Lansdowne 2.0 Passes
Ottawa saw 9000 more job losses in October, after 11 000 in September and 5400 in August. With the recent release of the federal budget, we know more job reductions are coming. The city has a mounting infrastructure deficit; basic services are becoming more challenging to provide; and we have the largest count on record of our neighbours who do not have a home. Yet the biggest spending priority this term of council has somehow been the privately-operated portion of Lansdowne Park—with a $483.92 million city cost, after spending $210 million just ten years ago. It is indicative of a city that has lost its way and continues to take on decades-long debt in locked-in, legally risky deals that our kids and grandkids will pay for. Lansdowne 2.0 is yet another example of our city transferring public wealth to powerful private interests at great cost to residents, joining the likes of the LRT P3, Tewin urban boundary expansion and mounting costly road expansion.
Our team will continue shining a light on these mega projects. Our focus remains on affordable, impactful quality-of-life improvements for residents.
The vote was 15 to 10 in favour:
Construction will be completed in three phases:
- Phase one (November 2025 to July 2028): Construction of the new event centre, which will occur in the Great Lawn and sledding hill
- Phase two (November 2028 to November 2030): Redevelopment of the north stands and surrounding infrastructure
- Phase three (starting in 2031): Construction of the retail podium and towers, with the grand entrance and event centre parking expected to be completed by the end of 2033. The residential towers are expected to be substantially completed by the end of 2034.
Free Santa Movie Night for Families and Capital Ward Holiday Party
Shawn and the Capital Ward staff invite you to save the date for our holiday party featuring pizza, popcorn, refreshments, a family movie and the chance to meet Santa!
When: Saturday, December 6, 4:30 to 6:30 pm.
Where: Glebe Community Centre, 175 Third Avenue
To register, please visit shawnmenard.ca/capital_ward_family_holiday_party.
All are welcome!
Heron Park Public Information Session
Our office will be hosting an online public information session for two projects in Heron Park. City staff will be present to provide an update on the new Heron Park Community Building. Staff will also present a plan to install a new sidewalk on Aldea Avenue and Clover Street, as well as a northbound contraflow bicycle lane on Clover.
The event will be held over Zoom on Monday November 17 at 6:00 pm.
For more information or to register, please visit www.shawnmenard.ca/HPInformationSession.
2026 Draft Budget: Public Information Session
On Wednesday, council tabled the City of Ottawa’s Draft Budget 2026.
We’ll be co-hosting a public information session on the 2026 draft budget with Councillors Jessica Bradley (Gloucester-Southgate Ward), Riley Brockington (River Ward) and Marty Carr (Alta Vista Ward).
Tuesday, November 25
6:30 – 8:30 pm
Jim Durrell Recreation Centre
1265 Walkley Road
For more on Draft Budget 2026, visit Engage Ottawa.
Bus Stop Improvements in Capital Ward
As part of the ongoing efforts to make transit more functional and more comfortable for residents of Capital Ward, we are happy to announce new bus stops coming to two streets in the ward.
New Bus Stops on Main Street
This month, staff have installed temporary bus stops on the south end of Main Street, near Centennial Boulevard. These replace two stops that were lost with the re-construction of Main Street. In the new year, concrete pads and permanent bus stops will be installed.
New Bus Stop on Isabella at Elgin
With route 85 now travelling along Isabella Street, transit along the street is now more frequent, running seven-days-a-week. Right now, there is a large gap between stops on route 85, so OC Transpo will be installing a new stop on Isabella at Elgin this winter to improve service in the neighbourhood.
We are very happy to see these needed improvements in our ward.
Sylvia Holden Boarded Skating Rink Update
Everything is progressing well with the brand-new boarded skating rink that will be installed at Sylvia Holden Park as a pilot project this winter. The temporary light posts were installed last week. The fixtures and hook-up will be completed this week, and the trailer was delivered on Monday. Rink board installation should be completed by next week. Water source construction has begun with completion expected by the end of November. I want to thank city staff for their work in setting this up and the volunteers who have committed to operating the rink this winter.
Road Issue on Bank Street to be Fixed
Recently, it came to our attention that sections of Bank Street near Riverside were left uneven from the recent construction. In the coming weeks, construction crews will fix the issue before it can become hazardous.
New Provincial Recycling Program—Individual Producer Responsibility
The provincial government has changed how recycling will be done across the province and in our city.
As of January 1, 2026 recycling collection in Ottawa will be managed by Circular Materials, a non-profit working on behalf of product producers under Ontario’s new Individual Producer Responsibility framework.
