“Building Barrhaven: The History Behind One of Canada’s Fastest Growing Communities” is a brand new project by Vincenzo Calla, Creator of VCalla Productions and a proud, lifelong Barrhaven resident. “Building Barrhaven” will be a brand new podcast launching in Winter 2025 and a book launching in Fall 2025 that will be researching and compiling the history of Barrhaven.
There is currently no compiled history of Barrhaven, a community that has grown extensively since the 1960s, becoming the “mini city” of over 100,000 it is today. Through this project, Vincenzo plans to speak with community leaders and business owners past and present, many of his neighbours across Barrhaven, and conduct research through archives and other historical sources in order to take the living history of this community and bring those stories together through his upcoming podcast and book.
About Vincenzo Calla
Vincenzo Calla has proudly spent his whole life living in Barrhaven. He lived in Old Barrhaven with his family for the first few years of his life, then they moved to Chapman Mills for over a decade before moving back to Old Barrhaven.
Vincenzo attended St. Emily School then moved onto St. Joseph High School, where he graduated in 2022. Vincenzo now studies History and Political Science at the University of Ottawa, and he plans to ultimately become an elementary school teacher.
In 2021, Vincenzo created VCalla Productions, a brand of Canadian historical, cultural, and political coverage, creating videos and content about many of these topics, as well as interviewing over 100 former and current Cabinet Ministers, MPs, MPPs, Mayors, City Councillors, and election candidates. Specifically, Vincenzo interviewed over 60 candidates during the 2022 Ottawa municipal election, proudly interviewing all four candidates from Ward 3 Barrhaven West, and all seven candidates from Ward 24 Barrhaven East.
In addition to his own work, Vincenzo has served as an assistant to former Nepean MPP Lisa MacLeod and has worked on various campaigns around Barrhaven and Nepean. Through this work, Vincenzo has had the opportunity to meet and work with the people who keep this community moving, from various community organizations to the vibrant cultural communities that call Barrhaven home.
Building Barrhaven 