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By Ottawa Rickshaws

Ottawa Tourists: Beware When Taking Pictures in the Market

by: Brian Clarke

Brian had an interesting experience this weekend that can be used as a warning for future Ottawa tourists.

Please, Please, Please Don’t Drive Your Car at The Great Glebe Garage Sale!

by: Adam Slight

The Great Glebe Garage Sale is an awesome Ottawa event – aside from the people who are too lazy to shop outside of their cars.

Regarding Ottawa’s Recent Award as “Most Boring City in Canada”: Some Context

by: Adam Slight

Some context for Ottawa’s recent “award” as Most Boring City in Canada.

Ottawa Street Performers Silenced on Voice Amplification Bylaw, Health & Careers at Stake

by: Adam Slight

Paul Perreault performing acrobatics on the street with a microphone, as his doctor has ordered, but against a local bylaw.

We sit down with two Ottawa street performers to discuss the bylaw that is jeopardizing their health, careers, and the economy of the Byward Market.

How Can Ottawa Adopt the #Pesky Identity as a City?

by: Brian Clarke

With the Ottawa Senators being dubbed the ‘Pesky Sens’ this season, we ask how the city of Ottawa can learn from and adopt the pesky identity.

By Ottawa Rickshaws

This summer, we will be introducing a new feature on our website and Facebook page: Ottawa Rickshaws Travel Tips.

This won’t be your typical tourism and travel advice.  We want to use our unique pedestrian point of view and the experience we’ve all gained running rickshaws to showcase Ottawa.

Ottawa is a city that is most often shown through one kind of top-down filter or another.  Ottawa Rickshaws Travel Tips are an alternative way to showcase Ottawa – from a rickshaw runner’s point of view.  They are tips for tourists visiting Ottawa, as well as local citizens looking to be a tourist in their own town.  These aren’t activities you’ll see from tour buses or aerial photographs of Ottawa.  Ottawa Rickshaws Travel Tips are designed for the casual Ottawa pedestrian.

Be sure to follow us on Facebook to see our Ottawa Rickshaws Travel Tips, or check out the full gallery here.

Me bottling my homemade wine at Wine Station.

By Brian Clarke

Everything you read about business and marketing these days revolves around the same ideas: use social media and engage your customers or you will be left in the Dark Age of business marketing.

While I do agree that not using social media sites will leave your business at a competitive disadvantage, I think there is a danger in assuming that if you just set up a Facebook page and Twitter account, your business will be successful.  It’s about what these new tools allow you to do, and what they make easier and cheaper for you to do that is important.

That being said, you don’t need social media to be a social and engaging business.  In other words, it not about the tools you’re using but how you’re using them.

To illustrate this point, I’d like to share the wonderful experience I had with Wine Station, a local Ottawa business in the south end of the city.  Wine Station’s business model is simple: you go to make your own wine. They supply the ingredients, the equipment and most importantly, the knowledge and instructions, while the customer makes their wine.

But how is this social business?

If you read the advice about how to use social media for business, some common tips are: educate your customers about your products, allow your customers to interact and communicate with you, and provide them with a fun engaging experience.  Wine Station did all three without me – the customer – ever going near a computer screen.

They educated me about the wine making process, and explained very clearly what was happening at each step.  They provided an interactive experience, in which I worked with a Wine Station employee and truly felt like I was involved in making the product.  And most importantly, it was fun.  The staff was friendly, knowledgeable and made the experience great.

Our wine-making experience was so fun, we were drinking on the job!

I’d recommend any wine lovers in Ottawa to check out Wine Station and make an order for your own wine. If you drink a lot, it is cheaper in the long run.

However, the moral of this story is that social media tools aren’t a saving grace for any business.  It’s what you do with them that matters.  Using Twitter doesn’t make a business a ‘social business’, but what is behind that Twitter account does: people.  Having good knowledgeable employees who provide customers with good service and an engaging brand experience is what makes a business social.

Whether you use social media or not to achieve this is irrelevant.

By Ottawa Rickshaws

The summer season has finally arrived, but before packing away our jackets and boots, let’s take a quick look back and some of the most read articles from spring.

8 New & Exciting Things to Look Forward to This Summer in Ottawa

By Adam Slight

We take to Twitter to ask Ottawa what new and exciting things it is looking forward to this summer.

Top 5 Burgers in Ottawa

By Brian Clarke

Looking for a good burger in Ottawa? Brian shares his top five burger joints.

