Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend is upon us, and while it is a time for running fast and running far, it's also an opportunity to make a difference in Ottawa.
One local charity is helping underprivileged kids put one foot in front of the other, in style.
For those who have a pair of shoes they are not using anymore, now is the time to donate them.
Footwear 4 Kids is a charitable project and social movement that encourages members of the community, shoe stores, and corporate businesses to donate for a child in need of a good pair of shoes.
William Bourgault created Footwear 4 Kids in 2020, and since then, they have helped hundreds of kids get running shoes.
"Last year, we collected 300 pairs of shoes. And this year we're expecting to double that amount. And so, you know, we're trying to create a system here where runners are going to be able to pass by and donate their shoes," Bourgault explains.
Once they collect the shoes, they are given to their partners who, in turn, end up on the feet of kids in need.
"We collaborate with organizations like the Boys and Girls Club, The Door Youth Center, and in turn, they provide the shoes to their participants that are in need of a good pair of shoes," Bourgault adds.
Ottawa Race Weekend race director Ian Fraser says tens of thousands have signed up to race this year.
"We have Canada's largest running event weekend. We've got roughly 30,000 people registered to participate Saturday and Sunday in all of our events. We have got 2k, 5k, 10k on Saturday. Sunday we've got the half marathon and the full marathon," Fraser said.
And during that marathon, there will be 26 cheer stations set up throughout the route that the public can use to support the runners.
"It’s for everybody,” says Fraser. “This is an event that's all about the spirit of community, the city of Ottawa, runners, walkers, just come out and enjoy a beautiful experience on your own city streets you don't get to run down every day."
And if you are coming out, don't forget to bring those slightly used, or new shoes for kids in need to the Aberdeen Pavilion Friday and Saturday.
Fraser says it is a great initiative.
"I think it's so good. You know most runners go through half a dozen pairs of shoes a year. And maybe they're not amazing for running in when they're done with them, but somebody else can sure use those and put a second life on them."
For founder William Bourgault, helping kids in need means everything.
"Just seeing how far we've come with this program and how many children and youth as well as families that we've supported. I'm speechless. You know, it feels great.”
Approximately 200 homes or structures have been damaged by the wildfire that began burning Sunday in the Upper Tantallon, N.S., area, according to preliminary estimates.
Danielle Smith is still the premier of Alberta, surviving a vigorous campaign and a tight vote Monday against NDP challenger Rachel Notley.
Top artificial intelligence executives including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on Tuesday joined experts and professors in raising the 'risk of extinction from AI,' which they urged policymakers to equate at par with risks posed by pandemics and nuclear war.
New investigative book 'Unbroken' shares the stories of families raising awareness for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada.
If indeed a majority of the House of Commons says David Johnston has to step down, he'll have no choice but he shouldn’t wait to be shoved. He should leave graciously while he still can, writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair.
Carla White is the only remaining tenant in her building, which is slated to be demolished to make room for a 176-unit condo project. But in order to move forward, the developer must reach an agreement with White -- and she says she won't leave until she's provided with a home that offers the long-term stability she needs to ensure she won't end up back on the streets.
An all-white giant panda was recently spotted on surveillance video at the Wolong National Nature Reserve, in China's Sichuan province.
Opening a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) is a great way to fund your child’s future education. Personal finance contributor Christopher Liew outlines the contribution rules for RESPs and explains how to find out how much contribution room you have left so that you can avoid penalties.
A 14-legged giant isopod is the highlight of a new dish at a ramen restaurant in Taipei and it has people queuing up—both for pictures and for a bite from this bowl of noodles.
Approximately 200 homes or structures have been damaged by the wildfire that began burning Sunday in the Upper Tantallon, N.S., area, according to preliminary estimates.
As wildfires grew and traveled through the suburban area northwest of Halifax, some of the 16,000 evacuated residents say they received confusing advice about what to do.
An out-of-control wildfire in Nova Scotia’s Shelburne County has grown to more than 10,300 hectares.
Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Anthony Bass has garnered social media attention once again after sharing an anti-LGBTQ2S+ video on his Instagram.
Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie hopes the city will support calling on the federal government to change the lyrics of “O Canada.”
A busy Hamilton street has once again taken the top spot in the Canadian Automotive Association’s (CAA) annual Worst Roads in Ontario campaign.
The City of Montreal announced Tuesday that it would develop over four dozen projects aimed at expanding and improving the metropolis's bike path network. The 53 projects estimated to cost $30 million will develop and upgrade 59.1 kilometres in the cycling network, spanning 14 boroughs and four other municipalities, the city said in a news release.
