Heron Park Community Building Update
A new Community Building is coming to Heron Park. Construction will be starting up soon with the arrival of construction fencing and a construction trailer. Staff expect construction work to be completed in the fall and that plan is to have the building open in time for the 2026 skating season.
We have ensured that the wading pool will be open this summer during the construction.
My team and I worked hard to secure funding for this important initiative in Heron Park including parkland and development charge funding. We are incredibly proud of this achievement and want to thank the community and staff team for the excellent design and time spent on this. In particular, I want to thank the Heron Park Community Association and city staff Phil Castro for all of the collaboration.
Saving Renters Money in Ottawa
We are excited to announce that the city has responded to my formal direction for greater tax fairness for people living in older multi-residential buildings.
Last April, my team crafted a direction to the Finance and Corporate Services Department to review a reduction in the tax ratio for multi-residential properties over the next three to five years so that it would be equivalent to the tax rate of single-detached homes. This measure has now passed city council as of yesterday.
In 2024, the tax ratio for multi-residential properties was 1.409, meaning that for every dollar paid for other residential properties, multi-residential properties would pay $1.41. That is a significant difference, and it amounts to an unfair tax burden on tenants.
With our direction, city staff will be reducing the tax ratio to 1.3 for 2025, and then reducing it by a further 0.1 annually until a ratio of 1.0 is reached.
Importantly, this money must be passed on to tenants. Under the Residential Tenancies Act, any tax decrease greater than 2.5% requires the city to send notices to landlords and tenants, informing them of an automatic rent reduction for 2026. A 4.5% property tax reduction will mean a mandatory rent reduction in 2026. For example, a person paying $2,000 per month in rent will see an estimated $16 automatic rent reduction per month ($192 per year) in 2026. A letter will be sent by the city to every owner and tenant of older multi-residential buildings (built before 2002).
This is great news and the most direct way the city of Ottawa can affect rents in the short term (over the next five years). We are in a housing affordability crisis, and the inequitable treatment of multi-residential buildings has made housing more expensive.
We appreciate staff following our Direction, and committee and council taking concrete action to pass this needed affordability measure. You can read more about this change at CTV News and Ottawa Lookout.
Elbows Up for Climate: A climate response to tariffs
In the midst of the federal election, and with tariff pressures from our neighbours to the south, federal party leaders must keep climate top of mind. This week, we are proud to join with more than 180 elected officials from across Canada who have endorsed the Elbows Up for Climate campaign, which calls to do just that.
The campaign proposes five actions for the next federal government to address American tariffs with national climate initiatives:
- Create an affordable, Canada-wide clean electricity grid;
- Build a national high-speed rail network, and extend it to communities with electric buses;
- Build at least two million non-market, energy-efficient homes;
- Retrofits homes and buildings across Canada, including with heat pump installations, to reduce energy costs and pollution; and
- Fund a national resilience, response, and recovery strategy to prepare for, respond to, and rebuild following climate disasters.
Along with six other Ottawa city Councillors, we support these calls to improve climate mitigation and resiliency efforts at a national level–while creating quality local jobs and boosting the Canadian industries under threat due to tariffs.
To read the letter, and for more information about the campaign, visit: elbowsupforclimate.ca.
Rideau River Pedestrian Bridge
The new Rideau River Pedestrian Bridge connecting Carleton University and Vincent Massey Park is open again.
We continue to have discussions with staff on keeping the bridge open all year long. Staff have identified some issues with the design and construction of the bridge that prevent it from being maintained throughout the winter. They are currently looking at different ways to rectify these issues. We hope to have a solution soon.
Hop on over to Balena Park for the Riverview Park Easter Egg Hunt!
The Riverview Park Community Association is egg-cited to bring some springtime fun to the neighbourhood with their annual Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 19—come rain, shine, or even snow!
Here’s how it all cracks open:
9:15 am: Parents arrive to hide 10 plastic eggs per child (peanut-free treats inside, please)
10:00 am: Kids hop into action to find 10 eggs each. Keep an eye out for a few golden eggs hidden with special prizes!
