Students have mixed thoughts on how far the Senators will go in the post-season
Ellie Hazelwood
Photos: Ellie Hazelwood
April 20, 2026 Revised: April 20, 2026 8:52am
Photo: Ellie Hazelwood
Thomas Chabot, Tyler Kleven, Timmy Stützle, Travis Hamonic and Nikolas Matinpalo on the ice at the CTC waiting for O Canada in this file photo.
Algonquin College students have high hopes for the Ottawa Senators in the NHL playoffs.
The Senators pushed their way into a playoff spot on April 11.
They were eighth in the wildcard standings, but they battled hard every game, earning themselves the second-best record in the NHL since Jan. 17.
Starting goalie Linus Ullmark has been rock solid after coming back on Jan. 27, from his one month personal leave. The offence, specifically Drake Batherson, Timmy Stützle, Michael Amadio, Dylan Cozens, and defence, centred around Thomas Chabot, Jake Sanderson, Jordan Spence, Tyler Kleven, Nikolas Matinpalo, and Artem Zub, were strong in front of him, giving their all to this playoff push.
Now that the Senators officially squeaked into a wildcard spot, the question on fans’ minds is, how much hope do they have in going far?
The Senators are playing the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round with the first two games in Carolina. Ottawa has a tough time winning there.
The Senators fans at Algonquin College are still clinging to hope.
“I honestly don’t think they’ll make it much farther,” first-year student Jaime Thomas said. “Just based on how they have been playing recently, and how they barely made it to the playoffs. I still have hope, though, and there is still a possibility for sure.”
Second-year graphic design student Shabana Ahmad has a faith in the Senators and believes they could have a great playoff run.
“Even though they just squeaked into the playoffs, that kind of momentum can actually work in their favour,” Ahmad said. “Teams that get hot at the right time are always dangerous, especially if their goaltending stays strong and their key players step up. I definitely think they have a real shot at making a solid run if they keep that energy going. The fans were super hyped and I’m hoping that will give the team the confidence they need to pull through.”
Ahmad has always been a Senators fan and nothing is going to change that.
“I like the Ottawa Senators because I grew up watching them with my dad, so they’ve always felt like my team,” she said. “Being from the area made it feel even more personal, and going to a game when I was around nine or 10 just made me love them even more. I really respect how passionate and community-focused they are, even in such a competitive league. They play with a lot of heart, and their work ethic and resilience are a big part of why I’ve stuck with them.”
Algonquin College students are planning ahead for the summer months as the school year comes to a close
Tianna Lawless-Musgrave
Photos: Tianna Lawless-Musgrave
April 19, 2026 Revised: April 19, 2026 2:56pm
Photo: Tianna Lawless-Musgrave
Beth Coe, a graphic design student, is moving out of residence.
While many Algonquin College students are paying fees to stay in residence over the summer, others are preparing for the headaches that come with moving out.
Students described the challenging aspects of moving away at the end of the term, mostly due to overcrowding on campus during moving season.
“I stay at home in my own parents’ house over the summer; they come and get me to move out,” said Maylin Hart, a bachelor of science and nursing student.
“The most annoying part is just how clogged the elevators get because everyone is doing it at the same time, so you’re sitting there waiting for an elevator for three years.”
One strategy used by students involves taking a load of belongings home a couple of weeks in advance to lighten the load on moving day.
“On Monday, we came back up, and I packed up 75 per cent of all of the stuff I had, so I’m just working with the stuff I need for the next couple of weeks,” Hart said.
“When that day comes, I have a wagon to carry all of my stuff in.”
Plumbing student Caleb Hutchinson is staying at Algonquin over the summer. Photo credit: Tianna Lawless-Musgrave
Student Caleb Hutchinson is staying in residence for the upcoming months while he takes plumbing courses.
“I’m here until August. It costs around $6,000. I’m staying here because of convenience,” Hutchinson said.
According to Hutchinson, the price makes a big impact, especially the cost of the meal plan offered to students living in residence.
