Subject: For Your Awareness - Upcoming Carleton University Research

I’m writing to let you know about an upcoming citywide research study that Carleton University will be conducting in several wards across Ottawa to assess the benefits of urban greening initiatives by surveying bird and insect populations in forested areas.

As part of the study, researchers will deploy a non-lethal moth trap at the following park in Ward 6:

Location
Ladybirds Park – 65 Sirocco Crescent

Study Dates
August 7–17, 2026
September 5–15, 2026

The traps will be set at dusk and collected shortly after dawn, outside of the parks’ general operating hours. They will be placed within forested areas and are not expected to disrupt residents. Informational signs will be installed beside each trap, including a brief description of the study and a QR code that links to more information.

The traps are completely non-lethal. Moths remain alive throughout the process and are gently released after identification and data collection. No vegetation, infrastructure, or public access areas will be disturbed.

Each trap consists of:
A 20 W UV black light
A funnel and bucket collection chamber
Egg cartons that provide resting surfaces for the moths
A battery
A weather-resistant bilingual label with project contact information

Forestry Services is pleased to support this research initiative and wanted to ensure your office is aware of the study in case you receive any questions or comments from residents. If you have any questions or if your office receives inquiries about the research, please feel free to direct them to the lead researcher, Donovan Martin…

Sounds interesting! I don’t know a lot about moths, but I do know they are an important part of the food chain. So I reached out to Donovan, and asked if he could tell me more about the work. He sent back a note and some photos, shared here with his permission.

Hi Glen,

Thank you so much for your email! I’m a researcher with Biodiversity Conservation Solutions lab at Carleton University. The purpose of my research is to see the effect of urban forests on moth and butterfly (lepidoptera) populations!

Ladybirds Park is classified as a mature forest, with several trees older than 10 years of age. Mature forest parks are compared to younger forest parks with trees younger than 10 and open parks which are primarily fields.

By day, I do Pollard walks at City of Ottawa parks, where, with a butterfly net, I look around and try to count and identify specimens I see. Below is a Large lace-border moth I found in Ladybirds.

At night, I place moth traps. A UV light is attached to a bucket full of egg cartons. The moths fly through the funnel and rest when the sunrises. I place the traps at sundown and pick them up at sunrise.

A Master’s dart

A Common gluphisia moth.

All my experimentation is non-lethal, catch-and-release.

All the best,

Donovan Martin, BSc

Carleton University’s Biodiversity Conservation Solutions lab looks really interesting. Some of the current projects include:

• Supporting Indigenous-led caretaking programs for migratory birds

• Minimizing the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza

• Monitoring seabird populations using acoustics

• The outcomes of traffic reduction on wildlife

• Soundscape conservation and impacts on humans and wildlife

I’m looking forward to hearing about the results of the moth monitoring and research at Ladybirds Park and other locations across Ottawa.

An administrative error dating back nearly seven decades has now been corrected, and Amberway Park on Savage Drive is now officially owned by the City of Ottawa.

Back in 2021, I started looking into upgrades for the east side of the park. The west side of the park, on Denham Way, got a new play structure in 2019. But on the east side, the old basketball court and grass field along Savage Drive needed attention.

My plan was to consult with residents and use “Cash in Lieu of Parkland” money collected from the Hazeldean Crossing development towards new features at the park.

But we discovered a problem: The City didn’t actually own the east side of the park!

According to the land registry, the land at 14 Savage Drive was still owned by William Albert Savage, the owner when the Plan of Subdivision for the original development was registered with the Township of Goulbourn in 1958.

There were no taxes being paid on the property (it wasn’t even on the tax roll), and the park had been maintained by Goulbourn Township (and later the City of Ottawa) for as long as anyone can remember. I canvassed residents on the street, and one of the neighbours gave us an old subdivision map from 1958. The yellowed paper showed the park listed as “Block A” – clearly differentiated from the numbered lots where homes were built.

Still, the City would likely have to pursue an application to the court for a vesting order, to transfer the legal title to the land.

That would involve establishing that none of Savage’s heirs had any claim to the property. Savage died in 1970, and his wife Iva May Blackman died in 2013. The City’s legal department obtained their will and identified three children and several grandchildren. Eventually, one of William and Iva’s grandchildren living in Nova Scotia was identified as an heir.

Last month, I received an email from a City lawyer: “I’m happy to report that the transaction for 14 Savage Drive was completed this morning and the City is now the registered owner.”

In the end, the City of Ottawa acquired the land from George Albert Savage, the heir living in Nova Scotia, for a nominal fee of $1, avoiding a long and expensive court process. The City also had to pay a land transfer tax to the province in the amount of $4,353.

Now that Ottawa legally owns the park, we can get on with the upgrades. We’ll be reaching out to the Amberway community in the coming weeks to get that conversation started.

I want to thank Tim Marc and his legal team at the City for their diligence and persistence in resolving this issue.

(This post was published last week at glengower.ca)

“IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS IT WAS GONE,” wrote reporter Debbie Lawes in the Kanata Standard on Wednesday, June 8, 1988, a week after a wrecking crew tore down Hodgins House at the corner of Hazeldean Road and Terry Fox, to make way for a shopping plaza.

It was an unexpected and bitter end to a two-year effort by local residents to save the historic building, a stone mansion built in 1881 by William T. Hodgins, a Member of Parliament from 1891-1900 and one of the most influential landowners in the area in his day.

Here’s the story of the house, and how the community tried – and failed – to save it.

***

“LEADING LIGHTS OF THE HAZELDEAN COMMUNITY and the source of money behind the founding of Carp,” is how historian Bruce Elliott described the Hodgins family in the Kanata Standard (June 11, 1987).