The new province-wide program means producers are now responsible for collecting and recycling materials across Ontario. The City of Ottawa will continue to handle garbage and organics collection.
Circular Materials will do recycling collection, provide a collection calendar and other information via their own app (Recycle Coach), and answer resident questions (e.g. missed recycling collection, requests for bins, general inquiries, etc.). Though a neighbourhood’s collection day may change, residents will set out their garbage and recycling on the same day, as usual.
As the new provincial rules do not apply to public spaces, the city will continue to collect recycling at public parks, libraries and other public areas.
The city will also remain responsible for the collection of garbage, organics, and leaf and yard waste.
As a producer of paper outputs (e.g. handouts, flyers, letters, tax bills), the city will have to pay the province to recycle these paper products. The charge to the city will be based on the paper quantities it produces. Consequently, city departments will look to cut down on paper handouts and mailings.
This program, initiated under a previous provincial government, was meant to reduce the production of waste and ensure producers pay. However, the recent changes the province has made weaken rules around hazardous materials collected, and the new rules do not focus on meaningfully inducing behavioural change to reduce waste. School recycling collection has also been left out in the short term. More is needed from all orders of government to reduce waste going to landfills.
For more information, please visit ottawa.ca/ipr.
Climate & Your Cash Workshop
Climate & Your Cash is a practical workshop on how to align your money with your values without sacrificing returns. It’s on Sunday, November 30 from 9:00 to 11:30 am at the Glebe Community Centre.
Moderator Susan Rahoc (retired managing partner of BDC Climate Tech Fund) will lead a conversation with Kate Reekie (GCA Environment Committee), Cheryl Randall (Shift Action), and Adnan Shaikh (National Bank Financial).
You’ll leave with tips on how to green your banking and investments, and you’ll have a chance to chat with leaders from the Ottawa Renewable Energy Cooperative, the Housing Forever Bonds Project, and more.
Click here to view the agenda and to register.
Co-hosted by the Glebe Community Association (GCA) and Community Action for Environmental Sustainability (CAFES) with support from the City’s Community Environmental Projects Grant Program.
May Court Club Christmas Market
The May Court Club Christmas Market will be held on November 22 at 114A Cameron Avenue. The money raised will go toward the May Court Hospice.
You can expect:
- Baked goods and preserves, sweet and savory
- Crocheted and knitted goods, from clothing to cleaning
- Quilted goods, large and small
- New and vintage jewelry
- Crafts, including stained glass decorations, tree ornaments
- And more!
May Court is a registered charity and Canada's oldest service club. For more information, visit maycourt.org.
Ottawa ACORN Trivia Night
Think you’re the smartest in your friend group and the thirstiest? Prove it at Ottawa ACORN’s legendary Trivial Beer-Suit! All funds support tenants fighting for safe, affordable housing.
When: Friday November 21, doors open at 6:00 pm and the event runs until 9:30 pm
Where: 141 Bayview Station Road (Tom Brown Arena), Tom Brown Hall. 2nd floor
To register, visit myevent.com/acorntrivianight.
e-Scooter Survey
The 2025 e-scooter pilot season will end by November 15. As in previous years, the end-of-season survey is now available on the city’s website here: End of Season Survey
This survey, which ends November 30, is open to everyone, whether they have used the shared e-scooters or not.
Alcohol in Parks Feedback
The pilot program allowing alcoholic beverages in certain public parks has ended for the year. In Capital Ward, sections of Brewer Park and the Great Lawn at Lansdowne Park were included in the pilot. As expected, the city did not receive significant complaints about the program.
Staff are now asking for resident feedback. If you have comments on the program, you can email city staff at [email protected].
New Books from Capital Ward Residents
A couple of Capital Ward residents who are well-known to our community have new books out this fall!
Run Like a Girl: A Memoir of Ambition, Resilience and Fighting for Change
by Catherine McKenna
Run Like a Girl is a bold, unfiltered memoir by Catherine McKenna, former Ottawa-Centre MP and Minister of Environment and Climate Change, that shares her inspiring journey of reinvention, resilience and defiance in the face of expectations.
With an engaging scrapbook-style, this book blends personal anecdotes, political battles and reflections on balancing ambition, motherhood, and activism. McKenna recounts her fight for climate policy, the ups and downs of her public service, the tough decision to leave politics, and her mission to empower women in leadership.
To learn more or to order the book, visit catherinemckenna.ca.
