Awesome Ottawa, Ottawa, ON (2026)

04/15/2026

The latest Awesome Ottawa award goes to Liam Callaghan to support a survival backpack rental service for the city.

“Aid and Assist's Borrow a First Aid Kit service provides first aid kit rentals to anyone in Ottawa,” says Liam. “For $25, we deliver a fully stocked kit, retrieve it up to 30 days later, and don’t charge for the first $5 of used supplies. The service is designed for people going on day trips or longer adventures, and for community groups holding larger events once or twice a year that may not have the resources, capacity, or desire to maintain their own comprehensive first aid kits.”

“We currently offer three kit types,” continues Liam, “the Daypack, Destination, and Event kits. The Survival Backpack will expand on our service to add a comprehensive backpack kit designed to provide both emergency medical supplies and wilderness survival gear. It will increase emergency preparedness during long-distance excursions by providing the resources for a small group to persevere through a wilderness emergency for a minimum of 72 hours.”

“The backpack,” says Liam, “will include an emergency radio and flashlight, emergency rations, expandable water containers, water purification tablets, emergency blankets and sleeping bags, waterproof and windproof matches, a compass, parachute cord, a tourniquet, a splint, glowsticks, and more. It will also only cost $25 to borrow.”

By day, Liam is a policy analyst with the RCMP. He and his team used to volunteer and work at the Carleton University Student’s Association, where they pioneered the Borrow a First Aid Kit service for Carleton University students. “Bringing that success to the greater Ottawa area was a clear first step to achieving our mission,” he says.

04/07/2026

Need $1,000 to make your awesome idea a reality? Get your application for April's award in by Sunday.

04/03/2026

The latest Awesome Ottawa award goes to Granny Squares for Warmth to support their crocheting for our community.

“Granny Squares for Warmth,” explains the group's Holly Beanlands, “is a group of Ottawa women using our love of crocheting to keep others warm. We work in a variety of sizes including baby blankets, lap blankets, cancer care blankets, throws, single-bed blankets, and shawls to donate to a range of recipients including maternity units, shelters, long-term care homes, seniors residences, cancer treatment centres, transitional housing, and organizations that help equip new Canadians.”

“Our work has travelled as far north as maternity units in Nunavut, but most of our blankets and shawls stay local and help people at places like Perley Health for veterans, St Joe's Women's Centre for homeless women, Bethany Hope Centre for single parent families, a number of Canadian Legion branches, and the Ottawa Cancer Clinic.”

“To a lonely senior, an anxious patient undergoing cancer treatment, someone experiencing their first winter in Canada or a young single parent struggling to cope with the stress and expense of baby,” continues Holly, “a handmade piece provides not only physical warmth but also a reminder that someone cares. We love to create and we love knowing that our creations help bring a little warmth and a smile to others.”

“Our group was started by two Barrhaven women, Pat Owen and Suha Daher, during the COVID lockdowns,” says Holly. “The idea was to crochet granny squares that could be joined together in various ways and sizes to help people in our community and beyond in a variety of ways. Once lockdown ended, the word spread and our group, mainly retired women in Barrhaven, has now grown to dozens of members who meet once a month and create blankets between meetings.”

The group will use the funds to purchase yarn. “Most of our crocheters are retirees,” says Holly. “They happily give of their time but sometimes the cost of yarn for a project can be a deterrent given that, since the pandemic, yarn prices have steadily risen. We want to keep our creative members supplied with yarn so they can keep producing blankets and shawls to donate and help others.”

03/06/2026

Need $1,000 to make your awesome idea a reality? Get your application for March's award in by Wednesday.

03/03/2026

January’s Awesome Ottawa award goes to Lukeisha Andrews to support the Black in Nature Forest School.

“Our programming,” says Lukeisha, “supports Black children getting outside year-round, in all weather! We believe that Black children and youth deserve to feel a deep sense of belonging outdoors, and aim to provide an inclusive, accessible, safe, and brave space where all Black children can connect with nature. As a not-for-profit organization, most of our participants attend programming at no cost.”

“Not only is Black In Nature a community space for children and youth,” she continues, “we are a landing place for parents and other Black community members. At many of our programs, Black community members and newcomers experience outdoor activities in Canada for the first time through participation and volunteering.”

“This past year,” says Lukeisha, “we have hosted a diverse set of annual programs, consistently engaging over 30 families. Winter outdoor activities consisted of snowshoeing and cross country skiing. At our annual March Break Camp, we explored animal tracking, tapped maple trees, and cooked meals together. At our Summer Overnight Camp, we learned how to set up tents and cook outdoors, we shared stories by the fire, participated in water safety and canoeing sessions, and bonded deeply as a community. At our Summer Day Camp, we explored forest ecology, plants, and insects, created art with natural minerals, created music together in the rain, and practiced mindfulness and grounding routines on the Land.”