William Thomas Hodgins was a third-generation Canadian member of an Irish family originally from County Tipperary, Ireland. His grandfather (also named William), settled in the area in the early 19th century and amassed a huge collection of land in what’s now western Ottawa.

William T. Hodgins was born on February 27, 1857 in Goulbourn. He married Anna B. Watt (born 1856) and they established a home on Hazeldean Road. It’s unclear whether William T. or his father John built the stone house. The cornerstone on the front of the house indicated 1881, and the land was bequeathed from father to son in 1883. The 1891 census recorded that William lived there with Anna, a labourer, and a female servant in the 10-room stone house.

Hodgins was known for his support of agricultural societies in the area, and was a director of the Central Canada Exhibition. He helped to organize the Monk Rural Telephone Company, one of the early phone services in the area.

As far as we know, William and Anna lived at the house for their entire lives. William died in 1909 at age 52, and Anna died two years later. They had no children. William and Anna are buried in the cemetery at Maple Grove Road and McCurdy Drive.

The house was inherited by Hodgins’ brother and sisters, who sold it to William P. Hand in 1912. Hand sold to Howard Richardson in 1920, then in 1946 it was purchased by Lt-Col. J.D. Macbeth, an officer in the Canadian Signal Corps. (He won the Croix de Guerre in World War II and served as executive assistant to the Minister of Veterans Affairs after the war.) Macbeth died in 1951 and his widow sold the home to Mr. and Mrs. Wilmer D. Kirby later that year. The Kirbys sold it to Burris and Barbara Bullman in 1959, who sold it to Carson Unsworth in 1963. (Source: Kanata Standard, June 18, 1987.)

***

ARCHITECTURALLY, HODGINS HOUSE WAS AN EXAMPLE of the Italianate style in the Picturesque tradition. It was notable for its craftsmanship and its large size — it would have been one of the biggest homes in the area. Here’s how historian Joanna Doherty described it in the Kanata Standard (May 14, 1987):

“William T. Hodgins and his wife Anna brought to Hazeldean a residential design that had a degree of sophistication which reflected their knowledge and love of the English Picturesque landscape tradition… The pale, reflective surface of the stone was said to accentuate the effects of light and shadow created by the foliage surrounding the building and the projecting elements in its design. This allowed the house to be a harmonious part of the overall scenic composition…

“The light grey stone composing the Hodgins’ house was finely dressed and hand tooled and hand textured…. expertly laid by craftsmen who demonstrated a knowledge of the finer elements of architectural style… perhaps the finest architectural feature of the house is its bay window. The window is not only beautiful in itself due to its fine stonework, but it reflects the height of Picturesque… it was important for the occupant to have a commanding view of his environment.”

***

BY THE LATE 1980s, much of the land surrounding the house to the south and east had been developed for housing, part of the Glen Cairn neighbourhood. The three remaining acres had been purchased by Taylor Developments.

The Taylor plan was to bulldoze the house to build a 35,000 square foot shopping plaza. The land was reported as being worth about $600,000 at the time.

When local heritage advocates got wind of Taylor’s proposal, they started looking for a way to stop the demolition.

The house should have easily qualified for heritage designation under the Ontario Heritage Act, passed in 1975, which could have at least delayed the demolition. But Kanata City Council at the time was looking towards the future, and had a mixed record when it came to protecting heritage buildings.

In January 1987, Kanata councillors rejected a proposal to establish a Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee (LACAC), a committee that was established in many other municipalities to advise councils on heritage issues. (In the amalgamated City of Ottawa today, the Built Heritage Committee – composed of councillors, architects and heritage experts – plays a similar role.)

“Council’s decision not to have a LACAC group is embarrassing. Kanata is the only city in Ontario without one,” Joanna Doherty told the Kanata Standard at the time.

Doherty, a Glen Cairn resident and architectural historian with Parks Canada, became the driving force behind a group that would try to save Hodgins House from the wrecking ball. In March 1987, she was part of the group of residents that formed the Kanata Architectural Conservation Society (KACS).

The group went to City Council and asked them to stop the demolition, but were denied because council didn’t want to spend money to purchase or renovate the building. In the previous five years the city had spent nearly $320,000 to help restore several heritage buildings including the mansion at Pinhey’s Point, and the Old Town Hall on March Road.

“Just don’t ask us to buy more buildings. We need a new leisure pool, an extra ice surface and more sidewalks in Kanata. Don’t force a lifetime of poverty on the owner of the residence,” said Alderman Bill Berry at the time.

The thing is, heritage designation didn’t have to cost the city anything. Designation does not tie the city to buy or maintain a building – that responsibility remains with the owner. And under the Heritage Act at the time, designation would have opened a 180-day window where the City could have negotiated with the property’s owner – in this case Taylor Developments – to conserve it and incorporate it into their plans. Doherty and the KACS group came up with a plan for that too.

In mid-April, Doherty presented council with an alternate concept plan drawn up by architects George Nichols and Debra Smilski. The stone house was incorporated into the corner strip mall, where it could have been used for a restaurant or professional offices.

The developer said the only way they’d support heritage designation was if residents were prepared to move the house somewhere else. Council ended up approving the strip mall as we know it today.

“It just didn’t fit. We’re not made of stone. We’re sympathetic. The previous council zoned the property commercial,” said Len Koffman, a lawyer for Taylor. He suggested donating the stones to the community or putting up a monument in a nearby park.

Reaction from the community was mixed.

“In its callous, short-sighted attitude to rush ahead with yet another ugly strip mall, council has shown that is [sic] has no sense of history, no concern for the total environment of our city and no commitment to good planning,” wrote Fred Boyd in a letter to the editor. “With a little imagination the historic house could have been saved and there could have been intelligent development of the land. The incredibly myopic stance of council and the insensitive attitude of the developer are inexcusable.”

