province stays (mostly) rat-free.
S1 E46 · Mon, January 20, 2025
Can Ottawa’s independent corner stores survive?
Some of Ottawa’s corner stores have been around for decades. But their numbers are shrinking. Robyn Bresnahan goes behind the counter to find out what life is like, how booze is changing the game and what would be lost if independent corner shops continue to close.
S1 E45 · Mon, January 13, 2025
What are “super lice” and how should we treat them?
Lice lice baby. After a COVID siesta, lice are back. And so too is a strain referred to as “super lice”. Robyn Bresnahan combs through how to spot the difference and hears why one pharmacist says the current Canadian guidelines on treating lice need to be updated.
S1 E44 · Mon, January 06, 2025
What happens on a morning commute with the Mayor?
Fasten your seatbelts and hear what happens when host Robyn Bresnahan gets a lift from Manotick to City Hall with Mayor Mark Sutcliffe. When they hit gridlock, Robyn surprises the Mayor with questions from Ottawans between the ages of 12 and 73. And when the Mayor boasts he can sing - she challenges him to prove it. It’s Carpool Mayor-aoke! Kind of.
S1 E43 · Mon, December 16, 2024
How did Ottawa become a hotspot for holiday movies?
The made-for-TV movie industry is booming. Particularly when it comes to holiday rom-coms. Robyn Bresnahan hears why producers love Ottawa as a location for these schmaltzy flicks - and what it takes to make the city look like Christmas in the middle of summer.
S1 E42 · Mon, December 09, 2024
How are Ottawans fighting back against car thieves?
In the last decade, the number of vehicles stolen in Ottawa has shot up by nearly 250 per cent. Now some residents are fighting back. Robyn Bresnahan meets two victims of vehicle theft who’ve taken measures to thwart thieves. She finds out which Ottawa neighbourhoods and types of cars are targeted most often.
S1 E41 · Mon, December 02, 2024
How did Hitler’s car end up in Ottawa?
If you round a corner at the Canadian War Museum, you’ll come across an imposing black armoured car. It belonged to none other than Adolf Hitler. How on earth did one of Hitler’s cars end up in Ottawa? And how does the museum balance public interest with critics who say it “glamourizes Nazism”?
S1 E40 · Mon, November 25, 2024
How is Ottawa's housing crisis putting people fleeing violence in even more danger?
It can now take years for someone who has escaped domestic violence to find an affordable place to live in Ottawa. Robyn Bresnahan visits a shelter that is supposed to be a temporary refuge – but has become much more permanent for one woman and her family.
S1 E39 · Mon, November 18, 2024
Why do Ottawa's racialized and low-income neighbourhoods tend to have fewer trees and what's being done about it?
When it comes to trees, not all neighbourhoods are equal. Robyn Bresnahan takes a stroll from a “have” into a “have not” community with two tree experts to learn about why tree equity matters and what the City is doing to achieve it.
S1 E38 · Mon, November 04, 2024
There’s another Ottawa out there. In Illinois. We head across the border to ask: how are those other Ottawans feeling about the US election?
For one week only we’re calling ourselves 'This is Ottawa, Illinois'. Robyn Bresnahan reaches out to the city south of the border to talk to fellow Ottawans about life there, how they’ve been thinking about the US Presidential election and what comes next.
S1 E37 · Mon, October 28, 2024
Why is one of Chinatown’s most iconic restaurants closing?
Since 1982, Yangtze restaurant on Somerset Street has been a destination for lovers of dim sum. But the family behind it has decided it’s time to move on. Robyn Bresnahan meets its manager to find out why, what’s next and what its closure means to the families who’ve been eating there through the generations.
S1 E36 · Mon, October 21, 2024
What’s with Ottawa’s love-hate relationship with roundabouts?
Depending on who you ask, roundabouts are either Ottawa’s answer to keep traffic flowing -- or 'pedestrian death traps'. Robyn Bresnahan heads to Ottawa’s newest roundabout in Orleans to hear why the City is in favour of building more roundabouts and how an engineer navigates criticism from those who feel they’re a dangerous waste of space.
S1 E35 · Mon, October 07, 2024
Is Ottawa an island?
Podcast listener Matt Bell has always been curious about something. Given that a central part of the city is surrounded by two rivers and the canal - is it technically an island? We took his question to a geology expert who initially guffawed and then dug into her stash of city maps to come up with an answer.
