“I’m originally from Winnipeg, first generation immigrant from Poland! My whole family was born there, I was the only one born in Canada.”
Lunch - Tim
“Ottawa is my hometown, I was born here and my family and most of the people I love live here. I care about this city and I’m happy my three kids are growing up here. I started LUNCH a little over ten years ago and I think it’s my small contribution to helping Ottawa grow.”
Freewheeling Craft - Amanda
“I host craft markets 4+ times a year, popup shops (this is our third, soon to potentially be a permanent spot), and workshops with local makers. I’d love to get into learning, doing business classes for makers and networking for creatives.”
Revelle Bridal - Earleen
“The perfect day for me outside of being at the shop would be to sleep in till about 9; get in a good workout; grab a delicious brunch, have an afternoon nap, not cook dinner and not open my laptop to work. This usually happens on a Sunday and I cherish that day of the week.”
Heart & Crown - The Bradley Family
"Ottawa being home to many Irish settlers, I’ve always tried to keep the Irish authenticity alive in the capital. Actually, most of our furniture and bars were made in Ireland and shipped over here. When the Irish are homesick, they tend to gather in our pubs."
Grow Your Roots Cafe - Melanie
"Being vegan 8 years ago was extremely different than what it is now. And I also lived in an area where hunting and typical “meat and potatoes” was life. I was forced to learn how to cook.
Active Health Institute - Franco
"I was born and raised in Nepean, before accepting a hockey scholarship to Niagara University, where I played Division 1 NCAA hockey. I finished both my hockey and university degree at the University of Western Ontario, where we won the National Championship and I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree."
Pot & Pantry - Robin
"I love to cook and bake, and owning a kitchen store means I can talk about those things all day. I love getting to know people through what they're cooking."
Clocktower Brew Pub - Patrick & Sean
"We don't need to change what we are doing, in some ways it is more important that we stay consistent while the industry changes around us. The craft scene is very collaborative and friendly, we are all eager to help each other out."
Scatterbee - Alexandra
"I started freelancing during the Spring of 2017, which was very much a decision that stemmed
from the heart. For most of my life, if I wasn’t working or studying, I was spending my free my
time creating, admiring and consuming visual art.
Purple Urchin - Rebecca
"I lived in a few different places growing up, but my family finally settled in Sault Ste. Marie when I was 16, so that’s where I tell people I’m from. I love animals and have a multitude of pets (4 cats, 1 dog). I’ve been a vegetarian since the age of 7.
McAllister Dentistry - Jessie
"I always thought I would go to Medical School. My grandfather was a surgeon here in Ottawa and worked at the Civic Hospital. It was my dream to follow in his footsteps..."
Open Fire Jewellery - Fran
"Open Fire was created in 2015 when I decided to do something with my creative energy that at the time was not being utilized in the way I knew it could."
La Roma - The Papalia Family
"Although La Roma has been around since the 60’s, we took over in 1990 and moved to Little Italy just a few short years later. My siblings and I were very young but spent countless hours running around the restaurant, making it our playground."
Plant & Curio - Gen & Leslie
We've met about 8 years ago from mutual friends. We'd be going to the same local shows or parties. Only a year ago we've realized we had to same passion and love for houseplants.
Blue Peaches Furniture - Jessica
"Prior to starting my company a year ago I was working in HR. I had a good job, but was getting tired of it, so decided to take a “temporary” break to think about what I wanted to do next. During that time, I started painting furniture..."
Carben Food + Drink
"Kevin and I met in Toronto at Claudio Aprile's restaurant, Origin. He was a cook and I was a pastry cook. And from there we travelled around Canada working together and separately. We finally settled in Ottawa..."
Pour Boy - Anthony
"Tom Green stopped in once..."
Brew Donkey - Brad
"Every weekend we're bringing busloads of people to local breweries where they learn about the breweries products, witness the culture and see the space where their favourite products are created."
Le Moulin de Provence - Claude
"We work closely with many of our neighbours around us….hotels, restaurants, retail stores, etc."