Standing with Underdogs: A family journey, personal quest & universal story
by David Chernushenko
Standing with Underdogs is the most recent book by former Capital Ward Councillor David Chernushenko. It is a deep dive into his Ukrainian origins, as well as a retracing of his life’s journey across six momentous decades, as a globe-trotting diplomatic child, ambitious journalist, environmental activist, self-taught filmmaker and novelist, and accidental politician.
In this genre-bending book David offers Raya’s story and his; sprinkled with historical commentary, then peppered with political writing that is insightful, humorous and furious in equal measure.
To learn more or to order the book, visit davidc.ca/books.
Your Capital Ward
Photo by Janet Stephens
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.
Winter Bicycling in Ottawa
Curious about winter cycling in Ottawa? Thinking about riding this winter but not sure where to start?
The City of Ottawa’s Cycling Safety Awareness Program is hosting a guided group cycling tour which will take you on a 2-hour, 13km round trip ride on some of Ottawa's central winter cleared cycling network. This cycling tour is intended for adults who already cycle in Ottawa and who are interested in continuing through the winter. Participants must provide their own bike and helmet, and will be asked to sign a waiver to participate. No specific winter cycling gear is necessary.
This tour is offered FREE under the City of Ottawa’s Cycling Safety Awareness Program. This program provides residents with up-to-date information on cycling infrastructure and how to use it safely, combining outreach activities as well as observations. EnviroCentre currently delivers CSAP on behalf of the City.
The tour takes place November 15 at 1:00 pm, and registration is mandatory.
OC Transpo Customer Satisfaction Survey
OC Transpo is taking part in an international customer satisfaction survey by the International Bus Benchmarking Group (IBBG).
This survey is conducted every year by transit agencies around the world. The results provide information that helps transit agencies improve their services.
The survey includes questions about reliability, security, ease of use and other service factors. It takes approximately five minutes to complete. All responses remain anonymous.
The survey will be available until November 24.
November is Radon Action Month—Winter is the best time to test your home!
Ottawa residents are encouraged to test their homes for radon gas this winter to ensure levels do not exceed Health Canada guidelines. Long-term exposure to high levels of this harmful gas can cause lung cancer, and smoking can increase this risk by tenfold or more. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas released when uranium in soil, rock, or water breaks down. It is invisible, odourless and tasteless. The only way to know if you are being exposed to radon gas is to test for it. Radon is not a health concern outdoors; however, indoors it can accumulate to unacceptable levels. The higher the level of radon gas in a building, the faster you should take action to reduce your exposure. It is easy to test for radon and if levels are found to be high, remediation is less difficult than most people imagine.
Radon and Lung Cancer
In Canada, radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in people who do not smoke. For people who smoke, long-term exposure to elevated levels of radon significantly increases their risk of developing lung cancer. While the lifetime exposure to continuous high levels of radon in a non-smoker can pose a risk of developing lung cancer as high as 1-in-20, that risk can increase to 1-in-3 for a person who smokes. This makes radon another important reason to quit smoking. All homes, and particularly those of people who smoke, should be tested for radon.
Do you have high levels of radon gas in your home?
Studies by Health Canada have shown that radon concentrations vary a great deal across Canada. Elevated indoor radon levels occur in Ottawa, in Ontario, and in every Canadian province, but it is difficult to predict which homes are most at risk. The only way to know if you are being exposed to high levels of radon gas is to test for it. Testing for radon is easy and affordable. Do-it-yourself radon test kits can be purchased over the internet and at local hardware and building supply stores. Health Canada suggests that you use a long-term radon detector for a minimum of three months. The cost of testing is now as low as $48, including laboratory analysis. You can also hire a certified radon testing company to test your home.
Radon levels of 200 becquerels per cubic metre or more in a normal occupancy area of the home should be remediated. For a list of certified Canadian radon testing and remediation companies consult the Canadian National Radon Proficiency Program (C-NRPP) or call 1-855-722-6777.
For more information, visit ottawapublichealth.ca/radon.
Youth Summit
Ecology Ottawa is hosting its annual Youth Summit on November 29th, 2025, bringing together youth aged 16–23 from across the city to connect, learn, and lead on local environmental action. The Summit will feature expert speakers, interactive workshops, and networking opportunities for young people passionate about climate, sustainability, and community change.
This is a great opportunity for youth to get inspired, build leadership skills, and contribute to a greener Ottawa.
Interested participants can learn more and register here.
