For many, Winterlude means three things: snow slides, ice sculptures and skating. But Ottawa's long-term forecasts predict warmer winters might be the new norm. This has some festival enthusiasts worried that future Winterludes will have a lot less 'winter' in them.

With the gift-giving season upon us, charities like the Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind are boosting their donation efforts. Capital News takes you into how man's best friend goes from being a cute and cuddly puppy to someone's lifeline.

The Macdonald-Laurier Insitute hosted academics Michael Byers and Jack Granatstein in a debate over the role and direction of the Canadian Forces post-Afghanistan. Byers argued that peacekeeping should be the paramount priority of the Canadian military; Granatstein held that protection of national interests through combat readiness should be the military's purpose. You be the judge.

An athlete. A family man. A survivor. An inspiration. Capital News Online takes you behind the scenes of Canadian icon Rick Hansen's 25 year legacy.

For the Canadian Forces, fitness begins in the gym and is tested on the battlefield. When your life depends on your fitness, forced marches and long-distance runs may not be enough. So in 2005 the Canadian Forces found CrossFit — a combination of explosive movements, Olympic weightlifting, sprinting, and gymnastics, compressed into brief bursts.  Troops compete to see how fast they can complete the workout of the day (the WOD).

Cpl. David Henry attributes his experience with CrossFit training techniques as the catalyst for him being accepted into the Canadian Forces' close protection unit.

When I heard the Canadian Forces use CrossFit, a routine of high intensity circuit training, to prepare land forces for deployment, I had to try it myself. So I went to a local CrossFit gym and documented my experiences. 

Clayton Thomas-Müller co-organized the recent protest against the Keystone XL pipeline in Ottawa. With the Peace Tower at his back, Thomas-Müller's voice rang out like a call to arms over a crowd of hundreds. Capital News followed Thomas-Müller to find out what makes an environmental activist tick.

The Carp Ridge Forest Preschool is the first outdoor daycare in Canada, and the trend is catching on. More and more schools across the country are turning their concrete playgrounds into green spaces.

Parliament is getting spruced up for the holidays— but it's more than just boughs of holly. Harmeet Singh looks into the politics behind the fa-la-la. 

Staff on Parliament Hill will be trading spaces over the next several years. A multi-million dollar renovation to the Parliament buildings will see a new home for staff, and even the House of Commons.

The Parliamentary Press Gallery has been active almost as long as Parliament itself. The gallery is responsible for deciding which reporters have access to covering politics in the House of Commons. With its rich history on the Hill, the gallery has taken its time adapting to changes in the media landscape. One of the most contentious questions over the years? Who has what it takes to join the exclusive press club.

Scientists at the National Research Council are close to finishing a new biochip that will make testing for disease-causing microbes simpler, faster and cheaper. 

One by one, the provinces are making it illegal to use hand-held devices while driving. But talking and texting aren't the only behind-the-wheel activities that drive Canadian motorists to distraction.