September / October 2023

1 session: $75/session

3 sessions: $70/session

10 sessions: $65/session

6 Month Commitment:

2 sessions per week

$65/session: $260 biweekly

3 sessions per week

$60/session: $360 biweekly

OTTAWA'S MODERN POWERHOUSE

15 sessions: $60/session

30 sessions: $55/session

12 Month Commitment:

2 sessions per week

$55/session: $220 biweekly

3 sessions per week

$50/session: $300 biweekly

WHEN THE BAD TIMES ROLL

The Importance of Staying

Rising interest rates, high inflation, recession fears, political stalemates, and war are some of the headlines we have become accustomed to seeing every day over the past two years With so many such headlines, it can be hard to focus on the long term While navigating these troubling waters, some may find themselves inadvertently making financial mistakes that can have a serious impact at retirement. One of the more common, and potentially devastating, mistakes is selling your investments to buy GICs or other guaranteed investments when markets are in a downturn This is why having a financial plan, owning quality securities, and being prepared is so critical to financial success

By being scared out of the market, your likelihood of missing substantial gains in a market recovery is significant By focusing on the short term instead of the long-term objective, and by allowing emotions to corrode the framework, you reduce your available investments and now must work harder or longer to make up for lost growth. Statistically speaking, the best days in the market occur during a bear market or in the first two months of the new bull market Over the past 30 years, had you missed the ten best days, your returns would be cut approximately in half.

Working with a team of professionals to build a framework and help contain your emotions is a key component to financial success. You cannot time the market, however, time in the market, owning quality proven investments in the first place and staying invested when times get tough, all prove critical to your financial success.

We value the opportunity to discuss the benefits of working with us and to learn about the importance of staying invested during difficult times. Consider joining us for a discovery meeting and a second opinion A meet and greet with a Financial Advisor should be enjoyable and that is what we guarantee!

Written by Adam Prittie

Prittie, CIM, BCOM Associate Portfolio Manager

MAGAZINE FACES

Is Toronto Friendlier Than Ottawa?

Find out what three new surveys & reports have to say about Ottawa.

Fall at Home

Our favourite fall style trends for your living space, decoded, by Cadieux Interiors

Dhaba Style

Kanata’s newest Indian Dhaba shares it’s suite of authentic and delicious drinks.

Ottawa’s Must-Try FIRST DATE SPOTS

We asked Ottawa how to make a good first impression. Here’s 4 of the most popular mentions.

Sens Season Preview

Hockey insider Steve Warne breaks down the 2023-2024 season.

Over Easy

Here’s where to find eggscellent breakfasts in Ottawa.

29 66 47 48 92

Four local wines that you need to try this fall.

90

Bittersweet

Four perfect cocktails for fall’s cooler temperatures.

WHAT TO WATCH

Seven horror movies & shows to watch before Halloween.

76 96 95

EXPLORE

OTTAWA

Three new places to catch the colours this season.

SANTANA & SLATER KOEKKOEK

JEREMIE CHARRON

CTV News

Stittsville native Jeremie Charron shares his journey to the newsroom and life as a new father.

Page 86

Mark Borowiecki

Former Ottawa Senator Mark Borowiecki on ending his playing career and beginning a new NHL chapter, mentoring young players in Nashville.

DUSTIN CRUM

New Ottawa REDBLACKS quarterback Dustin Crum shares the story of his football journey so far, including his unexpected, overnight success in Ottawa.

Page 54

DANIEL FERNANDES

Bruyère Foundation’s Chair recounts the Celebrating Life at Every Age Campaign that has raised almost $6M with the support of its community.

Page 64

LUIJI VILAIN

As Ottawa’s Luiji Vilain prepares to kick off the 2023 NFL season with the Minnesota Vikings, he definitely hasn’t forgotten about his hometown.

Page 30

The Taggart Group of Companies is celebrating a hard-earned milestone: 75 years of community building and quality projects across Eastern Ontario.

Page 42

PATRICIA BURUNDI

Patricia, VP of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion for the Faculty of Medicine’s Aesculapian Society, has launched Medicine in Colour, a platform devoted to the celebration of Black achievement in the Ottawa medical community.

Page 82

September / October 2023 - Volume 81

FIND FACES

Faces Magazine is distributed bi-monthly and offered free at select locations across Ottawa and in cities across Eastern Ontario. Full issues are also available online.

Faces Magazine is a non-traditional print medium with a strong brand presence on social media.

@facesottawa

CONTACT

info@facesmag.ca

613.591.6093

EVENT INFO

facesmag.ca/awards

To request our event sponsorship packages, please email info@facesmag.ca

For all other information regarding our events, please call or visit our event website facesmag.ca

Suite 101-105 Schneider Road

Kanata, ON | K2K 1Y3

echilderhose@facesmag.ca SUBMISSIONS

Editor In Chief

Evan Childerhose

Publisher

Justin MacKinnon

Hank’s Paw Publishing (A Division of 8624771 Canada Inc.)

Creative Director

Kevin Commerford

Accounting/Finance

Linda Zhang

Office Manager

Jonathan Rock

CONTRIBUTORS

Steve Warne

Dan Lalande

Duve Dagher

Victoria McIntosh

Alex Feeney

Jordan Palleck

Courtney Wheeler

Corey Stone

Christopher Lord

Molly Burke

Garry Thom

Mark Steele

Ryan Bova

Eric MacIsaac

Kenzie Murphy

Jamie Brown

Robert Smith

Kate Wright

Meaghan Vincent

Guillaume Dubois

Connor Khonick

Todd Hamilton

Marc Paul

Catheryn Risto

Morris Miller

Hugo Tremblay

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Cover: Michael Dupe

Greg (Freshh) Anderson

Sean Sisk

Chris Tanouye

John E. Sokolowski

Jana Chytilova

Andre Ringuette

Connor Armstrong

Taylor Condon

Peter Wright

Yana Klaiz

Lucas Short

Jordan Zlomislic

Benjamin Bruyère

SEPTEMBER Where to go in

Ottawa Fall Home Show

September 28th - October 1st

EY Centre

Morgan Wallen

September 21st @ the CTC

The Carp Fair

September 21st-24th

Carp Fairgrounds

Jim Jeffries

September 23rd @ TD Place

The Gluten Free Show

The Fall Classic

Loch March Golf & Country Club

One of Ottawa’s most anticipated tournaments of the season, in support of Bruyere Foundation. facesmag.ca/fallclassic

AfroFest

September 8th & 9th

Mooney’s Bay

A free music and art festival that showcases the best of African culture and entertainment in the Nation’s Capital.

Ottawa Comicon

September 9th & 10th

EY Centre

A pop-culture convention that brings together fans of horror, sci-fi, anime, video games, table top games, and comic books. This year's featured guest is Dr. Who's Christopher Eccleston.

Cityfolk Festival

September 13th-17th

Lansdowne Park

This annual music festival will take over the Great Lawn at Lansdowne for two weekends with a

September 30th-October 1st

EY Centre

star-studded lineup that includes Iggy Pop, the Arkells, X Ambassadors, and their headliner, Hozier.

Photo via Cityfolk Festival

OCTOBER

The Ottawa Pet Expo

October 14th & 15th

EY Centre

14-15

Fright Fest

Sept. 24th - Oct. 31st

Saunder's Farm

The 31st Haunting Season at Saunders Farm has both daytime and nighttime attractions, including The Coven (a spooky outdoor trail), The farm’s Fright Fest, The Haunted Hayride, and The Shambles.

Ottawa Flower Market

October 7th

Parkdale Market

The Ottawa Women's Show

October 21st

EY Centre

13

16

13-15

October 4th

TD Place

Daniel Caesar

October 10th

Canadian Tire Centre

Dermot Kennedy

October 13th

Canadian Tire Centre

The Doobie Brothers

October 16th

Canadian Tire Centre

Mac My Cheese Fest

October 13th-15th

Ottawa City Hall

Sample the best of Ottawa's mac & cheese at this annual downtown event, featuring local food vendors, breweries, and entertainers.

Fefe Dobson

October 24th

The 27 Club

The Ottawa Wedding Show

October 28th & 29th

EY Centre

Santana & Slater Koekkoek

Their Journey in Hockey, Homebuilding & Happiness

By Steve Warne Photography by Michael Dupe

Ottawa NHL player Slater Koekkoek and his bride, Santana Campanale Koekkoek, were married last year in a gorgeous outdoor ceremony in Sarasota, Florida. It was a memorable day with beautiful weather, a fairy tale atmosphere, and happy smiles all around.

Since then, the young Ottawa couple has been thoroughly focused on their new lives together, immersed in family, exceptional business goals, and some big changes.

Santana’s business is home building. She’s the director of sales and marketing with Campanale, the wellknown Ottawa company co-founded by her father, Vince, back in 1979.

Slater’s business has been pro hockey. He’s spent most of his life in the sport, including eight seasons in the NHL. After a brilliant career in the Ontario Hockey League, the Winchester, Ontario native was chosen in the first round of the NHL Draft, then went on to play 186 NHL games with Tampa, Chicago and Edmonton.

But last year, Slater opted to take a step back from the business of the NHL. And, while he hasn’t completely closed the door on pro hockey, he’s just started a brand-new business that has nothing to do with the sport.

And so far, that suits the young couple just fine.

Throughout much of his hockey career, Slater quietly dealt with anxiety, which often made preparation for games

extremely challenging. It regularly affected his ability to eat properly leading up to game time, limiting his energy and performance.

“I had gotten to a point in my career where I was hoping to be out of the lineup,” Slater said. “I was hoping to be on the sidelines of my own life. I was scared to be yelled at, scared to make a mistake, and knew it was time to take back control.”

Santana could clearly see that things were becoming unbearable for him.

“He was fighting the intensity as hard as he could,” Santana said. “He didn’t want to ‘quit’ or be seen as a ‘quitter.’ He was feeling the pressure of public opinion, people saying ‘how could someone in his position be unhappy?’ I would say to those people, ‘Yes, he is fortunate, but it doesn’t make him any less human’. He was trying to convince himself (and me) that this was his normal. “

I would say to those people, ‘Yes, he is fortunate, but it doesn’t make him any less human’.

“Having dealt with anxiety myself, I empathize with his struggles and recognized that although he has always lived with this, it was not the only way to live. We can get help and we will get better.”

Slater approached the NHL player assistance program, which was supportive of his request for help.

“I told them I had struggled with anxiety most of my life,” Slater said. “I wanted to see a therapist and work on tools that would set me up with a better chance of success in either hockey – if I go back – or my future endeavors. They ultimately supported my request so I enrolled in psychotherapy last year with a therapist named Claude Tellier.

“Claude is my absolute soulmate of a therapist and I always tell her that I go into her office 6 feet tall and leave feeling 6-foot-4. She’ll say things to me like: ‘Be proud of your accomplishments; believe in yourself; and you have all the tools to be successful.’ I usually challenge her on all of it until I finally accept them.”

Things were difficult in the beginning, as Slater struggled with his identity outside of hockey and the uncertain times ahead. But Santana has been inspired by her husband’s courage and growth through it all.

“We spent many nights talking about what truly mattered to him and the impact he wanted to have in this world,” Santana said. “Since the age of 4, all Slater knew was hockey and, at times, he wished he could continue and put his inner voice aside.

“One of my favourite quotes is by author Glennon Doyle, who says, ‘Brave does not mean feeling afraid and doing it anyway. Brave means living from the inside out. Brave means, in every uncertain moment, turning inward, feeling for the Knowing, and speaking it out loud.’ That’s what Slater has done. He is the bravest person I know. The growth over the last year has been a remarkable journey to witness.”

Slater feels fortunate that he’s had Santana by his side throughout his entire journey and remains amazed they didn’t meet earlier. They both grew up in Ottawa and frequented the same places.

“We always say that God was keeping us apart until we were ready,” Slater said. “There was no

way I could have lived apart from her for all 15 years of pursuing my dream of getting to the NHL.

“She is the most amazing human I have ever met. She walks into a room and instantly commands it. Some people may find her intimidating to approach – I know I did at first –but once she begins to speak, her warmth and her energy make you feel like you’re being given the biggest hug. Her unconditional love gave me a safe space to explore my feelings of discontentment in my career and to see what else might be lying deeper within.”

