CCOC Bank and Chamberlain Affordable Housing Project

In a world where we so often see ‘paving paradise to put up a parking lot’, in this spot in Capital Ward we are doing the opposite.

New units of not-for-profit housing are being proposed for 574 Bank Street, complete with ground-floor commercial units, on an existing city-owned parking lot. After years of hard work with the community, city staff and Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation, my office is excited to see this project advancing with the support of the Glebe community.

At Finance Committee on Tuesday, the staff report recommending the transfer of this land to CCOC was approved unanimously. The item will be considered by City Council on Wednesday June 10th. Our office is also looking to commit ‘Section 37’ affordable housing funds that our office has direction over in order to assist with building the new non-profit housing.  

We will look to preserve the Glebe entrance sign, the ‘two lions’ at the entrance of the Reliable Parts Shop (which may have an opportunity to locate in the new building) and an original streetcar pole in the vicinity.  

In the midst of a market crisis, projects like these are proof that beautiful, affordable, non-market housing is possible.

Youth Age 11-18 Ride Free all Summer!

From July 1 until August 31, pre-teens and youth age 11-18 ride for free on OC Transpo buses, trains and Para Transpo. Where will you go?

It’s easy to travel for free. Here’s how:

1. 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
2. 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
3. Tap your card on the fare gate or fare reader to board for free!

Tap Tip

If you have a Student Transit Pass through your school, you’re already good to go. Use your Student Transit Pass to ride.

When summer's over, the fun doesn't end!

Pre-teens and Youth ride free on weekday evenings (after 5 pm), weekends and holidays for the rest of the year with a Presto card (beginning September 1).

Outside of these times, regular fares apply.

Click here for more information about fares.

Kids 10 and under still ride for free

If you’re taking a bus, Para Transpo, or Para Transpo Rural, simply board without paying a fare. If you’re taking the O-Train, you can either:

• Enter at the accessible (wide) fare gate with a fare-paying adult.
• Or if you're riding alone, tap through the fare gate with your Child card.

Bronson Avenue Re-Paving

As many people know, Bronson Avenue is in bad shape these days, with many potholes and cracks. At our request, city staff have reviewed the state of Bronson and have agreed to do a re-paving from the Bronson Avenue Bridge to Imperial Avenue.

The re-paving is expected to begin next week and should be done by June 26. There will be some overnight work necessary to complete the project.

Waterproofing Vincent Massey-Carleton University Pedestrian Bridge

Last month, the city and its contractors completed waterproofing work on the Rideau River Pedestrian Bridge connecting Carleton University and Vincent Massey Park. This work will help preserve the bridge through all four seasons and provide better traction in wet conditions.

Discover Your Ward by Bike

We’re joining EnviroCentre for Discover Your Ward by Bike, a free, in-person workshop which will take a small group on a guided bike ride around Capital Ward on June 9 at 10:30am, leaving from Brantwood Park.

Participants will need to bring their own bikes and helmets and will be asked to sign a waiver prior to participation.

Register now to for more information and to reserve your spot!

Bell-Henry PXO

Work on the Bell-Henry Pedestrian Crossover began last month. We are very pleased to see this important safety measure come to the community.

Unfortunately, notices were supposed to be distributed to nearby residents, but they were not. We are very sorry for that. We have spoken with the city’s project manager to ensure it does not happen again.

Main-Greenfield Intersection Improvements

City crews were out making improvements to the Main-Greenfield intersection. In order to allow for better turning radiuses, the curb at the corner was reduced. This means that we were able to alter the traffic light programming, extending the right-turn signal from Main onto Greenfield, relieving some of the congestion we’ve recently been experiencing on Main.

We appreciate everyone’s patience as we worked with staff to get this work complete. We will be glad to see the intersection working better.

Alcohol in Parks

It's summertime, and once again this year, you can kick back in select public parks across Ottawa to responsibly enjoy a drink! After a successful pilot last summer, the Alcohol in Parks program is returning again this year starting today, June 1, until October 31.

You can now responsibly enjoy an alcoholic beverage in Brewer Park and the Lansdowne Park apple orchard, with clear rules in place to protect children’s play areas and keep parks safe and welcoming for everyone.

Enjoy! And please, drink responsibly.

For more information about eligible parks and designated areas, please visit the city’s website.

Sylvia Holden Boarded Rink Update 

We have completed the pilot season of the skating rink in Sylvia Holden Park! This site was selected through a survey of community options, and IT proved to be quite popular through the winter. The work to complete the rink was more of a challenge because of the unusually early snow. The rink water system was able to be hooked up but the ground was still dug up when the snow arrived.  Staff have recently been able to reinstate the turf areas of the park.

If residents want this new amenity to stay in the community, the next phase of the seasonal rink project would include the installation of permanent rink lighting on the street side only (facing away from homes), a permanent rink bunker where the seasonal trailer was located this past winter, and the heating of a change room in the pavilion.  As a result, next winter's rink operation would require only the set up and take down of the rink boards, and there will be little disturbance to the grass in the park. 

Thank you to the community volunteers who gave their time and energy to keep the rink open with excellent ice this season.

We want to hear your feedback and suggestions, and see any photos you may have taken this winter at the rink. Please email [email protected] to let us know how it went from your perspective. 

Your Capital Ward

Photo by Lucy Bottomley

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.

Chamberlain Re-Alignment Update

As many residents will know, work has been paused on the re-alignment of Chamberlain Avenue. The project was to shift Chamberlain to the north as it approached Bronson, connecting it with the Bronson off-ramp.

