Ottawa’s Ron Corbett spent decades telling other people’s stories. As a longtime columnist for both the Ottawa Sun and the Ottawa Citizen, and host of Unscripted on CFRA radio, Corbett is one of the city’s most recognizable media voices.
In 2017, when he left CFRA, he founded book publishing company Ottawa Press and Publishing – finding his second wind in an industry many thought was on the decline.
Eight years later, Ottawa Press and Publishing is booming, promoting local authors and producing bestsellers.
‘If I want to do it, I’ll have to do it myself’
Ron admits he got into the business by accident.
“About twenty years ago, I wrote a book called The Last Guide, about Frank Kuiack, a fishing guide in Algonquin Park who had been at it since he was eight years old. Penguin Canada was the publisher, and the book did quite well,” remembers Corbett. He wrote a follow-up to the book – The Last Guide’s Guide – and assumed Penguin would be keen on publishing it.
Instead, it passed on the new book. As did every other publisher he contacted.
“I couldn’t get anyone interested in that book,” Corbett recalls. “I finally realized, if I want to do it, I’ll have to do it myself.”
That decision became the foundation of Ottawa Press and Publishing. The city’s leading independent local book publisher, it releases four or more titles per year and is reshaping how Ottawa stories are told, packaged, and preserved.
Finding a niche and relentlessly delivering
Corbett launched Ottawa Press and Publishing as a practical solution to a simple problem: getting his own work into readers’ hands. But the response to that first title quickly revealed something larger.
“The book was a hit. It showed there was still a real appetite for local stories,” Corbett says. “Not just online – in print.”
Encouraged, he took a risk on a second project that would define the company’s future: Lost Ottawa, a book built around the wildly popular Facebook page of the same name, curated by David McGee.
The result was another bestseller.
“That’s when we realized we had a model,” Corbett says. “Find a story that’s uniquely Ottawa, often born digitally, and turn it into something lasting – something people can hold, keep, and give.”
Turning digital buzz into lasting books
That philosophy has guided Ottawa Press and Publishing ever since. In an era dominated by scrolling, swiping, and fleeting attention, Corbett believes physical books offer a different experience – calmer, more deliberate, and more meaningful.
“Social media is powerful, but it’s also chaotic,” he says. “A book gives people a more digestible, thoughtful way to engage with content they already care about. There’s something special about turning pages instead of scrolling.”
The approach has led to a series of successful non-fiction titles built from strong local digital platforms.
- Enjoy hiking? Then how about Best Hikes Ottawa-Gatineau by Vickie Lanthier, the essential guide to the top hiking spots in the region.
- Looking for local travel ideas? How about Ottawa Road Trips: Your 100k Getaway Guide by Laura Byrne-Paquet.
- Interested in supporting locally-made products? You’ll love Ottawa Made by Sam Laprade and Caroline Phillips.
“If there isn’t a clear reason why someone in this city would care, we don’t do it,” he says. “It’s that simple. Local, local, local – that’s the business model,” Corbett says.
A deliberate choice to stay local and never scrimp
Ottawa Press and Publishing is notable not only for what it publishes, but also for how it operates. Unlike most Canadian publishers the company takes no government funding. It prints locally, uses premium paper and production standards, and works almost exclusively with Ottawa-based suppliers.
“There are cheaper offshore printing options, and cheaper materials,” Corbett says. “But we deliberately choose local partners.”
That decision is both philosophical and practical.
“If something goes wrong, I can talk to the printer directly. If a bookstore suddenly needs more copies, we can respond fast. Most of our sales happen right here in Ottawa, so being local gives us accountability, speed, and better customer service.”
The company’s philosophy extends beyond production. Authors are local. Stories are local. Distribution is local.
When evaluating a potential book, Corbett asks one fundamental question: Does this matter to Ottawa?
A renewed focus on fiction
While non-fiction has driven much of the company’s growth, Corbett is proud of Ottawa Press and Publishing’s commitment to local fiction – a notoriously difficult market for independent publishers.
“Fiction is risky,” he says. “It’s easy to lose money on a fiction book. It’s a really hard market to crack. But if you’re a regional publisher, you want those stories.”
This spring the company will release two new fiction titles by local authors, along with a new novel by Corbett (book five in the popular Frank Yakabuski Mystery series).
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