For as long as he can remember, Slater’s dream was to play in the NHL. And against all odds, he got there. And now, along with his new business, he still has some big hockey goals for the future.

“My goal now is to own a hockey team,” Slater said. “I want to have an impact from the highest level. I want to hire good human beings who love the sport. I want to make everyone – from the Connor McDavids to the person serving popcorn – feel that they are valued in my organization and give them the support and guidance to be successful.”

There was no way I could have lived apart from her for all 15 years of pursuing my dream of getting to the NHL.

While Slater hasn’t completely closed the book on his playing career and the business of hockey, he’s more excited right now about FFYLwork (pronounced ‘fulfill’), the brand new business he just launched in August.

“FFYLwork bridges the gap between those seeking commitmentfree shift work and the businesses that offer it,” Slater said. “Our motto is work when you want, hire when you need. The mission is to help people achieve the ideal balance between personal and professional commitments. This allows them to work on their own terms so they can spend more time doing what they love, with who they love.

“On the flipside, we’re here for business owners facing staffing shortages and having difficulty finding the right workers at the right time. We connect these businesses with a pool of qualified shift workers.”

To help shape his business model, Slater was able to draw from personal experience. In the latter parts of his NHL career, he was looking for ways to feel valued outside the rink.

“I would connect with local friends and business owners to see if they needed any help. I would help in any way I could and go home and feel much better,” Slater said. “Going into work and picking up a shift to help a business in your community is helping you with that sense of value which leads to overall improvement in health.”

As Slater took a step back and began thinking of his next steps in business, Santana said he would wake up every morning with a brand new business idea or concept that he had spent hours drafting the night before. She remembers the morning the FFYL light bulb went off.

“Slater’s mind is one of the many beautiful things about him,” Santana said. “He has an ability to look at the world through an empathetic and constructive lens. Over coffee in the morning, he would pitch his business ideas to me. And the morning he woke up with the idea for FFYL, I knew it was ‘the one’. It embodies everything he is – creative, purposeful, and authentic. It spoke to his beliefs and his community. I headed to work that morning and, by the time I came home, he had the name for the business and, by the end of week, he had his first business plan.”

He would wake up every morning with a brand new business idea or concept that he had spent hours drafting the night before.

Immersed in her own work with Campanale, Santana knows a fine business model when she sees it. Campanale is familyowned and operated, and specializes in real estate development and property management.

“I have the privilege to work alongside my sister, brother, and cousins,” Santana said. “We have communities in Barrhaven, Stittsville and Arnprior with residential homes, condominiums and commercial opportunities. Our goal is to combine exceptional quality with energyefficient and green building designs. I can’t remember a time when the company wasn’t a part of me.”

Slater can definitely vouch for that, recalling an early glimpse at Santana’s car.

“It was our first date and I couldn’t help but notice work boots and a hard hat in the back seat of her car,” Slater said. “I asked her if that was the norm, to which she replied, ‘I never leave home without them.’

Santana’s interest in the business began at the age of 10, accompanying her father to the sales office to help him with photocopying. Later, she worked a summer job at the head office. And after graduating from Carleton University, she made the decision to come into the family business and learn the ropes.

“I enjoyed working one on one with homeowners and quickly became passionate about sales. My role has expanded over the years to assisting homeowners and business owners in finding their dream space.” Working in a male-dominated industry, one of things Santana is most proud of in her role is her commitment to helping and supporting women in business.

“I’ve experienced, first hand, the importance of advocating for gender equality and women empowerment in and outside of the workplace,” Santana said. “I believe in the power of the pack. We are stronger together by supporting and uplifting each other. Over 65% of our management roles are led by women.

“I’m a member of the Women’s Business Network (WBN) and sit on the committee for the WBN Mentorship Program, which links emerging women entrepreneurs to established leaders in a mentee/ mentor relationship. I’m grateful to have been mentored by my father. His guidance, encouragement, and support was invaluable to me as a young woman starting my career. I’m passionate about assisting other women to ensure they have that same opportunity.”

As the Ottawa couple moves forward, they’re excited for the next chapter in both their careers and their lives together.

the LATEST

CARLING AVENUE IS THE 4TH WORST ROAD IN ONTARIO

Carling Avenue took the 4th spot on CAA’s annual list of the worst roads in Ontario this year, and keeps its title as the #1 worst road in Ottawa for the 19th consecutive year.

CANADA’S ‘PIZZA CAKE’ RANKED 2ND WORST DISH IN THE WORLD

In 2022, Taste Atlas’ Top 50 rankings of the worst dishes in the world listed Hawaiian Pizza (which is a Canadian invention) as #16. This year, we’ve risen in rank to a number 2 spot thanks to Pizza Cake.

Pizza Cake was invented in 2014 by Canadian-owned Boston Pizza. The ‘cake’ is layers of pizza stacked and with a full crust on all sides except the top. Pizza Cake didn’t have any mainstream success initially, but when Pillsbury came out with their own pizza cake recipe a few years later, the unusual culinary creation seemed

to step onto the international stage. Pizza Cake is now regarded as a Canadian plate, and according to Taste Atlas, it’s not a great one. The dish has been ranked as the second worst food in the world in 2023, behind only Russia’s ‘Fish Salad’, and in front of Cambodia’s Fried Spider.

The annual survey considers feedback from drivers, pedestrians and cyclists alike in creating city and province-specific ratings for roads with the aim of getting the attention of municipalities to improve their infrastructure.

CAA’s top 10 for Ontario are:

1. Barton St East, Hamilton

2. Eglinton Avenue West, Toronto

3. County Road 49, Prince Edward

4. Carling Avenue, Ottawa

5. Finch Avenue West, Toronto

6. Laclie Street, Orillia

7. Steeles Avenue East, Toronto

8. Aberdeen Avenue, Hamilton

9. Lakeshore Boulevard East, Toronto

10. Hurontario Street, Mississauga

Here’s what’s new in the world of surprising finds.

IS TORONTO FRIENDLIER THAN OTTAWA?

In a new study by online language education source Preply, Ottawa was beat out by Toronto and Montreal as the most welcoming cities in Canada for tourists and visitors. Preply’s ‘Community Spirit Index’ ranked 53 cities around the world according to 6 metrics of ‘friendliness’ for non-natives.

The criteria included friendliness of staff (public-facing employees who interact with tourists and visitors), visitor return rate, community respect, acceptance of diversity, happiness, and ease of language.

Despite these rankings, Ottawa was nowhere to be found in the Top 20.

Toronto earned its highest scores in the areas of acceptance and language, and ranked highly in happiness, too. Montreal was almost identical in scoring across all criteria, but scored higher than TO in Community Respect, and much lower in the friendliness of frontline workers.

OWN MINNESOTA VIKING GIVES BACK TO HIS HOMETOWN

Ottawa’s Luiji Vilain will never forget playing his very first NFL game last fall, and what it felt like to run onto the field for the first time to kick off his rookie season with the Minnesota Vikings.

“That’s the dream,” Vilain said. “It was a very special, special moment. It was everything that I had worked for, you know? It made everything that I went through in college – the grind, the process, everything that I went through – all worth it. And I want to continue to have that feeling every year, every game, every Sunday during the season. So yeah, that was just a special moment.”

Now the former Lester B. Pearson High School student wants to help Ottawa’s young football players have their special moment someday. The 25-year-old was back home in Ottawa this summer, hosting the first annual Luiji Vilain Football Camp and helping fuel the dreams of kids who share his pro football dream.

Vilain hosted the event at the The Dome at Louis Riel Secondary School in Gloucester, and was joined by fellow Ottawans Jesse Luketa (Arizona Cardinals), Jonathan Sutherland (Seattle Seahawks), along with several Ottawa REDBLACKS players including Jeremiah Masoli, Justin Hardy, and Alonzo Addae.

Vilain’s former coach, Victor Tedondo, served as the camp’s head coach. Tedondo is the owner of Gridiron Academy and won The City of Ottawa’s Brian Kilrea Award for Excellence in Coaching in 2019.

The camp featured drills and competitions, motivational speeches and football advice, and a lot of smiling faces.

“This year it was me, Jonathan and Alonzo,” Vilain said. “We gave them a little motivation to keep working. My message was to just be ready to sacrifice with this game. To get to this level, you’re gonna have to sacrifice a lot of time – time with friends and things you want to do – if you hope to get to where I am today.

“And then we closed it out with some pizza,” Vilain said.

Indeed, Vilain has a lot to offer young athletes. Not only did he make it to football’s highest level, he went through a lot to get there, even leaving home to play at an American high school in Virginia.

Vilain was one of the most heavily recruited young players in America before he eventually settled on the University of Michigan. But things didn’t pan out there, mainly due to injuries. He transferred to Wake Forest where he had an amazing senior year in 2021, even playing in the ACC Championship game and winning the Gator Bowl. Vilain wasn’t drafted but did get an offer from the Vikings and made the most of it.

COMPARED TO OTTAWA, EVERYTHING WAS DIFFERENT – BEING AWAY FROM HOME, BY MYSELF AND I DIDN’T HAVE MY PARENTS. IT WAS A TOUGH ADJUSTMENT BUT I’M THANKFUL FOR THAT EXPERIENCE AND IT SEEMED THAT MORE DOORS WERE OPENED IN MY FOOTBALL CAREER.

I

WANT TO BE IN THE OTTAWA FOOTBALL SCENE AND HELP GROW THE GAME HERE. THAT’S ONE OF MY GOALS FOR SURE IN THE FUTURE.

DEFINITELY

Faces: So how are you enjoying life in Minneapolis? Seems like it’s a great sports town.

LV: Oh, it’s great. Big Vikings fans, big Twins fans, big Wild fans. You kind of get everything over there and it’s really cool. I’m fortunate to be a part of, hopefully, the favorite team – the Vikings. But yeah, you can see it. The energy is there every Sunday. The fans are loud and supportive.

Do you get to any Minnesota Wild games? Are you a hockey fan?

I wanted to go to the Wild game when they played the Senators, but I just couldn’t get to it. But I definitely want to come back and go to a Sens game after the football season is over. Hopefully, drop the puck. That’s what I want to do – drop the puck at one of the games.

The Vikings ripped it up in the regular season (13-4), but things didn’t work out in the playoffs. What would you say was the highlight of your rookie season individually?

Probably just being out there. If there was a specific moment, it was probably the third preseason game when I got my first interception. That was pretty cool. But just making the team as well as an undrafted free agent rookie, that was a pretty big moment.

Now you’ve made the highest level, has your mindset changed where you think more about business and the grind of it, or is the joy of playing the game still there?

The joy is definitely still there. But you have to be on your game a lot more, you know what I mean? NFL teams are going to do what’s best for them. So you have to try to attack it every single day, put your best foot forward and then leave it in God’s hands. If I do that, I’m at peace with whatever happens.

What are your personal goals for year two in the NFL?

I definitely want to have a bigger role on special teams, play a lot more on special teams, get out there more on defense, rotate a little bit. Just mainly getting on the field, dressing every Sunday and contributing however I can. That’s my goal.

Do you remember going to football camps when you were a kid? And is that part of what drives you to do this?

I didn’t go to any football camps in Ottawa or Canada, but I went to some American University ones. Going to the Michigan camps, going to the Ohio State camps, seeing those guys that were on the rosters. It was really cool. And then sometimes they would have the guys that were in the NFL, like legends who came out and gave us some motivation. And I always told myself that I would end up doing that.

And you did. Do you think coaching might be in your future one day?

Yeah, maybe. It’s possible. I’ve definitely still got my mind on playing football right now. It’s definitely possible when I come back. I definitely want to be in the Ottawa football scene and help grow the game here. That’s one of my goals for sure in the future.

With the strong teaching and mentoring instinct that he already possesses at age 25, it’s hard to believe Luiji Vilain will be anything but an excellent football coach or builder someday. But that will have to wait for another day. As a player, Vilain is just getting started.

by Steve Warne Photography by Sean Sisk

SPOTLIGHT LOCAL

CANADIAN ASTRONAUT LAUNCHES

5TH BOOK

OTTAWA ARTIST MAKES MINI PLEIN AIR LANDSCAPES FROM AN ALTOIDS TIN

Laura Barry is an Oil Painter and Instructor from Ottawa who creates incredible plein air landscapes and from her miniature studio: an Altoids tin.

