Bank Street is Electric!
We had the pleasure of seeing the Charge Avenue signs installed on Bank Street last week as they begin their playoff run. The Charge are playing the Boston Fleet in the first round, and the series is currently tied 1-1.
The Charge return to Ottawa this weekend, hosting the Fleet at the Canadian Tire Centre tonight and Sunday afternoon. If necessary, a final game in the best-of-five series will be played in Boston on Tuesday.
This is an exciting time for the city. Let’s get #FullyCharged!
Tulip Festival Opens!
The Canadian Tulip Festival has begun. Special events will occur throughout downtown and across the river, with a special emphasis on the more-than-million tulips that will be in bloom at Commissioner’s Park in Dow’s Lake.
For more information on what’s happening at the Tulip Festival, visit tulipfestival.ca/.
If you’re thinking about how to get there, Commissioner’s Park is close to the O-Train Line 2 Dow’s Lake Station at Carling Avenue. OC Transpo route 85 runs right by Commissioner’s Park.
If you are driving, Queen Elizabeth Drive will be closed to cars between Preston Street and Torrington Place. Parking restrictions will be in place within the Dow’s Lake neighbourhood.
Parking is available at:
- Carleton University
- Canada Agriculture and Food Museum
- 855 Champagne Avenue Parking Lot
- 371 Beech Street Parking Lot
Accessible parking is being made available on Dow’s Lake Road for those with an Accessible Parking Permit.
More information about transportation and parking can be found at tulipfestival.ca/travel/.
People’s Park Celebration & BBQ
Join us for free food and fun at our People's Park Celebration & BBQ on Saturday May 9 from 12:00 to 2:00 pm! RSVP here: https://www.shawnmenard.ca/bbq
Our hard work paid off and together, we saved People’s Park. Now it's time to celebrate!
Join us at Lees Field (aka People's Park) for free food and fun!
People's Park Celebration & BBQ
Saturday May 9 from 12-2pm
Lees Field, 160 Lees Avenue, beside Springhurst Park
All are welcome. RSVP here: https://www.shawnmenard.ca/bbq.
See You at the Great Glebe Garage Sale!
The Great Glebe Garage Sale will be happening on Saturday May 23, and we hope to see you there.
If you’re driving, please pay close attention to all parking signage. No-stopping zones are being implemented for the safety of pedestrians and to ensure emergency vehicles access.
And if you are coming down to the Garage Sale, stop by and say hi. Our team will have a table set up at the corner of Glebe Avenue and Lyon Street!
Heron Park Community Building—Grand Opening Celebration & Barbecue
The new Heron Park Community Building is now open! My office has been pushing for the construction of this new facility in Heron Park since I was first elected in 2018 and have since helped secure the funding to complete it. The building was designed in collaboration with the community, and has lots of natural light, a kitchen, and a flexible community space.
Community members are invited to a BBQ celebration for the grand opening on Sunday May 31 from 12:00 to 2:00 pm. Building rentals can be booked by emailing [email protected].
Join us for free food and fun! All are welcome.
Sunday May 31, 12:00 to 2:00 pm
Heron Park Community Building
1650 Clover Street
New Pedestrian Crossover at Bell and Henry
We have received news that a contractor has been hired for the installation of a new Pedestrian Crossover (PXO) at Bell and Henry Streets in the Glebe Annex. The aim is to start work this spring with an estimated completion time of mid- to late-July.
We know the community has been requesting this PXO, and we are happy that we will see it installed this year.
Main and Greenfield Traffic Lights Improvements
With the recent construction work on Main Street and Greenfield Avenue, some changes were made to the intersection, including the traffic lights sequence. Right turns were not permitted from Main Street when left turns were allowed on Greenfield Avenue.
With this new light sequence we were seeing significant back-ups on Main Street.
After discussions with traffic engineers, we are happy to announce that staff will be making changes to the intersection and to the traffic light sequence. By early June, we should begin seeing right turns from Main Street when Greenfield Avenue has a left turn signal. This should help alleviate congestion on Main Street, making the intersection function more effectively.
Your Capital Ward
Photo by Steve Reid
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.
Ottawa Farmers' Market is Going Outside!
With spring weather here, the Ottawa Farmers’ Market is kicking off its outdoor season this month!
On May 3, the Lansdowne Market returned to the great outdoors. It will operate in Aberdeen Square on Sundays through October.
And on Saturday May 16, The Main Street Market will return to Grand Allée Park. It will be there every Saturday through to Hallowe’en.
Lane Closures on Riverside Drive Begin May 19
Starting Tuesday, May 19, Riverside Drive eastbound lanes will be closed from Data Centre Road to Neil Way (near Pleasant Park Road).
Traffic will be redirected via a temporary road to use Riverside Drive westbound, with one lane in each direction. This closure is expected to last until mid-summer.
