Thirteen Strings Orchestra

Kevin Mallon, new director of Ottawa's Thirteen Strings Orchestra, pictured in the St. Andrews Church in downtown Ottawa, October 24, 2011. (Photo by Hadas Parush / Ottawa Citizen)

Manuela Milani, violinist with Ottawa's Thirteen Strings Orchestra, in St. Andrews Church in downtown Ottawa, October 24, 2011. (Photo by Hadas Parush / Ottawa Citizen)

Ontario Elections

So I have been back in Ottawa for three weeks now, and doing some freelance work with the Ottawa Citizen and Metroland community newspapers in the city.
I got the opportunity to shoot the celebrations at Dalton McGuinty's headquarters at the Chateau Laurier on elections night.

 Dalton Mcguinty takes the stage at the Chateau Laurier to address a room full of media and supporters, after winning another Liberal government as Premier of Ontario, Thursday, Oct. 6, 2011. Photo by Hadas Parush / Metroland Media

 Ottawa Fire Fighters for McGuinty clap and cheer watching the screens as the Libral numbers rise while waiting for the Premier's victory speech at the Chateau Laurier, Thursday night. Dalton McGuinty won a historic third Liberal government in Ontario on Thursday's provincial elections. Photo by Hadas Parush / Metroland Media

Chief of the Somali Community, Abdillahi Abdi, (left) watches the screens for the rising numbers of Liberal candidates while waiting for the Premier's victory speech at the Chateau Laurier, Thursday night. Photo by Hadas Parush / Metroland Media

 Volunteer in the Ottawa South Liberal Premier's riding, Andrew Romain, sits in the hallway outside the event room at the Chateau Laurier while waiting for the Premier's victory speech at the Chateau Laurier, Thursday. Photo by Hadas Parush / Metroland Media

My Winnipeg

Last bits as an intern: Jets and Elections

 August 31, 2011 - From left, Jean and Gerry Roch, their daughter, Olivia, and her boyfriend, Patrick Piche, couldn't get their hands on season tickets for the Winnipeg Jets. Instead, they prepared for the season with a new 60-inch plasma TV in the basement of the Roch family home. (HADAS PARUSH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)

September 2, 2011 - Manitoba Liberal Party leader, Jon Gerrard, met with media on Friday at the FoodFare grocery store, on the corner of Corydon and Lilac, to make an announcement pledging to allow retail operators to set their own hours, as part of his campaign for the provincial elections on October 3. (HADAS PARUSH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)

Val Wagner

August 30, 2011

 A collection of records and old radios surround Val Wagner, who was born without sight. Wagner, who has been a musician since he was a young boy, had his piano tuning tools stolen from him while paying at the cash of a Tim Horton's on Thursday.

(HADAS PARUSH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)

Swollen Lake

A day out on the boat with Bartley Kives, who is not only a fantastic reporter, but also very good at digging boats out of very deep and muddy swamps.
There is a lot of water here that just doesn't seem to go away, and I am so glad I was smart enough to buy those rubber boots on my epic drive over to Manitoba.
To the Netley-Libau wetland we went to hear the story of brothers Dennis and Jim Anderson.

 Jim Anderson points to a location on a map of the Netley-Libau wetlands where he and his brother, Dennis grew up, before going out on their boat to explore the changes to the marsh and the beaches due to rising water levels of Lake Winnipeg. August 22, 2011. (HADAS PARUSH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)

 Jim Anderson looks at the marsh where he grew up in Libau, Manitoba. The marsh has been flooded over the last few months by water flowing in from Lake Winnipeg.

Dennis Anderson trudges through deep mud in the Netley-Libau wetlands

 Brothers Dennis (left) and Jim Anderson tour the forests and what's left of the disappearing beaches they grew up on near the Netley-Libau wetlands.

Dennis Anderson is seen on his boat overlooking driftwood that has piled up on a shore along Lake Winnipeg from overflowing and rising water levels. 