Photo by Brian Clarke

“A Huge Injustice”: Montreal Ikea to Oust Ottawa’s as Largest in North America

By Adam Slight

Montreal is planning to take the crown from Ottawa for having the biggest Ikea in North America. We can’t take this sitting down!

More Reason to be Optimistic about Ottawa’s CFL Team

By Brian Clarke

While perhaps a little too optimistically, we think the signs point to Ottawa’s 3rd CFL franchise being successful.

Photo credit: Canadian Football League | cfl.ca

What Can Ottawa Learn from Toronto’s Condo Boom?

By Adam Slight

We look to Toronto’s condo boom to figure out what we should look out for should Ottawa follow a similar path.

Photo by Marc Massie – www.marcmassie.com

This month we spoke with Mayor Jim Watson about his social media habits.

By Ottawa Rickshaws

Ottawa Rickshaws Talks Twitter with Mayor Jim Watson

Interview conducted by Adam Slight

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson shares his views and habits surrounding social media, explaining why he’s one of the most active Canadian mayors on Twitter.

An Open Letter to OC Transpo

By Brian Clarke

Brian vents some frustrations with Ottawa’s bus system.

5 Authentic Irish Pubs in Ottawa

By Adam Slight

We profile some of Ottawa’s most authentic Irish pubs in Ottawa.

An Interview with an Ottawa Social Entrepreneur

Interview conducted by Brian Clarke

Star Wars Identities Exhibit comes to Ottawa, Delivering a Force-Choke of Nostalgia With It

By Adam Slight

Popular museum exhibit Star Wars Identities comes to Ottawa this summer at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum.

Another month down, and spring is right around the corner.  Here is a look back at the top five most read articles in February:

What Would Make Ottawa a More Liveable Place?

by: Ottawa Rickshaws

Complete the City of Ottawa survey before they take it down, and let policy-makers know what would make Ottawa more liveable for you.

More of Ottawa’s Best Craiglist Missed Connections Listings

by: Adam Slight

Ottawa’s Craigslist Missed Connections listings are cute, creepy, and weird. Here are some of the best.

What Do You Think of the Bluesfest 2013 Lineup?

by: Brian Clarke

Tell us what you think of the 2013 Bluesfest line-up, which includes names such as BB King, Rush and Great Big Sea.

5 Ottawa Causes to Donate your Un-Needed Pennies To

by: Adam Slight

With the death of the Canadian penny announced, charities are asking you donate your coppers to them. Here are 5 in Ottawa.

Winter Reds and Cold Ottawa Nights

by: Holly Bruns

Ottawa sommelier Holly Bruns pays tribute to the red wines that pull us through Ottawa’s cold winter months, with some suggested bottles.

By Adam Slight

Ahhh…Craigslist Missed Connections: A Cabinet of Curiosities brimming with awkward social situations and projected love connections. Last August, we highlighted some of the best that Ottawa’s Missed Connections had to offer, and we were not at all disappointed.

I decided to return to the popular classifed site in search of more entertaining listings. Some are cute, some are creepy, and some left me speechless. Here goes!

Canadian tire gas bar, barrhaven – m4w

Hi.
I held the door for you on sat feb 23rd at around 4:45-5pm
When you said thank you, i melted! You voice was angelic.
I was nervous, i wanted to tell you how i felt but i was so nervous.
You were drivibg a gold van.
I followed you home and you sort if doddled in your lane way i think hoping i’d come to you and talk but i was nervous!
I saw you look out your curtain a few times. I wasn’t sure if that was a sign for me to go and talk to you or not.
I didn’t mean to scare you if i did. That wasn’t my intentions

I have a suspicion that this one may be fake, but I’m not naive and wouldn’t put it past someone to follow someone home because she said thank you. If this is true, Canadian tire gas bar girl had better look into getting a restraining order, or a big gun.

Valentine’s Day Bingo – m4w

You looked sophisticated when you played bingo at my hall last week.
You wore a fancy grey hat and a dark coloured fabric coat. You said it was your first time. You got my attention.
You bought a dabber from me and I said happy dabbing. I wish I gave it to you for free.
I would like to hear from you and maybe play a game sometime.

Nothing says love on Valentine’s Day like a free bingo dabber. You blew it man!!

Girl in a Ninja Turtle Hat – m4w

I wanted to tell you how awesome your ninja turtle hat was, but I didn’t want to scare you because I look pretty scary when I’m in uniform.
Also I considered the possibility that it was just a hat to you, and you weren’t actually that into the ninja turtles. That would have been awkward.
But when you got off the bus I noticed your turtle shell backpack and regretted not telling you.