Following this work, Riverside Drive westbound lanes will be closed from Data Centre Road to Neil Way, with one lane of traffic in each direction redirected via a temporary road to use Riverside Drive eastbound. This closure is expected to last until late summer 2026.
To prepare the area for these closures, single lane reductions on Riverside Drive will be required beginning May 4. Signage will be in place.
Beginning May 19, left turns will be prohibited in all directions at the Bank Street and Riverside Drive intersection to help keep traffic moving. Expect delays in this area throughout the spring and summer.
The closures are necessary to replace underground infrastructure, which includes the sanitary and storm sewers, and watermains, as part of Phase 1 of the Bank Street Renewal Project.
Road Re-surfacings
As part of the City of Ottawa’s annual infrastructure maintenance program, road resurfacing is scheduled to take place in our area this construction season.
Construction will begin with removing and replacing concrete curbs and sidewalks where needed. If driveway access is impacted during this work, residents will receive temporary on-street parking permits. Where access can be maintained, temporary granular (gravel) driveways will be provided.
Once the concrete work is complete, crews will mill and remove a layer of existing asphalt. The final layer of surface asphalt will be placed after all base asphalt is complete, and ironworks have been fully adjusted. Driveways impacted by concrete work will be reinstated to their original materials and width. The project will conclude with site cleanup, landscaping, and any outstanding minor repairs.
Gaps between stages are typical as the contractor works through the construction sequence and allows materials to properly cure.
Work will occur at various locations across the city. As part of this project, the following roadways will be resurfaced. Work will take place during the day, evening and night and will involve minor lane interruptions or road closures:
- Heron Road (OR16) from 660 metres west of Riverside Drive (East limit Heron Bridge) to Riverside Drive (OR19) (day/evening)
- Bronson Avenue (OR79) southbound off ramp from Bronson Avenue (OR79) southbound to Heron Road (OR16) westbound (night)
- Bronson Avenue (OR79) southbound off ramp from Bronson Avenue (OR79) southbound off ramp to Heron Road (OR16) eastbound (night)
- Heron Road (OR16) westbound off ramp from Heron Road (OR16) westbound to Heron Road (OR16) eastbound off ramp (night)
- Bronson Avenue (OR79) northbound off ramp from Airport Parkway\Bronson Avenue (OR79) to Heron Road (OR16) eastbound off ramp (night)
- Bronson Avenue (OR79) northbound off ramp from Airport Parkway\Bronson Avenue (OR79) to Heron Road (OR16) westbound (night)
- Heron Road (OR16) eastbound off ramp from Heron Road (OR16) eastbound to 290 metres south of Riverside Drive (OR19) (night)
Weekend work is anticipated for all locations and traffic interruptions may also be experienced due to flagging operations.
For more information about road renewal, please visit www.ottawa.ca/constructionmap.
MHI’s Tulipathon—A Walkathon for Affordable Housing
Multifaith Housing Initiative (MHI), Ottawa's third largest affordable housing provider, is pleased to invite you to take part in this year’s Tulipathon, their annual walkathon and fundraising campaign in support of affordable housing.
Tulipathon brings together faith groups, partners, supporters, and affordable housing advocates to raise funds that directly benefit MHI tenants. The campaign helps ensure tenants have access to safe, stable, and affordable homes, along with the supports that contribute to their wellbeing and sense of community.
The Tulipathon walk is scheduled for Sunday May 24 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm at Commissioners' Park at Dow’s Lake.
CAPO All-Star Matinee in Support of Ottawa Blues for Youth
The Capital’s Professional Open Mic (CAPO) is hosting an exciting and entertaining matinee in support of Youth Suicide Prevention at The Royal. Ottawa Blues for Youth is a local organization committed to helping save the lives of our local youth, by raising funds for the YNST initiative through the power of music and community involvement. To date, we have raised over $151,000 in support of youth in our community, through their musical performances.
Alongside the music, there will be door prizes, a 50/50 draw and more.
Saturday May 30 at 3:00 pm
Irene’s Pub Restaurant, 885 Bank Street
Tickets are $40
For more information, visit www.ottawabluesforyouth.com/capo-at-irenes-pub-2026.
Support the Clementine Food Pantry
Clementine Food Pantry will be collecting food and money at the grand opening of the community building in Heron Park on May 31 from 12:00 to 2:00 pm.
The Clementine Food Pantry (CFP) has been operating for over four years, assisting residents living in Heron Park’s Clementine Towers, an Ottawa Community Housing apartment for seniors. The food need at CFP is dire, as food prices keep climbing. Many of these seniors rely on this Pantry because they are physically unable to get to and from the Heron Emergency Food Centre. Located on the main floor of Clementine Towers, volunteers (residents and others) do all the work necessary to help those impoverished seniors living there.