Location: Balena Park, 1640 Devon Street
Washrooms will be accessible.
To keep things safe and fun for every bunny, please consider non-candy goodies like stickers, temporary tattoos, or erasers. If you're bringing candy, make sure it’s pre-wrapped and allergy-aware.
Contact the RPCA at [email protected] for more information.
Calling all Old Ottawa East residents, family, friends and students!
Join Old Ottawa East Community Association (OOECA) and Ottawa East Community Activities Group (CAG) to clean up Old Ottawa East parks, pathways, roads and river shorelines.
Bring your own cleaning gear or pick up your disposable gloves and garbage bags at Old Town Hall or Brantwood Fieldhouse. A limited number of reusable gardener’s gloves will be handed out to adults and kids on a first come first serve basis.
This an all ages, family-friendly event.
Spring clean-up details:
- Date: Saturday, May 10, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm (Rain date: May 24, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm)
- Clean-up kit pick-up: Old Town Hall (61 Main St.), Brantwood Fieldhouse (39 Onslow Crescent)
- Garbage clean-up and drop-off zones: Map will be posted online and shared with volunteers
- Post clean-up refreshments and social: 12:00 pm at Old Town Hall (61 Main Street)
- Register to collect your High School volunteer hours: Email [email protected] for details
Free Transit on May 3 and 4!
OC Transpo is offering a free service weekend on Saturday, May 3 and Sunday, May 4 aboard all buses, trains and Para Transpo! OC Transpo has seen many exciting changes this year, including the launch of O-Train Lines 2 & 4. This is a chance for you to experience the system at no charge!
As part of this special weekend, we invite you to join OC Transpo staff at Hurdman Station in Capital Ward on Saturday, May 3, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm for a fun, interactive event. It’s a great opportunity to connect with transit staff, ask questions, and enjoy activities designed for the whole family. Plan your trip and see what’s happening around the city: www.octranspo.com/en/news/article/free-service-weekend
This is something that I have been advocating for as a member of the Transit Committee, and I am happy to see it happen.
Bus Route Changes and Spring Bus Schedule Coming April 27
New bus routes will launch on Sunday, April 27, and will be the largest bus service change in the city’s history, impacting most customers and bus routes. Changes include:
- New routes introduced
- Adjusted schedules and routings
- More accurate scheduled times on some segments of the network
- Some routes retired and replaced with alternative service
- Some routes shortened, extended, or divided
- Some routes renumbered
- Revised service for some middle schools and high schools
- Revised service to major destinations like hospitals, universities and colleges, and between Ottawa and Gatineau
- New connections with O-Train Lines 2 and 4
The most up-to-date bus route information—including a network map, individual route maps and descriptions, and other resources—are available at www.octranspo.com. Customers are encouraged to visit www.octranspo.com/NewWaysToBus to learn how routes are changing across the city and create customized travel plans on the new network.
Additional spring service adjustments
As warm weather returns, construction projects will ramp up across the city and will require adjustments to some bus routes. These adjustments include:
- Routes 5 and 45 for work at the entrance to Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario.
- Routes 6, 7, 19 and 20 for lifecycle renewal work and cycling modifications on the St. Patrick Street Bridge and the Porter Island Bridge.
- Routes 8 and 13 due to work around les Terrasses de la Chaudière.
- Route 11 for Stage 2-related watermain work between the future New Orchard Station and Ambleside Drive.
- Routes 41 and 92 for work on the Bank Street Reconstruction Project, in the vicinity of the Bank Street and Heron Road intersection.
- Route 48 for road, sewer and watermain work on Canterbury Avenue.
- Routes 61, 62, 63, 301, 303, 404 and 406 for closures of the Highway 417 westbound on-ramp at Pinecrest and westbound off-ramp at Richmond Road, to allow for construction related to Stage 2.
- Route 68 for work along Hazeldean Road between Irwin Gate and Castlefrank Road.