S1 E34 · Mon, September 30, 2024
Have land acknowledgements become “white noise”?
They’re read at sporting events, music festivals, school assemblies, corporate conferences and city hall meetings. But have they become more performative than meaningful? Robyn Bresnahan meets two women from different First Nations who share similar views on what land acknowledgements ought to include to make them more than “white noise”.
S1 E33 · Mon, September 23, 2024
What happens when Robyn knocks on the door of her former Carleton University residence room - 27 years later?!
There are nearly 9000 students living in college and university dorm rooms in Ottawa. So what’s dorm life like? And how much has changed in the nearly three decades since host Robyn Bresnahan lived in residence? She takes a trip down memory lane to find out.
S1 E32 · Mon, September 16, 2024
What happened to the O’Brien Hotel in Gatineau Park?
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 was closed. What happened? Robyn Bresnahan investigates.
S1 E31 · Mon, September 09, 2024
What’s the new Night Mayor’s plan to revitalize Ottawa’s social scene from sundown to sunrise?
Mathieu Grondin says he’s been in “listening mode” all summer since being appointed Ottawa’s new nightlife commissioner. So what did he hear? Robyn Bresnahan meets him for an evening stroll – ending up at an Ottawa speakeasy – where he gets a grilling from three night owls.
S1 E30 · Mon, August 26, 2024
How will a new museum tell the story of the Vietnamese “boat people” who sought freedom in Ottawa?
There’s a community garden at the corner of Somerset and Preston streets. But if Can Le’s dream comes to fruition, shovels will soon be in the ground for a brand new museum to commemorate the Vietnamese “boat people”. Robyn Bresnahan digs into the story of how Ottawans opened their homes and hearts to thousands of refugees in what became known as Project 4000.
S1 E29 · Mon, August 19, 2024
Why aren’t there more places to eat and drink along Ottawa’s waterfronts?
Between the Ottawa River, the Rideau Canal and the Rideau River, Ottawa has some prime waterfront space. So why aren’t there more cafes and restaurants along it? Robyn Bresnahan goes for a bike ride with a chef who sees so much potential along Ottawa’s waterways. Plus, an urban planner weighs in with a bird’s eye view.
S1 E28 · Mon, August 12, 2024
Where do queer seniors find community in Ottawa?
Clubs, bars, internet dating — so much of queer culture is focused on spaces for young people. So where does one go to find connection in their senior years? Robyn Bresnahan meets two longtime friends determined to create a safe community for Ottawa’s 2SLGBTQ+ community as they age. NOTE: This episode has been corrected. The original version misgendered one guest.
S1 E27 · Mon, July 29, 2024
How did Glenroy Gilbert’s Olympic gold change the advice he now gives as head coach for Athletics Canada?
Ottawa’s Glenroy Gilbert was part of the relay team which famously defeated the Americans in the 1996 Summer Olympics, bringing home gold for Canada in the 4x100m. Although it was the highlight of his sporting career, he confesses to Robyn Bresnahan he wishes he’d done things differently.
S1 E26 · Mon, July 22, 2024
From podium high to life low: What inspired an Ottawa Olympian to help elite athletes find meaning in life after sports?
Life after an Olympic medal isn’t always easy. When the extreme training, intense discipline, physical pain and world travel suddenly ends, some athletes can end up in a dark place. Robyn Bresnahan talks to a decorated Ottawa paddler who’s now helping fellow Olympians transition from one stage of life into another. Please note that this episode discusses mental health with a brief mention of suicide.
S1 E25 · Mon, July 15, 2024
Why did Ottawa backpedal on bike sharing?
You can rent an e-scooter in Ottawa with the scan of a QR code - but not a bike. While Montreal and other cities have had great success with bike-sharing, why did Ottawa’s past attempts deflate? Robyn Bresnahan hears about the wheels in motion to bring bike sharing back.
S1 E24 · Mon, July 08, 2024
Could Calgary’s water crisis happen in Ottawa?
Residents in and around Calgary were asked to restrict their water use after a massive water main rupture. A local state of emergency was declared and infrastructure experts said the crisis should be a wake-up call for other cities too. Robyn Bresnahan wades into Ottawa’s system and hears about the work that's been going on since a local scare in 2011.