Ecological School Presentations
Ecology Ottawa's EcoYouth Council is offering presentations on ecological topics to classes across Ottawa. Council members have prepared presentations on a number of topics, but teachers may also submit a request. For more information, please click here.
Free “Try Artistic Swimming” Sessions (Ages 7+)
Looking for a fun and unique activity? GO Capital Artistic Swimming is offering free “Try Artistic Swimming” sessions this May for children ages 7 and up—no experience needed!
Artistic swimming combines swimming, dance, and teamwork in a supportive environment. It’s a great way for kids to build confidence, stay active, and try something new.
Session Dates:
- May 11 (5:45 to 6:30 pm) – Brewer Pool
- May 14 (5:30 to 6:00 pm) – Bob MacQuarrie Recreation Complex (BMRC)
- May 26 (5:00 to 5:45 pm) – Splash Wave Pool
Register at: gocapitalasc.ca
Vocestra Chorus’s Spring Concert
Come join us for Vocestra's spring concert!
Vocestra Chorus is an acapella group with pizzazz!
Vocestra Chorus, an acapella group with pizzazz, are hosting their spring concert, Songs for Brighter Days, at St. Stephens Anglican Church, 930 Watson Street (off Pinecrest), on May 30 at 7:30 pm.
Come on out for an evening of great contemporary music and lots of fun!
For tickets, visit: vocestra.com.
Parks Maintenance Spring Update
Did Seasonal Transition happen on April 20? Yes! Did it snow that day? You know it did! But the calendar says spring is here and your Parks Maintenance staff is on the job, regardless of the weather, getting our outdoor amenities ready for your residents to use this spring and summer seasons. There is much to do, and honestly, not a lot of time to do it. But we’ll get there! We always do.
Winter Cleanup
As it is every season, the first task is to clean up after winter. Outdoor rink boards, gates and safety nettings have been removed and safety precautions such as bales are being removed from our sledding hills.
Ball Fields
In the next weeks, our staff will be busy with inspections, fencing repairs and the reinstallation of any bleachers that were removed for the winter. We are also turning our irrigation systems back on and checking for leaks.
We’ve been greeted with unseasonally cool temperatures and the fields are wetter than last year. The long-range forecast does show sunshine and some precipitation so that gives us hope that we’ll be able to get on all the fields soon. The infields that are dry enough are being groomed and staff are also doing turf repairs and lip maintenance and hand raking where staffing is available. Grass cutting is also underway and we will provide progress reports in future email updates.
Sports Fields
Staff are also turning our attention to sports fields, with mowing, inspections, litter removal and waste receptacle installations all underway. They are cleaning paths that lead to sports fields and any parking lots attached to them. Overseeding, aeration and fertilization continues.
Tennis and Pickleball Courts
If nets for tennis and pickleball courts are installed too early with wet/soft ground conditions, tightening the nets will cause the posts to lean, requiring a costly re-instatement/replacement, delaying the season further.
That being said, now is the time and you may have seen some nets go up. Staff will also sweep all the courts and do repairs discovered during inspections.
Return of Free Sports Equipment Lockers
This spring, free sports equipment lockers are set to reopen in select City of Ottawa parks, giving residents easy access to borrow balls and gear just steps from their favourite courts and fields.
After a winter shutdown, preparations are now underway to reopen the lockers for spring and summer. Crews are restocking equipment, reinstalling batteries and testing systems at all locations, with reopening expected on May 15, weather permitting.
The lockers are part of an ongoing pilot project launched last fall by the City of Ottawa in partnership with Equip Sport and Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities. This initiative aims to lower barriers to play and invites everyone to get back into the game.
Across select city parks, 50 lockers offer free access to borrow basketballs, soccer balls, volleyballs and at some locations, fitness packs. Designed to be inclusive and easy to use, the self-serve lockers can be unlocked through the free Equip Sport mobile app, available on the Google Play or Apple App stores. Users borrow equipment for free, enjoy their game and return it to the locker when finished.
With this partnership, Ottawa became only the second city in Canada to pilot the innovative locker system.
How Residents Can Help
It has been a long, hard winter and a lot of people are just itching to get out on our ball diamonds and sports fields, but please don’t. Not yet, anyway. The city asks everyone to stay off closed sports fields for two good reasons. One is your safety; all fields are inspected for divots or trip hazards before they are opened, and closed fields have not been inspected! Second, playing on these fields in wet conditions can compact the soil, hinder water absorption, create aeration problems and force grass roots to work harder to break through the soil. The chance of root disease increases and the quality of the turf decreases. Using the fields before they are ready can lead to increased wear and tear in the goal creases making it more difficult for our crews to maintain.
Notice anything that needs attention? Please submit an online service request , or email or call 3-1-1. The Parks Maintenance webpage will make sure this is triaged to the right personnel and is the fastest way to help us get the job done.
