Presses stop in Winchester, but The Mainstreeter rolls on Sudden shutdown of Winchester Print’s newspaper publishing division sends local newspapers scrambling for new printing homes in Montreal and Toronto MAINSTREETER STAFF The volunteers of The Mainstreeter, like those at many other community newspapers in and around Ottawa and the Ottawa Valley, woke up to…
Community members step forward with bold plans to reimagine the Brantwood Park shoreline Neighbourhood advocates announce community engagement proposals ranging from new tree plantings and picnic and gathering area to a new footbridge twinned with Indigenous Healing Forests along the Rideau River. LORNE ABUGOV In what The Mainstreeter has called the Year of Community…
Food For Life: How some organizations in Ottawa are addressing the food insecurity gap Ottawa Horticultural Society’s recent panel discussion on food insecurity sheds light on the growing crisis in our communities LORI GANDY In late March, the Ottawa Horticultural Society (OHS) hosted a panel discussion with speakers from the Ottawa area who are…
After community outcry, Lady Evelyn School gets a lifeline The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board has backed down on its wind-down plan, though the neighbourhood school’s long-term future remains uncertain. JOHN DANCE The Ottawa Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) has reversed its decision to wind down Lady Evelyn School but the future of Old Ottawa…
McDonald’s traffic trouble exposes mounting Greystone Village concerns Residents say illegal parking is only one part of a growing traffic problem around des Oblats Avenue and Main Street. MAINSTREETER STAFF Improvements to address traffic problems generated by the new McDonald’s at the corner of Main Street and des Oblats Avenue will soon be made,…
Major four-tower development breaks ground at 320 Lees Avenue Long-planned, transit-oriented project will bring 3,000 residents, new rentals and commercial space to Sandy Hill and Old Ottawa East JOHN DANCE Just across the Lees Avenue bridge over Highway 417, a…
Petition campaign to save the school boasts some 500 signatures 120-year-old Lady Evelyn School faces closure under school board plan Parents, community push back against planned grade-by-grade phase-out of Old Ottawa East’s only English public school. JOHN DANCE The rich 120-year history of Lady Evelyn School (LES) on Evelyn Avenue may come to an…
OUR CHANGING COMMUNITY Higher, denser, closer: How Ottawa’s new zoning by-law will dramatically reshape housing, streetscapes of Old Ottawa East The City’s new zoning rules boost housing density throughout our community while triggering debate over height, sunlight and neighbourhood character. JOHN DANCE After three years of public and developer “engagement,” City Council recently approved a…
One of the City’s options for the use of part of the former AVTC lands bordering Lees Avenue is to have 250 – 500 units in high-rise buildings fronting Lees with parkland immediately to the south. The land farther to the south and bordering the river would also be parkland. 160 Lees Avenue City declares…
FRIENDS OF THE MAINSTREETER 2026: Our busy Year of Community Engagement Our brand new Friends of the Mainstreeter group offers a simple way for you to show your support for local, independent journalism – but it’s just one of the exciting community engagement initiatives we’ll be unveiling during 2026. MAINSTREETER STAFF As 2025 draws…
