A recent episode of the television series "Heated Rivalry" has ignited a spirited defence of Ottawa's character, with local residents taking issue with the show's portrayal of the national capital as a dull place to live. The controversy spilled onto the pages of the Ottawa Citizen's letters section, where readers also debated pressing municipal issues like bus routes and transit management.
Ottawa is 'Dynamic,' Not Boring, Readers Insist
In a letter published on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, Ottawa resident Robert Birnbaum expressed his dismay at the repeated references to Ottawa being a boring city in the Crave series. Birnbaum, who moved to the city precisely because it was the opposite, painted a picture of a vibrant, bilingual hub.
"A dynamic bilingual city with excellent restaurants, a wide choice of theatre and concert entertainment and easy access to the outdoors where you can be downhill skiing or swimming in a cool, northern lake half an hour after leaving work," he wrote, challenging the outdated stereotype. He argued that any perception of boredom belonged to the 1950s, not the modern, thriving city of seven decades later.
Birnbaum did applaud one aspect of the show: a character named Hollander calling Ottawa his favourite city because it's his hometown. However, the viewer's sharp ear caught a linguistic faux pas. "No native born Ottawan would say 'Huh' instead of our unique Canadian trademark exclamation 'Eh'," Birnbaum noted, hoping the show's fact-checking would be more diligent for its second season.
Grove Avenue Bus Route Sparks Transit Management Debate
The letters section also featured a heated exchange regarding OC Transpo operations, specifically on Grove Avenue in Old Ottawa South. The narrow street, recently rebuilt with wider sidewalks and a narrower roadbed, has forced buses to occasionally drive on the sidewalks to navigate turns.
Letter writer John Hollins of Gloucester called this "another municipal failure in delivering transit." He placed blame on the City for ignoring its own standards during the avenue's reconstruction. Hollins criticized the use of large, articulated 60-foot buses on such a route, noting they often carry few passengers while burning significant fuel and emitting pollutants.
He proposed a radical solution: following the federal government's 1990s model for airports. "It is time for Ottawa to follow the federal example and develop a system of ownership and management that will result in effective and efficient transit in Ottawa," Hollins wrote, suggesting the city council is too enmeshed in operational details to be an effective overseer.
A Resident's Defence of a 'Civilized' Street
Not all residents see the Grove Avenue situation as a failure. Douglas Scott Proudfoot, who lives on the street, wrote in to express his pleasure with the changes. "I am very pleased with the new, wider sidewalks, as well as the new, narrower roadbed. Both slow traffic and make the street safer and more civilized," he stated.
While acknowledging that buses sometimes have to inch along, he praised the drivers' skill. Proudfoot suggested more frequent snow removal in winter as a simple fix and valued the amenity of having a bus stop at his doorstep, even if the Number 7's route is a circuitous anachronism from the old tram era.
The collection of letters underscores a city actively engaged in defining its identity and critiquing its municipal services, proving that Ottawa's civic conversation is anything but boring.