Read the story here: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/swollen-lake-slowly-killing-wetland-128738958.html

Winnipeg Sports

Bombers quarterback, Buck Pierce, in the home game against the Edmonton Eskimos on Friday, August 5, 2011(HADAS PARUSH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)

Albin Choi dropped his club in frustration at hole 14 during the Canadian Mens Golf tournament at Niakwa Country Club, Saturday. August 13, 2011. (HADAS PARUSH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)

St. Paul Saints' Adam jumps over Goldeyes' Louis Ott in a failed attempt to stop Ott from making second base, Tuesday night at Shaw Park. August 16, 2011. (HADAS PARUSH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)

Goldeyes' Brian Myrow hit a strike in the homegame against St. Paul Saints, Tuesday night. August 16, 2011. (HADAS PARUSH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)

Bombers Head Coach Paul La Police speaks to his team after practice on Sunday. August 21, 2011. (HADAS PARUSH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)

Miss Elvis Lee

On August 13, 2011, towards the end of a long Saturday shift in the city, I decided to take my chances and check out the Elvis Festival in Gimli, Manitoba, about an hour and a half drive outside of Winnipeg. I ended up extending my shift by several hours when I found the opportunity to follow Marnie Lee Gudz, the only female Elvis impersonator in the Elvis Festival of Manitoba.

 You can view the online photo essay here: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/multimedia/pov/Miss-Elvis-Lee-127717343.html

And here is the page I got the next day, complete with the story I wrote for it:

Canadian Wheat Board Rally

Bill Acheson, of Somerset, Manitoba, takes part in a rally outside the Canadian Wheat Board Forum which was having a directors meeting in Oak Bluff, Wednesday, August 10, 2011, to discuss the wheat board's future. (HADAS PARUSH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)

All smiles

Goal keeper, Mackenzie Neufeld (left), and captains Enrique Garcea (center) and Justin Sarides during their soccer training for the Western Canada Summer Games in Kamloops starting this week. August 2, 2011. (HADAS PARUSH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)

To start off the first week of August after the long weekend, Saul Henteleff (right) and Fadi Ennab cool off in a neighbourhood watergun fight, Tuesday evening. August 2, 2011. (HADAS PARUSH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) 

Viking Fest

Leo Speary-Bedard, 11, of Winnipeg, eats traditional viking food during the Gimli Icelandic Festival of Manitoba, Friday, July 29, 2011 (HADAS PARUSH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)

Get your cowboy hats.

It's the Manitoba Stampede.

4-year-old George (left) and 6-year-old Jacob Friesen sport matching outfits for the Manitoba Stampede in Morris, Saturday, July 23, 2011. (HADAS PARUSH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)

Hadas Parush / Winnipeg Free Press

Hitting the ground running

July 21, 2011

In addition to having her neck broken several years ago riding in the U.S.A.,  Jocelyn Kenny had her horse flipped over backwards just before entering the starting gate at Assiniboia Downs, and landed right on top of her. A tough woman, Kenny returned to the sport with a vengeance, overcoming any scares or injuries. (HADAS PARUSH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)

Cirque du Soleil

July 20, 2011

Cirque du Soleil Dralion show at the MTS Centre, Winnipeg

Hadas Parush / Winnipeg Free Press

Teenage Dreams

Katy Perry in concert at the MTS center in Winnipeg, Thursday, July 14, 2011. (HADAS PARUSH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)

Laser Tech

July 13, 2011

Monteris Medical Inc. CEO, Jim Duncan, demonstrates the AutoLITT system, a technology of zapping deep-seated brain tumours with a laser. The Winnipeg company has raised $9 million for marketing the new tumour-treating system. (Hadas Parush / Winnipeg Free Press)

Winnipeg Folk Fest

July 9, 2011

Dan Mangan

 kd Lang

Page spread:

July 9, 2011

 Asked by organizers not to run, people skip and hop their way over the grass to set down their tarps by the main stage of the Folk Fest on Saturday before the evening shows. July 9, 2011 (HADAS PARUSH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)

 Erin Vosters is one of the volunteers running the Red Tent at the Folk Festival's camp grounds. This is the first year the Red Tent was set up in an effort to offer support and guidance to women and to raise awareness of the risks to women staying at the campgrounds. July 9, 2011(HADAS PARUSH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)

Page spread: