Marathon Village, near Carp has been in emergency mode. With very little rain over the past few months, wells have run dry and residents have had to change their water habits drastically. Robyn Bresnahan visits the community to hear about the frustration, confusion and worries for winter. Plus, two hydrologists weigh in with advice for what NOT to do if the well runs dry.

Fancy a new career? Ever considered witchcraft? Robyn Bresnahan meets three Ottawa witches, including the owner of a shop in the Glebe where business is brooming and a tea leaf reader who is thrilled that witches are having their hour.

Street racing is dangerous and illegal. Yet in neighbourhoods across the city, residents are woken up by the revving of engines and screeching of tires. Robyn Bresnahan speaks to a former street racer who drove “without any concerns or worries of others” - and to an officer who explains why these speedsters are so hard to nab.

In October 1975, an 18-year-old student walked into an Ottawa high school -- spraying bullets into a classroom -- then killing himself. CBC Reporter Guy Quenneville dug through archives and interviewed dozens of people -- including those who survived that day. Robyn Bresnahan talks to Guy about how that school shooting resonates half a century later.

Great news! One of our - and your - favourite episodes has been nominated for an international podcast award! It’s the one where Robyn spends all night at the Elgin Street Diner. What transpired was a very Ottawa slice of life. If you love this episode, please vote for it in the Signal Awards. Deadline is October 9th.

A beloved yoga and spin studio in Nepean is shutting down after 15 years in business due to a big rent increase. The owners say they bent over backwards to try to find a solution - but the landlord wouldn’t budge. Robyn Bresnahan hears why commercial rents are through the roof and talks to a small business owner who worries this will change the fabric of Ottawa - for the worse.

Le Hibou is a place of near mythical status in the Ottawa music community. A tiny coffee house on Sussex Drive where the likes of Neil Young, Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen played. Robyn Bresnahan hears memories from those who were there in its heyday and explores whether Le Hibou could ever rise again.

When the “Mole Mobile” came to Ottawa over four days, it was overrun with people. Robyn Bresnahan spoke to people who waited hours to see a dermatologist.

Time for some trash talk. The city’s main dump is filling up. And one of the options councillors are considering for the future is burning Ottawa’s garbage. Robyn Bresnahan dives into the debate with a politician in favour of incineration and a waste expert who thinks the idea is rubbish.

From the best of This is Ottawa: She was told to try hairdressing. Instead, she picked up a wrench. Despite a shortage of skilled trade workers, women are still under-represented. Robyn Bresnahan visits a Manotick automotive garage to hear what life is like for the only woman who works there.

(Originally published June 10, 2024)