“I can sleep in and get to my classes at the last second. I would say the only ‘con’ is that it’s not worth the price; for the first semester, you have to get a meal plan. Overall, it’s just not worth it in my opinion,” he said.
Most students are eager to get home but need to strategize around obtaining the moving carts offered by residence services during moving season. The small, blue four-wheeled carts are highly sought after by students moving out at the end of the term.
Carts are available for students moving out, located in the main lobby at the front desk at R-building. Photo credit: Tianna Lawless-Musgrave
“My strategy is just to get a cart as early as possible. They don’t have a lot because literally everyone moves out at the same time, so it’s hard to find them,” said Beth Coe, a graphic design student at Algonquin.
“I would also say try to pick a time of day that’s not usually super busy because when it gets busy, it can get too hard to get in and out of the doors.”
Adding to the list of unpleasant aspects of moving, Coe elaborated on the difficulty of making space and staying organized.
“The most annoying part would be getting everything organized and finding room to make it fit in the vehicle, or however you get back,” Coe said.
A game of ups and down and old habits early in the series come to bite the 67’s as they almost made a comeback but didn’t execute in Game 4
Scott Crowell
Photos: Scott Crowell
April 18, 2026 Revised: April 18, 2026 8:47am
Photo: Scott Crowell
67's defenseman Frankie Marrelli celebrates Ottawa's second goal during R2G4 at TD Place on April 16, 2026.
Game 4 of the second round series between the Ottawa 67’s and Barrie Colts had its moments and saw some bad relapses creep back and rear its ugly face, along some moments where the team and fans saw success like in Game 3.
It was another solid start for the Ottawa 67’s. They used the home ice as fuel to fire off chances at Barrie and their goaltender Ben Hrebik. Ottawa seemed to be on track for what was a similar recipe to Game 3 where they took over the play.
Ottawa got complacent and allowed Barrie to control the point in the defensive zone which turns out wasn’t a great recipe for the 67’s. They also allowed Barrie to send guys to the net either unmarked or getting right in front of 67’s goaltender Ryder Fetterolf.
The 67’s after Game 3 preached trying to replicate that success and carrying over the same play but Barrie was prepared for it all and tightened up their game after that loss on Tuesday.
It would be Barrie who would strike not once, not twice, but three times to take a 3-0 lead, controlling the game.
Carter Lowe had his third of the playoffs and kicked off the scoring in Game 4, four straight games Barrie has done so. He was able to cash in an Emil Hemming rebound shot that bounced right to his stick and Ryder Fetterolf was already far out of the crease.
Carter Lowe scores his third goal of the playoffs at TD Place on April 16, 2026 during R2G4. Photo credit: Scott Crowell
Emil Hemming scored his seventh of the playoffs and was able to give Barrie the 2-0 lead as he received a contested Cole Beaudoin pass right in front of the net and out-beat Ryder Fetterolf.
Emil Hemming scores his seventh of the playoffs and celebrates with teammates at TD Place during R2G4 on April 16, 2026 Photo credit: Scott Crowell
Joe Salandra cashed on the power-play for his second of the playoffs on a loose puck off a Calvin Crombie shot that he wrapped around the back of the net and slid under Ryder Fetterolf who was already down in his crease for the third goal.
Joe Salandra celebrates his second goal of the playoffs at TD Place during R2G4 on April 16, 2026 Photo credit: Scott Crowell
The 67’s look absolutely dejected after the third goal and you could see the frustration build on the bench.
67’s head coach Dave Cameron never lets his players go down without a fight and you could see how much he wanted his team to keep fighting and not back down despite being down three to a strong defensive team in Barrie.
With just under five minutes to go in the third period Barrie’s Justin Handsor took a boarding penalty and chaos ensued which caused a massive momentum switch. The crowd was verbal all night long with the officials.
67’s veteran forward Nic Sima buried a power-play goal for his fifth goal of the post-season to get Ottawa to within two with a greasy goal in the crease put past Ben Hrebik off a Spencer Bowes shot.
