Utilizing the unique atmosphere of one of the premier downtown Ottawa event venues, Winterlude has arranged an exclusive dining opportunity as part of its February celebration.

Celebrating the joys of winter, this annual event is packed with family activities and the Summit of Winterlude Dinner is no exception, welcoming families as part of the festival’s Family Day observance on Monday, February 20, 2012. Held in the Summit, our revolving event space atop the Ottawa Marriott Hotel, this Ottawa luxury hotel’s revolving dining room will open its doors on the hotel’s 29th floor for Winterlude’s special one-night event, serving up a five-course meal prepared by accomplished, award-winning Executive Chef Mark Steele.

Formerly operating as the favoured Merlot Rooftop Grill, this revolving banquet room has been closed as a public restaurant since 2010, but in celebration of Winterlude, this sophisticated Rideau Canal hotel will open its doors for the occasion to serve up a spectacular menu, including Angus beef tenderloin, pan seared halibut, scallops “two ways” and a sumptuous “beaver tail” mille feuille for desert, beginning at 6 p.m. Tickets for this exclusive event are $169.24 per person, including tax, gratuity and service fee. While the bulk of the seating is limited to communal tables for six; there will be a few tables set for two on behalf of those seeking a special Valentine’s Day celebration. Limited to 160 persons, reservations may be made by visiting http://www.canadascapital.gc.ca/celebrate/winterlude/calendar-events/summit-of-winterlude .

The Summit is located at 100 Kent Street in Ottawa and will present guests with a spectacular dining experience including splendid views of Parliament and its surrounding cityscape along with a tantalizing meal and perfectly matched wine pairings for every course. The Ottawa hotel’s downtown location is an ideal choice for this fun and fashionable event, and the culinary staff welcomes the opportunity to provide guests with fine food and exquisite accommodations.

The Ottawa Marriott is one of the area’s favorite event venues, offering 31,000 square feet of flexible event space ideal for professional trade gatherings, corporate meetings, business conferences and grand social affairs. The hotel’s skilled catering team offers inspiring event menus and custom services, while dedicated event managers provide fine attention to detail to ensure all events are perfectly executed.

About the Ottawa Marriott Hotel

The Ottawa Marriott is a luxury hotel property located near many of Ottawa’s premier downtown attractions, government agencies and business destinations. Towering boldly over the relaxing Rideau Canal, the hotel offers a variety of exceptional guest rooms and hotel suites to lavishly accommodate the needs of both business and leisure travellers. A concierge level is also available for added amenities and the hotel provides guests with access to the Kent Club for fitness services and use of the hotel’s heated indoor pool. A game room and Kids’ Zone are also featured along with pool toys for the kids as an added service to travelling families.

I mention all this art/community hand-in-hand stuff because city council will, in a few days, be voting on the municipal arts policy for us to enjoy and struggle with for the next five years. Back in 2003 the city consulted like crazy with art makers and art enjoyers and came up with a 20-year plan, that was to be reviewed and tinkered with and tuned-up or down in five-year chunks.

That review has been taking place online and inline and outlying over the last few months, and then a committee tried to put all that input into a policy paper, and that paper was unfurled a couple of weeks ago. In what I think may be a first, the policy received a rousing cheer from the attending crowd at City Hall. Head over to the city’s website when you have a moment and you can, on a good day, find the cheerful paper in all its detail and have a look, remembering that the primary function of elected councillors is to broker some portion of your hard-earned taxes towards the, to quote the city back at themselves, “development of a renewed Ottawa 20/20 Arts and Heritage Action Plan (which) will influence the future of Ottawa’s cultural development, identity, creative potential, sense of place, economic strength, environmental integrity, and the well-being of its residents.” That’s some lofty rhetoric, but if anything can make it happen it’s the arts and heritage community.

Read the full story: An arts plan for Ottawa

With anonymity our shield, we’re willing to say almost anything on the Internet. That enticed Vancouver’s Theatre Replacement so much that the company created a theatre piece called WeeTube 5400 based on the phenomena. The show is part of the undercurrents: theatre below the mainstream festival at the Great Canadian Theatre Company Feb. 7 to 19.

This is the second year for the festival, which features a total of 30 performances by six independent theatre companies. Half the companies are from Ottawa, and with their emphasis on experimentation, it’s unlikely you’d see any of the shows in mainstream theatres

Read more: YouTube comes alive at undercurrents festival

Local arenas around the city were packed on the weekend to check out the Nepean Girls’ Hockey Association’s 32nd annual tournament. This year, there were 86 competitive and 50 house league teams registered, making up 18 divisions representing all levels from novice to midget. More than 200 games were played in nine arenas over three days.

