The inaugural week-long celebration of Ottawa’s music scene includes local headline performers, the Capital Music Awards, and a slew of talent showcases. CFRA’s Andrew Pinsent previews the 2025 edition of Capital Music Week with Melanie Brulee, the Executive Director of the Ottawa Music Industry Coalition. Meantime, global concerns about the spread of H5N1 continue to spike, and the shadows of another potential pandemic haven’t calmed any waters. Experts say the sense of urgency around the international community must be heightened, and they must move swiftly to implement the lessons we learned from COVID. Geoffrey Johnston, an International Affairs columnist with the Kingston Whig Standard, explains further in his latest column.

<p>The inaugural week-long celebration of Ottawa&rsquo;s music scene includes local headline performers, the Capital Music Awards, and a slew of talent showcases. CFRA&rsquo;s Andrew Pinsent previews the 2025 edition of Capital Music Week with Melanie Brulee, the Executive Director of the Ottawa Music Industry Coalition. Meantime, global concerns about the spread of H5N1 continue to spike, and the shadows of another potential pandemic haven&rsquo;t calmed any waters. Experts say the sense of urgency around the international community must be heightened, and they must move swiftly to implement the lessons we learned from COVID. Geoffrey Johnston, an International Affairs columnist with the Kingston Whig Standard, explains further in his latest column.</p>