Unfortunately, due to the proximity of a city watermain, the Ministry of Transportation has paused the project, to ensure all proper precautions are taken before work continues. We have asked city staff to expedite meetings with the MTO in order to come to an agreement to get this project moving again.

This delay has allowed us to continue our discussions with city staff about greening the old Chamberlain Avenue, effectively expanding Glebe Memorial Park, once the re-alignment is complete.

Sidewalk Repair Program

The city’s minor sidewalk repairs project is underway. This year, we’ll see repairs on the following streets in Capital Ward:

If your sidewalk needs repairs, just email us at [email protected], and we will put in a request to city staff.

Weekend Highway 417 Work Between Preston Street and Kent Street

The Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) will undertake work along Highway 417, between Preston Street and Kent Street, starting Friday, June 5 at 9:00 pm until Monday, June 8 at 5:00 am.

During this period of MTO work, the following impacts will be in place:

• The O’Connor Street westbound on-ramp will be closed. All other on- and off- ramps around the work will remain open.
• Single lane reduction (left lane) on eastbound Highway 417, between Preston Street and Kent Street.
• Two-lane reduction (leftmost lanes) on westbound Highway 417, between O’Connor Street and Preston Street.

This work is not being undertaken by the city and is part of the MTO’s maintenance construction being done between Island Park Drive and Kent Street.

Motorists can expect congestion and delays, including on City roads around this weekend’s MTO highway work. The City of Ottawa will be monitoring the flow of traffic over the weekend and will make adjustments to the transportation network where needed to help mitigate impacts. Please plan ahead and drive safely.

Pedal Poll/Sondo Vélo

Pedal Poll/Sondo Vélo is an annual community-science project engaging hundreds of volunteers across Canada as they count road and path users to evaluate the state of micromobility in our communities, get a “snapshot” of what micromobility looks like in communities across Canada, and build the case for more and better infrastructure. The 2026 poll is taking place over 5 days between June 2 and 7, and registration is now open to pick your spot! Learn more and sign up at velocanadabikes.org/pedalpoll/. Data from previous years is also available on the webpage.

Bicycle Parking Program Updates

The city has 6-unit lockers installed at four of parking facilities, including at the parking garage on Second Avenue near Bank Street. The city continues working on expansion of the program. In the meantime, staff have provided two updates

Event Bike Parking

Hello Vélo – Events is the city’s new free bike rack loaning program. The city had a successful first season, with strong engagement from local event organizers. In total, they supplied 144 racks across 11 local events.

The program is now open for the new season.

Bike Racks Subsidy Program for Businesses

The city offers an incentive program to support businesses and organizations in installing bike racks on private property. This could be for places like stores/malls, schools, churches, condominium developments, etc.  Requests for discounted bike racks may be submitted to [email protected].

New Pilot: Walk-up Household Hazardous Waste Event

After a successful first event in the pilot series, the City of Ottawa will be hosting the next Walk‑Up Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collection event on Saturday, June 6, from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm at the City of Ottawa Parking Lot located at 234-250 Slater Street. 

Safely dispose of small amounts of hazardous waste without a vehicle. 

Example of acceptable items include: 

• Cleaning products 
• Caulking 
• Hazardous aerosols 
• Light bulbs 
• Small gas canisters 
• Small household batteries 
• Paint

Up to 20 litres per person. 

This event is walk-up only. Please arrive on foot, by bike or mobility device. Vehicles will be redirected to the next large Household Hazardous Waste event. For a list of accepted items visit ottawa.ca/hhw.

Tree Giveaways

Ecology Ottawa will be giving away free tree seedlings at the Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library’s Native Plant Exchange and Giveaway at Springhurst Park from 1pm-3pm on June 13th. This is a wonderful opportunity to get involved in increasing the tree canopy in Ottawa and learning more about planting and caring for native trees. To learn more about our programs, visit www.ecologyottawa.ca.

Celebrate Spring into Spring!   

Spring into Spring is an event that encourages students to walk, wheel, or use other fun travel methods on their way to school or around their neighbourhood. By choosing to active travel, children and adults can get to know their communities and neighbourhoods, develop lifelong habits and keep their school zone safe!

Enjoy the quality time you get to spend with your family as you travel to school together! Check out this poster for activity ideas to celebrate Spring into Spring.

Committee Expands Rain Ready Ottawa to Help More Residents Protect Their Homes from Flooding

The Environment and Climate Change Committee approved a new pilot rebate stream under the city’s Rain Ready Ottawa program to help residents and multi-residential housing providers better manage rainwater and reduce flooding risks. 

The new stream would support low‑rise, multi‑unit buildings, including condominiums, co‑operatives, rental properties and non-profit affordable housing. It would help these property owners complete larger, shared projects that manage stormwater on their properties. Making these improvements can help prevent localized flooding, reduce icy conditions in winter and protect shared spaces, such as parking areas and walkways. 

By enabling coordinated projects that benefit many residents at once, the program will increase the amount of rainwater managed through each project while making it easier for property owners and housing providers to participate. The city will offer rebates of up to $30,000 per property, with up to $40,000 for non-profit affordable housing providers, helping to offset the cost of larger shared projects. 

The new rebate stream would be funded within the program’s existing budget and build on the success of Rain Ready Ottawa, which has already supported more than 500 projects across the city. Together, these efforts help strengthen neighbourhood resilience to changing climates, improve water quality and support the city’s long‑term stormwater management goals.