Though she has been painting since she was young, the pandemic brought her back to her art. Since 2020, she has created over 250 paintings, most of which are miniature. She has sold artwork to collectors around the world.

“I started creating miniature scenes because of the portability of the materials, and the time constraints of working from real life. It really skyrockets your

learning because of the big decisions that you have to make when working in a small size. Using tiny brushes compared to a 2x3 inch canvas is equivalent to using a whopping 2 inch brush on a regular canvas.”

Though she paints scenes from all over the world during her travels, Ottawa is her home and still her favourite subject. Laura went to the University of Toronto where she studied Art/Art History. She is also an instructor, and offers weekly art classes, where she teaches realism, pencil drawing, charcoal shading, oil painting, and colour theory.

@laurabarryart

Chris Hadfield is a retired astronaut, first Canadian Commander of the International Space Station, musician, speaker and book author. He has published 5 books, including a children’s book, two autobiographies, and a cold-war thriller. For his second heart-stopping thriller, the author moves from Space to another rich and exciting part of his CV: his time as a top test pilot in both the US Air Force and the US Navy,

and as an RCAF fighter pilot intercepting armed Soviet bombers in North American airspace. Full of insider detail, excitement and political intrigue drawn from real events, The Defector brings the nerve-shredding rush of aerial combat, as told by one of the world’s top fighter pilots.

@colchrishadfield

Former Ottawa Senator Tough Guy Mark

Borowiecki Takes On Life After Hockey

PHOTO BY MINAS PANAGIOTAKIS /GETTY IMAGES

Mark Borowiecki’s bruised up opponents might disagree, but the former Ottawa Senator defenceman is generally regarded as one of the nicest, smartest, and classiest people in the NHL.

So when the 34-year-old Ottawa native decided to officially end his playing career back in May, the Nashville Predators knew right away that “Boro” was exactly the kind of person they wanted working with their young players.

Borowiecki’s final NHL appearance was last October when he fell awkwardly against the boards in a game against the Philadelphia Flyers. He was stretchered off the ice, taken to hospital and later released. But Borowiecki had suffered a concussion – another one – and would go on to miss the entire season because of it.

But that injury and the ones that came before it, weren’t the sole reasons for Borowiecki’s retirement. He and his wife, Tara, had already begun talking about it.

“After the birth of our third child, our second daughter, it just sort of started to hit me a little more that, hey, maybe regardless of injury situations or health or whatever, this potentially would have been my last season last year,” Borowiecki said.

“Being a professional athlete – my routines, my habits, training, my nutrition, and my sleep schedules just really took over my life. I think that it gave me a lot of success, but it also had some diminishing returns too. I realized that for me to be the present father and husband that I wanted to be, I knew there needed to be more give and take. So those thoughts had already crossed my mind.

“And obviously, with the concussion history, and after that last concussion, I had a really tough time being around my kids while I was recovering in the first few weeks. I was getting migraines just from the noise and activity. And I told Tara, ‘The way I am right now is not fair to you and it’s not fair to the kids. I know I’m going to get better from this concussion, but who knows what’s going to happen from the next one?’

“So that kind of made the decision for me.”

Meanwhile, the Predators were making their own decisions, and they had a job ready and waiting for Borowiecki as their Professional Development Coach. Boro may not have realized it, but his three years playing in Nashville were a big hit, and probably served as a fine audition for the new gig in Music City.

“In Ottawa, I was going through some tough times personally, away from the rink, and it kind of made me resent the game a little bit,” Borowiecki said. “And then I think the last part of my career, especially in Nashville, my second season here, I just had such a great year and I just loved it. And I kind of fell in love with the game again.

“”

After that last concussion, I had a really tough time being around my kids while I was recovering.

“When I went through a tough patch here in my first year, our assistant coach, Todd Richards, was talking to me about life and hockey. And he knows how much I value education. He was like, “You know, Boro, you’ve got a PhD in hockey. Why would you throw that away?’

“And it kind of resonated with me. So I kind of grew into this mentor role here in Nashville as an older guy on the team. When I got hurt last season, I told them, ‘Hey, you’re paying me. I don’t want to go sit on my butt somewhere and do nothing but collect a pay cheque, just because it’s a guaranteed contract. I want to contribute to this team. I still care about these guys here.

“So they gave me the opportunity to be a resource for guys when they needed it, especially injured guys. I was able to get on the ice a little bit for rehab skates and I really started to love it. It transitioned into more of a formal position and a formal offer from them. And I knew this is what I wanted to do. And it’s been pretty fulfilling for me.”

Faces: So what’s the long term goal now? Is it coaching or management?

Boro: I’m not sure. I think if I were to tell you right now, I think the management side of things appeals to me a little more. A little less of the day to day anxieties you’ve got as a player or coach. Those guys grind. It’s tough. By no means am I saying management doesn’t ride those ups and downs too, but it’s a little more of a long term game plan. So I think there’s some appeal there.

Having said that, I love running skates for guys. I love being on the ice. I certainly wasn’t the most skilled guy out there, but I love running skills practices. I like to try to look at guys’ games and, even with forwards, I try to pick apart their games a little bit through a defenseman’s perspective.

I’m not going to tell you how to score goals, but I can tell you what I hated playing against when I was a defenseman. So I think it’s an interesting perspective and I’ve kind of found myself falling in love with that too. The beauty of player development is you get to do a little bit of everything.

Did the Senators ever reach out and offer you anything?

We had some informal discussions, but one of my core values in life that I was raised with is loyalty. And by no means am I not loyal to Ottawa after what they’ve done for me. But my loyalties at the time were here in Nashville with this organization. These people here bent over backwards for me, not just as a player, but as a human being.

When I was going through a real tough time in my first year here, I felt a really immediate connection with our director of player development, Scott Nichol, who’s now my boss. He was an undersized guy who went through the wars in the league. He fought, he was a role player, and when he told me how he views player development and treating people and players, not just as assets, but as human beings too, I was kind of like, bingo, this is a guy that I want to work for.

And then when I got to know (new GM) Barry Trotz a little bit, it was like two for one. These are guys who I want to be working for, guys who I want to be associated with. So that just kind of made the decision pretty easy for me.

Will your kids play hockey someday?

I’m not against it. I’m not going to be the kind of dad who forces them into it. We’ve got a three year old boy and two girls – a one year old and a 5 month old. Miles loves playing hockey off the ice. He tells me the ice is too slippery for him. So that’s fine. That’s a logical explanation. I asked him if he wanted to do skating lessons when we got back to Ottawa and he said, yeah, if I was on the ice with him. So we’ll do that.

But I’m not going to lie. I look at myself in the mirror sometimes and think that maybe chess or ping pong is the way to go for Miles. It doesn’t look like that though. He calls the Predators Daddy’s team whenever he sees them. I also do a lot of work with Milwaukee, our farm team, the Admirals. He’s got an Admirals water bottle on his bedside table. He calls it Daddy’s other team. So he’s into hockey. He likes it. So we’ll see where it goes.

Where will you live? Ottawa or Nashville?

We’ll be living in Ottawa full time. That was a condition that I had sort of brought to Nashville. The past decade plus we’ve made decisions for me and my professional career and Tara has gone along with them. Now I need to make decisions based on what’s best for Tara and the kids. And that’s being in Ottawa with a support system for them.

If you could go back and chat with your 14 year old self about what the next 20 years in hockey were going to be like, what would you tell him?

I’m glad you asked that question because this is how I try to think about giving advice to younger players now. One thing is, you’ve got to be present and enjoy it. I think I spent so much of my career worrying about what I’d just done or what comes next that I forgot to enjoy it for what it was. And that was the opportunity to play the game that I loved and do what I’ve wanted to do since I was five years old.

I spent so much time wrapped up in my own worries and anxieties and doubts, I think there were a lot of times when I forgot to enjoy the game of hockey. And now when I go out on the ice and I run these skill sessions I’m like, “Man, I love hockey!’ I wish I’d had this mindset a little more when I played.

The second thing I’d tell the younger me is don’t play to not make mistakes. I spent my entire career playing to not make mistakes. I can’t help but think about what I left on the table in terms of my potential, my ability to be something more in the league.

Obviously, there’s a time and place to play a safe game, to play a smart game. I’m never going to tell guys not to do that. I’m never going to tell guys to not worry about the defensive details, but I’m going to tell guys to go out there with the mindset that anytime that puck is on your stick, you can be a guy to change the course of the game in a positive way.

And that’s a mindset that I never had. Well, maybe a couple of years I had it.. My last year in Ottawa when I had 7 goals. I can’t put a finger on it, but that was a year when I wanted the puck on my stick. And I think the results spoke for themselves. So those are two things that I would tell my previous self, but also things that I’m now going to tell guys in Nashville too.

PHOTO BY BRETT CARLSEN/GETTY IMAGES

A big reason it was so special was the Ottawa community.

A lot of people in the Ottawa media had you pegged as a future broadcaster. Was that ever a consideration?

Yeah, it certainly was. You kind of go through that period where you don’t have a job lined up so you explore all your options. And I was like, maybe broadcasting’s a fit.

But then I sort of sat back and I’m like, ‘What do I really want to get out of this? What do I want to do?’ And for me, it was helping people and helping the next generation of hockey players. This is where the fit is, being on this side of things. I would never rule anything out in the future. But I think right now I’m feeling very fulfilled by this. I enjoy it. So I’m just going to kind of ride it out and see where it takes me.

If you became a big TV star or something they might make you wear your front teeth all the time.

I’m working on it! I’ve got braces on for a year on my bottoms to try to get my implants done properly. So I’m getting there.

How did you lose your teeth? Was it a fist, a stick, or a puck?

It’s actually a pretty good story. I was the captain in Binghamton and I just threw a huge hit in a game in Rochester, like a massive hit at center ice was two for charging. The top of his helmet knocked my teeth down pretty severely. So the captain of Rochester at the time was a guy named Drew Bagnall and as I got to the box, he’s like, we’re going. I was like, all right. So I actually kind of TKO’ed him a little bit. But I also took another punch into the face and the rest of my teeth went.

The dentist said he could build up what was left of the teeth but I told him to just get rid of them. So, you kind of regret it later down the road when you’re older. The plan is to fix that soon with implants. I’ve definitely got a bit of orthodontist work to do.

What would you say about your memories of being an Ottawa Senator and your interactions with Ottawa fans over the years?

First off, I don’t think I enjoyed it enough. I look back on those years and I’m like, ‘Man, that was special.’ We had a special group of guys. I was playing in my hometown. I have these lifelong friendships now, J.G. Pageau, Kyle Turris, Mark Stone, the Karlssons, all these people.

I wish I’d taken a chance to sit back, step back and take it in for what it was. It kind of makes me emotional talking about it. Tara and I look back on it now and we’re like, ‘Those truly were some of the best years of our lives.’

And I think I was a little too wrapped up in the business side of hockey too to appreciate it for what it was. A big reason it was so special was the Ottawa community. That’s another reason we want to come back. That’s home for us. That’s where our hearts are. That’s where we want our kids to be raised. We want our kids to be members of the community in Ottawa.

And the fans there were special. They treated me with so much kindness, especially as my career went on. We just can’t wait to get back.

PHOTO BY JANA CHYTILOVA/FREESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHY/ GETTY IMAGES

YEARS

OF

Building Communities

Recognized as one of the largest family-owned development consortiums in Canada, Taggart Group — currently comprised of Doran Contractors Limited, Tamarack Homes, Tartan Homes, Taggart Construction Limited, Taggart Investments, and Taggart Realty Management — is celebrating a hard-earned milestone: 75 years of community building and quality projects across Eastern Ontario.

BY DAN LALANDE

“As we celebrate 75 years, we reflect on this journey with great pride. Each project, partnership, and milestone has shaped us into who we are: a company dedicated to our craft and our community,” said Julie Taggart, Co-President of Taggart Realty Management, reflecting on the milestone.

It is a journey that first began in the mid-1940s when Harold Taggart started building, with a focus on the provision of much-needed housing for Ottawa’s war veterans. A few years later, in 1948, he would go on to found Taggart Construction, originally specializing in infrastructure. From here, the company went on to develop a wide, impressively varied portfolio, envisioning, and building residential, industrial, and commercial developments across the city. As succeeding generations joined the fray, Taggart expanded into general contracting, engineering, land development, and property management.