“Funny, no one has asked myself and a lot of others who think that our taxes can be spent more wisely,” wrote Mark Boyer. “Old houses are very expensive to purchase, renovate and maintain. If they can save the Unsworth house what do they plan on doing with it? Move in? I hardly think so. How do they plan on funding the operation of this and other old houses?”

***

FAST FORWARD TO JANUARY 1988. The house is still standing, but the date with the wreckers is just weeks away. The Standard reports that the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada is set to recognize Hodgins House for its historical and architectural significance, in a report to be released in about six weeks. But would that be soon enough to make a difference?

Kanata Mayor Des Adam tells the Standard that the city’s hands are tied, because when the developer purchased the land, it was already zoned commercial, so they don’t need permission to tear down the house. (Although had Adam and his council decided to add heritage designation to the house, they could have delayed and possibly stopped its demolition.)

MARCH 1988. A plan is hatched to save the house by moving it to nearby Walter Baker Park (renamed Tony Graham Community Park in 2026), being developed across the street. City Council has offered a site in the park for the house.

The community continues to debate heritage and development in the letters page of the Standard.

“It should not be forgotten that the so called ‘ugliest development known to modern civilization’ the strip plaza provides essential goods and services to the surrounding community not to mention jobs. We should welcome commercial development and take strip plazas with a grain of salt. After all, they’re really not that unpleasant to look at,” writes Joel Walker.

“The presence of such landmarks… were swaying factors in my decision to move to Kanata. Their unique contribution helps to break the monotony of acre upon acre of sterile housing development,” writes Julie Joyce.

EARLY APRIL, 1988. “Hodgins house eludes date with wrecker’s ball,” says the headline in the Standard. Provincial cabinet minister Richard Patten has joined the fight.

“I’m optimistic we can save the house. I will be speaking to other (cabinet) ministers this week about the issue, and I should know something concrete within a couple of weeks after I’ve looked into the funding possibilities,” says the Ottawa Centre MPP.

The province offered to contribute 25% of the estimated $150,000 needed to move the 500-ton house. The City of Kanata would have to commit $75,000 and the community would fundraise the rest.

But although City Council was initially on board with the relocation plan, they had also gone ahead and issued a demolition permit. Mayor Adam says he’ll talk to Taylor to try to persuade him to hold off demolishing the house as long as possible.

MID-APRIL, 1988. “New developments spark hope for Hodgins House,” headlines the Standard. The City, the developer, and KACS are now working together again to come up with a plan to move the house to the new location. “After discussing the situation with mayor Des Adam, developer Brent Taylor, who wants to clear the site to make way for a strip plaza, agreed to delay demolition for at least one month,” says architect and KACS member George Nichols.

If the house is saved, it will likely become a centre for local arts groups.

Marianne Wilkinson, who served as mayor of Kanata from 1978-1985 (and more recently as an Ottawa city councillor in Kanata North from 2006-2018), writes a letter to the editor, calling Hodgins House “one of the finest buildings in the City of Kanata”.

“It’s long term value to the city, both historically and practically, is significant enough to warrant the city contributing its share of funds to move the house and place it on a foundation. Long term restoration is not needed now and can be funded in future years when a permanent use for the property, which could help in its funding, is determined.

“It is unfortunate that council did not initially insist that the house be incorporated in the site plan. Although I am aware that, in a narrow legal sense, this could not have been required, council has the ability to negotiate, cajole, encourage and otherwise ensure that the house was maintained and used without the necessity of any funds – that was the first lost opportunity.

“The second opportunity – to use the house as a fine feature of Walter Baker Park – is still available. Council should show foresight and sensitivity to this project by providing its share of the funds necessary for the relocation, new foundation and utility connections…

“A quality community remembers and protects its heritage. I recall the opposition to buying the Pinhey property but what a great long term asset we have there. The Hodgins house is architecturally superior to the Pinhey house and will be more accessible because of the location. Let’s not lose the second opportunity. Urge your members of council to demonstrate its leadership abilities and create a historical oasis in Walter Baker Park.”

***

MAY 1988. City council meets in-camera and decides not to fund the relocation of Hodgins House after all, citing ballooning costs (now estimated at $500,000, not $150,000).

“If those figures are legitimate, then there’s no point in continuing these discussions. We simply can’t afford it. It’s out of our league,” says Adam.

Adam also argues that he’s not convinced there’s enough public support. He says that during the last few weeks residents have come to him complaining “if the city has money for an old house, then why not for other more important projects.”

With the city pulling out, that puts the provincial funding in jeopardy, and catches MPP Patten by surprise.

“I didn’t realize the situation had changed,” said Patten. “I spoke to the mayor a month ago, and I thought we had an agreement all worked out. The funding for this project is a three-way arrangement and we (the provincial government) need an assurance from the city that it will accept responsibility for the building — that includes helping to fund the move.”

The community has come up with $7,000 in pledges to date.

On the same night, council grants the final site plan approval to Taylor Developments.

“The developer has said construction is expected to begin in about a month,” reports the Standard.

MAY 31, 1988. Demolition begins.

“The news of the demolition reached the Kanata Standard’s office almost simultaneously with word from the Minister of Government Services office that $37,500 in provincial funding could be obtained to pay for the relocation of the house.”

Members of KACS are shocked, and mount a protest. Work is temporarily halted over an alleged improper city permit. The Kanata OPP, the president of the wrecking company and the Kanata’s building inspector meet on the site to resolve the issue. The following morning, what’s left of the Hodgins home is levelled.