I will always remember you Donatello Girl.
Keep on being awesome.

This poor Foot Soldier should quit the Foot Clan, shed his scary uniform, and tell Donatello Girl how he feels.

Cab driver of my dreams – w4m

This is random..but why not!? You drove me and my friend home the first Saturday in February. You came in my house and then I passed out. You left your card but I lost it. You’re a hottie and this mommy is always naughty.

Of all the details – I remember where you said you were from… Include that in your reply so I know it’s you !

A message to any ladies out there looking for true love: The trick is to invite your cab driver into your home at night and then pass out. He’ll leave you his number and then you can go on a date.

You were in a blue loader! – w4m

I was leaving turning towards Orleans you were coming into Blackburn! You looked at me I looked at you! Maybe I’m wrong? Your loader was blue! Message me colur of my car if you remember! This was on wed!

You looked at me from your car and now I think we’re in love!

Side Effects – m4w

You asked if I was having meat pie. I was. You offered sweet potatoes.. I was tempted but shy to admit it. Do you go to the movies often? May be we’d click.

He offered you sweet potatoes and you said “no.” What makes you think there would be any chemistry? (Also, never be shy about sweet potatoes. They’re delicious.)

dippy eggs – m4w

i did as promised sweety. youlll make someone with absolutely zero respect for you a very, very, happy individual thank you for your response and all the suggestions. my interest and sincerity would only annoy you and hamper your ultimate goals but thank you for the ride. i really was being so silly wasn’t i? happy hunting xxoo

This is the one that left me speechless.

So we’ve survived the first month of 2013, and all the wacky weather mood swings.  February shouldn’t be much better, but we are slowly inching towards summer.  In the meantime, we’ll keeping owning winter in Ottawa and take a look back at the top five articles from January:

5 Business Ideas Perfect for Sparks Street

by: Adam Slight

With the Sparks Street BIA seeking entrepreneurs to bring unique flavour to the area, we thought we’d suggest some ideal business ideas.

An Interview with an Ottawa Paranormal Investigator

Interview of Peter Couturier by Adam Slight

We had the exciting opportunity to sit down and question an Ottawa paranormal investigator about the supernatural, UFOs, and the unexplained.

6 Great Outdoor Rinks in Ottawa

by: Brian Clarke

With the weather reaching extreme lows this month, Ottawa’s many outdoor rinks are now ready for action. Here are 6 great choices.

Ottawa Musician Casey Beaulieu Vows to Release One New Song Every Week

Interview of Casey Beaulieu by Adam Slight

Ottawa musician Casey Beaulieu makes a vow to record one new song every week. We caught Casey in between tracks for an interview.

Ottawa’s Winter Cyclists: Tips for Winter Cycling in Ottawa

by: Adam Slight

We interviewed two Ottawa cyclists who don’t let the cold stop them from biking on a daily basis. Tips for winter cycling in Ottawa.

If you’ve been a long time reader of our blog, you will know that every month we take a look back at the top articles from the previous month.

However, seeing as how we’re all just getting used to this 2013 thing, why not take a look back at an entire year.  It was our first year of blogging at Ottawa Rickshaws, and here are ten of our favourite and most read articles from 2012:

The Rickshaw Retrospective: Ottawa’s Naked Men

Running a rickshaw exposes you to some odd sights.  As shown by Adam’s memories he shares in this Rickshaw Retrospective, sometimes this exposure is a bit too much…

Take a peak (don’t be creepy though) at Ottawa’s top naked men.

The Tulip Festival Narrowly Escapes the NCC’s Stomping Boot

One of Ottawa’s beloved summer festivals ran into some housing issues this year. In one of the top news stories of the year, the Tulip Festival declared its departure from NCC’s pricey parks after almost 60 years of tradition.

We asked why Ottawa officials insist on over-charging Ottawa’s beloved culture.

Voice your opinion.

Top 10 Night Clubs Where you Won’t get Stabbed in Ottawa

After an Easter weekend stabbing in the Byward Market, we tried to offer some constructive (meaning not constructive at all) guidance for avoiding stabbings at night clubs.

Check out our surprising list of safe clubs.

Our 6 Favourite Ottawa Buffets

Obviously, rickshaw runners have appetites.  We’re not shy about it.  Back in April, we shared this list of our favourite buffets in Ottawa to let loose and pig out.

