Ottawa Doesn't Need to Catch Up

Ottawa loves to compare itself to Toronto and Montreal. Usually, it’s an apology. A shrug. A joke we make before anyone else can.

But maybe we’re missing the real story.

Because here’s the thing: we have something they don’t.

We’re not chasing clout. We’re not buried in rent. We’re not overbooked, overbuilt, or burnt out. There’s space here—to think, to experiment, to take a risk and watch it grow. There’s time—to refine ideas instead of racing to be first. And just enough pressure to keep us sharp without grinding us down.

In Ottawa, you can build something quietly. Carefully. Not for the hype cycle or the weekend tourists, but for the people who keep showing up, week after week. You can open a restaurant that feels like it belongs here, not like it was shipped in from somewhere else.

You can try something weird without the weight of a million eyes on you. You can make mistakes without being crushed by them. And when you get it right, it’s because you earned it—not because you happened to be standing in the right place at the right time.

There’s power in being underestimated. In not being the obvious choice. In having to explain where you’re from—because it makes you define who you are.

Ottawa isn’t behind. It’s just not trying to be the same.

Let the others chase spotlight. We’ll keep chasing substance.