Carla White is the only remaining tenant in her building, which is slated to be demolished to make room for a 176-unit condo project. But in order to move forward, the developer must reach an agreement with White -- and she says she won't leave until she's provided with a home that offers the long-term stability she needs to ensure she won't end up back on the streets.
Around 50 members of the CSQ-affiliated federation of teachers unions set up shop near the entrance to the Quebec parliament on Tuesday morning to raise awareness of the importance of class reorganization, one of the issues currently being negotiated between the unions and the treasury board. The demonstrators placed school desks near the entrance to reproduce the layout of a classroom.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) is reporting nine active wildfires in northeastern Ontario on Monday.
An Ontario Provincial Police officer and a school bus driver are dead after a violent crash north of Woodstsock Monday morning.
Carla White is the only remaining tenant in her building, which is slated to be demolished to make room for a 176-unit condo project. But in order to move forward, the developer must reach an agreement with White -- and she says she won't leave until she's provided with a home that offers the long-term stability she needs to ensure she won't end up back on the streets.
Messages of support continue to come in following the death of an OPP officer and a school bus driver. Both were killed in a crash when their vehicles collided at Oxford Road 33 and Highway 59 northwest of Woodstock.
Those at risk of being impacted by poor air quality are kids and the elderly with underlying medical conditions such as lung or heart disease.
A man and a woman are facing multiple charges after they allegedly brandished a handgun and made threats against a victim in an east London, Ont. home over the weekend, police said.
The number of crimes in Winnipeg increased by more than 25 per cent in 2022, which includes a record number of homicides, a spike in the use of bear spray as a weapon, and an uptick in property crimes.
Winnipeg police say the driver of a motorcycle is in stable condition after a serious crash that shut down a section of Lagimodiere Boulevard.
A Winnipeg family is asking for help to find their missing teenage son whom they haven't seen since he left for school in the Fort Richmond area last Wednesday morning.
The rural Oxford County intersection where an OPP officer and a school bus driver were killed Monday was less than a month away from becoming a four-way stop when the deadly crash happened.
Messages of support continue to come in following the death of an OPP officer and a school bus driver. Both were killed in a crash when their vehicles collided at Oxford Road 33 and Highway 59 northwest of Woodstock.
Roads in the cities of Guelph, Waterloo and Stratford have ranked as the worst roads in Western Ontario.
Danielle Smith's United Conservative Party won the election last night but the Alberta NDP made some inroads in Calgary, the city where most of the month-long campaign was fought.
Danielle Smith is still the premier of Alberta, surviving a vigorous campaign and a tight vote Monday against NDP challenger Rachel Notley.
The NDP has been elected or leads in all Edmonton ridings early Tuesday morning after the UCP won a majority government in Alberta late Monday night.
The Blades drafted Benjamin Bowtell in the sixth round of the 2023 Bantam Draft back in April.
A memorial, featuring bouquets and a "ghost bike" now stands at the intersection where a Saskatoon teacher was killed last week.
In a province where there are vast distances between cities and towns, one local group is hoping to get public support for an idea to bridge those gaps with a rail line.
Danielle Smith is still the premier of Alberta, surviving a vigorous campaign and a tight vote Monday against NDP challenger Rachel Notley.
The NDP has been elected or leads in all Edmonton ridings early Tuesday morning after the UCP won a majority government in Alberta late Monday night.
Danielle Smith's United Conservative Party won the election last night but the Alberta NDP made some inroads in Calgary, the city where most of the month-long campaign was fought.
The widow of a man who died trying to save a dog from drowning in West Vancouver is remembering her husband as a brave man with endless compassion.
Danielle Smith is still the premier of Alberta, surviving a vigorous campaign and a tight vote Monday against NDP challenger Rachel Notley.
On Monday, Fraser Health provided two senior leaders to address the latest letter outlining risks to patients, allegations of muzzling, and pleas for help from emergency physicians in the health authority's hospitals.
The first twister of 2023 in the country touched down near Regina over the weekend, according to an analysis from the Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP).
Weyburn and Fillmore RCMP are at the scene of a serious collision involving multiple vehicles on Highway 13 about 16 kilometres east of Weyburn.
One person from Estevan, Sask. is dead and another is seriously injured following a collision between a pickup truck and a motorcycle on May 28 near Fortuna, North Dakota.