- Route 153 for hydro work at McEwen Avenue.
- Routes using Kichi Zībī Mīkan during weeknight and weekend detours associated with ongoing Stage 2 activities.
Details of all service adjustments for construction projects will be available on www.octranspo.com/alerts as they are confirmed.
Your Capital Ward
Photo by Steve Gurman
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.
Participate in Jane’s Walk Ottawa-Gatineau
Jane’s Walk Ottawa-Gatineau returns the weekend of May 3 and 4 with more than 40 free walking tours celebrating this year’s theme: Third Places — the parks, libraries and public spaces that bring people together. Walking tours are free and led by local volunteers. Participant sign-up starts April 14. Learn more at janeswalkottawa.ca.
Free Mental Health Forum for parents of children and youth
The Rotary Club of West Ottawa, in cooperation with professionals in the field, has organized a second FREE mental health forum—Prepared & Positive 2025—for parents of elementary and secondary school-aged children and youth. It will be held at Saint Paul University on Saturday morning May 3 from 8:45 am to 1:00 pm.
The underlying theme of the event is anxiety so all of our presenters will touch on that when they speak to parents. Topics include excessive device use, body image, school avoidance, building resilience and developing self-regulation in your children, speaking effectively to youth about mental health, and how parents can navigate the mental health system. Clinical psychologists, a psychiatrist from CHEO, social workers and other professionals will be speaking about these issues at our event. The Ottawa Carleton District School Board is supporting this forum and will be co-presenting the session on school avoidance.
For more information or to register, please visit their website.
Steps to Wellness Program for Perinatal Depression
Ottawa Public Health is pleased to share this opportunity with you to invite women who are expecting or have a child (birth or adoption) and who have been feeling depressed, sad, anxious, worried, angry or overwhelmed to a FREE nine-week group-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) program.
During a nine-week series, participants meet in a virtual group setting with a public health nurse and learn skills to help reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety by changing thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
- The English Group is starting April 30, 2025, from 10:00 am to noon
- The French Group is starting September 17, 2025, from 10:00 am to noon
If you or someone you know is interested, please visit ParentingInOttawa.ca/CBT for more information, and to register.
Join the City Nature Challenge
Springtime is here and so is the annual City Nature Challenge! From April 25-28, join this city-wide event to look for wildlife, log your observations in iNaturalist and boost Ottawa’s score in a friendly competition with cities across Canada and around the world! You’ll also contribute valuable data on flora and fauna in our communities, including rare and/or invasive species.
Ecology Ottawa 2025 Eco Awards
Ecology Ottawa is inviting nominations for its 2025 Eco Awards. These awards were created to highlight the people, places, plants, trees, and animals of Ottawa that inspire us, bring the community together, and enrich our ecosystem. Your nominee could be a neighbour, teacher, scientist, activist, artist, innovator, policy maker, community or religious leader, or youth—or even places, plants, trees, and animals of Ottawa that you cherish and need our protection. Please make a nomination before April 20.
Nominations are now being accepted for the annual Bruce Timmermans Cycling Awards
Do you know someone or an organization who has been a local champion for cycling in our city? The City of Ottawa is once again accepting nominations for the Bruce Timmermans cycling awards! Two awards will be presented in June to recognize outstanding contributions to cycling in Ottawa.
EnviroCentre is coordinating the 2025 awards. All nominations are treated as confidential, the deadline for submissions is April 30, 2025. Click here to nominate an individual or organization you believe deserves recognition!
More information about the Bruce Timmermans awards and a list of past winners can be found on the city’s website, here.
Council approves rules to allow edible plants in residential boulevard gardens
In 2023, the City updated the Use and Care of Roads By-law to allow residents the opportunity to undertake residential gardening projects, including naturalized gardens, within the City-owned boulevard abutting their property.