Now into its third generation of family leadership, the company and its more than 700 skilled employees, hundreds of whom have been with the company for at least a decade, are building for the future. Credited for much of the company’s success, employees from all departments shared in on the 75th anniversary celebrations in June at a party at the company headquarters on Albion Road South.

As for what’s next for the company, Taggart has several projects on the go. In Little Italy, you will see crews building at 93 Norman Street, where the Taggart Group is developing a nine-storey apartment complex that will include 122 units at different levels of affordability and accessibility.

Over in southeast Ottawa, a new community in partnership with the Algonquins of Ontario is in the beginning stages. The Tewin community features a holistic design approach based on Algonquin values and respect for the earth. The project will accommodate up to 45,000 residents and offer an inclusive and sustainable community that aims to accommodate a growing city while preserving Ottawa’s Greenbelt.

For the Taggart Group of Companies, community building means more than completing construction projects; it also means supporting Ottawa and Kingston area charities that are making a difference. One example is BGC Ottawa’s new Taggart-Parkes Family Clubhouse in Ottawa’s south end, built to provide life-changing programming to youth. On site there are kitchens, a full-sized gym, and other facilities, all aimed at promoting community-minded programming emphasizing education, physical activity, and leadership and social skills. Through the BGC Ottawa Medallion Program, fellow Ottawans can help Taggart build even more spaces and programs through either a one-time gift or a five-year pledge.

Integrity, quality, and community: for threequarters of a century, these have been the cornerstones behind the success of the Taggart Group of Companies.

Right: Jim Taggart, Chairman of the Taggart Group of Companies, cuts the cake at the company’s 75-year anniversary celebration on June 8, 2023

The family also made headlines with its most recent donation: a $10-million gift to The Ottawa Hospital Foundation’s fundraising campaign in support of the new, much-anticipated $2.8-billion Civic campus, which will include a 12-storey, helicopter padequipped patient care tower when it is completed in about four years.

The Taggart family has a connection with the hospital that goes beyond its profound appreciation for the crucial role the facility plays in the lives of people who live in this area. Company founder Harold Taggart was named after Harold Fisher, the mayor of Ottawa when the original Civic campus was established, whose bronze statue sits at the soonto-be-upgraded facility.

There are many such examples of the Taggart Group’s deep ties to the community – ties that make it natural for the company to focus on investing in its own backyard. As chairman Jim Taggart said, “We’ve been in Ottawa and Kingston a long time and the Capital Region has been good to us.”

Looking to the next 75 years, you can expect community building to remain one of the Taggart Group’s key pillars, along with integrity and quality, as it continues to build on its legacy of connection and growth in Ottawa and Kingston.

Top: Senior executives with Taggart Group of Companies. Above: Scott Parkes, Co-President of Tamarack Homes, speaks at the 75-year celebration.

“The achievement of 75 years is a testament to the unwavering commitment and extraordinary talents of our staff, who drive innovation and embody the values that define us,” said Scott Parkes, Co-President of Tamarack Homes.

IN STYLE

AT HOME

- WITH CADIEUX -

OTTAWA’S FINE FURNITURE EXPERTS SHARE THEIR TOP PICKS FOR FALL AT HOME.

1. Voluptuous lines and sumptuous materials are the hallmark of the All Natural Dining Table . The perfect union of carved walnut and lustrous white marble. Ideal for reception and dining alike.

2. The Antonia Chaise Lounge with blonde caning and ebony frame, introduces retro chic and a little luxury to Bedroom, Sitting Room, or Reading Niche.

3. This young lady makes a statement wherever she is placed.

4. The Timeout Tufted Swivel Reclining Chair and Ottoman is the ultimate in stylized relaxation. Available in fabric or leather with alternate wood wrap and base options.

5. Bring a touch of the Tang Chinese Empire to your home with the Dynasty Horse Sculpture.

Cadieux Interiors is Ottawa’s destination for Quality Furniture for over 60 years with a stunning, in-showroom selection, and back by excellent service and customer reviews.

2023

24

SEASON PREVIEW

B

ack in July, Ottawa Senators GM Pierre Dorion made an off-season radio appearance, where he was given a chance to tell the audience whether it was time to start openly talking about making the NHL playoffs.“How about I say this?,” Dorion said on TSN Radio. “I’ll go and make bold statements at training camp when I know what our team looks like, if that’s fair. But I think last year I said, ‘Let’s play meaningful games at the trade deadline. And that’s exactly what we did.

“So I’ll say, let’s play meaningful games until April, and let’s just see what our team looks like when camp starts. Then I’ll give everyone our expectations.”

Everyone understands the concept of managing expectations, but the Senators playoff drought is now six years old – the NHL’s third longest – and no one wants to hear about meaningful games, rebuilds or moral victories anymore.

No one in the NHL is on the hotseat quite like Dorion and head coach D.J. Smith. With a competitive new owner coming in, who’s passionate about the game, the stakes are high and the leashes are short.

So, it’s all very simple now. If they don’t lead Ottawa to a playoff spot, Michael Andlauer will lead them to the exit.

PHOTO BY SARAH STIER/GETTY IMAGES

48 | FACES MAGAZINE

POSSIBLE 2023-24 OPENING NIGHT ROSTER

WHO’S IN

(G) JOONAS KORPISALO

(W) VLADIMIR TARASENKO

(W) DOMINIK KUBALIK

(W) ZACK MACEWEN

WHO’S OUT

(W) ALEX DEBRINCAT

(G) CAM TALBOT

(W) AUSTIN WATSON

(C) DERICK BRASSARD

(C) DYLAN GAMBRELL

(D) NICK HOLDEN

(W) JULIEN GAUTHIER

(C) PATRICK BROWN

The Senators’ 2023 off-season plans were basically pulled into an orbit around DeBrincat. The tiny winger became a restricted free agent July 1st, but didn’t want to sign more than a one year contract. The fact is, DeBrincat didn’t want to be in Ottawa long-term and signing a one year deal would allow him to coast into unrestricted free agency next summer and his choice of a new address. Had Dorion known that, he certainly wouldn’t have traded for him last summer.

So Dorion went to work, trying to mitigate the damage. Rather than lose DeBrincat to free agency next year and get nothing, the Senators eventually traded him back home to Detroit for winger Dominik Kubalik, defenceman Donovan Sebrango, a conditional first rounder (Detroit or Boston’s pick in 2024 or 2025), and a 2024 fourth rounder.

With the money they saved by not re-signing DeBrincat (he would have gotten as much as $9 million on a one year deal), the Senators then went out and signed winger Vladimir Tarasenko, a six-time 30 goal scorer in the league. The 31-year-old isn’t quite the player DeBrincat is, but he’s close. And he clocks in with a salary that’s $4 million cheaper.

As someone who’s battled shoulder injuries his whole career, Tarasenko should fit right in with the Senators. Shane Pinto and Ridly Greig have both had a hard time in that area, but no one – not until Tarasenko – can touch Josh Norris in that department. Norris has had three shoulder injuries in four years, with two of them requiring surgery.

Norris’s return this fall is as big an addition as any on the team. A healthy year from Norris would more than erase the loss of DeBrincat, before we even discuss Tarasenko and

PHOTO BY SARAH STIER /GETTY IMAGES

Back in 2016, Korpisalo won the AHL Calder Cup with Lake Erie (Columbus’ top farm club) in a timeshare with Anton Forsberg. Perhaps that duo can now rekindle some of that championship magic in Ottawa.

After being acquired at the deadline, Jakob Chychrun returns for his first full season in Ottawa. The only question is which of the Sens’ top three left-shot defencemen – Chychrun, Sanderson or Chabot – will play on the right side? In his rookie year, Sanderson looked like a 10 year pro and fans are eager to see what he can do in year two. Given how comfortable Sanderson was with Travis Hamonic last season, it’s at least possible they remain a duo for one more year,

With some teams in the Atlantic beefing up on fighters and grit, Dorion went out and signed tough guy Zack MacEwen to a three year deal. MacEwen got great reviews from his former Flyer teammate, Claude Giroux, and should handily replace Auston Watson at half the cost.

The idea is that MacEwen and Mark Kastelic will now both be available to take some pressure off Tkachuk, although it’s hard to imagine Tkachuk not fighting every single one of his own battles.

There have certainly been some bumps and potholes along the way, but the Sens, with their fully rebuilt engine, now seem like they’re ready for a good long stretch of paved highway. Their fan base is certainly ready for it. And if all or most of their key players can stay healthy, this is a team capable of great things – certainly a lot more than just “meaningful games.”.

PHOTO BY JOHN SARAYA/AHL

CHRIS ALLARD MORTGAGE TEAM

PROFESSIONAL,

POPULAR, AND PROUD

“We’re well respected by lenders and industry peers for being polite and working efficiently to approve borrowers,” beams Chris Allard, founder of the eponymous and highly recognized Chris Allard Mortgage Team. “We help all types of borrowers pay off their homes as soon as possible, as well as those building large multi-residential portfolios. We also help people with bruised credit, and clients looking for construction financing.”

Small wonder, then, that the office trophy case is at capacity. A partial inventory includes The Consumer Choice Award, the Quality Business Award, and the Best in Ottawa Award. Plus, in 2023, Chris himself was voted the city’s Best Mortgage Broker by Faces Magazine.

All of that hardware prompts the question: How does a sports-loving Orleans boy (he’s still there, with his wife and two-year-old daughter) grow to become the head of an exemplary Mortgage Team?

“It starts,” advises Chris, “with being an authentic person who will get the job done. The mortgage broker and their team should be effective communicators who have the borrowers’ best interest at heart.”

As proof, Chris spotlights the members of his team, the underwriters and administrators in charge of everything from preapprovals to funding. “They work fast and efficiently,” he boasts. “By the end, clients want to be lifelong friends with them.”

Chris’ enthusiasm isn’t reserved for his hardworking staff. It’s an extension of his palpable passion for his profession.

“I love to celebrate when a borrower gets approved for their loan,” he reveals.

“I also love to celebrate when the mortgage gets funded. Getting a mortgage is a milestone. An equally exciting part of our job is helping the many realtors, financial planners, and lawyers that we work with.

It’s a joy to help them and their clients.”

Not to mention other members of the greater Ottawa community.

The index of charitable organizations Allard and company have helped includes Matthew House, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, the Ottawa Humane Society, Youth Services Jeunesse…even the Barrhaven Mixed Slo-Pitch League.

The brokerage’s first priority, however, remains Ottawa’s borrowers, currently plagued by high home prices, high mortgage rates and daunting qualification guidelines.

“It’s a challenging real estate market right now,” Chris corroborates. “It’s important to work with a mortgage broker, realtor, lawyer, or financial planner. Have as many professionals around you as possible. That way, you’ll ensure you’re making the soundest decision.”

“Being the best,” Chris encapsulates, “means helping the largest percentage of families in your community.” Chris, who is only in his early 30s, has already assisted over 3,000 of them—a remarkably high volume.

“Our entire team is proud of that,” says Chris—and he, in turn, of them.

By Dan Lalande

chrisallard.ca

MEET REDBLACKS QUARTERBACK DUSTIN CRUM

By Steve Warne

Photography by Freshh Anderson

When the Ottawa REDBLACKS announced their final roster for the 2023 CFL regular season, 24-year-old Dustin Crum had made the team, but he was a man completely buried on their quarterback depth chart. When their well-paid starter, Jeremiah Masoli, suddenly wasn’t ready to start the season, Crum was slotted in as the club’s third stringer – the backup to the backup.

So it was highly doubtful that Crum would see any action at all. But stranger things have happened. And, as it turned out, a lot of strange things did happen.

Nick Arbuckle got first crack at starting for Ottawa, but by the second half of week two, the REDBLACKS changed gears and handed the ball to Tyrie Adams. Adams got the start in the club’s third game, and Crum was already elevated to number two on the depth chart. Adams looked quite good in a 26-7 win over Edmonton but finished the game with a torn ACL that ended his season.

