As told to Dawn Morrison

For a large, busy city, Ottawa feels more like a small town to Rob LeForte (BA’12). Originally from Dartmouth, Rob is constantly meeting up with folks from “back home,” and says it’s a great city for meeting people and networking. Rob is Manager, Government Affairs at Impact Public Affairs in Ottawa, and a volunteer with the Ottawa chapter.

Best Networking Spot

“It depends on your line of work, but for anyone in the government sector, it’s either Metropolitain Brasserie, or D’Arcy McGee’s pub. They’re not only great spots to meet up, but also home to a lot of government events and business receptions. And, they’re only a hop, skip and a jump away from major attractions, like the National Art Gallery and Parliament Hill.

Best Volunteer Opportunity

“Right now, I spend most of my volunteer time working with the Dal Ottawa Alumni Chapter. Our chapter is always looking for people to join. There are lots of other volunteer opportunities in the city as well. Right now, of course a lot of different efforts are underway to help Syrian refugees, so there are plenty of opportunities to get involved with those efforts. The downtown homeless shelters are always looking for support; places like the Shepherds of Good Hope.

Best Spot for a Lunch Meeting

“If you’re downtown, the Bier Markt just opened up, and it’s really popular. If you want to have a coffee meeting, the number one spot I see people meeting at is the Bridgehead Coffee Shop on Sparks Street. It’s always full of a cross section of professionals — politicians, journalists, political staffers, lobbyists…it’s a quiet place, and also a local business. They make excellent food and coffee, and it’s very central.

Most ‘Ottawa’ Thing you can do While There

“I think the quintessential Ottawa experience is walking down Rideau Canal, and around the Parliament buildings. There are so many fantastic walking trails in the city, and a shocking amount of Canadian history. In one day, you can see the homes of former prime ministers, Rideau Hall, embassies, and go on a walking tour of dozens of other historic sites. Cap all of that off with a shawarma, or a beaver tail and you’ve got the ultimate Ottawa experience!

What’s it like to Live and Work in Ottawa?

“It’s fantastic. What I love about it is that it’s a vibrant city, but it feels like a small town in some ways. You’re always running into someone from Dal, for instance. It’s astonishing how many people you meet here who are from the Maritimes, and it’s easy to find folks with similar interests. There is no shortage of people here who want to network.

Best Place for Friday Night Fun

“For me, it’s my apartment [laughs]. Sometimes, you work so hard during the week, that all you want to do is crash when you get home on Friday night. When you do want to go out, some of the more popular spots are the places that host live music, including bands from the Maritimes. Lots of Halifax bands make the trip up every year. Signal Hill has played many times at Crazy Horse, Jenn Grant and Natalie McMaster have played here, and I’ve also seen Sloan in Ottawa.

Best place to eat on a dime

Shawarma is extremely popular, and you can get good shawarma in lots of places. A little hidden gem is a restaurant called Carmello’s. It’s a nice, quiet place with very affordable Italian food — probably the best plate of pasta you can get for under $15. There’s also a place named Holland’s Cake and Shakes. They offer phenomenal cakes and milkshakes — there’s one called The Overlord, which is a milkshake blended with cake and cookies. They have ‘brown bag lunch’ options, where you can get a really great sandwich, drink and a cookie for about $8.50.

Best local delicacy

There’s a spot called The Scone Witch, a coffee shop and bakery. They are expanding to more locations because they’re so popular. Their sandwiches and scones are fantastic. For folks from Halifax who are missing home, the place has a similar vibe to Two If By Sea (the popular Halifax/Dartmouth coffee shop).

Best neighbourhood for newcomers

My advice would be for you to live downtown, if you can afford to. You might pay a little more in rent, but you’ll be closer to more amenities, and more people for networking. If you do choose to live in the suburbs, the commute isn’t that bad because the public transit is really great.

For inquiries on Dalhousie’s alumni chapters, please contact Bill Chernin at volunteer@dal.ca.