S1 E23 · Mon, June 24, 2024
How is Mechanicsville balancing gentrification with the preservation of its working-class history?
At 150 years old, Mechanicsville is proud of its blue-collar history. But like many other Ottawa neighbourhoods, old buildings are being replaced with new condos. Robyn Bresnahan takes a look under Mechanicsville’s ‘hood with a long-time resident who doesn’t want to see gentrification replace its gritty roots.
S1 E22 · Mon, June 17, 2024
Why is there a ‘private’ lake in Rockcliffe that’s off limits to public swimmers?
“The Pond” in Rockcliffe Park is a bucolic swimming hole in the city. But the lake right next to it is off limits to the public. Only residents who have homes backing on to the lake can swim or boat in it. How did this come to be? Robyn Bresnahan dives into the history of McKay Lake and hears how it’s more complicated than a tale of posh versus plebe.
S1 E21 · Mon, June 10, 2024
Catcalls, eyerolls and butt slaps: What's it like to be a woman in the trades?
"A lot of people laughed in my face and told me I should try hairdressing": tradeswomen in Ottawa have heard that - and worse. Despite a shortage of skilled workers, women are still under-represented. Robyn Bresnahan visits a garage in Manotick to hear what life is like for the only woman working there.
S1 E20 · Mon, June 03, 2024
Why does Ottawa musician Jim Bryson wish he’d trained as an electrician?
He’s a successful Ottawa musician. But Jim Bryson says he wishes he’d also trained in the trades. Robyn Bresnahan visits his home studio in Stittsville to hear why he thinks people ought to sing a different tune about the trades -- and he says Ottawa’s “classism” does nothing to help.
S1 E19 · Mon, May 27, 2024
Ottawa flies hundreds of flags when foreign dignitaries come to town. Where are they all kept - and what happens when there’s a diplomatic flap over flags?
There’s a place in Ottawa where tens of thousands of foreign flags live. Robyn Bresnahan gets a tour from the woman in charge and finds herself feeling lucky she brought a secret weapon when an impromptu quiz on world flags breaks out.
S1 E18 · Mon, May 20, 2024
Wait, is that a ukulele?! The strange things people do while running the Ottawa marathon
People have done some pretty weird things during the past 50 years of the Ottawa Race Weekend. But Hugh Neilson’s stunt might take the cake. Robyn joins the theatre director to hear why he intends to run 42 kilometres whilst singing and playing a ukulele. Plus a short history of other oddities.
S1 E17 · Mon, May 13, 2024
Why is a new generation behind Ottawa’s organic farms choosing a life in the fields?
If you shop at a farmers market or get a local veggie delivery, you may have noticed something. Those behind the stalls are fairly young. Robyn Bresnahan digs into why organic farming is an attractive career for a new crop of first generation farmers.
S1 E16 · Mon, May 06, 2024
What's it like for an American Olympic hockey star to become Ottawa’s hometown hero?
When Ottawa hosted its first PWHL game, it broke an attendance record for a women’s professional hockey game. It’s a night Hayley Scamurra won’t forget - not least because she scored the first goal for Ottawa. Robyn Bresnahan recruits a young player with the Nepean Wildcats to interview Hayley about that goal, living in Ottawa and having to switch her Ottawa jersey for her Team USA jersey to face-off against her teammates.
S1 E15 · Mon, April 29, 2024
Who was Thad Johnson and why is there a road named after him?
As you drive to the Ottawa airport, there’s a sign for Thad Johnson Private. It’s a small road with an incredible story. Robyn Bresnahan dives in with an amateur historian who began researching after seeing a particular photo of one of the world’s most famous aviators' visit to Ottawa.
S1 E14 · Mon, April 22, 2024
What would it take to make the Rideau Canal a destination for swimmers?
It’s a popular travel route for pleasure boaters…But not many people dare to dip a toe into the canal, let alone swim. Should they? An 80-year-old triathlete shares how he swam in the canal and lived to tell the tale, and a biologist tells Robyn what’s REALLY in that water.
S1 E13 · Mon, April 15, 2024
What does it feel like to realize that home ownership is a rapidly receding dream?
He’s a professor at Algonquin College. His husband is a nurse. But home ownership remains out of reach. In the same week the federal budget gives a nod to renters, we’ll meet a couple who feel they’ve done everything right, but still can’t climb onto Ottawa’s housing ladder.