So, at that point, Crum appeared to be the next man up. But that week during practice, Masoli was suddenly cleared to start his first game in a year. After all that time trying to recover from a leg injury last year, Masoli almost immediately suffered another one. This time, without taking contact, it was a season-ending achilles injury early in their July 8th loss to Hamilton.

At that stage, REDBLACKS head coach Bob Dyce had to turn to Crum. And the Kent State grad with the Aerospace Engineering degree almost engineered an impressive comeback. Then the following week, down 25-6 with under three minutes left in the game, Crum helped complete an even wilder comeback, beating the powerhouse Blue Bombers 31-28 in overtime.

IT’S BEEN DESCRIBED AS

ONE OF THE MOST EXCI TIN G GAMES IN REDBLACKS HISTORY AND CERTAINLY THEIR MOST UNLIKELY COMEBACK VICTORY. AND CRUM HAS BEEN OTTAWA’S STARTING QUARTERBACK EVER SINCE.

So it’s high time we got to know a little more about Dustin Crum, the rocket scientist whose CFL career has suddenly blasted off in 2023.

Crum sat down for a late August Zoom call with FACES, wearing a comfortable red hoodie and sporting a haircut that Tommy Shelby might order up in Peaky Blinders (Crum’s favourite TV show). Crum spoke about life growing up in Grafton, Ohio, the football journey that brought him to the CFL, and his unexpected ascension to the starter’s role in the Capital.

Dustin Crum

You started the year fourth on Ottawa’s depth chart. If we were able to speak to the Dustin Crum of two or three months ago, what would that guy say about where you are now?

He probably wouldn’t believe you, to be quite honest with you.

I mean, it’s been crazy, to say the least. I felt like I had a decent training camp, but I felt like a lot of the other quarterbacks did as well. So it was hard to truly separate yourself. Especially as a third or fourth guy, you’re getting pretty limited reps.

And then going into the first preseason game, I didn’t get to go in at all. I didn’t get a single snap. And then I didn’t know if I was going to be cut or what was going to happen exactly. So that second preseason game, I kind of just went with a mindset to have fun, enjoy every snap, and just leave it all out there on the field. And I feel like I had a decent game.

And obviously, I got to stick around and tried to get better, week in, week out. And then, because of guys getting banged up, the opportunity just came and I’ve just been trying to take advantage of it ever since.

In your first CFL game, you came in against Hamilton and you got stopped at the goal line as the clock ran out. And then, just one week later against Winnipeg, you get a chance to relive

almost the exact situation. But this time, you win. So it’s your first win, one of the craziest comebacks ever, and you bury the disappointment from the week before. That must have been a really gratifying moment for you.

Without a doubt. I can truly say it was one of the few moments in my sports career like that. I feel like usually you’re kind of just in the moment you’re playing and you’re just reacting to what’s happening around you.

But like you said, coming off that Hamilton game the week before, I had this vivid thought as I headed to the goal line. I was probably around the seven yard line when I thought, “Not again.” And I kind of just put my shoulder and my head down and I was like, “I’m getting in this end zone. I don’t care what happens, we’re finding a way in there.”

I squared it up and tried to get as much of my weight as I could going forward and was able to push my way into the end zone and kind of right that wrong from the week before.

So now that you’re suddenly the starting quarterback, our readers would love to learn a little bit more about you. Tell us a little about your family.

My mom and dad (Amy and Scott) are back in Grafton, Ohio. I have an older brother who’s 27 and married, and two little sisters who are 15 and 14.

Was it a football family?

Definitely a football family. I went to the same high school (Midview High School) my dad did. My whole family played there. My brother, my uncle, my cousins. My dad was one of the high school team coaches. So I was kind of the ball boy growing up and got to travel and ride the bus with the team and all that. So all those guys when I was a little kid were my heroes and that was all I wanted to do.

Then I got to high school and actually I got to play for my dad. He was our offensive coordinator and quarterback coach. Obviously, being a teenager, we would butt heads sometimes, but I’m definitely very thankful for it and, if I could go back, I wouldn’t change it in any way.

Were you always a quarterback or did you start out at another position?

I played defense every now and again. And if you see me play, I’m not like most quarterbacks that slide or avoid contact or that kind of thing. And my dad and my brother actually played defense.

I’ve always liked the physicality of the game so if I had the skill set to play defense, I think honestly that’s what I would have played. I was always just better at quarterback. So since about the third grade, that’s what it ended up being.

Dustin Crum sits in the Laurier Room, Fairmont Chateau Laurier

Now that you bring that up, a lot of fans do worry that when you run, and you run a lot, you rarely slide. Did your dad or the REDBLACKS coaching staff ever get in your ear about doing more to avoid getting hit?

Yeah, it’s definitely an ongoing conversation. It’s something I try to keep in mind. It’s something that I do try to do. Be aware of knowing when to avoid those hits and those collisions. I mean, when you have that ability and you do run, every once in a while you’re gonna take a hit. I’ve always been fairly decent at kind of avoiding the direct hits, straight on and all, all those ones that really kind of take a toll.

I think I’ve probably taken a few more than I would say is normal for me, just because there’ve been so many situations where it’s almost like, the end of the game has kind of come down to me running - on the goal line or big first downs or things like that.

I’ve always felt honestly like some of the worst hits I’ve taken have been where I’ve given myself up or slid and a guy still decides to hit me. Because in that situation you’re kind of putting yourself at their mercy and you’re a little bit more in a relaxed state to where those hits can, I feel, cause a little more damage.

So you parted company with the Chiefs last August. When did Ottawa and the CFL come into the picture?

In my junior year of college, actually. The REDBLACKS tagged me on a tweet and I saw they had claimed my CFL rights.

Then last year, two hours after I got let go by the Chiefs, my agent called me and told me another CFL team was reaching out to see if I’d be willing to come up for the rest of the (2022) season. We obviously had to contact Ottawa first and see if they still wanted me or if they were going to let me go to another team. And Ottawa still wanted me. Four or five days later, I drove up here to Canada for the first time in my life and got to see what it was like for the last five or six weeks of the season.

How would you describe this REDBLACKS team?

I would say resilient would be one of the first words that comes to mind. A lot of our (recent losses in August) have been close and it’s hard to not let those kinds of games break you in a lot of ways. I think a lot of that is attributed to the kind of culture that Coach Dyce has established.

But I would also say there’s still major steps to take as a culture and learning how to win. Because that is a major thing, taking those steps in learning how not to beat ourselves or make mistakes that can be so costly. But definitely, this group has so much talent and definitely has the character that’s going to fight to the end.

How is Ottawa treating you? Have you found anything fun to do here?

Yeah. I would say I spend probably most of my time out to eat with a bunch of my teammates. Me and Jaelon Acklin have been trying out diners in Ottawa and rating them and stuff. So we’ve been having fun doing that.

Jaelon’s a character, isn’t he?

He is for sure. He’s a fun one to play with, but he’s one of those guys that I love having next to me in the fight.

Has he dragged you into his love of video games yet?

A little bit. During camp, Jaelon was trying to find someone to play Rocket League with him, one of his games. And so he dragged me into that a little. I probably hadn’t even touched a video game in two or three years because during COVID, I actually taught myself how to play guitar. And so usually most of my free time I’m doing that. Or just relaxing, watching a movie or something.

Are Ottawa fans beginning to recognize you on the street yet?

For the most part, I’ve been pretty anonymous. But after the Winnipeg game, I was wearing REDBLACKS gear and walking back to my apartment, and this guy came up to me and he was like, “Oh, man, what a game.” And I said, “Yeah, it was an awesome one.”

And he says, “Man, that new quarterback’s pretty good, isn’t he?” I was like, “Yeah, he is. He’s all right. He’s not too bad.”

So, yeah, I’ve actually had one or two instances like that where I had fun with it, talking to them like I didn’t know who they were talking about. So it was kind of funny.

If Dustin Crum continues the football trajectory he’s on, he’s not likely to go unrecognized in Ottawa for very much longer.

IN FASHION

EXPLORING 2023’S SUIT TRENDS

Ten years ago, Ukeshen Kistan, more commonly known as UK, co-founded Suit Up! Tailors, Ottawa’s go-to boutique for custom suits, shirts, and shoes. Whatever your size, whatever your preferences, UK and his staff will take your measurements, discuss fabrics and design, then, for an affordable price, make you look like a million bucks.

Given the company’s longevity and popularity, UK has seen it all. Who better to provide insight on the best suit trends for 2023?

COLOURS

Green is the most popular colour for a suit, according to the knowledgeable UK. Forget its predecessors, electric blue and burgundy. Now, emerald, olive, lime…all shades of green are in. “The shift started about four years ago,” says UK. “Last year, it hit full swing.” As for the runners-up, “the usual greys and blues are not too far behind.”

STYLES

Says the man who’s probably outfitted more wedding parties than anybody in Ottawa, “Most grooms are opting for a vest. It sets them apart from the groomsmen and provides a certain sophistication at the reception, as opposed to just the shirt and pants when the jacket comes off.” As for what kind of vest, UK qualifies, “Double-breasted. It’s very much in demand.”

SHOES

According to UK, brown shoes remain his customer base’s top choice, regardless of the colour of the suit. “That said, black is still popular.” UK should know. SuitUp! holds the distinction of becoming the first tailor in Ottawa to custom design footwear.

Suit, Thomas Sweeney Unstructured Double Breasted Linen Suit Jacket $3,567

Shoe, Tom Ford Glossed Oxford Shoes $1,685

By Dan Lalande

JOSEPH GRIFFITHS JUST ADVOCACY

Joseph Griffiths, founder of Ottawa’s Equilibrium Law, has built a career out of helping the disenfranchised when they need it the most. But in an age in which calling attention to oneself is as ritualized as getting out of bed or brushing one’s teeth, he shuns the reflexive convention of social media-based self-aggrandizement.

Take his website. It’s a model of concision: a carefully concentrated, two-page description of the firm’s services—litigation, advocacy—whose taut design and taciturn copy lets prospective clients know that it is a serious, focused enterprise. And don’t go looking for a showy biography of Griffiths. As the site makes soberly clear, it’s about the client, not him as a lawyer.

Part of this is humility. As a staunch advocate for victims of sexual and other genres of exploitation, Griffiths has been humbled by the shockingly widespread abasement he has heard, investigated, and been forced to detail in a variety of Ottawa courtrooms. Part of it, too, is integrity. Exploitation and abuse are not aspects of dysfunctional interpersonal relations to be taken lightly, to be fought against just for money, or to be invested in with anything short of a resolute belief in the inherent right to an unoppressed life.

All of this to say that Griffith’s’ voice is not his own. Yes, he’s used it before judges and juries—and in classrooms, as a former and respected part-time professor of trial

advocacy. But it’s the voice of his clients, stitched from first-person accounts of trauma and breaches of trust, which he contextualizes in tenets earned from his gold-star education and the victories he has won for people subjected to circumstances beyond the capabilities of their own defense.

Since 2002, Griffiths has righted wrongs in the Supreme Court of Canada, the Federal Court of Appeal, the Federal Court, the Ontario Court of Appeal, the Divisional Court, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the Ontario Court of Justice, and the Supreme Court of British Columbia, among others. He’s battled sexual exploitation, elder abuse, medical negligence, and professional malpractice. He has protected his clients' interests, managed their risk, and contained their legal costs. And he has collected testimonials from them akin to the kinds of write-ups other lawyers pen for their own preening purposes. “Joseph is sharp,” wrote one client. “He's a confident lawyer who understands the value of resolving disputes efficiently. He has the ability to think creatively and explore all avenues. Any client would be lucky to have him represent them.”

Griffiths’ course, which he taught at the University of Ottawa Law School for more than 10 years—and from which he graduated in 2000—earned him similar respect. He taught trial preparation, including opening and closing statements, examinations in chief, cross-examinations, and the delicate art of impeaching witnesses. “Joseph Griffiths was one of the most knowledgeable, intelligent, articulate, and reasonable professors I have had the privilege of studying under,” wrote one appreciative student.

Equilibrium’s website may be terse, but its nitty-gritty does speak of “extensive knowledge,” a wide range of “experience,” and the importance of capitalizing on those assets to refine a single focus: advocacy. “Just advocacy,” it concludes. “It’s all we do.”

So it’s all Joseph Griffiths does, for you, for the next generation of lawyers, and for a rightly recalibrated world.