The Awesome Ottawa award will be used to reserve Macskimming Outdoor Education Centre for Black in Nature’s March Break Day Camp. “Here,” says Lukeisha, “we will host up to 15 Black families. We will explore the Land together through snowshoe hikes, ecological exploration, storytelling, song, and play.”

Besides being the founder of Black in Nature, Lukeisha is a facilitator with Child and Nature Alliance Canada. She describes herself as “a life long (un)learner, a peaceful disrupter, and passionate about creating brave spaces for all children to be fully immersed in nature and on the Land.”

02/05/2026

December’s Awesome Ottawa award goes to Caitlin Imrie to support the matching of lone mittens from across the city.

“Since so many people lose a single mitten or glove,” says Caitlin, “we wondered: if we collected individual mittens from residents and lost-and-founds across Ottawa, could we match them into wearable pairs?”

“Parents know the struggle of mismatched mittens, and mismatched pairs still keep hands warm. So our project tries to keep perfectly usable mittens and gloves out of landfills, and provide free, warm mittens to people who need them.”

Last winter, in the first year of the project, schools from all four school boards, the National Capital Commission, City of Ottawa community centres, shopping centres, and residents across the city donated thousands of mittens. Volunteers washed, sorted, and matched the more than 4,000 single mittens into 1,700 sets. This winter, the project is adding even more partners.

“We hope this project encourages residents to rethink the value of everyday items,” says Caitlin, “and demonstrates how community-driven initiatives can make a real, positive impact.”

To find out where you can drop off lone mittens, or to get involved – the project is always looking for more volunteers for mitten collection, washing, sorting, matching, and more – visit osean.org/blog/lone-mitten-2026.

Caitlin is a retired federal public servant and an active volunteer with the Ottawa South Eco-Action Network - OSEAN, which hosts the project together with Eco West Enders.

02/04/2026

Need $1,000 to make your awesome idea a reality? Get your application for February's award in by Tuesday.

01/06/2026

Need $1,000 to make your awesome idea a reality? Get your application for January’s award in by Monday.

12/29/2025

November’s Awesome Ottawa award goes to Allan André to support public, co-created art.

“Opncnvs is building a public art studio where anyone can create, connect, and explore the creative mindstate,” says Allan. “So far, we’ve hosted activations at Nuit Blanche, Geary Art Crawl, and Future Block Vanier, as well as pop-ups at Grounded Kitchen and Drip House.”

“Our next project,” he continues, “is a month-long creative exhibition where every canvas begins blank and evolves through public participation. Each label will feature a title prompt, and participants will sign their names as co-creators. The works will grow over time, then be auctioned to raise funds for our first permanent public studio.”

“Rooted in Ottawa’s creative community,” says Allan, “opncnvs believes every blank canvas is an invitation to connect, create, and reimagine what art can be together.”

Allan (Art Life André the Art of Allan André) is a multi-disciplinary artist known for his murals and live painting. He is also a founding member of the Ottawa Black Art Collective.

12/04/2025

Need $1,000 to make your awesome idea a reality? Get your application for December's award in by Sunday.

11/29/2025

The second of two Awesome Ottawa awards for October goes to Channing Rodman and the Brewer Park Community Garden to support a new accessible circle garden.

“The volunteers at Brewer Park Community Garden,” explains Channing, “are transforming our old dome garden into an accessible circle garden – a space for gardeners with mobility issues and vision impairments.”

“We believe gardens are for every body,” she continues, “and it’s time to grow our accessible spaces: 64% of Canadians live with a disability or care for someone with a disability.”

The team is rebuilding raised beds with water access, smooth pathways, tool access, signage, and seats – and will come together to tackle this big project over several days this fall, so as to be able to welcome new gardeners in the spring.

Channing is one of 60 gardeners who have a plot in Brewer Park Community Garden – which she notes has grown from 25 to 60 beds since 2012!

11/29/2025

The first of two Awesome Ottawa awards for October goes to Pamela Nga to support empowerment of BIPOC entrepreneurs through BYB Brunch.

“BYB Brunch, or Build Your Brand Brunch,” explains Pamela, “is a community-driven event that empowers BIPOC entrepreneurs and creatives in Ottawa-Gatineau through networking, training, and celebration.”

“The Summer 2025 edition gathered 27 attendees,” she continues, “featured three expert-led workshops on graphic design, content creation, and marketing and sales, and received support from local business sponsors. The event provided participants with skills, visibility, and meaningful connections.”

“Looking ahead, the next edition aims to expand to 30-40 attendees, bring in additional skilled trainers, and continue building a twice-yearly platform that uplifts diverse communities.”

Pamela is a communications professional, content creator, and community strategist, and the founder of BYB Brunch.

Awesome Ottawa

04/15/2026

04/07/2026

04/03/2026

03/06/2026

03/03/2026

02/05/2026

02/04/2026

01/06/2026

12/29/2025

12/04/2025

11/29/2025

11/29/2025

Address

Website

Alerts

Contact The Practice

Shortcuts

Featured

Share