67's forwards Sam McCue and Nic Sima celebrate Ottawa's first goal during R2G4 at TD Place on April 16, 2026. Photo credit: Scott Crowell
A brawl ensued resulted in another Barrie penalty as Calvin Crombie threw a sucker punch to Ottawa’s Sam McCue.
Frankie Marrelli struck again, making Barrie pay on Ottawa’s power-play, after receiving a pass from Cooper Foster and ripping it top left corner past Ben Hrebik. You could feel destiny fall into Ottawa’s hands.
67's defenseman Frankie Marrelli celebrates Ottawa's second goal during R2G4 at TD Place on April 16, 2026. Photo credit: Scott Crowell
Frankie Marrelli saved an empty net goal and put Ottawa on the penalty kill. Ottawa pushed with the net empty shorthanded and missed a wide-open net to tie the game. 67’s forward Spencer Bowes couldn’t believe it and the crowd thought he had scored.
Ottawa fell to Barrie 3-2. They are now heading back to Barrie down 3-1 and are on the verge of elimination in Game 5.
67’s goaltender Ryder Fetterolf saved 40 of 43 shots for his third loss of the series and playoffs.
After the game, 67’s captain Cooper Foster talked about the push they made to almost tie the game after being down 3-0.
“I think we showed at the end what we’re capable of, so I think if we do that for a full 60 next game, it’s going to be a different result,” said Foster.
Foster also spoke on what they need to adjust in their game as they head back to Barrie.
“Yeah, I think again just being more discipline, like there’s a few penalties we could have avoided but it’s hockey, sometimes it just happens. So, I honestly think, like, we’re playing good hockey, I think the bounces are going to go our way and I think we just got to keep a good mindset going into next game,” said Foster.
67’s forward Nic Whitehead is looking for himself and his team to tighten up but also take late-game push as a high-heading forward.
“Yeah, well, we know we can beat them, they’re a really good team but you know we have a really good team too. Offensively we’re really good, we just showed we can score really quick, for us it was just too late. For us it’s we have to stay calm, stay poised and we’re going to be fine,” said Whitehead.
67’s head coach Dave Cameron has a positive outlook on Game 5 despite being down 3-1 in the series.
“I’d like us to maybe score a little bit earlier in the game and get Barrie back on its heels and give us a little bit of a boost. They’re a real good team, they’re going to be ready to come and stomp us out but we’re ready to accept that challenge and we’ll see what happens,” said Cameron.
Food banks are facing the same food insecurity they're meant to alleviate, says the Ottawa Food Bank
Tyson Purvis
Photos: Tyson Purvis
April 17, 2026 Revised: April 17, 2026 12:27pm
Photo: Tyson Purvis
The Food Cupboard's Abby Muir stands between shelves of food to be given out to students in need.
For over a year, Algonquin College’s Food Cupboard has been receiving a fraction of the supplies once delivered by the Ottawa Food Bank due to the rising prices of food.
Abby Muir, coordinator of the college’s Food Cupboard in B102, said the supplies the Food Cupboard received from deliveries were cut in half in January 2025.
The Food Cupboard is an Algonquin Students’ Association-run service meant to discreetly provide students facing food insecurity the supplies they need.
Despite the slash in supply, the Ottawa Food Bank still supports local food banks and food cupboards in any way it can.
“We receive weekly deliveries from the Ottawa Food Bank which is very nice,” Muir said during an interview in the Food Cupboard. “It stocks most of what you see here.”
The Food Cupboard’s services have felt the effects of the decreased supply from the larger food bank, though.
“We used to order milk and eggs but now we’re having to try different ways to get what people need,” Muir said. “We’ve tried cutting egg cartons in half, only giving six at a time.”
According to Food Banks Canada’s HungerCount 2025, food bank usage across Canada has doubled since 2019.
Ottawa Food Bank’s numbers tell the same story.
