David as photographed by a passer-by on the Williamsburg Bridge in New York City during the making of his latest film “Bike City, Great City.”

“SUSTAINABILITY IS SOCIAL, ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC” says David Chernushenko—seasoned campaigner for community improvement and current Councillor for Ottawa’s Capital Ward—in this hour-long interview with Slow Ottawa host Graham Larkin.  Here David reveals exactly how he got his start in advocacy for living lightly; he explains why he eschews partisan labels; he expresses his hope for a generation more attuned to light living; and he shares many stories about recent local initiatives. Continue reading →

Elspeth McKay in the re:Purpose store at 150 Gloucester St, Ottawa.

I recently visited the Gloucester St. office of Elspeth McKay, director of Operation Come Home to talk about her work with street-involved youth in Ottawa. We spoke extensively about Elspeth’s knack for developing enterprises that train and employ youth. We also discussed the origins of many OCH programs including Reunite; the Resources (Drop-in) Centre; the Rogers Achievement Centre high school program; BottleWorks; FarmWorks; Housing Works; Entrepreneurship Works; and the re: Purpose store. Continue reading →