Celebrating Life At Every Stage Daniel Fernandes

Bruyère’s two-year campaign to unite and enhance palliative and complex care turned vision into reality this summer, with the opening of the Shenkman Palliative Care Unit.

Daniel Fernandes, Bruyère Foundation’s volunteer Chair, was one of the key contributors to the planning and fundraising of the campaign. He’s been at the helm of the Foundation’s board for just over 7 years while also sitting on the boards for Bruyère’s four campuses and its Research Institute, among many other sub committees. This is all work he does in addition to running his own law practice, a Preston Street office specializing in Commercial Real Estate and Development, that he established over 22 years ago.

Fernandes knows that Bruyère’s purpose in the community is worth that kind of time commitment. “Over the last few years, our society’s collective conscience has been reminded of the urgent responsibility we have to take care of our elderly, frail and vulnerable citizens–our family, friends and neighbours.” the passionate and focused lawyer assures. “My fellow volunteer board members and I give our time and money to Bruyère because we recognize the significance of this organization; that at some point in all of our lives, we or someone we love will need the important services offered at Bruyère.”

It was just over two years ago that Bruyère’s Chief of Staff presented a case for co-locat-

ing the organization’s palliative and complex care programs. “He said it was the single most important thing that we can do for patient care at Bruyère,” Fernandes remembers. Fortunately for Bruyère, Fernandes agreed to extend his term as Chair, and worked with the Foundation’s Board and staff to create and launch the Celebrating Life at Every Stage initiative, a $6M fundraising campaign aimed at uniting and enhancing palliative and complex care by building a new, combined care unit.

For two years, the Foundation worked to build a community of support around the fundraising goal and Bruyère’s new vision of care. “It’s truly been an interesting combination of our general population, grateful patients and their loved ones, and community leaders coming together to get us to this point.” Fernandes recounts. One donor in particular made this important project possible with a generous lead donation to the initiative – William Shenkman.

“The Shenkman name is synonymous with philanthropy in this city, and Bruyère is fortunate to have been the beneficiary of many gifts from Bill and his wife Maureen over the years.” Fernandes–who also made a very generous contribution to the campaign along with his wife, Sandra Guttmann–explains. The palliative care unit at the Élisabeth Bruyère campus also had the Shenkman name attached to it, thanks to Bill’s lead gift to the campaign to upgrade the unit nearly 18 years ago.

On June 26th of this year, Bruyère welcomed its first patients and their families into the new Shenkman Palliative Care Unit, a truly full-circle moment for the Board, its fundraising team, and its donors. “As I looked around the unit, it was clear to me that an enormous amount of thought went into the project and its design. Our staff, patients and their families were consulted in every detail,” commented Fernandes.

With the generous support of the Ottawa community, $5.8 million of the $6 million dollars has been donated to ensure that Bruyère’s patients will now have the benefit of receiving the best in palliative and complex care from one campus. The Bruyère Foundation Board, under the leadership of Daniel Fernandes, will continue to reach out to the community to secure the remaining $200,000 to complete the campaign.

Other members of the Campaign Cabinet include Campaign chair Brad Ezard, Scott Brooker, Guy Chartrand, Joanne Kudakiewicz and Nik Lemieux. “We are grateful for their support. And we’d like to thank everyone who contributed and played a part in making this new unit a reality, helping our patients and their families Celebrate Life at Every Stage.”

“Bruyère is continuing to look ahead to ensure it can contribute to serve the community,” foretells Fernandes. “Part of that includes assessing the state of our four campuses and how we might transform them adequately to provide for our community for decades to come.

DRINK UP

TRY THESE TRADITIONAL INDIAN DRINKS AT OTTAWA’S NEWEST EATERY.

If you love Indian food, Kanata’s Raahi Dhaba is your next go-to. The new, Kanata-based, fast-casual Indian eatery is the first restaurant in the nation’s capital offering dhabastyle eating. A dhaba (pronounced “Da-ba”) is a roadside café or food stall. They populate the busy streets of most Indian states, helping hungry excursionists refuel in order to complete their journeys. “Dhaba” originates from the Hindi word “daba,” meaning “lunchbox.” Some dhabas have been around for over 100 years. Currently, India boasts close to 1,500 of them; New Delhi alone has almost 400.

No need though, to venture that far. Ottawans can sample India’s muchloved “trucker’s food” right here, simply by joining the other “nomads and travelers” at Raahi Dhabba, located at 782 Eagleson Rd.

There’s a proud domestic component to Raahi Dhaba too. All ingredients are locally sourced, with most dishes created in-house. It’s an impressively varied menu, proffering not just street eats but a hearty sit-down meal. Here’s a look at their carefully curated drink selection.

DHABA CHAI

Raahi chai masala boiled with loose leaf black tea and milk, sweetened with jaggery.

PUNJABI

LASSI

Lightly salted homemade yogurt blended with water and topped with Makhan (white butter). Available with Mint.

MANGO LASSI

Homemade yogurt blended with mango pulp, garnished with optional crushed pistachios

MINT LASSI

Homemade yogurt blended with mint leaves, lightly sweetened and garnished with cumin powder.

Tips From Tubman

Throughout its 98-year lifespan, Tubman Funeral Homes has been responsible for a number of industry innovations, all aimed at creatively supporting grieving Ottawans and afflicted families and friends in surrounding areas.

Tubman’s recognized premium on personalized, convenient commemoration has spawned such conventions as rental caskets, reception centres, grief seminars, outdoor chapels, drive-thru funerals, aftercare, and estate settlement services, to name but a few. Tubman is also a cost-conscious operation. As such, Jamie Wells, one of Tubman’s resident pre-planning and funeral authorities, offers these insights on the current cost of funerals.

Cost

The cost of a funeral can vary widely. An immediate cremation, for example, might cost $4,000, while a traditional funeral can run $12,000 or more. It all depends on the services that are included as part of the process. These options include Home Services, Casket or Urn, and Miscellaneous Expenses.

Jamie Wells

Service Charge

‘Home Services’ is a catch-all expression covering such necessities as embalming, preparation of the body, use of the funeral home facilities, staff, and the coordination of the service.

Casket or Urn

The contrast between these alternatives can vary widely. The cost of each is dependent on material, design, and craftsmanship.

Miscellaneous

Often, grieving families, caregivers, and other stakeholders opt for a number of addons, typically including public notices and cemetery charges.

Only a reputable, full-service funeral home is qualified to offer the proper, personalized form of commemoration for your loved one at an affordable price. That’s why for close to one hundred years, Ottawans have trusted Tubman. While Tubman has played a large part in modernizing the funeral experience, its fundamental principles remain the same: comfort, choice, affordability, flexibility, and compassion.

Post Service Care, Preplanning Specialist & Funeral Director, Tubman Funeral Homes

One-on-one with Stittsville’s rising star.

This is the guiding principle for TALK’s life. The singer-songwriter is a mass of positive energy, colour and enthusiasm, bringing a smile to the face of everyone he connects with. Born Nicholas Durocher and raised in Stittsville, TALK is a multi-instrumental wizard, trained in piano, guitar, drums, bass, banjo, harmonica and even the mandolin. Growing up with a director and cameraman for a father and a brother on Broadway, Durocher was built for the spotlight. In an era where many artists use mystery as a marketing tactic, TALK is in your face.

He’s eccentric, flashy and colourful. He’d rather make his own gold sequin cape than wear a designer outfit. As Durocher explains, “TALK is me saying ‘I don’t care what anyone thinks, I’m going to be bright, beautiful and, most importantly, myself.’”TALK launched himself on a rocket with his debut single “Run Away to Mars”. Originally written at 3am when TALK was feeling isolated and lonely, the song has connected with listeners all over the world: earning tens of millions of streams, hundreds of thousands of social followers, and rising to #1 on the Spotify Global Viral 50.

He followed the single with the TALK To Me EP, which earned praise from American Songwriter, People, Complex and more, and a cover of “How To Save a Life” featured in the 400th episode of Grey’s Anatomy. He’s sold out shows across his home country and performed on the main stage at Festival d’Ete du Quebec in front of 75,000+ people. Recently, TALK has been on the road supporting Young the Giant with Milky Chance, performed Lollapalooza, Calgary Stampede, K Days in Edmonton, Festival D’été to a crowd of over 100k as well as supporting Imagine Dragons on dates through the summer and fall. This September, he will headline his own European tour, before returning to Canada to support Shania Twain as a special guest at three of her shows: Toronto, Montreal and Quebec.

We caught up with the rising star to discuss his rise to fame, his local roots, and his September tour.

“Show love to everyone you meet, because you don’t know what they’re going through or where they’ve come from.”

My family has always been very encouraging

You grew up in Stittsville. What was your childhood like?

It was great. My parents moved to Stittsville when I was really small. Back then it was just a new community, a growing community and I have tons of great memories. I had a really stable, great childhood which I’m really thankful for, I was very lucky. I had great friends and I played sports and went to school and had a great time.

Oh, and Willy’s Pizza is the best pizza in Stittsville, and also in Ottawa.

Tell me about your family. What role did they play in influencing your career decisions and your interests in music?

According to my mom, the reason for my musical talents is because she wore headphones when she was pregnant. I’m not sure if I can give her all the credit. My brother is a Broadway actor, singer and dancer and lives in New York. He kind of started the trend in my family and then I followed and went and did my own thing. My family has always been very encouraging, and always brought me to my piano or drum or guitar lessons… whatever kind of lesson I was taking that year.

When do you think you really found your identity and style as an artist, as this non-apologetic rockstar?

I think it’s been an evolution and I’m kind of fully there now. I’d say over the last 3 years I have become more confident in myself and who I am. Before that there was a lot of experimenting, trying to figure out who I was and learning to be more true to myself.

I think a lot of people struggle with that, and I still do at times, but I’ve spent a lot of time trying to figure that out. Before that, I was pretending to be someone I wasn’t… I was trying to be quieter and change myself. I eventually realized that it took a lot more effort to pretend to be someone that I wasn’t, and I’m lazy, so it works perfectly.

What are some tips for others who are on this journey?

I started writing songs to help me process my thoughts and feelings. It was a form of therapy for me. Through that, I found who I was and what I love doing, and I also found the people that I love to be around. I think that helps a lot when you have people around you that you trust and that are honest with you and that you can be honest with.

This September you are traveling to a ton of UK/European cities on your headlining tour. What are you most excited about?

The last time I played a headline show was probably in Ottawa at Club Saw on April 14, 2022. It’s been basically a year since I played a headline show. So I’m looking forward to getting back to that vibe.

In October, you have 3 shows as Shania Twain’s Special guest in Ottawa’s neighbouring ‘bigger cities’.

I’m very much looking forward to it. I have no idea what to expect… it’s my first real arena show. The other day, my dad texted me a photo of my original Shania Twain CD, and it was actually the first CD I ever got when I was 5 or 6. I’m going to try to get her to sign it. It’s a really cool full-circle moment.

When you’re back in Ottawa what are some of your favourite spots to hit up?

Willy’s Pizza, any location, but specifically Stittsville is the best. I have it every time I come home. It’s something you can’t get anywhere else in the world, it’s crazy. It has that Lebanese flair, so it’s like a thick pizza. I try pizza all over the place when I’m touring, and there’s nowhere that’s ever tasted like Ottawa Pizza, ever. It’s completely different. I think pizza people are missing out.

Blue Cactus $10 triples on a Friday or Saturday night, that’s one place

to go with your friends. I used to do that every weekend, that was my spot. It’s like a house party every weekend.

Another spot is Shorty’s Sandwich Shop. They’re in the Hunt Club area, and I have a sandwich there named after me that’s available on Tuesdays. It’s called Talkwhich Tuesdays. They’re an amazing local small business.

I was talking about this the other day, that I also miss the golden age of AMC24 in Kanata. They had the Blue Icees there, that’s one thing I could go for… I don’t know where you can get a Blue Icee these days.

Or Pizza Pizza slices at Sens games, for some reason they taste better at the Sens game than they do at regular Pizza Pizza’s. You heard it here maybe second, maybe first, but it is a fact that Pizza Pizza slices taste 10x better at Sens game. It’s been confirmed by many people.

