Joshua Marano
Josh Marano reports on how economic and business pressures play out in everyday life, focusing on the way national issues, local policy and rising costs affect small businesses, consumers and community activity. He is a multi-skilled journalist with CTV News Ottawa, contributing stories across television, radio and digital platforms. His recent work centres on the local impact of business and financial trends, consistently grounding broader developments in the experiences of Ottawa-area residents and merchants.
Local businesses under strain from closures and strikes
Marano’s business reporting frequently tracks how operational disruptions and labour issues hit small enterprises. He covers potential service interruptions such as a possible Canada Post strike by speaking with Ottawa small business owners worried about delivery delays and holiday-season sales. On major road projects, he reports on the closure of key arteries like Woodroffe Avenue and how reduced traffic flow and construction timelines affect nearby shops and services. In these pieces he spends time on both the logistical details—where and when closures or strikes might happen—and the financial and emotional toll on owners trying to keep customers coming. His approach distinguishes itself by treating infrastructure and labour stories as business stories first, focusing on cash flow, customer access and planning challenges for local operators.
Prices, inflation and the consumer experience
Another through-line in Marano’s coverage is the rising cost of living and its effect on consumer choices. He reports from the Ottawa airport on the increasing cost of flights, capturing how travellers confront higher fares and adjust their plans while still moving through the terminal. On the water, he follows Ottawa boaters who continue to launch despite rising gas prices, framing leisure activity through the lens of fuel costs and disposable income. Across these assignments he links macroeconomic trends like inflation and energy prices to visible changes in behaviour—who travels, who boats, and how much they spend—keeping the focus on practical decisions rather than abstract data.
Development, planning and their economic footprint
Marano often covers redevelopment and construction projects by examining both community concerns and commercial opportunity. In his reporting on a proposed redevelopment at a historic monastery site in Gatineau, he explains plans for hundreds of new residential units, retail space, a hotel and a large recreation centre, while also detailing residents’ apprehension about the scale and character of the project. He similarly reports on proposed high-rise towers along Baseline Road, relaying the local councillor’s doubts about whether the buildings fit the existing neighbourhood. These stories combine planning details—unit counts, building types, amenities—with reaction from residents and officials, showing how land-use decisions shape future business activity, property values and neighbourhood identity.
Community events, tourism and the local economy
Marano’s work also highlights how festivals, sports and seasonal attractions drive foot traffic and spending for local businesses. He covers cultural festivals drawing crowds across Ottawa and Gatineau, noting how diverse events bring thousands of people into parks and venues over a single weekend. At the Ottawa Ski and Snowboard Travel Show, he reports on large crowds at the EY Centre and the presence of hundreds of vendors promoting homegrown slopes and winter travel options. On the Rideau Canal Skateway, he documents the opening of extra stretches of ice, emphasizing both the extended skating distance and the welcome winter boost for adjacent businesses. His reporting on World Cup fans filling Ottawa bars similarly looks at how major sports events translate into busy shifts and increased revenue for the hospitality sector. Across these assignments, he connects attendance numbers and visitor patterns with tangible economic consequences for restaurants, retailers and tourism operators.
Human-interest stories with economic and civic context
Alongside business-focused pieces, Marano regularly tells human-interest stories that sit within broader civic and economic themes. He reports on a Prescott woman finally receiving a long-awaited Peace Tower flag, tying her personal 17-year wait to the national significance of the maple leaf and its anniversary on Parliament Hill. In other coverage he profiles a proud hockey mother watching her son skate for the Ottawa Senators, situating a family milestone in the context of the city’s sports culture and its local venues. These stories show his tendency to anchor symbolic or emotional moments in their institutional or community setting, whether that is Parliament Hill, an NHL arena or a neighbourhood business district. The result is coverage that balances personal narrative with awareness of the public spaces and systems that surround it.
4 more business journalists.
Aarjavee Raaj
Aarjavee Raaj focuses on how corporate decisions, government warnings and economic trends affect everyday Canadians, using clear, data-driven business and related news coverage. She is a CTVNews.ca journalist with experience reporting on arts, culture, business and more, and her name is pronounced Aar-Za-Vee. Her work links institutional and corporate developments to practical consequences for workers, consumers and families, including corporate losses, retail restructuring, tax schemes and compliance warnings. She reports on workplace trends, economic strain, consumer recalls and health impacts, using survey data, charity reports, regulatory notices and clinical stories to show how macroeconomic and policy issues touch daily life. A digital journalist, she keeps to tight headlines, clear summaries of official statements or data, and a steady focus on what developments mean for people who work, shop and rely on public services.
Abigail Adams
Abigail Adams reports human interest stories that follow how sudden conflict, loss and long-running mysteries reshape the lives of ordinary people in everyday settings. She is a writer-reporter on PEOPLE’s Human Interest team, a role she has held since joining the brand in June 2021. Her work centers on routine days that turn into major events, giving equal weight to what happened and the human cost. She covers minor disputes and errands that end in tragedy, sudden accidents, law enforcement and public safety incidents, and missing-person cases with new developments after years of uncertainty. Her reporting is concise, event-led and built around individual lives, often framed with clear emotional cues while staying grounded in verified facts. Business and workplace contexts appear as backdrops, but the person and their circle remain at the heart of the story.
Akshay Kulkarni
Akshay Kulkarni is a data-led reporter who explains how economic, policy and social forces play out in British Columbia through concrete numbers, records and local case histories. He has worked as a journalist at CBC British Columbia since 2021, focusing on business, labour and resource developments, including tariffs, trade rules, corporate strategies and regulatory decisions. His coverage of critical minerals, Amazon’s impact on jobs and wages, and responsible investment links market shifts to the lived experience of workers, consumers and small businesses. He also reports on infrastructure, energy and land use, such as the Site C project and high-value property disputes, and on policy and social systems, including Indigenous deaths in custody, social media use in harm reduction, and mandatory inquests. His stories are built around original interviews and quantitative detail that show how systems affect communities on the ground.
Allison Stephen
Allison Stephen stands out for connecting everyday life with money, work, and the built environment through vivid local examples instead of abstract business coverage. She is a staff writer at Daily Hive, where she covers how jobs, housing, major projects, and consumer experiences shape economic reality on the ground. Housing and real estate are central to her work, including detailed, accessible stories on distinctive homes, high-end rentals, and monthly shifts in home prices and cost of living. She regularly covers employment, especially public-sector and institutional hiring, highlighting well-paid roles and urging readers to act on new opportunities. Her reporting on major civic and recreational projects explains what is being built, how much it costs, and where it stands in approvals. She also writes about local businesses, food, and attractions, using concrete numbers, specific locations, and direct calls to action.