“The Ottawa Food Bank works with nearly 100 community and emergency food programs across the city,” said Alex Noreau, advocacy and policy officer at the Ottawa Food Bank. “The entire network has seen a sharp rise in demand.”
In the 2024-25 fiscal year, 588,866 visits were made to the Ottawa Food Bank, Noreau said.
The Food Cupboard is one of the many community and emergency food programs the Ottawa Food Bank supports.
A shelf at the Food Cupboard stocked with a variety of food items for students to choose from. Photo credit: Tyson Purvis
With the network being as expansive as it is, Noreau said the Ottawa Food Bank feels every cent of the rising price of food.
The Ottawa Food Bank had a budget of over $32 million in the 2024-25 fiscal year.
“Ninety-nine per cent of this funding comes from community donations and support (and) one per cent from the City of Ottawa,” Noreau said.
As a result of the limited amount of resources, coupled with the increased demand for food, the Ottawa Food Bank has had to stretch its budget to “ensure that food remained accessible across the entire network,” Noreau said.
The Food Cupboard provides students with a "shopping experience" to pick what food they need. Photo credit: Tyson Purvis
In addition to the weekly shipments from the Ottawa Food Bank, the SA’s Food Cupboard relies on the college community for support, Muir said.
The Food Cupboard often receives these donations through events held on-campus.
“We have quite a few programs to support the cupboard across the college,” Muir said. “The life drawing initiative is a good example. They’ve been a long-standing program that donates to the food cupboard since before I began.
“We also have our Feed the Packgames with our varsity teams. We collect donations on those specific games. It’s one of our more consistent ways of getting donations.”
The Students’ Association hopes to up the ante in the fight against food insecurity.
Abby Muir manages the Food Cupboard located in room B102 of the B-building. Photo credit: Tyson Purvis
“We also have Fresh for $5,” Muir said. “We’re trying to do that once a month where it’s $5 for a fresh bag of fruits and veggies.”
Muir said the Fresh for $5 events have been extremely successful.
A long line formed at the first Fresh for $5 event held Jan. 22 at Algonquin College. Photo credit: Rory Haley
The event started at 11 a.m. and was meant to last until 1 p.m. It sold out in half an hour.
“We’re trying to find more creative ways besides just the Food Cupboard service to address food insecurity,” Muir said. “One of those ways in which we’re doing it is with our SA thrift store — which we try to host once every semester — because it’s not just food that’s expensive. Everything is.”
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Algonquin College PR students bring Speakeasy Night to Yuk Yuk’s Comedy Club, combining entertainment and fundraising in support of an immigration services organization.
Noureddine Zerrad
Photos: Noureddine Zerrad
April 17, 2026 Revised: April 17, 2026 12:18pm
Photo: Noureddine Zerrad
Public relations student Sarah Okusanya emcees SpeakEasy Night as the Blind Tiger Duo animates the event with jazz music.
Algonquin College public relations students transformed Yuk Yuk’s Comedy Club into a lively speakeasy-style fundraiser on April 10, supporting the Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization (OCISO) and its newcomer programs.
The event unfolded in a warm and energetic atmosphere as guests gradually filled the venue. The Blind Tiger Duo set the tone early and carried the evening with lively jazz performances, featuring guitarist Bruce Wozny and saxophonist Bruce Eveleigh.
Their jazz music contributed to a relaxed and welcoming environment, helping guests settle into the speakeasy-inspired atmosphere and encouraging friendly interaction throughout the night.
Co-organizer Sharon Mwepu said the team’s months of preparation were quickly rewarded by the strong turnout, noting that “we were a little bit anxious, but with the steady flow of people and the positive atmosphere, we began to feel relieved.”
Organizers said the campaign not only supports OCISO’s efforts to promote integration and a sense of belonging for immigrants, but also gives students practical experience in event planning, media relations and community outreach.
“This is, in fact, an Algonquin College event that aims to foster relationships between academia and the community,” said the co-organizer Jalila Ouraieth. “This campaign helps students practise their PR skills and allows future graduates to gain a better understanding of community challenges.”
Items offered for purchase during Speakeasy Night to raise funds for OCISO. Photo credit: Noureddine Zerrad
The evening was marked by a series of speakers whose stories offered moments of reflection and connection.
Hanady Rahme, a fashion designer who arrived in Canada in 2013 from Lebanon, shared an emotional reflection on her journey of rebuilding her life after immigration.
She outlined the importance of supporting organizations that help newcomers find stability and belonging.
“As an immigrant, I understand how important it is to support organizations like OCISO, which provide the means and skills for newcomers so they can feel part of Canada and proudly call it home,” Rahme said.
She also took the opportunity to acknowledge Algonquin College, highlighting how the community and justice services program she completed there played a key role in supporting her integration.
Wondewesson Baheru, a spiritual care provider who arrived in Canada in 2009 from Ethiopia, also spoke about the challenges of starting over in a new country and the opportunities Canada has offered him.
He credited OCISO for playing a key role in his transition.
“I immigrated to Canada as a skilled worker but I had to start from scratch. I found the necessary support in OCISO. They gave me the skills I needed, like how to write a Canadian résumé and how to apply for jobs,” Baheru said.
Spiritual care provider Wondewesson Baheru, originally from Ethiopia, shared his immigration journey during the Speakeasy Night. Photo credit: Noureddine Zerrad
The importance of community support in helping newcomers rebuild their lives was echoed by Beth Macgillivray, a council member of Faith Ottawa Lutheran Church, who said OCISO’s support extends far beyond individual newcomers, noting that “the benefits of OCISO reach every community, even the church I am part of. It actually enriches our lives.”
Throughout the night, attendees responded positively to both the performances and the personal stories, with many describing the event as uplifting, engaging and meaningful.
Leza Alwan, an immigrant from Yemen and freelance life coach, said the event created a valuable space for connection, describing it as “an opportunity to open up to Canadian society and a chance for networking.”
Meliva Zapfack, a newcomer from Cameroon, said she appreciated the welcoming environment throughout the evening, calling it “a nice vibe” and adding that it is “always good to meet new people,” while noting that the event also helped her learn from the experiences and challenges shared by others in the community.
As the night continued, guests participated in a silent auction featuring books, clothing and games, contributing to the fundraising efforts while engaging in conversation and enjoying the cozy atmosphere.
Organizers said the fundraiser successfully met its goals, with the strong community response adding to the sense of accomplishment felt by the student team after weeks of preparation.
“The outcome reflected the dedication of everyone involved. I feel really happy with our event,” said Sarah Okusanya, who emceed the evening. “Everything went according to plan, and everybody on the team did a great job.”
Volunteer Erin Chappel said the experience was both enjoyable and rewarding, adding that “we had a great time. We raised a significant amount of money for OCISO, and that’s what matters most.”
As the evening came to a close, organizers reflected on the sense of pride and connection created by the event.
“We are really excited with how everything turned out. Seeing people enjoy the night and support the cause made all the hard work worth it,” said Mwepu.
First combined showcase allowed students to share projects and learn from other programs
Evan Mullen
Photos: Evan Mullen
April 17, 2026 Revised: April 17, 2026 11:29am
Photo: Evan Mullen
Adam Thompson and Mike Kelly were eager to show off their year-long project.
Algonquin College’s Technology Project Showcase on April 10 in the ACCE building was the first time different programs presented together. Previously, individual programs had separate showcases.
The event was massive, covering the entire bottom floor of the ACCE building in projects. The variety was immense. From wildfire drones to cultural event planning websites, there was something for everyone.
“These are projects that students have either worked on for one or two terms,” said Jenn Lexmond, the lead operator for the event.
What technology will the man be taught next? Photo credit: Evan Mullen
“I’m excited to see the ones that are outside of the school of advanced technology, like game development and all that… they’ve made a video game as well,” Lexmond said prior to the event.