****

HODGINS HOUSE WAS DEMOLISHED, but it’s not all gone.

First, there are the trees. That big line of pine trees that separates the houses on Glenmoriston Avenue in Glen Cairn from the shopping plaza are the same trees that lined the east edge of the property, and that the people who lived in the house would have seen from their windows.

What’s beneath the trees is even more interesting. I’m almost certain some of the old stones are still there, over 30 years after it was demolished. Here’s a video I recorded in September 2016:

Other than that, there’s no sign of the mansion that stood there for over 100 years. The footprint of Hodgins House is roughly in the corner of the plaza where the Mattress Mart sits now. The landscaped garden in front of the home is now a parking lot and a McDonald’s.

***

I TRIED, UNSUCCESSFULLY, to reach Joanna Doherty, the leader of the KACS group. One of her colleagues thought she moved to a job in the United States, frustrated with the lack of interest and concern for history in Canada. George Nichols, the architect who drew up the alternate plans presented to Kanata Council, died of a heart attack while playing golf a few years back. Mayor Des Adam still lives in Kanata but he didn’t return my calls or emails.

I did talk to Marianne Wilkinson about what she remembered from the time. She recalled a separate development proposal that came a few years before Taylor Developments.

“There was a proposal to put up a housing development on that corner, townhouses and things, and save the house. The people living around there complained bitterly. They didn’t want that there. I said ‘if you don’t do this, you could get something worse’ and they sure did,” she said.

“I was opposed to strip mall developments along Hazeldean Road. We had a few already but I said we had enough. Des Adam said ‘if they own the land and want to do it, they can do it’.”

“They could have designed a development there that maintained the house,” she said. “It was a big enough house they could have turned it into something. It was like Cabotto’s.”

“It’s nice to have some understanding of where you come from as well as where you’re going. Buildings give you a sense of that history a little bit. You don’t have to preserve them all, and you don’t want to reserve only the beautiful ones. [Hodgins House] was a beautiful one.”

We’re nearing the half-way point of the municipal election campaign in Ontario.

During my two campaigns, this mid-summer period was a slog. The initial excitement from the launch was behind us. Door knocking was hot and sweaty on humid summer days. Some of my key volunteers were away on summer vacation. I’d already visited thousands of homes, but wondered if I’d have time to get to the thousands remaining before October. It was a huge effort to get attention to my platform, and many residents still didn’t even realize there was an election in the fall.

But most of all, we had a cash flow problem. Fundraising was going “ok” but we were nowhere close to our budget goal. So far the expenses were manageable, mostly printing costs for our flyers. But our lawn sign order was looming, and we would need a few thousand dollars more to pay the supplier.

Any time we had a rainy day, I would fundraise: phone calls, emails, contacting anyone I could think of – inside or outside of the ward – for a little bit of cash so that we could keep the campaign going. It was the worst part of running a municipal election campaign.

***

Putting myself into the door-knocking shoes of this year’s candidates, I bet most of them are in the same spot that I was. If you follow any candidate on social media, you’ll see that most of them are posting appeals for donations.

So I want to encourage anyone reading this: go and make a donation to a municipal election candidate.

You can donate up to $1,200 to a single candidate, but every amount makes a big difference. It helps with their cash flow requirements, and it also gives them a big psychological boost at a point in the campaign when they need it most.

It’s easy to make a donation. Many candidates accept credit cards on their web site, or e-transfer via email. Send them an email and ask what they prefer.

Can’t decide on a candidate yet? You could even split your donation between two or three people.

Just about every municipal council candidate, even incumbents, are operating on a very modest campaign budget. Money raised goes mostly goes towards flyers and signs, audit fees, and a couple of campaign events. Other costs could include bank and credit card fees, web hosting, clipboards and pens, campaign buttons, volunteer t-shirts, etc. There’s not enough to rent a campaign office or to pay staff.

Many have taken a leave of absence from work, so not only do they need to come up with $10,000-$15,000, they have no personal income to pull from.

Your donation will have a direct impact on the campaign, and the candidates.

***

By the numbers

In 2022 I raised $14,088 from 93 donors. (I also had a few in-kind donations for services, and contributed about $3,000 of my own money to the campaign.)

• The average donation was $151.48; the median donation was $100.

• 67 donors lived in Stittsville, or 72% of the total.

• Only seven people donated more than $250 to my campaign.

In 2018 I raised $12,419 from 116 donors.

• The average donation was $107.06; the median donation was $100.

• 58 donors lived in Stittsville, or 50% of the total. (Many friends and family helped out in the first campaign.)

• Only five people donated more than $250.

***

What are the rules for campaign donations?

• Any Ontario resident can make a contribution to an Ontario municipal election campaign.

• Corporations, businesses, and trade unions are not permitted to make contributions.

• Groups such as clubs, associations or ratepayer’s groups are not eligible to make contributions.

• Federal or provincial political parties, constituency associations, or registered federal/provincial candidates cannot make contributions.

• Individuals can donate up to $1,200 to a single candidate; unless it’s a candidate for Mayor of the City of Toronto, where the limit is $2,500.

• The maximum total amount that a contributor can give to candidates in the same jurisdiction (for example, running for the same council or for the same school board) is $5,000.

• All contributions above $25 must be made by cheque, money order, or by a method that clearly shows where the funds came from (such as certain debit, credit or electronic transfer transactions).

• Complete contribution rules are available here…

Municipal contributions are not tax-deductible, however many candidates in Ottawa participate in the municipal contribution rebate program.

***

(I deliberately haven’t mentioned the developer donation issue, which is a perennial topic in municipal campaigns in Ottawa. I’ll probably write a separate post about that. I will say this: If you are concerned about developer donations, a very good antidote would be to make your own donation to a candidate.)