S1 E12 · Mon, April 08, 2024
What happened to Ottawa's downtown movie theatres?
Ottawa used to have a plethora of movie theatres downtown. What ever became of them? And what does a city lose when most of its downtown theatres are shuttered? Robyn Bresnahan meets the man who literally wrote the book on the history of Ottawa's cinemas.
S1 E11 · Mon, April 01, 2024
Bears, coyotes and wild turkeys. How can Ottawans better co-exist with wild animals?
Black bears in the Byward Market. Beavers on Sparks Street. Wild turkeys disrupting traffic in Barrhaven. Ottawa frequently contends with wildlife. But sometimes it ends badly - usually for the animals. Robyn Bresnahan explores how we can better live in harmony.
S1 E10 · Mon, March 25, 2024
How are Ottawa’s breweries tapping into the sober-curious movement?
Ottawa has some mighty fine breweries. And while most are in the business of selling booze, some have started crafting alcohol-free options to cater to a generation re-thinking their drinking. Host Robyn Bresnahan finds out whether brewmasters see the sober curious movement as a threat or an opportunity.
S1 E9 · Mon, March 18, 2024
Why is it so hard for Ottawa to shed the label of “the city that fun forgot”?
It’s been decades since the late columnist Allan Fotheringham dubbed Ottawa “the town fun forgot.” So why does that stale old stereotype persist? Host Robyn Bresnahan meets a cast of characters with theories and ideas of the story the city should be telling about itself.
S1 E8 · Mon, March 11, 2024
What would happen if kids were in charge of March break?
We’re handing it over to the kids this week to dream up their ideal March break. Host Robyn Bresnahan heads to an elementary school in Stittsville and hears what a holiday at home would look like with kids at the helm. And then two parents share their top tips for things to do on an Ottawa staycation.
S1 E7 · Mon, March 04, 2024
Is it necessary to close Ottawa schools for the solar eclipse?
A rare solar eclipse is taking place on Monday, April 8th. Schools will be closed because it’s deemed unsafe for students to be outside without proper eye protection. But some parents and school trustees question whether that’s the right move - and if it will actually lead to the opposite outcome.
S1 E6 · Mon, February 26, 2024
Why does Ottawa's tap water look, smell and taste different depending on the season?
Sometimes it’s cloudy. Sometimes it’s bubbly. And depending on the time of year you drink it, Ottawa’s water tastes different. Robyn Bresnahan heads to the source of it all and taps into the expertise of an engineer who’s spent his life thinking about drinking water.
S1 E5 · Mon, February 19, 2024
What's Ottawa's next quintessential food?
Move over Beavertails, poutine and shawarma. Robyn Bresnahan goes for a meal with the couple behind the hugely popular Eat the Strip blog to find out what they think Ottawa’s new quintessential food is and the story it tells about our city.
S1 E4 · Mon, February 12, 2024
Where do you find love when you've given up on online dating?
If you've ever tried online dating you'll know it's a world of hit and miss. This week Robyn Bresnahan meets a woman who had more misses than matches and decided to seek love the old fashioned way.
S1 E3 · Mon, February 05, 2024
Was it right to move Ottawa’s main train station out of the downtown core?
Ottawa used to have a grand main train station right downtown. That building is now the temporary home of the Senate. The city’s current train terminal sits five kilometres away in the east-end. Robyn Bresnahan hops on the train with a self-described ‘railhead’ to talk about whether that move was the right one.
S1 E2 · Mon, January 29, 2024
What's it like to live above the stadium at Lansdowne Park?
If you've ever been to a sports event at Lansdowne stadium, you've likely noticed the gleaming condo overlooking the field. Who lives there? And what's it like when 20-thousand strangers converge on your "front yard" on game days? Robyn Bresnahan heads up to the ninth floor to find out.
S1 E1 · Mon, January 22, 2024
How can Ottawa make snow removal better for everyone?
Snow. We trudge through it, get stuck in it, shovel too much of it. But some question whether the city has its priorities backwards when it comes to what gets plowed first. Host Robyn Bresnahan digs into Ottawa's snowplow plan.
Trailer · Fri, January 19, 2024
Introducing: This is Ottawa
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.
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