Forecourt Park Public Consultation
We would like to thank all the community members who came out to our Public Consultation on Forecourt Park in the Greystone development. Residents and Old Ottawa East and members of the Au Coeur d'Ottawa school community joined members of our office and city staff to discuss what the new park could look like and the various needs it will serve.
For more information on the project and to provide feedback, please visit the Engage Ottawa web page.
Dow’s Lake Community Walk
On June 23, our office met with members of the Dow’s Lake community and city transportation staff for a community walk to explore road and traffic improvements throughout the neighbourhood. Residents were very prepared and thoughtful in their feedback.
A number issues were identified relating to intersections, turning restrictions, parking concerns and traffic calming for many of the streets in the neighbourhood. We have compiled a list of issues to be addressed, and will send the community draft plans to review—some are short-term fixes, while others will be medium- or long-term solutions.
With the construction of the new Civic Hospital and other new developments, there is a need for traffic in the area to be assessed with issues monitored and mitigated. This will be an ongoing file our office works on.
Severe Weather Event—Basement Flooding
Yesterday, there was a severe weather event with heavy rainfall in a short period of time. This has resulted in basement flooding. If you have experienced basement flooding, you are encouraged to report it by calling 3-1-1.
More information is available at Ottawa.ca/flooding, including what to do if your basement has flooded. Pooling water on roads is normal in these situations, but residents are still encouraged to report through 3-1-1.
And the Golden Plunger Award Goes To...
Join GottaGo! and Councillor Menard next weekend for a celebration. GottaGo! Will be presenting its “Golden Plunger Award” to Councillor Menard in recognition of our offices work to provide greater access to publicly available washrooms in the parks throughout the city. We are very excited to be honoured in such a way.
WHEN: Sunday, July 12 2026 at 11:00 am
WHERE: Infront of the Aberdeen Pavillion, at the Lansdowne Farmer’s market (1000 Exhibition Way)
The GottaGo! Campaign is a grassroots, volunteer citizen’s group, advocating for a network of free, safe, clean, and accessible public toilets across Ottawa. Everyone has “gotta go” at some point. This is a public health issue that impacts everyone, residents and visitors alike. To learn more about GottaGo! Campaign, and how you can help, visit: www.gottago-ottawa.ca/
We hope you’ll join us for what will be a very fun ceremony.
For more information, you can contact the wonderful GottaGo! at: [email protected].
Bronson Re-Paving
The Bronson Avenue re-paving is nearing completion. Some of the ramps and the line painting continues. New painting will occur for the parking stalls on the street (to the benefit of both small businesses and residents during off peak times).
This was an important project, but we know it was also disruptive overnight to the local community. During the project, we had ongoing conversations with staff to limit overnight noise, to use quieter back-up alarms on heavy equipment and to have crews mitigate wherever possible.
Nonetheless, the work was required to be done at night and detours would have led to much more cut through traffic through the neighbourhood. We want to thank the crews and everyone for their patience during this project.
All Wading Pools Now Open
We are happy to say that all the wading pools in Capital Ward are now open for the season.
Each pool is open six days per week. Days and times vary for each pool. You can find full schedules for all of our wading pools on our website.
For more information about safety, the city-wide schedule and the dogs-in-wading-pools program, please visit the city's website.
Capital Ward Public/Free Tennis Courts
After having Brantwood Park courts fully resurfaced, we have secured the resurfacing of Chamberlain Park courts in 2027. There are four tennis courts at Windsor Park that are very well-used throughout the week as well. Both tennis players and pickleball players benefit from these courts.
Two of the courts were re-surfaced within the last decade. These are the blue courts. They remain in good condition for the coming years. However, the green courts require improvements. They are in need of repair, levelling and re-surfacing. They have heaved from the frost cycles and the surfaces are broken in places.
Staff are planning to make minor repairs to the Windsor courts in 2026 with a larger full resurfacing to come in the near term.
Questions about the Clemow Air Conditioner
After our update in the last Capital Ward Bulletin [LINK], we received further questions about the issue of noise form the air conditioning units at the Clemow. We thought it best to provide people with the following answers:
Q: Has there been a final resolution on the noise issue?
A: No. The last bulletin was an update, but work continues at the city on this matter. Our office also remains engaged on the issue.
Q: Do by-law officers have the only say on a noise violation?
A: No. The Planning Department also has a role to play, as there must also be compliance with the provincial environmental noise guidelines.
Q: How are the provincial guidelines enforced?
A: The developer must demonstrate compliance with the guidelines through a Stationary Noise Assessment. This requirement must be satisfied before the Planning Department signs off on the development as complete. The developer does not receive its deposit to the city until all requirements are satisfied and the development is deemed complete.
Q: Is it a matter of the air conditioner being loud?
A: Yes and no. The volume of the noise is one issue that should be addressed. We are also concerned about the tonal quality (a hum) of the sound that also contributes to the disturbance.
Q: When are noise readings taken?
A: Staff take readings at different times. It is important that they take readings on the hottest days when the air conditioners will be running at or near full capacity.
Q: Are city staff aware of the full context of the noise issue?