One of the projects, Operation Phoenix, was a virtual reality drone game designed to serve in wildfires. Developers built a chair specifically for the controls, made a virtual map and designed gameplay simulating how their project would work in real life.
Team member David Cottin said the map they use to simulate the gameplay is based on Jasper National Park’s record-breaking wildfire season in 2024.
Kayvohn Masoumi is virtually getting rid of wildfires in Jasper National Park. Photo credit: Evan Mullen
Another project at the showcase was created by students in the electrical technology program, which automated the distillation process for a client.
“We fitted a homemade still with temperature sensors, connected those sensors to a microcontroller and programmed the microcontroller so it automatically controls a heated coil, which basically creates a closed loop autonomous system,” said Mike Kelly, one of the team members of the distillation control system.
Most groups were happy with the attention they received from visitors, but it was more than just a fun showcase. It was also a competition.
“We have 68 judges circulating from the industries and college, a big community, and they’re going to be scoring them,” Lexmond said.
Anaya Ramesh, one of the judges, was scouting talent for the government.
“I’m here to see who’s creative, who’s very passionate about technology and innovation because we’re trying to build that at the National Defence,” said Ramesh.
Judges voted on the winning projects, which received awards at the end of the event.
Top stories in your community and around the world as noted by Algonquin Times journalists
Kindra Paul
Photos:
April 17, 2026 Revised: April 17, 2026 9:43am
Local
CTV News: Water levels along the Ottawa River are rising quickly because of recent rain and melting.
Officials say flooding could get much worse by the weekend.
Some areas are already seeing minor flooding and people living nearby are being warned to stay prepared because conditions could change fast.
National
CTV News: A Canadian grandfather who was deported from the U.S. and held in a detention centre nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz” has now returned to Canada.
He described the conditions as very difficult and his experience is raising new concerns about how detainees are treated in American facilities.
International
BBC News: New satellite images of major destruction in parts of southern Lebanon show the scale of Israeli demolitions.
Entire sections of villages have been flattened.
The images show how much damage has been done to civilian areas as tensions in the region continue.
Algonquin College's public relations students hosted an event showcasing local newcomers' talent
Ellie Hazelwood
Photos: Ellie Hazelwood
April 16, 2026 Revised: April 16, 2026 2:49pm
Photo: Ellie Hazelwood
Savanah Negari both performed at the event and helped fellow students from Algonquin College's PR program host the evening.
The Coast2Culture Cultural Showcase on April 9 in the Observatory had public relations students celebrating local talent while raising funds for the Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization (OCISO).
There were balloons scattered around the room, a busy bar and an active silent auction as people laughed, chatted and cheered.
Several Culture2Culture campaign events were run by the college’s public relations program in support of OCISO.
The funds will support OCISO services and the fundraising campaign teaches people about the challenges newcomers face.
Public relations students worked hard to make this event, and six others, possible. OCISO is grateful for everything the students put into their cause.
“They’ve been amazing,” said Donnielle Roman, an OCISO employee. “Just the turnout that we’ve been getting, the passion that they put into putting all of the activities together.”
Donnielle Roman (right), and her colleagues from OCISO. Photo credit: Ellie Hazelwood
Everyone in the public relations program worked hard behind the scenes, sorting everything out to organize this event. They got to know each other and faced challenges by turning the event into a great experience for themselves and those around them.
“Being first-time event hosters, we need to work together as a team, and not by ourself,” said Anton, a public relations student. “Getting to know all the sponsors, singers and people from OCISO is important as well. It’s been a really fun experience.”
Savannah Negari is a student in the public relations program who also performed at the event.
“I think it’s truly important to showcase that immigrants come to the city with more than just struggles and things to learn,” Negari said.
“They come with a skillset, a culture that really diversifies the community that we have here. Me coming here and singing as a first-generation immigrant, knowing that my parents had to enter this society, and did so successfully….I think it’s beautiful to be able to showcase my talent, and what can come out of the immigrants that come to our city.”