The list includes some classic staples, such as Tucker’s Marketplace, but also some smaller and perhaps hidden buffet options.

Read the full list.

Ottawa Too Immature for Sex Ed; Giggles at Naked Pictures

In May, a very strange story hit headlines in Ottawa. Angry Ottawa residents force travelling sex ed exhibit to increase minimum age of attendance.

We argued that this was a bit ridiculous and gave the impression that sexual health isn’t a priority here. Do you agree?

Check out the full article.

5 Bachelorette Party Ideas that Don’t Involve Giant Inflatable Penises

In our observations working many late nights in the Byward Market, it seems like the bachelorette party has boiled down to one fundamental ingredient: The inflatable penis.

Have a memorable and unique bachelorette party in Ottawa that doesn’t rely on inflatable penises for its fun.

Here are just some ideas.

20 Things to Love About Ottawa

There is a lot to love in our great city.  So much, in fact, that we couldn’t possibly do justice to this list on our own.

We hit the virtual streets of Twitter to ask prominent Ottawa citizens and celebrities what they loved about the city.

See what they have to say!

Melt Gourmet Grilled Cheese Adds Much Needed Variety to Byward Market Fast Food Scene

There is a lot of buzz surrounding the Ottawa food scene of late (we named this as one of the top things to look forward to in Ottawa this year).  This mainly was a result of new styles of restaurants popping up around town, challenging the dominance of shawarma and Irish pubs.

One of our favourites that opened up in the Market this summer was Melt Gourmet Grilled Cheese.

Check out our review of this restaurant.

Craigslist Missed Connections: Ottawa’s Best

Craigslist Missed Connections is always a hit. We wanted to take a look at Ottawa’s missed connections and expose our city’s weird, desperate and/or hopelessly romantic sides.

Take a look at some of Ottawa’s best listings!

10 Things to Love About Winter in Ottawa

If you’re still around in Ottawa at this time of year, chances are there is something that you like about winter in Ottawa, even if you generally dislike the winter season.  Either that, or you don’t have the funds to be a snowbird yet.

Once again, we went to Twitter to find out what people loved about winter in Ottawa.

Check on what was said!

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A huge thanks to everyone who has read these articles and followed our blog over the past year.  Here’s to another year of great readers.

By Adam Slight

We have a running theme this week, divulging tips to navigating our icy city, whether by foot or car, without slipping or hurting yourself in any way. Unfortunately regardless of how many safety tips we give out, people still slip on the ice.

We’ve all slipped on at icy sidewalk in one way or another, but everyone reacts to a slip in their own uniquely hilarious way.

First off, there’s…

The Angry Slipper

The Angry Slipper has a strong personality, and a lot of self-confidence. They proudly strut down the street with their heads held high—so there’s little surprise that these people slip on icy patches every now and then. When it does happen, the Angry Slipper feels an affront to their self-confidence. With pedestrians and drivers watching this person awkwardly lose their footing, their reaction is hilarious. They turn towards the ice with a furious look on their face, as if to say “Who the f@#% put that ice there?!” before carrying on their way.

Then there’s…

The “It-Didn’t-Happen”

The “It-Didn’t-Happen” has a personality opposite to the Angry Slipper. They are quiet and unimposing, and don’t like to draw attention to themselves. When you see an “It-Didn’t-Happen” slip on the ice, you can tell they know the whole world is watching them do an awkward jig to recover. However, their reaction to this event is cool and deadpan—they carry on as if nothing ever happened, and you find yourself questioning reality yourself when you witness it.

And then there’s…

The Diva

Unlike the “It-Didn’t-Happen,” The Diva has a personality that thrives on attention. While The Diva is just as embarrassed as anyone else when they slip on an icy patch, they transform this embarrassment into an opportunity for attention. As they slip, they contort their faces, laugh, and grab their friends, making a scene as they drag their friends to the ground.

Finally, there’s…

The Tragedy

The Tragedy, like The Diva, needs you to know about their slipping experience, however you can’t help but feel sympathy for this victim. When The Tragedy hits an ice patch, they don’t slip on it—they fall with a thud right on their bum. Pain shoots from their bum into their face resulting in a grimace usually only reserved for the worst of migraines. After this, ten people run to help The Tragedy onto their feet. The Tragedy limps away shaking, off to a clinic to diagnose their bruised bum.

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Tell us in the comment section below: Are you an Angry Slipper, an “It-Didn’t-Happen,” The Diva, or The Tragedy? Or is there a whole classification we’ve missed?