***

The municipal election is on October 26, 2026. Here’s a list of candidates registered so far in Ottawa.

We’re now less than 100 days until municipal election day on October 26, 2026. We’re also about a month away from the nomination deadline on August 21.

By my count there are 67 candidates registered so far for the 24 ward races and for Mayor – an average of 2.68 per seat at the council table. I hope that more candidates sign up to run, especially in the seven wards where there’s only one candidate registered.

(I am not running for re-election.)

When I meet with candidates and prospective candidates, they often ask what a councillor’s job actually entails. Here’s how I would describe it.

There are 25 people on city council: 24 councillors plus one mayor. Each councillor represents a different geographic area of the Ottawa, and we all have an equal vote – even the mayor.

Councillors help residents with any city service. The city looks after just about anything that has to do with your local neighbourhood except for schools and healthcare. There are over 160 distinct service areas that the city offers, including things like clean drinking water, picking up your garbage and compost, parks maintenance, streetlights, snow plowing, emergency services, social services supports, and much more.

There are four main parts to the role:

1. My job as a ward councillor is to be your voice, or a sort of “ombudsperson” to help you resolve any issues. Councillors are not city employees and we are independent from city staff, but we have access to information and contacts to help residents solve problems. Perhaps you’re not happy with the level of service, or you’re not sure who to contact for assistance, or you have a complex issue that nobody has been able to resolve. That’s when you can call us. (Otherwise, please make a service request to ottawa.ca/311/.)

2. My job as a city councillor is to set the direction and provide oversight over how the city operates. We set a city budget, develop bylaws, and advocate for new policies to try to address city-wide issues and make life better in Ottawa—things like affordable housing, transit, climate change, and safety.

3. Another role of a councillor is about community building: working with other individuals and organizations within the community on projects that are important to Stittsville. For example: We’ve done a lot of work on revitalizing Stittsville Main Street, we’ve established a diversity committee to identify gaps and provide more services for newcomers to Stittsville, and we’re working on bringing a health hub to Stittsville.

4. We are communicators, providing a conduit between City Hall and residents. We make sure you know what’s going on in the city and in the local community, and we share your concerns and ideas with municipal staff. That can be through email newsletters, traditional media, video, social media, and so on.

5. Other duties as required. There are always surprises.

Councillors weigh these responsibilities differently, and each person has strengths in different areas. I rank the “solving problems for residents” and “communication” as the highest priorities, but each aspect is important. (My favourite, and the most rewarding aspect, is the community building.)

If you’re thinking about running and have any questions, please get in touch! We’re now less than 100 days until municipal election day on October 26, 2026. We’re also about a month away from the nomination deadline on August 21.

By my count there are 67 candidates registered so far for the 24 ward races and for Mayor – an average of 2.68 per seat at the council table. I hope that more candidates sign up to run, especially in the seven wards where there’s only one candidate registered.

(I am not running for re-election.)

In meeting with candidates and prospective candidates, they often ask what a councillor’s job entails. Here’s how I would describe the work.

There are 25 people on city council: 24 councillors plus one mayor. Each councillor represents a different neighborhood in the community, and we all have an equal vote – even the mayor.

Councillors help residents with any city service. The city looks after just about anything that has to do with your local neighborhood except for schools and healthcare. There are over 160 distinct service areas that the city offers, including everything from clean drinking water to picking up your garbage, to parks maintenance, to streetlights and road maintenance, emergency services, social services supports, and much more.

There are four main parts to the role:

My job as a ward councillor is to be your voice, or a sort of ombudsperson to help you resolve any issues. Councillors are not city employees and we are independent from city staff, but we have access to information and contacts to help residents solve problems. Perhaps you’re not happy with the level of service, or you’re not sure who to contact for assistance, or you have a complex issue that nobody has been able to resolve. That’s when you can call us. (Otherwise, please make a service request to ottawa.ca/311/.)

My job as a city councillor is to set the direction and provide oversight over how the city operates. We set a city budget, develop bylaws, and advocate for new policies to try to address city-wide issues and make life better in Ottawa—things like affordable housing, transit, climate change, and safety.

Another role of a councillor—something that I really enjoy—is about community building: working with other individuals and organizations within the community on projects that are important to Stittsville. For example: We’ve done a lot of work on revitalizing Stittsville Main Street, we’ve established a diversity committee to identify gaps and provide more services for newcomers to Stittsville, and we’re working on bringing a health hub to Stittsville.

We are communicators, providing a conduit between City Hall and residents. We make sure you know what’s going on in the city and in the local community, and we share your concerns and ideas with municipal staff. That can be through email newsletters, traditional media, video, social media, and so on.

Other duties as required. There are always surprises.

Councillors weigh these responsibilities differently, and each person has strengths in different areas. I rank the “solving problems for residents” and “communication” as the highest priorities, but each aspect is important. (My favourite, and the most rewarding aspect, is the community building.)

If you’re thinking about running and have any questions, please get in touch! I would really like to see multiple candidates registered in every ward for this election.

• Recommended reading: My former council colleague Keith Egli is also writing about the campaign with information for candidates.

Door knocking, also known as canvassing. The central activity of any municipal campaign. I really enjoyed doing this in 2018 and 2022, but it does take up a ton of time and energy for candidates and volunteers. Several candidates have asked for some of my tips, so here they are.

Do:

• Dress for the weather. (Shorts and t-shirt are fine, no need to be too formal.)

• Wear a button to identify yourself.

• Respect “no soliciting” signs. I know you’re not technically soliciting, but if someone has a sign up, take the hint that they don’t want to be bothered. Move along to the next house.

