Blue Roses is an inspiring documentary that challenges how end of life (palliative) care is defined and provided to Ottawa’s inner-city rooming house community, whose members often face issues of poverty, addiction and mental illness. Bob Jamison, a person with lived experience, and other frontline health workers take an innovative approach by going out into the community to provide palliative care, which is more typically provided in hospitals and hospices, and sometimes in homeless shelters.

In some ways, not too much has changed in fifteen years—on the eve of a move away from Old Ottawa South, a  resident recounts what he'll miss most about the neighbourhood in this article from the June 2004 OSCAR.

Ten things I love (and will miss) about Old Ottawa South — By Jim Watson

The Ottawa Police Service has partnered with the Ottawa Safety Council and Citizens for Safe Cycling (Bike Ottawa) to help reduce bike thefts in the city. The 529 Garage app is a bike registry where users create free profiles and upload information about their bicycles.

St. Margaret Mary, the modest red-brick church opposite the Firehall, is closing.

Father Pierre Champoux, the part-time pastor at St. Margaret Mary, told the OSCAR in an email that: “The parish is no longer financially or pastorally viable, due to the lack of parishioners and regular revenue.”

Jane's Walk is a festival of free neighbourhood walking tours given in the spirit of Jane Jacobs that help put people in touch with their city, the things that happen around them, the built environment, the natural environment, and especially with each other. The walks are given by local people who care passionately about where they live, work, and play.

We’re so excited to announce our new inter-generational program here at The Firehall – Re-Generation! We had a successful soft launch of the program on Thursday, April 25^th, 2019. This program officially launches on Thursday, May 2^nd, 2019 and runs from 10:30 am-12:30 pm. We’d love to see you there!

Ottawa Grassroots will deliver a tapestry of iconic folk, Indigenous beats, and Franco-Ontarian soundscapes with a full roster of performers and workshops by a beautiful spectrum of established and emerging artists. The festival returns to the acoustically rich venue of Southminster United Church, April 25-28, 2019 in Old Ottawa South.

Public Consultations on Layout

The architectural firms designing the Library and Archives Canada (LAC) and Ottawa Public Library (OPL) joint facility are seeking your comments, ideas, and suggestions about the new building, which will open in the heart of the National Capital Region in 2024. 

How will the LAC, OPL, and common areas be laid out? How do you envision the outdoor spaces and their views of the surrounding landscapes? Come hear the architects’ proposals and share your thoughts on these topics and others.

There are many interesting daytime workshops programmed to take place Saturday and Sunday as part of the free component of the Ottawa Grassroots Festival happening April 25-28, 2019 at the Southminster United Church in Old Ottawa South.

Garden Supply Sale

Spring is in the air! Get ready for gardening by ordering garden supplies, delivered free to your driveway, from the 17th Southminster Ottawa Scout Group. All proceeds are used to deliver challenging and adventurous Scouting programming for boys and girls right here in our local community.