This Issue | By Duncan Clark
When the team set out to plan this issue, our kids were preparing to go back to school as COVID-19 cases in the city climbed to record highs. It was clear that our usual themes at this time of year — restaurants and homes — needed to be explored through a different lens. We talked (over Google Meet, of course) about what was inspiring us during a time of uncertainty and coalesced around two important themes: resiliency and comfort.
When I interviewed Shopify president Harley Finkelstein and his wife, entrepreneur Lindsay Taub, for our Ottawa Insider program in May, he talked about how his friend, restaurateur Stephen Beckta, had quickly pivoted to offer a home-delivered, curated wine package. I indulged shortly after, and as my wife and I enjoyed a new bottle of red along with a perfectly prepared charcuterie selection — delivered to us with a handwritten letter and tasting notes — we marvelled at how such a wonderful experience could be developed in such a short period of time.
That’s just one of countless inspiring stories from our city’s food-and-restaurant scene, so rather than releasing our usual restaurant rankings, Hattie Klotz and Sarah Brown compiled a list of 20 stories of resiliency and innovation in the industry. Meanwhile, as we considered our Fall Interiors package, we migrated more toward comfort and found inspiration in the warmth of a fireplace and of cozy cabins nearby.
And as our kids do go back to school, there couldn’t be a better time to highlight the inspiring story of Adrienne Coddett.
She might not be a household name — Coddett herself jokes that if you look her up online, her name is spelled wrong all over the place — but she should be. As the longtime teacher and founder of the Ottawa Phoenix basketball club moves into a new role as the department head of social science and business at Woodroffe High, David McKie speaks to her — and to many of those she’s impacted — about the life of an important leader in Ottawa’s Black community.
More than ever, this issue is a team effort. While we sort out our long-term plans for the editor’s chair, our longtime editor, Dayanti Karunaratne, still has her hands all over this issue, working with art director Jeff Eustace, Sarah, Hattie, and the rest of our wonderful team of contributors. And we also are more grateful than ever for the support of our advertising partners, whose own resiliency during this time is an inspiration as well.
Please keep an eye on our website and social media platforms as we forge ahead with our new membership program. Our plan for Ottawa Insider has always been to focus on in-person events — so naturally, we pressed pause on a full-scale launch while offering preview sessions online, welcoming Finkelstein, Taub, and Mayor Jim Watson. In the coming months, we’ll be offering virtual cooking classes, interior design seminars, and more. And we can’t wait to see everyone in person — just as soon as we can do it safely. duncan.clark@stjoseph.com