What three words of encouragement would you give to boost Ottawa’s self-esteem?

People (typically those not from here) love to tease Ottawa, and sometimes, the city makes it very easy to be made fun of—to the point where it inspired a spin-off from the ‘Toronto VS. Everybody’ expression: ‘Ottawa VS. Itself,’ from local designer Dominic Coballe.

Despite taking flak for being a boring, buttoned-up government town nestled between trendy TO and charming Montreal, Ottawa really is a happening place for those who take the time to explore beyond the parliamentary precinct.

We asked some notable Ottawans—those who call it ‘home’ both full-time, part-time, present, and past—what kind of ‘letter-to- your-thirteen-year-old-self-style’ words of encouragement they would offer to help Canada’s Capital brush its shoulders off.