• Knock on the door, instead of ringing the bell. (Ask me about my signature knock.)

• Visit late morning, afternoon, and especially in the early evening, when more people tend to be home from work.

• When someone answers, tell them a) your name, b) what office you’re running for, c) ask if they have a couple minutes to chat.

• If they don’t have time to chat, thank them for their time and ask them to please remember to vote on October 26.

• If they do have time, have your quick 15-second pitch ready: “I’m running because x-y-z, any ideas or concerns for the neighbourhood?” (You will say this several thousand times during the campaign.)

• You can let the conversation flow from there. A few follow-up questions if you need them: “What issues are important for you? Any young voters in your household? How long have you lived on the street? Have any other candidates been to your door so far? Are you planning to vote?”

• Most residents will be happy to chat for 2 or 3 minutes, if it goes longer than that, ask to take down their phone number so you can set up a time to talk in more detail. (Rainy days are great for follow-up calls.)

• Compliment people on their gardening skills, their brightly covered door, their creative welcome mat. Write down their dog’s name.

• Use a simple clipboard and paper to take notes, instead of tablet or smartphone.

• If you can, get a name, an email, a phone number, and track their voting intention (supporter? not a supporter? neutral?)

• Accept offers to refill your water bottle.

• Ask: “Would you like a lawn sign?”

• Ask: “Anyone else on the street I should talk to?”

• If nobody’s home, leave your flyer in a secure place where it won’t blow away. (I was surprised how many people do not have a mailbox these days.)

• Take photos: with your volunteers, of street signs, of decorated mailboxes, of neighbourhood landmarks.

• Keep in mind there’s a very good chance you’re being recorded on a doorbell camera.

• Keep track of your step count over the campaign.

Don’t:

• Go alone. Bring a volunteer for moral support and for safety.

• Go inside.

• Canvass after dark.

• Walk across lawns.

• Spend too long at any single door, you’ve got thousands of people to meet this summer.

• Ask your volunteers to explain your platform or ideas. (Your volunteers should be focused on identifying people who really want to talk to you, and then send you to the door for a follow-up.)

• Canvass during extreme weather, like thunderstorms or dangerous heat. Safety first, for you and your volunteers. Also “rain-drenched candidate” is not great for making a first impression.

Also:

• By and large, people are extremely friendly and respectful at the door. I’ve knocked on thousands of doors over two campaigns, and have had fewer than 10 negative interactions. They were all memorable in their own way, like the time someone mistook me for Pierre Poilievre.

• In 2018, we estimated that about 1-in-3 people answered the door. In 2022, that number was more like 1-in-4 or 1-in-5, perhaps due to the pandemic? I am curious what candidates encounter in 2026.

• You may think you know your community, but you really have no idea until you’ve spent all summer knocking on doors in different neighbourhoods.

In July and August, Ottawa youth ages 11-18 will be able to ride OC Transpo free of charge.

This new program was approved by City Council back in December during our annual budget process but I feel like it’s still under the radar for many families in the community. You’ll see more advertising and promotion over the next couple of weeks.

I’m hoping it will encourage young people to try out transit, gain some independence, and reduce the number of times they’re asking parents to drive them somewhere, or take an Uber.

The program runs from July 1 until August 31, and applies to all OC Transpo buses, trains and Para Transpo.

To qualify, youth will have to:

1. Purchase a Presto card if they don’t already have one. Presto cards cost $4.00 and 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 the 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 the card on the fare gate (trains) or fare reader (buses) to board for free.

After the summer: As of September 1, pre-teens and youth can ride free on weekday evenings (after 5 pm), plus weekends and holidays for the rest of the year with a Presto card. Outside of these times, regular fares apply.

Kids 10 and under ride for free all year round

If you’re taking a bus, Para Transpo, or Para Transpo Rural, kids 10 and under can board without paying a fare. If you’re taking the O-Train, they can either:

• Enter at the accessible (wide) fare gate with a fare-paying adult.

• If you’re riding alone, tap through the fare gate with a special Child card.

More information at OCTranspo.com…

In March, the Province announced that it would suspend all funding for Consumption and Treatment Service sites (sometimes called “supervised injection sites” or even “safe injection sites”) in Ottawa. That effectively means a forced shut-down by June 13 for two sites in Ottawa1.

Shutting down these services is like removing defibrillators from community centres, or taking life preservers away from beaches. The sites are staffed by trained professionals (for example, nurses and harm‑reduction workers) who monitor for overdoses and intervene immediately with oxygen, naloxone, and other emergency measures to literally save lives.

I’m sharing a memo sent last week to City Council from Dr. Trevor Arnason, Medical Officer of Health, Ottawa Public Health, and Clara Freire, General Manager, of Community and Social Services for the City of Ottawa. (I’ve added some highlights for emphasis.)

Subject: Coordinated local response to provincial decision on funding suspension of consumption and treatment service sites

On March 16, 2026, the Province of Ontario announced it will suspend funding for all Consumption and Treatment Service (CTS) sites across Ontario in communities that are supported by an existing Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub within 90 days. The purpose of this memo is to provide Members of Council with an overview of anticipated community and client impacts related to this decision and the City of Ottawa’s efforts to mitigate these impacts in partnership with Ottawa Public Health (OPH).

Anticipated impacts

The current CTS sites in Ottawa (Ottawa Inner City Health and Sandy Hill Community Health Centre) are expected to close as they will no longer be financially viable with the suspension of provincial funding. It is anticipated that this will cause a series of impacts to clients, including increased likelihood of overdose and subsequent adverse health outcomes such as brain injury and death. In Ottawa, there are currently approximately 1,750 unique clients who access the CTS sites annually. Clients will often access these sites multiple times in a day or week. On average combined, these sites see approximately 5,500 client visits per month. And while HART Hubs operate in Ottawa, they do not provide the supervised consumption or harm reduction services that these clients seek.

