95.7 Elmnt fm invites you to love local by supporting local businesses. Many businesses in Ottawa were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and our communities came together to support them in unprecedented times. We’re inviting you to keep that love alive with a number of recommendations and special offers to suit all of your needs:
Restaurants
Whether it’s the hottest day of the summer or the coldest night of the winter, The Merry Dairy is proof that there is never a bad time for ice cream. They offer a variety of gourmet flavours, with vegan, gluten-free, and sugar-free options readily available. Right now, you can enjoy seasonal flavours such as Ontario Peach and S’mores, or classics like Chocolate, Cookies N’ Cream, and Fresh Mint Chip. They even put out a recipe book called Great Scoops: Recipes From A Neighbourhood Ice Cream Shop, which teaches you how to make 80 different vegan-friendly flavours of ice cream. If you want to check out The Merry Dairy for yourself, you can visit them at 102 Fairmont Avenue, right on the corner of Gladstone and Fairmont. Or, if you want them to come to you, you can click here to order any of their pints, ice cream cakes, or ice cream sandwiches straight to your door, with the store offering free shipping all across Ottawa when you spend $40 or more. Trust us, The Merry Dairy is a great way to treat yourself without any of the guilt.
If you’re looking for something more savoury than sweet, we recommend checking out Ottawa Perogies. This family-owned restaurant specializes in Ukrainian and Eastern European delicacies such as perogies and cabbage rolls. Since February, they have also been collecting monetary donations to support Ukrainians who have been impacted by Russia’s occupation. They’ve been supporting this campaign with merch that you can buy from their store, such as t-shirts, water bottles and stickers. So, if you want to eat good and feel good, Ottawa Perogies is the place to be. You can visit them at 1129 Baxter Road, or order online by visiting their website.
Nothing energizes you quite like a nice cup of coffee or tea, a friendly atmosphere, and live entertainment. That is exactly what you’ll get when you check out Beandigen Cafe. This Anishnawbek-owned cafe is located in TD Place, and is a great spot to recharge. Their coffee is brewed with fresh beans from Ondarez Coffee, and if you pop by on Wednesday evenings, you can catch their Weekly Indigenous Open Mic. In the past, they’ve also hosted beading circles and moccasin-making workshops. Beandigen Cafe isn’t just a place to recharge your batteries, it’s a place to learn and grow as part of a community. If you want to check out Beandigen Cafe yourself, you can visit them at 106-900 Exhibition Way. You can also visit their website and their Instagram to keep up with what’s going on at the cafe.
Home
Whether you’re looking to freshen up your living room, congratulate a friend or loved one on a big moment in their life, or show appreciation to your significant other, W Flowers has you covered. This locally-owned flower shop offers high-end bouqets with European design that will make any occasion unforgettable. Not only do they deliver anywhere in the Ottawa area, but they also offer free delivery on any orders over $95. Or, if you want a more personal touch, you can visit them in store and see their high-end designs for yourself. W Flowers is located at 1556 Merivale Road, or you can order online by visiting their website.
If your toilet has ever stopped flushing, or your air conditioning has gone down during the hottest week of the summer, you know how important it is to make sure your utilities are in working order. Francis Plumbing & Heating has worked hard to earn their business since 1933, and their dedication shows. This family-owned business can help you with everything from plumbing and heating, to air conditioning, hot water, and gas services. It’s painless to book a consultation through phone, chat, or email, and they offer useful guides on their website to teach you the difference between a job you can handle, and a job that you might need an extra hand to take care of. Furthermore, they offer a ton of discounts and bonuses all year round, so you don’t have to question whether or not you’re getting a good deal. As they put it, “Serving you is ALL they do”. You can visit them at 25-174 Colonnade Road South, or visit their website to book a consultation today.
Entertainment
The Odds & Sods Shoppe is your #1 source for all things music, movies, television, and novelties. Whether you’re looking for that hard-to-find record to complete your collection, or the latest releases that you can’t get out of your head, the team at The Odds & Sods Shoppe has you covered. If you’re trying to listen to it, watch it, or wear it, you can find it when you visit The Odds & Sods Shoppe. You can pay them a visit at 1400 Clyde Avenue Unit 8 (in-between M&M Food Market and The Comic Book Shoppe), or visit their website to see everything they have in stock. Either way, they’ll help you find what you need.
Movie nights just feel right when you go to The Mayfair Theatre. They’ve been a mainstay in the Ottawa community since 1932, and have been delighting movie lovers ever since. Whether you’re into foreign films, classics that have been brought back to the big screen, or special events that you can’t experience anywhere else like Saturday Night Sinema or their ongoing Friday The 13th marathon, The Mayfair Theatre won’t disappoint you. You can even book the ultimate movie night for your next work or family event by renting out the theatre for yourself and your friends and colleagues! Visit The Mayfair Theatre in the heart of the Glebe, 1074 Bank Street. Or, visit their website for showtimes, and to see what movies and events are coming up. You can purchase tickets for any of their movies at the box office, or by clicking here. Or, purchase a yearly membership for only $14, and receive perks like discounts and free admissions to Saturday Night Sinema.
Community
Created in 2012, the First Peoples Innovation Centre was built to foster technological innovation in Indigenous communities. Among its numerous accomplishments, the First Peoples Innovation Centre is responsible for the Onaki FabLab, which is located in Gatineau. This first-of-its-kind program is based on a model first developed at MIT, and encourages Indigenous youth to become familiar with new and emerging technologies, such as 3D printing and laser cutting, all with the intention of giving them the skills they need to succeed in the 21st-century workforce. First Peoples Innovation Centre trains 32 Indigenous youth between the ages of 15 and 30 per year. For more information on all of the work First Peoples Innovation Centre does, as well as how to get involved in their next FabLab Cohort, you can visit their website here.
If you have a local business that you would like highlighted, please reach out to us at infoottawa@elmntfm.ca.