Join the Club!

Do you love The Mainstreeter?  Do you want a real voice in the direction of your community newspaper?  Do you want to meet new friends and neighbours who enjoy The Mainstreeter as much as you do? Do you want to support our community organizations and our local artists? Do you want to help sustain your community newspaper and volunteer for our events like A Walk of Art?

Show your love by signing aboard and becoming A Friend of The Mainstreeter. Full sign-up details and supporter benefits information are found at The Mainstreeter‘s online Community Shop

The Mainstreeter’s online gift shop is the place to find the perfect gifts for year-round shopping.  All made locally, our community gifts celebrate Old Ottawa East (OOE), and they’re tailor-made for those who love where they live. Our Mainstreeter mugs, our annual OOE Calendar, our 504-piece and 1,008-piece jigsaw puzzles and our boxed-set greeting cards are all reasonably priced and delivered right to your door! 

Read the August 2026 edition online

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2026: Our busy Year of Community Engagement

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.  ...

Northwest Passage from Nunavut to Greenland

OUR OLD OTTAWA EAST NEIGHBOURS  Cold comforts and warm welcomes… OOE resident John Goldsmith cruises the Northwest Passage from Nunavut to Greenland JOHN GOLDSMITH As a last-minute spousal replacement, I joined a 17-day voyage from Kugluktuk, Nunavut through the Northwest Passage to Greenland aboard the Ocean Endeavour, an Adventure Canada...

Pumpkin spice and everything’s nice

  Pumpkin spice and everything’s nice: seasonal products hit local shelves JILL WHERRETT It’s that time of year again: before the calendar had even flipped to September and the leaves started to turn, pumpkin spice was popping up everywhere. While you may not want to start your day with a...

OOE ARTIST FEATURE: MY DAY AS AN ARTIST’S ASSISTANT

Art Beat TANISBROWNING-SHELP TANIS@BROWNING-SHELP.COM A finger on the pulse of the arts in OOE OOE ARTIST FEATURE: MY DAY AS AN ARTIST’S ASSISTANT As the day dawned on September 20th, our neighbourhood sat bathed in Saturday morning serenity, its squirrel and bird sounds rising above the occasional vibration of distant traffic....

TIM HUNT’S MAIN STREET SKETCHES – OCT 2025

Art Beat TIM HUNT’SMAIN STREETSKETCHES Tim Hunt explores his community outfitted with a small sketchbook, pen, and watercolour kit. In our regular feature, he shares the pages from his sketchbook and tells the stories behind his work. In late September, I was privileged, once again, to set up my artwork...

Café Qui Pense

OLD OTTAWA EATS LEFT: Barista Sabrina loves her varied roles that include baking fresh scones and preparing her favourite hot coffee – a perfect latté, just like the one pictured below PHIL LEGAULT PHOTOS Here’s a sneak peek behind the barista’s counter at Café Qui Pense PHIL LEGAULT The Mainstreeter...

Truth be told

OPINION Truth be told It has never been more important to report the truth, even when the truth hurts… LORNE ABUGOV,EDITOR,THE MAINSTREETER September 30th was Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. As more and more Canadians are coming to understand and appreciate, this important day in our calendar recognizes...