It is expected that with more incidences of overdose, there will be additional pressures on emergency first responders (paramedics, fire, special constables, and police), local hospitals and other community health and social service resources.

Additionally, the closure of these sites is also likely to lead to more visible drug use, social disorder, public safety concerns and increased discarded drug paraphernalia in the community, putting additional pressure on municipal services such as By-Law, Public Works and Transit Services.

Coordinated local response

The Ministry of Health has recently identified Ontario Health (East Region) as the lead agency responsible for convening local interest holders on plans to address the closure of CTS sites. OPH and the City of Ottawa are engaging with Ontario Health in this planning. Additionally, continued engagement of key groups, like the Ottawa Overdose Prevention and Response Task Force and the ByWard Market Revitalization Steering Committee, along with regular sharing of data amongst partners has strengthened the capacity for information sharing and mitigation planning within existing mandates and resources.

New and ongoing services for clients

OPH continues to provide harm reduction services including naloxone distribution and referrals to health and social services through its clinic at 179 Clarence Street and mobile harm reduction van. Additionally, OPH partners with over 45 community agencies to offer harm reduction services across the city, including community health centres, drop-in centres, supportive housing sites, and Indigenous-led services.

Recognizing the increase in demand to serve clients in the downtown core of the city while needing to maintain response times across the municipality, the Ottawa Paramedic Service deploys an Advanced Care Paramedic in Lowertown (ByWard Market and Sandy Hill) and Centretown neighborhoods. These paramedics receive enhanced and ongoing training in substance use health, substance use disorder, mental health, and wound care. Additionally, they receive training in cultural considerations, including Indigenous Cultural Safety training. They provide preventative and urgent care, outreach and regularly collaborate with community partners.

To improve care options for clients, the Ottawa Paramedic Service has partnered with Inner City Health and The Ottawa Hospital on the Targeted Engagement and Diversion program.

Paramedics are also permitted to transport patients to the Shepherds of Good Hope, which provides ongoing medical attention, monitoring, and care coordination for patients who are unhoused or precariously housed.

Additionally, to better serve clients seeking housing and other health and social services support, the Community and Social Services Department is strengthening its outreach and community response through the Unsheltered Homelessness Outreach Model (UHOM). City staff are collaborating with community service providers to redesign an outreach model that consolidates 11 providers under a single coordinated lead agency to improve integration, data sharing, responsiveness, and real-time case management. Starting in September 2026, a new centralized dispatch and assessment function, accessed via 3-1-1, will support this work and will provide residents, businesses, and clients with a clearer and more reliable mechanism to report concerns. The selected agency and transition strategy will be announced in June.

Other community resources and services

To respond to discarded drug paraphernalia, the City has enhanced its monitoring and retrieval of needle and drug use equipment this year. Residents can report incidents of discarded needles and drug equipment through 3-1-1.

In addition, Public Works provides enhanced cleaning services in several key downtown areas including the Preston Street Business Improvement Area (BIA), Chinatown BIA, Downtown BIA, Centretown BIA, Downtown Rideau BIA, the ByWard Market, and Elgin Street. In the ByWard Market, dedicated crews provide 24/7 patrol and cleaning operations to support the area’s high activity levels. Across the remaining downtown business improvement areas and corridors, locations are actively patrolled during daytime hours and supported by 24/7 operational crews when required. Ongoing monitoring ensures timely response to hotspots and helps prevent overflow, supporting a clean and safe downtown environment. Key maintenance activities include active patrolling, street and sidewalk sweeping, debris and litter cleanup (including biohazardous materials, sharps and hazardous waste), and collection from on-street bins.

To further support the initiatives outlined above and in response to increased public safety and security concerns in the transit network, OC Transpo is in the process of implementing a comprehensive Public Safety Strategy. This strategy is composed of eight key pillars supported by various activities, initiatives, and programs designed to improve safety and security throughout the entire transit system. Examples of initiatives include the new Special Constable Unit (SCU) Community Visibility Team, enhancing safety in public washrooms on the rail network including the installation of secure needle drop boxes, and exploring further partnership between the SCU and existing City outreach teams, the Ottawa Police Service and external partners to jointly provide aid to individuals in mental health and/or substance use crisis. Station cleaning activities, including the removal of discarded needles, vandalism, and graffiti continue to be a key area of focus. All Special Constables receive extensive training, including medical first responder certification and how to properly and safely administer naloxone.

OC Transpo is revitalizing the Rideau Station as part of a Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design review. This work will help to support other City initiatives, including the ByWard Market Revitalization Framework and Action Plan. OC Transpo is currently evaluating the feasibility of a dedicated public-facing SCU operations hub at Rideau Station which is anticipated to enhance visibility in addition to safety (both actual and perceived) in one of the transit system’s highest-demand locations.

Additionally, the City is providing $500,000 annually for two years, beginning in 2026, to the ByWard Market District Authority to fund enhanced security measures. This initiative will prioritize the safety and experience of residents, visitors, and businesses by providing a visible and approachable presence throughout the district, while working closely with partner agencies to connect individuals to appropriate services and coordinate responses to emerging issues.

Further safety and security enhancements in the ByWard Market and the downtown core are also before Council’s consideration on May 27. This report recommends reallocating funding from the Ontario-Ottawa agreement to a series of implementation-ready initiatives that support public safety, placemaking, accessibility, economic activity and the visitor experience.