Most teams were from Ontario, although there were a handful of clubs from Quebec and the United States. The fact the event coincided with the start of Winterlude didn’t hurt attendance, either.

“The teams love competing and playing hockey in the tournament itself,” says president of the NGHA Phil Clarke. “But coming to Ottawa this time of year, during Winterlude, makes the experience that much more special.”

Read more: Nepean girls’ tournament picks up where NHL All-Star Weekend left off

Grants Ontario supports elements of the 2011 Partnership Project report where non-profit organizations asked the Ontario Government to ‘… institute standardized application forms, timelines accountability and reporting requirements across ministries by moving as much as possible online.

Benefits of Grants Ontario

Simplified application process

By replacing antiquated software Grants Ontario now allows you to locate, draft and submit grant applications, check application status and manage reports – all online!

Grants Ontario’s automated features relieve the burden of repeated manual input of information which reduces the amount of time spent on submitting applications. Once you have registered, the system will automatically record your contact details such as name, address and title, and uses common application questions to simplify online submissions.

The addition of online report filing in April 2012 will further reduce workload and demonstrates a commitment to a cleaner environment. Payment processes to successful applicants will also be streamlined.

Secure information

Grants Ontario is a secure system that can only be accessed via the Government of Ontario’s encrypted ONE key log-in system. Until data is submitted to the ministry only the applicant will see it.

Get Ready for Grants Ontario

While program application material is not yet available, grant recipients and prospective applicants are encouraged to register on the Grants Ontario system to obtain their One-Key ID and password as soon as possible.

Applicants must complete the enrolment process on the new Grants Ontario before applying to any of the Ministry’s funding programs.

Find out more about Grants Ontario

Visit Grants Ontario ( www.grants.gov.on.ca)  to access the online training material and a Frequently Asked Questions section. Technical support will be available during regular business hours.

The running start of last year’s inaugural festival was enough to convince organizers the demand was there.

“We were flying by the seat of our pants last year,” O’Meara says. “We didn’t have any funding, but we managed to put together a very successful festival … We ended up having more than 1,000 people come out to the festival, even with the short time we had to plan it. This year we’ve had a full year and we’ve had lots of time to plan it and go big.”

Read more: Aiming to grow the fest

Ottawa is the host city for the 2012 NHL All-Star Game, the league’s annual showcase of talent pitting NHL heroes against each other in a game for fun.

The game will be televised in 150 countries and with such bright stars on home ice, it gives Ottawa a chance to shine.

“It’s a big spotlight for the city of Ottawa,” said Cyril Leeder, president of the Ottawa Senators.

The events around the All-Star game have been designed to take advantage of one of Ottawa’s unavoidable characteristics.

Read it on Global News: All-Star game gives Ottawa a chance to shine

Despite being more than 150 years old, I think Ottawa shares more similarities with a young twentysomething than a supercentenarian.

In fact, I think the nation’s capital and I are a lot alike.

We tend to fall victim to our inferiority complexes. We compare ourselves to others who are older, more attractive, and more experienced than us. We’re concerned we too often sit back and refrain from acting out, or acting on our impulses. And sometimes, we just don’t know who or what we want to be.

Read the full piece on the Ottawa Citizen website: Ottawa needs a better attitude

Canada Day festivities in 2017 should be turned into a weeklong “Canadian Cultural Festival,” says Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson.

The city should work with the National Arts Centre, National Capital Commission, provincial and territorial governments and the private sector to create the event between June 25 and July 1 in the year of Canada’s 150th birthday, Watson said in prepared remarks to an Ottawa Kiwanis Club luncheon.

Full story at Canada.com Ottawa Mayor wants big bang on Canada’s 150th birthday

A fund used to bring large-scale conventions to Ottawa is expected to remain intact even though the provincial government appears disinclined to put more money on the table.

However, its continuation will likely come at the expense of other programs at Ottawa Tourism as the local agency uses “funds from within (its) current resources” to top off the convention attraction program, according to CEO Noel Buckley.

“What it means is we have to find a way to make this a sustainable program from a local perspective … that would allow us to properly compete in this competitive market segment,” he says.

Full story is available on the OBJ website: Ottawa Tourism reallocates resources to convention attraction