If you could go back in time to three years ago, and talk to the person you were in your parent’s basement, during COVID, creating Runaway to Mars, what would you say to yourself?

Slow down, step one. Step two, trust your instincts. Don’t let others influence you. Follow your vision, because if you do, things will go well. And you’re not a hack. You don’t suck... you write good songs.

Edward Pham’s RealIT Is Offering Real Solutions

BY DAN LALANDE

I see a lot of inefficiencies, unnecessary complexities, and exuberant costs in the implementation of IT management solutions,” shares Edward Pham. Pham is the figurehead behind RealIT, the Kanata-based success story he founded twenty-five years ago. “But with us, the focus has always been on providing the best value for our clients.”

RealIT works with enterprises small, medium, and large from across Canada. And while they all cite cybersecurity as their number one problem, scratch that surface, as Pham has done many times, and you’ll uncover greater infrastructural dysfunction.

“Corporate IT has become increasingly complex,” Pham explains. “There’s more hardware and software being deployed. Organizations are having a hard time implementing it and keeping up with the knowledge required to administer and operate it.”

Hence, RealIT, with its knowledge-based workforce and ease-of-use remedies. The company’s flagship product is Service Management Automation X (SMAX), a sophisticated IT Service Management solution developed by OpenText. To hear Pham describe it, there’s nothing this game-changing all-in-one tool can’t do for struggling service desk-based operations.

“SMAX helps organizations run a streamlined service desk. It manages all hardware and software assets and can handle requests, changes, and more. It includes a self-service portal where users can submit and track their own requests, as well as help themselves to published articles. SMAX features an AI-driven virtual agent, chat functionality, a user satisfaction survey, and smart analytics for better visibility into operational data.” The expert team at RealIT can deploy SMAX either onpremises or in the cloud.

Running a cutting-edge hi-tech solutions industry from the safe haven of Ottawa was more than Pham’s parents had ever dreamed of for him. When Saigon fell during the last phase of the Vietnam War, sixteen-year-old Edward was put on a leaky boat. An enterprising and determined type even then, Pham rescued himself and his sixty-five fellow passengers from a watery grave. Eventually, he found himself in a refugee camp, until the government of Newfoundland and Labrador got him settled in St. John’s.

In time, Pham procured a Master of Engineering degree, then worked in computer networking. Positions with Hewlett Packard and Nortel ensued, till he broke away to form RealIT.

In all cases, he’ll be bringing cost-effective, working solutions to his customers, integrating systems, perfecting processes, and creating better user and end-user experiences. “What makes RealIT different,” Pham proudly reiterates, “is our deep knowledge, vast experience, and longevity. We stay true to our strengths.”

Looking to reconnect with his roots, Pham is entertaining expansion to Vietnam, hoping to avail himself of clients in the Asia Pacific region. The U.S. and Europe are also on his radar.

FALL ALL FOR

4 LOCAL WINES TO TRY THIS SEASON

There are over 10 different wineries in and around the Capital Region, and we’ve highlighted 4 of our favourite local wines for autumn. ,

Pinot Grigio, Stonecrop

Acres Winery. This wine offers a nose and palate of bartlett pear, crisp apple with a hint of honeydew melon and citrus, with just a hint of fresh ginger on the finish.

Smokie Ridge Vinyard. A white wine with more in the way of body and alcohol than its traditionally sweet cousins. The primary fruit aromas in Riesling are nectarine, apricot, honey-crisp apple and pear. This 2014 gem hits the mark with ripe apple aromas. On the palate you find light acid notes and a medium to long finish.

2020 Kin Pinot Noir, Kin Vinyards. Pale Garnet in colour, this wine has a nose of red cherry, cranberry dried autumn leaves, and subtle leather notes. The palate is fruity, earthy and fresh with a medium finish.

2017 Frontenac Noir, Stonehouse Vinyard. A medium+ bodied wine with aromas of black fruit, dark chocolate, mint, sweet spice and smoke. The tannins are medium and the acidity is medium. When tasting, the wine presents flavours of sour cherry, dark fruit, and spice, and ends with a long sour cherry and blackberry finish.

2021 Frontenac Gris

UP TO DATE

THE KEG MANOR

The Ottawa Manor Keg is a unique dining experience that combines the franchise’s expansive selection of premium cuts of steak, slow-roasted Prime Rib, and fresh seafood with an exclusive atmosphere at a heritage manor.

THE LAFF

The Laff’s history as Ottawa’s first pub (opened in 1849) is threaded through its menu, decor, and within the stories woven through time. Their menu features farm-to-table beef, among a great selection of local items, and the pub has a vast selection of drink menus.

Ottawa’s Must-Try

FIRST DATE SPOTS

We asked Ottawa; What’s the best place for a first date? Here’s 4 of the most popular mentions.

CABOTTO’S

Authentic Italian cuisine in an 1800s heritage building is Cabotto’s promise. The setting is both romantic and relaxed, quiet and intimate, with a contemporary touch.

TAVERN ON THE FALLS

Tavern on the Falls is a locally owned casual and family friendly restaurant with a spectacular view of Rideau Falls. The patio-style restaurant offers an outdoor dining experience from April - October, featuring gourmet hotdogs, tacos, healthy bowls, and sharing plates.

The dating game may evolve, but ambience and good food are date night cornerstones that have stood the test of time.

The Advantages of Strategic Advisory Team COLLABORATING WITH TAAG’S

Vital in modern business, Professional Services offer specialized expertise across various industries. From consulting and legal services to accounting and marketing, professional advisors provide invaluable guidance, leading businesses to success. Yet, silos among advisors hinder efficiency for businesses.

At TAAG, our unified team of advisors deliver world-class services through collaboration under one umbrella, helping clients excel and stand out from their competitors.

Driving Factors Of Success In TAAG’S Collaborative Approach

Strategic Planning: Our financial advisors provide insight on financial projections, market trends, and investment opportunities, while our accounting team offers accounting and tax analysis. TAAG Law ensures legal compliance and provides guidance on business structures and contracts. Together, we develop comprehensive growth strategies.

Goal Alignment: Our financial planners help clients set financial goals, develop comprehensive plans, then collaborate with our accounting team to align the clients’ tax strategy and financial reporting requirements, ensuring achievable tax-efficient results.

Marketing and Design: In collaboration with accounting and financial strategies, we are better able to analyze marketing expenses and measure Return on Investment. Leveraging these strategies, our marketing team develops business-promoting strategies, boosting brand awareness and customer leads, ultimately, achieving marketing objectives.

Risk Management: Collaboration among accountants, lawyers, and financial advisors enhances risk identification and mitigation. Effective risk management enables businesses to proactively anticipate and address potential threats, ensuring effective operations, protecting assets, and minimizing loss.

Expansion and Acquisitions: For expansion, companies must consider financial, legal, and practical factors. Using a collaborative approach is vital for long-term growth. Our accountants perform financial due diligence, TAAG Law handles legal aspects such as contract negotiations and compliance, while our financial advisors assess the viability of expansion and provide guidance on funding options.

CLIENT SUCCESS STORY

Stairline Railings’ journey began with two friends, within the confines of a home. With their focus on the business and their craft, accompanied by our financial, accounting and legal guidance, they have achieved phenomenal growth. Their ambitious aspirations for expansion and our guidance empowered them to build up a thriving business and into a physical commercial location, where they now oversee a dedicated team of employees. Stairline Railings’ success story serves as a testament of TAAG’s Collaborative Approach. By fostering collaboration and open communication we leverage our advisor’s expertise to make informed decisions, manage risks, and drive growth effectively.

For more information, or to schedule a call visit www.taag.ca

PATRICIA BURHUNDULI

Terms like “role model,” “example,” and “mentor” are affixed to almost anyone these days. But Ottawa’s own Patricia Burhunduli truly restores value to those designations. The Ottawa South native of Rwandan and Congolese descent was the first Black MD/PhD student at Ottawa University. There, she be-

By Dan Lalande

came a self-appointed voice for racial inequalities, eventually becoming Vice President of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion for the Faculty of Medicine’s Aesculapian Society. Now, she has launched Medicine in Colour, a platform devoted to the celebration of Black achievement in the Ottawa medical community.

WHEN YOU HAVE BIG DREAMS, PROTECT THEM.

Patricia, tell us about your upbringing…

I had a great upbringing! I was always encouraged by my family. My parents used to motivate me, giving me $5 per A on my report card! Although they’ve stopped giving me those $5 bills, that love of learning has never left.

achieve goals they’ve been led to believe are unattainable. Plus, diversity within medicine leads to better health outcomes for patients. It’s important to encourage people from all walks of life to pursue medicine in order to serve our multicultural population.

What would you consider the key achievements of your career so far?

Admission into the MD/PhD program; numerous scholarships & awards, including the highly competitive CIHR-Doctoral Scholarship; launching the EDI (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) Peer Support Program at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine, and of course, founding Medicine in Colour.

What was the impetus behind Medicine in Colour?

Medicine in Colour is all about representation. Topics surrounding race in medicine often involve the prevalent hardships: systemic racism, discrimination, injustice…the list goes on. I wanted a platform to highlight the accomplishments, awards, and groundbreaking research being performed by our BIPOC community. More importantly, I wanted a platform to inspire underrepresented groups interested in research and medicine, to show them that they, too, can attain these goals with our support.

You were the first black MD/PhD student at uOttawa, a grueling 7-year medical school-doctoral studies combination that only accepts 4 students a year. Talk about that experience…

I am proud of my accomplishments and honoured to be in this academic position. When I learned I was the first Black MD/PhD student in the nation’s capital, it propelled me to do more for my community by empowering minority youth through my status as a role model. I truly believe in the power of representation; I believe in the saying, “You have to see it to be it”. Having direct contact with someone with whom you share similarities (upbringing, ethnicity, sexual orientation, race, religion, etc.) can help encourage and inspire them to

MEDICINE IN COLOUR IS ALL ABOUT REPRESENTATION

IT’S IMPORTANT TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE TO PURSUE MEDICINE

Did you recognize a gap in Ottawa’s social fabric that was going unattended?

Yes. Regarding medicine, we have amazing medical leaders! Some were at the forefront, saving lives during the pandemic. Some worked with politicians and lawyers to provide opportunities for minorities: surgeons, radiologists, world-renowned researchers, etc. There is so much amazing work being done—but the only ones that know about it are those in the medical field.

What

does Medicine in Colour offer?

The purpose of this page is, 1) to inspire underrepresented groups interested in pursuing a career in medicine or research, 2) to showcase the amazing work and accomplishments of BIPOC medical students, researchers, and physicians, and 3) to foster a community of inclusion and celebration among the BIPOC community. We have a lot to be proud of here in Ottawa. Let’s show it off!

What has been the response so far?

Great! I constantly receive messages from high school and undergraduate students seeking support to apply to medical school, looking for tips on the MCAT, searching for networking opportunities, etc. For example, I have students tell me that they have never met a South Asian female medical student or a Black or Indigenous physician. One student told me they never considered applying to medicine prior to connecting with a Black physician; now, they’re starting medical school in September. We have inspired many and will continue to do so!

Back to you: When you’re not busy serving the community, what are some of your other interests?

I love spending my days off at coffee shops. It revives my spirits. Also, traveleven if I only have 1-3 days. Sometimes, I’ll book a quick trip somewhere to take a break.

What’s next on the professional and personal horizon?

Research-wise, I’m currently working on my PhD, studying depression and suicide using neuroimaging techniques. I should graduate within two years. Then I’ll go back and complete my last two years of medical school. As for Medicine in Colour, the current goal is to expand the team, allowing us to get in touch with more students, physicians, and researchers. I’ve also founded and launched a new initiative called the EDI Peer Support Program (edipeersupport.com). It’s a program matching up medical students based on lived experience. For example, if a student fails an exam, often they will suffer in silence and not share that with anyone. This allows students to be matched with those having a similar experience. We know that medical school is difficult, and our Type A personalities often make it hard to show weakness. This program breaks those barriers. We believe it will help prevent symptoms like burnout, anxiety, even depression and suicidal thoughts.

Last, what’s the best advice anyone has ever given you or that you can impart to others?

When you have big dreams, protect them. Even when you don’t think you can do something, try anyway. You’ll surprise yourself.