At the end of March, Council approved further amendments to allow edible plants (fruits, vegetables, herbs) and readily moveable containers in residential boulevards. Gardens such as these can attract pollinators and increase biodiversity while increasing resistance to drought and soil erosion, reducing heat-island effects, improving stormwater retention, conserving water, reducing emissions, beautifying the city, and producing local food.
For more information about growing food in the right of way, including prohibited species, required setbacks, and guidelines for community association gardening projects, visit the city’s website.
Council approves plan to transition the municipal fleet to low and no-carbon technologies
At the end of March, Council approved the City’s Green Fleet Strategy, which sets a framework for the City’s transition towards a zero-emission fleet including ambulances, fire trucks, heavy vehicles, light vehicles and equipment. The strategy would see corporate greenhouse gas emissions reduced by as much as 93 per cent by 2040 and achieve a net savings for the city of up to $6.52 million.
The strategy includes short and long-term plans, along with a regular review cycle, to ensure that the city is acquiring the latest zero-emission technologies. City staff project that the purchasing plan will gradually transform the municipal fleet makeup by 2040 to consist of 75% Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV), 13% Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV) and 12% Internal Combustion Engine (ICE).
Tariff Toolkit
U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods have come into effect, posing a significant challenge for Ottawa’s economy.
The city has a tariff toolkit to help residents and businesses understand the implications of new tariffs. In March, the Conference Board of Canada indicated that Ottawa’s economy, relative to other Canadian cities, would not be overly impacted by U.S. tariffs, given the city’s economic activity is largely concentrated in services. However, impacts to the technology and construction sectors are evolving.
It is now even easier to help protect your home from basement flooding
The city’s Residential Protective Plumbing program has had an upgrade. Through the updated program, eligible homeowners can apply for rebates to install new protective plumbing devices. These devices can prevent sewage or stormwater from entering homes when the sewer’s capacity is exceeded during an extreme weather event.
The updated program now offers larger rebate amounts and a simplified application process. Available rebates include:
- 100% of the building permit fee for protective plumbing work
- $1,000 for interior backwater valves
- $2,500 for an exterior storm backwater valve
- $1,500 for a sump pump in an existing sump pit
- $3,000 for a sump pump in a new sump pit
By making it simple and more affordable for households to install protective plumbing, the city is improving Ottawa’s overall preparedness for extreme weather and reducing the negative impacts of basement flooding. Learn more about the Residential Protective Plumbing program and how to apply at ottawa.ca/rppp.
Tenants and homeowners who have been affected by basement flooding due to sewer surcharging may also be eligible for the Compassionate Grant program. Learn more about the Compassionate Grant program and how to apply at ottawa.ca/cg.
Are you “rain ready”?
April showers bring May flowers! Here are some tips from the City of Ottawa Rain Ready program to make sure your landscape is as rain ready as possible:
- Clear debris, sediment build up and litter from downspouts and dry creek beds to prevent clogging and flow issues.
- Replace damaged or broken downspouts.
- Install or reinstall rainwater harvesting systems once temperatures remain steady at 0 degrees or above. Inspect rain barrels for cracks or damage and replace parts as needed.
- Look for areas in your rain garden where soil compaction may have occurred. Try top dressing compacted areas with compost and mulch to help improve water infiltration. Bare patches or spaces where plants are struggling may be a sign of soil compaction.
- For permeable pavements, sweep, power spray or vacuum sediment from the pores to encourage best performance.
Get more rain ready tips at ottawa.ca/rain.
New grants available through the Ottawa Rural Clean Water Program
Are you interested in surface and groundwater quality? Are you a not-for-profit running an educational initiative in Ottawa? You could be eligible for project funding under the Ottawa Rural Clean Water Program (ORCWP).
Grants are available for projects relating to erosion control, wetland restoration, natural windbreaks, education, innovation and more. Applications will be accepted until May 1, 2025 through the Landowner Resource Centre, which works in partnership with the Mississippi Valley, Rideau Valley, and South Nation Conservation Authorities and the City of Ottawa.