A: Yes. We have brought all the aspects of the issue—including both volume and tonal quality of the noise—to staff’s attention, and we remain in conversation with staff about these issues. We also brought a successful motion to committee to ensure the noise bylaw policy considers these issues holistically in a review next term of council.
We hope this information helps to give a more complete understanding to residents. This is an ongoing matter and we will provide updates to residents as we receive them.
Free Youth Transit
Reminder!
From July 1 until August 31, pre-teens and youth age 11-18 ride for free on OC Transpo buses, trains and Para Transpo. Starting in September, all weekends, holidays and weekdays after 5:00 pm are included.
It’s easy to travel for free. Here’s how:
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Purchase a Presto card if you don’t already have one.
Presto cards cost $4.00. You can buy one at participating Shoppers, Loblaws and Real Canadian Superstores. Find a location here -
Set a Pre-Teen or Youth pass on your card. The pass you need depends on your age.
You can do this at participating Shoppers, Loblaws and Real Canadian Superstore locations. Find a location here - Tap your card on the fare gate or fare reader to board for free!
Hydro Ottawa—Ward 17 Reliability and Investment Report
Hydro Ottawa recently provided our office with an update on recent reliability and outage statistics, as well as upcoming investments for Capital Ward.
The update covers an overview of the electricity system, reliability and outages in our ward, a comparison with other capital cities and proposed investments in Capital Ward.
If you are interested in this update, you can dowload it here [PDF].
Capital Ward Infrastructure Projects
Have you ever wondered about all the infrastructure projects going on in Capital Ward? We continue to work hard for the ward both in securing new infrastructure projects and making sure resident input is considered.
There are road projects, park upgrades, facility maintenance and much more. If you’re interested in what’s happening, you can find a list of the current projects here.
Motion Regarding a Joint Aquatic Sports Centre
With Ottawa’s growing population, the increasing popularity of casual and competitive swimming activities, as well as the desire to host Olympic pool sized sporting events, the need for a new 50-metre aquatic facility to address both current deficiencies and future growth pressures was identified in the city’s Parks and Recreation Facility Master Plan.
In recent years the city has been in discussions with Carleton University in Capital Ward to build new aquatic facilities.
I brought a Notice of Motion to city council last week, seconded by the mayor, to help establish a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Carleton University on a new Joint Aquatic Sports Centre.
This motion would empower city staff to advance discussions with Carleton University and undertake the technical and financial due diligence required to:
- Refine project scope and costing;
- Identify and mitigate financial and operational risks; and
- Develop a proposed partnership, governance, and operating model.
The Notice of Motion also stipulates that any agreement must enhance public access and time availability of the facility for local residents. Staff will pursue funding opportunities with other levels of government, as well as potential sponsorships.
This doesn’t bind the city to an agreement—any proposed agreements must still come to city council for approval—but it will help advance this project.
This motion will be considered at the July 15 meeting of city council.
Your Capital Ward
If you have a photo you’d like to share in an upcoming bulletin, please send it to [email protected], with the subject line Your Capital Ward. Please give us your name for attribution…or tell us if you’d rather not have your name shared.
Repair Café at Richelieu-Vanier Community Centre—Free Repairs & Community Skill-Sharing
Repair Cafés are free community events where skilled volunteers help residents repair broken household items—such as electronics, textiles, furniture, and small appliances. These events help reduce waste, extend the life of everyday items, and keep materials out of our landfills.
On Saturday, July 11, the Ottawa Tool Library’s volunteer fixers and menders will be at the Richelieu-Vanier Community Centre, Kiwanis Hall (300 Des Pères-Blancs Avenue) from 10 am to 2 pm offering free repairs on:
- Electronics — small gadgets, cords, simple fixes
- Clothing — darning, hemming, patching
- Small appliances — kettles, toasters, lamps
- Jewelry — simple adjustments
- And more
While you wait, you can learn new skills, enjoy coffee and snacks, and meet your neighbours—a great way to connect with your community while giving your items a second life.
The City of Ottawa began sponsoring Repair Cafés in 2023, and in 2026 is supporting six events across the city as part of our commitment to waste reduction, climate action, and community resilience.
For more information, visit Ottawa.ca/WasteReduction.
Ottawa Student Primary Care Access Outreach
Many residents continue to face challenges finding a family doctor, which can negatively affect health outcomes and increase reliance on Emergency Departments for non-emergent concerns. To help address this issue, Ottawa Student Primary Care Access Outreach (OSPAO) has compiled and regularly updates a list of Primary Care Clinics in Ottawa that are accepting new patients.
OSPAO a group of Nursing students, medical students, and physicians who are working together to support community initiatives that improve access to Primary Care in Ottawa.
In addition to Primary Care resources, their website also includes information on:
- Medical Laboratories in Ottawa
- Medical Imaging Services in Ottawa
- Publicly Funded Physiotherapy Programs in Ottawa
- Ontario Drug Benefit programs for children and youth under 25, and for senior citizens
The resources can be accessed here:
Website: https://sites.google.com/view/primary-care-clinics-in-ottawa/home
OC Transpo Summer Service
OC Transpo’s summer service began on Sunday, June 28, with seasonal bus schedule changes, Line 4 service adjustments and construction related detours.
New summer schedules are available on octranspo.com. Before you travel, use the Travel Planner or Transit app to plan your trip.