CTV News’ Jeremie Charron

has always let his passion fuel his career. The avid sports fan grew up wanting to be a sports commentator, a dream that led him to become the multi-skilled journalist he is today, contributing content to television, radio and digital platforms. Jeremie, now an anchor and reporter with CTV News Ottawa, shares his favourite career highlights and reflects on his most important role to date - a promotion to ‘Dad’.

What part of Ottawa did you grow up in? What are some of your favourite memories as a child?

I grew up in the west end of the city in Sittsville. Growing up next to a farm, my younger brother and I often spent time chasing cows in the backyard. As a kid, sports were my life; everything from hockey to soccer, volleyball to golf, and baseball. I spent most of my childhood in the rink, on fields, on the court, or on the links. I also spent my summers in Norway Bay, QC at our family cottage where I learned to swim and golf with my grandparents.

Were you a Sens fan growing up?

Absolutely! My brother and I watched the Sens all the time on tv, and still try to get to a few games a season when we can. The Sens were a playoff mainstay when I was growing up. I have vivid memories of my brother and I holding Sens signs in our driveway trying to get people to honk during playoff series. Names like Neil, Redden, Philips, Spezza, Heatly, and especially Alfredson, are ingrained in my best Sens memories. My younger self would have freaked out if he knew I’d one day get the pleasure to walk the Ottawa Hunt Club golf course with Alfie during the CP Women’s Open, and even lose to him in a very tight charity pickleball match.

When did you know that you wanted to pursue a career in media and journalism?

I was a late bloomer. It wasn’t until grade 12, at the 11th hour (classic Jeremie), that I decided sports media would be the career I would pursue. Fast forward to 2023, the student who only wanted to be a sports broadcaster got a job as a news journalist right out of school, and has become a true news junkie. I never envisioned myself as a news reporter or anchor, I always saw myself on a sports desk, but I couldn’t be happier with where I am now at CTV Ottawa. The more I work in news, the more I fall in love with it, but I still love every opportunity I get to cover sports.

Who were some of your biggest role models in your early career?

It’s hard to choose only a few, so many people helped me out early in my career. Former CTV Ottawa sportscaster, Terry Marcotte is certainly one of them. I interned with Terry right out of school and he taught me some of the most important lessons I still keep with me to this day. He is one of the best storytellers I have ever seen, and I am thankful to have learned from him early on. Ian Mendes was also in my corner from the start, he might not even remember it, but was very generous with his time when I was still in school and eager to learn. He has always been happy to lend a helping hand. Through the years, Graham Richardson has become a huge mentor. He is someone I often lean on and someone who is always willing to help and steer me in the right direction.

Outside of work, you are also a new dad. What is your favourite part about being a father? What’s the most challenging?

I love being a dad. It is by far my favourite title. My daughter Josie is an absolute character and keeps my wife and I on our toes at all times, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. My favourite part has to be the fact that her little (big) smile can so easily erase any bad day. As for the most challenging, one word: sleep. The early days can be difficult if baby isn’t sleeping well, but it all gets better.

Tell us about how you met your wife Jessie. What is your favourite thing about her?

My wife Jessie and I met at a New Years Eve party in 2017. We hit it off right away talking about sports and the rest is history. It is hard to choose one favourite thing, she is my rock. She is the most caring person I have ever met, and always puts our family before herself. We find a way to laugh through everything, and she is my biggest cheerleader in life. I truly wouldn’t be where I am today without her and her support.

What’s your best advice for aspiring journalists, or any new professional?

What is one of the most memorable stories you have reported on in your career so far?

There are many that stand out, but there is no question that covering the “Freedom Convoy” in February 2022 is the most memorable moment(s) of my career so far. It started as a protest against Covid-19 mandates, but quickly became much more. Trucks and protestors occupied the capital for nearly a month. It went from a local story, to a national story, to an international story. At times the world was watching Ottawa, and being part of covering that story for CTV News is something I’ll never forget. It was by far the most challenging assignment I have ever had, but looking back it also helped me grow as a journalist.

What’s your favourite thing to do in Ottawa on a day off?

Those who know me know I love to golf. Any chance I get, though few and far between now with a young daughter, I love to get out on the course with friends and catch up through a round of golf.

Any restaurant recommendations?

Definitely! How much time do we have? It is hard to narrow it down to just a few. In my hood in the west end, Fratelli Kanata is a go-to. Greenfield’s in Barrhaven is an excellent spot with the best patio in the city, and when I am in North Gower visiting my in-laws, The Marlborough is a must.

You’re always very well dressed. As we move into the colder weather, what are some tips on staying stylish in the fall?

I’m flattered that anyone would say I’m well dressed, I steal all my style ideas from Stefan Keyes. Fall is my favourite season. When I am not in dress clothes, for work, I like to layer it up. You’ll usually find me in a hoodie, with a plaid shirt and a vest. Layers are the way to go.

KEEP AN OPEN MIND, CHASE AS MANY OPPORTUNITIES AS YOU CAN, AND BUILD GOOD RELATIONSHIPS.

@jcharronctv

three for fall COCKTAILS

Bitter Sweet Spirit is a group of Ottawa bartenders and cocktail enthusiasts with a passion for creating and sharing great recipes with friends. Here’s three of their must-try cocktails for Fall.

@bittersweetspirit

the SAGE SOUR

A straight sour that highlights sage syrup and is ideal for early fall days.

INGREDIENTS

2 oz @thebotanistgin

¼ oz @stgermaindrinks

Elderflower

¾ oz sage syrup

½ oz lime juice

1 egg white

add to shaker + dry shake

add ice + shake again

double-strain into chilled coupe

garnish: sage leaf

SAGE SYRUP

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

1 cup sage leaves add to pot over medium

high heat

stir to combine ingredients at first sign of boil, remove from heat let cool strain into bottle + refrigerate

the AVERNA SOUR

Averna, a popular Italian bitter liqueur, is highlighted front and center in the Averna Sour. It’s a perfect cocktail if you’re looking to add a little extra bitterness to your sour.

INGREDIENTS

½ oz @averna

¾ oz bourbon

1 oz lemon juice

¼ simple syrup

1 egg white

add to shaker + dry shake

add ice + shake again double-strain into chilled coupe

DYK: The Negroni has its origins in Florence Italy, first being ordered by Count Negroni in the early 1900’s?

Legend has it, the bartender serving the Count named it in his honour when he asked to add gin to a traditional Americano. So yes, we have a Count to thank for arguably the best cocktail in the world.

The more you know.

INGREDIENTS

1 oz @hendricksgin

1 oz @martini Sweet Vermouth

1 oz @camparicanada

add to mixing glass with ice + stir

strain into rocks glass with large ice

garnish: orange peel

WILF & ADA’S

This quaint scratch diner is an homage to the couple who served breakfast and lunch at the Bank Street institution for 21 years before retiring and selling the business in 2013. Today, you’ll see tables adorned with jars of homemade marmalade and vinegar bottles of house dressing. The menu is chalk full of refined takes on the classics, and everything is made from scratch using fresh, locally-sourced, quality ingredients whenever possible.

OTTAWA’S MUST-TRY BREAKFASTS

In August, we asked: where are some of the best breakfasts in town? Here are 3 of the most popular mentions.

MAIN STREET CAFE

Main Street Cafe has been a mainstay of Stittsville for over 30 years. The family-owned stalwart has long been considered Stittsville’s go-to establishment as the “best breakfast in town”, bringing

their blend of home-cooked food and creativity — from fresh, in-house peeled potatoes for their home fries and french fries to the authentic turkey breast they use in the often-enjoyed Turkey Club Sandwich. MSC even crafts their own signature chipotle mayo and homemade jam.

Must Try: The Big Ben Burrito

A 12” tortilla stuffed with ground beef, sausage patty, egg scramble, cheddar cheese, tomato, lettuce, guacamole and their own chipotle mayo.

THE VILLAGE CAFE

The Village Cafe is a family-run breakfast and lunch spot that serves large portions of fresh, homemade and authentic feel-good food. With an atmosphere that exudes edge and rock ‘n roll, this hometown hidden gem takes pride in delivering excellent service, beverages, and Instagram-worthy plates.

Must Try: Mariposa Duck Eggs & Benny

Two poached eggs, duck confit (from Mariposa Farms) with roasted squash, leeks, crispy sage, hollandaise, home fries (and/ or greens).

Must Try: Chicken & Waffles

3 chicken fingers & 2 slices of bacon on top of a cinnamon waffle topped with our homemade Village Sauce & chipotle mayo.

OTTAWA EXPLORE

3 Places To Catch The Colours This Month

Boldt Castle

Located just two hours away from Ottawa - and only accessible by boat - is a turn of the century castle with a romantic and chilling history. Until October 9th, boat tours leave from Rockport, Ontario, offering guests a chance to explore the island, castle, and yatch house while learning the unique love story behind it’s construction.

Patrimoine et Chutes de Plaisance, part of Plaisance National Park, is a stunning waterfall created by a 200-foot natural drop: surrounded by piney forests, incredible lookouts and floating trails through marshlands.

Plaisance, QC (just 45 minutes from Ottawa) has a few different areas to visit, including the National Park, the Museum, a historical area and the falls, which come with a separate admission fee.

The Pinhey Sand Dunes

Hidden inside the 3.2km Pinhey Forest Trail are the Pinhey Dunes, an expanse of fine white sand created some 10,000 years ago.

Over time, the dunes have begun to disappear. In 2011, the NCC partnered with Biodiversity Conservancy International (BCI) to preserve and further restore the dunes.

Today, the Dunes are open to the public as part of the Forest Trail, and this dog-friendly mini hike through red maple forest and serene sands are well worth a visit.

The top Seven Bingeworthy

HORROR MOVIES

TO WATCH BEFORE HALLOWEEN

2000’S SCARES

Stranger Things Everyone knew this was going to be on the list, so let’s go ahead and put this one out there right off the rip. If you’ve never tuned in for an episode of these teenaged super sleuths, shame on you; the good news is it’s never too late to start, so do yourself a favour, and hit that ‘Play’ button ASAP.

Ash vs. Evil Dead. If you enjoy the “Evil Dead” films, you’re in for a real treat with this show. Over-the-top gore, over-the-top action, over-the top comedy, and just over-the top everything make this show a must watch for horror fans.

House of Madness is an Ottawa-based blog for horror enthusiasts that offers recommendations, critiques and reviews of horror-related content, including movies, books, TV shows, and even some video games. In no particular order, here are their top 7 recommendations for those looking for a thrill.

Expert Reviewer: Nelson Miller

Channel Zero. Although I admittedly didn’t care much for Season 3, it would be downright irresponsible of me to ignore the series as a whole. The antagonist made entirely from children’s teeth is enough to give an ice cream vendor the chills.

Midnight Mass. It was only around for one season, but what a season it was! Yes, some episodes can get overly ‘chatty’, but once the action starts, it’s impossible to look away.

80’S NOSTALGIA

Tales From The Crypt. Another one of my all-time favourites when the time was late, and the lights were low. Although this show doesn’t take itself too seriously and has a heavy comedic undertone, don’t get caught letting your guard down, or you could be in for a sleepless night.

Tales From The Darkside. While a lot of the episodes in this series may be hit or miss, I never missed an opportunity to stay up late and be scared into oblivion when I was a kid and my parents were safely asleep upstairs. Frequent shoulder-checks were a must when I finally went to bed.

VINTAGE HORROR

The Twilight Zone. Last but most certainly not least we have the legendary show that scared the pants off many people - even if they weren’t wearing pants. Rod Serling was a kind man, but you’d never have known it with some of the tales his brain churned out; he was and still is the master of story telling.

2023 BMW XM

EVERYTHING GOOD IS IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

Welcome to a community where a neighbourhood feel and conveniences come together. Near various shopping centres, your necessities are always at hand and downtown Ottawa is just a short drive away. Find opportunities to play and explore at local skating trails, golf courses and recreational complexes. When you’re looking for entertainment, head to the Canadian Tire Centre to cheer on the Ottawa Sens. Find space to roam and every amenity close to home at Kinwick.

Townhomes Available Now

Contact : 613-836-7437 | sls_kinwick@mattamycorp.com

Register for updates: mattamyhomes.com/ontario/ottawa

Follow us: @mattamyhomes

approximate.