SOFIA MISENHEIMER
A little about me
I'm a senior editor and journalist based in Ottawa focused on long-form reporting and newsletters. This site collects work from my editorial projects.
​Some favourites: inside a magic mushroom biotech lab, how trade policy is punishing Canadian booksellers, why you saw fewer fireflies last summer, and a visit to Montreal's oldest costume store.
I also write and edit Out of Office, a local arts and culture newsletter sent out every Thursday. Subscribe here for new reporting and local finds as they're published.
Recent news & features
Check out more of my published work below.
September 2025
What moving from Montreal to Ottawa taught me about two very different cities
When I walked into a downtown Ottawa ServiceOntario location this summer, I braced for the Montreal routine: an hours-long wait to be called, a clerk looking mildly inconvenienced by my presence, maybe a system crash for sport. Ten minutes later, I walked out with my new driver’s licence and the feeling such efficiency must have a catch.
Coffee is keeping Ottawa retail alive in unexpected ways
August 2025
By the time many Ottawa cafés switch on their grinders, the espresso machine at Birling has already cleared morning rush. The skateboard shop opens hours before anyone comes in asking for hardware or grip tape, and pulls coffee shots for regulars, most of whom have never felt the jolt of a board underfoot.
July 2025
Ottawa bakeries make Montreal-style bagel tradition their own
Montreal bagels originated down the 417, but the debate over which shop in Ottawa does them best is alive, and surprisingly personal. The label applies to four local recipes — and four devoted customer bases prepared to eat accordingly and defend their choice with conviction.