For more information on eligibility and the application process, you can contact the Landowner Resource Centre at 613-692-3571 ext. 1136 (toll free at 1-800-267-3504) or visit ottawa.ca/cleanwater to see a full list of eligible projects and to apply online.
City-wide Street Sweeping Operations
We are happy to announce that city-wide street sweeping operations are underway. Street sweeping typically begins as early as the weather will allow and occurs during both daytime and nighttime shifts. But when the overnight temperature drops below zero, operations must be paused as the water used on the road can form into ice, creating dangerous conditions.
City-wide street sweeping is done in phases:
- Sidewalks, bus stop pads and medians are cleaned first by a variety of methods using sidewalk sweepers, leaf blowers, flusher trucks and hand brooms.
- A sidewalk sweeper will work in the area first, pushing grit, debris and dust onto the roadway. A vacuum sweeper or mechanical sweeper truck then picks up the majority of grit, debris, small particles and dust removing it from the road.
- This operation might be repeated several times to ensure a clean surface. If vehicles are parked on the street, the unswept area is noted, and crews will return to sweep that portion at a later date.
Concentrated Street Sweeping Operations
The city completes concentrated street sweeping operations in neighbourhoods that support continuous on-street parking year-round, in addition to the standard city-wide spring sweeping that takes place for four to six weeks.
The concentrated street sweeping area includes the downtown core, Vanier, New Edinburgh, Sandy Hill, Glebe, Centretown, West Centretown, ByWard Market, Lowertown, Old Ottawa East, Old Ottawa South and Overbrook.
Concentrated street sweeping will take place during daytime hours between 7:00 am and 7:00 pm. Attached are maps of the “concentrated” street sweeping area with dates and locations that affect each Ward.
During concentrated street sweeping, motorists parking in the affected areas should pay special attention as parking restrictions will be in effect to enable City crews to complete the work as quickly and efficiently as possible. Temporary “no parking” signs will be posted prominently in these areas. Vehicles parked where temporary “no-parking” signs are posted will be ticketed and towed to nearby streets. Parking restrictions apply to all vehicles, including those with on-street parking permits.
Residents who are unable to locate their vehicle after our street sweeping operations are completed may call 3-1-1 for information on the location of their towed vehicle.
In areas where there is a sidewalk, city sidewalk sweepers will work alongside sweeper trucks to clean the area. Sidewalk sweepers will push dirt and debris from the sidewalks onto the roads where it will be collected, along with the street debris. A vacuum truck or mechanical sweeper will pick up the majority of grit, debris, small particles and dust. This operation might be repeated several times to ensure a clean surface. If vehicles are parked on the street, the un-swept area is noted, and crews must then return to sweep that portion. Resident patience and co-operation to keep vehicles off the streets during this period is appreciated.
As in previous years, a communication campaign promoting the concentrated spring street sweeping operations will include Councillor communications and web and social media updates. In addition, the street sweeping page on the City of Ottawa’s website includes information about the concentrated sweeping operations and the temporary parking restrictions.
For more information on spring street sweeping operations, please visit Ottawa.ca/springmaintenance.
Official Plan Amendment for Consistency with the Provincial Planning Statement 2024
The City of Ottawa is updating its Official Plan for consistency with the 2024 Provincial Planning Statement (PPS), as required by the Planning Act. In addition, minor amendments to the Official Plan are proposed, such as clarifications to policy language, corrections of policy or mapping errors, and policy adjustments to address omissions or to ensure that the Plan is consistent with Provincial legislation. All Volumes of the Official Plan are subject to this review, including Volumes 2A, 2B and 2C in relation to secondary plans and area-specific policies. The amendments will include changes to policy (text) and schedules (mapping).
A report providing a high-level overview on the nature of the amendments was before Joint Planning and Housing Committee and Agriculture and Rural Affairs on April 9 and will be considered by Council on April 16.
The project is now available on Engage Ottawa: Official Plan Amendment for Consistency with the Provincial Planning Statement 2024 | Engage Ottawa. Staff will update this page as we move through the process, which concludes with an approval by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