As well, in order to enhance public safety in the ByWard Market, Rideau Street, Lowertown, Sandy Hill and Centretown areas, the Ottawa Police Service’s Community Outreach, Response and Engagement (CORE) Strategy focuses on reducing crime in specific areas of Ottawa by addressing root causes. Objectives include safer communities, decreased crime, support for vulnerable community members and community-led solutions.

Key components of CORE include the Neighbourhood Operations Centre (NOC), located in the Rideau Centre, which serves as a vital coordination hub to enhance police presence and collaboration with local partners. It focuses on enforcement efforts, on addressing the root causes of low-level crime, and on community engagement, which is at the heart of the strategy. CORE is actioned by increasing visible police and Special Constable presence in high-priority areas to deter and prevent crime, enhance safety and provide visible reassurance to the community.

Recognizing that many low-level, non-violent crimes are linked to complex issues such as substance use, homelessness, and mental health challenges (areas where traditional law enforcement and criminal justice solutions are not effective), OPS has collaborated with over 30 community partners to develop the Integrated Community Situation Table. The program offers comprehensive wrap-around services, including medical care, addiction treatment, mental health support, legal assistance, and housing options.

Next Steps

OPH will continue to engage with Ontario Health and other partners, and the City will coordinate municipal services among key departments, including paramedics, police and public works to mitigate and manage impacts related to expected CTS site closures. There is no new funding to enhance responses.

Staff will continue to provide City Council and the Board of Health with updates as this process unfolds.

Sincerely,

Dr. Trevor Arnason, Medical Officer of Health, Ottawa Public Health
Clara Freire, General Manager, Community and Social Services

Q: What is the signage being installed?

A: To accommodate the construction of the Stage 2 LRT guideway tunnel, the original overhead sign was removed. The westbound sign will direct drivers to Highways 416 and 417 and provide guidance for local exits to Greenbank Road and Pinecrest Road.

Original sign:

New sign:

Q: What is the actual construction work being done?

A: The current phase of work involves construction of the sign support foundations, including excavation, drilling, installations of reinforcements, concrete works, reinstatement of the median barrier, asphalt works at the median, underground electrical conduit installation for median lighting continuity and associated traffic staging. Additional activities related to sign structure erection and commissioning will occur in future phases and will take place during an overnight closure to minimize additional disruptions.

Q: Were there other alternatives analyzed that would have had less impact?

A: Options were analyzed and developed in coordination with the Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO) regarding design and construction options. The design and construction plan that is being implemented is the design that was accepted by the MTO.

Q: Are there regulatory (mandatory) requirements for this sign or is it a “nice-to-have”?

A: The sign requirements are in accordance with the MTO’s regulations and standards. As indicated above the original overhead sign was removed to accommodate the Stage 2 tunnel works.

Q: The construction began in early May – why haven’t we seen very much work at the site?

A: During the first two weeks, work activities included temporary lighting continuity modifications within the median, asphalt and median barrier removals, utility and drainage investigations, and assessment of potential conflicts between the proposed sign footing and the existing storm sewer system. These activities were necessary prior to commencing major foundation works.

Q: Have any measurements been done to quantify the amount of traffic congestion and other issues that the lane closures have caused?

A: Traffic operations and congestion impacts continue to be monitored throughout construction. As part of mitigation efforts, the bus-only ramp from Woodroffe to westbound Highway 417 has been temporarily opened to general traffic to help reduce congestion and improve westbound traffic flow. Traffic counts are taken throughout construction so the impact of mitigation measures can be reviewed analytically.

Q: Why will this take until July to complete?

A: The median sign foundation consists of a deep foundation system requiring caisson installation. The work involves multiple sequential operations, including excavation, drilling, reinforcement placement, concrete installation, curing periods, and restoration activities, all within a constrained highway environment.

These works involve invasive construction activities within the highway median and require a safe and stable work zone for both workers and the traveling public. Due to the nature of the operations, temporary short-duration closures were not feasible to safely complete the required work activities.

Work is now expected to be wrapped up by July 6, three weeks ahead of the original schedule.

We understand the impacts this congestion has on residents. We will continue to look for ways to improve the flow of traffic and accelerate the schedule for this work, where possible. We appreciate your patience during this mandatory work.

There’s a new housing development being proposed for 319 Huntmar Drive next to Tanger Outlets in Kanata. Back in 2015, the site was being considered for “Phase 2” of Tanger Outlets, including a hotel and restaurants. The archaeological assessment submitted by Nicholas R. Adams for Adams Heritage (June 30, 2009) and the accompanying photos of artifacts recovered during a survey, made for a really interesting story.

Here’s a story about that assessment that I wrote for StittsvilleCentral.ca in 2015.

(Above: This old crab apple tree just south of Tanger Outlets led archaeologists to the site of a the 19th century Burroughs Farm. Photo by Glen Gower / September 2015.)

It’s hard to imagine Kanata/Stittsville without an NHL arena, without big box stores, without the Queensway. But every once in a while, we get a little reminder of what this area used to be like when it was known as one of the finest farming communities in Eastern Ontario.

Within the next couple of years, pending development approvals, the second phase of Tanger Outlets will be built, including a hotel and restaurants. Phase Two will be built between the Queensway and Feedmill Creek, the waterway that flows from west to east across the property.

According to the development plan, archaeological features next to the creek will be preserved and incorporated into the landscaping of a park on the site.

Fotenn, the consulting company that’s developing plans for the site, couldn’t tell me exactly what that park would look like, or what those foundations are, but they appear to be remains from one of two farmsteads that operated on the site.

In 2009, as part of an archaeological assessment of the site, a team of researchers led by archaeologist Nicholas Adams uncovered the remains of the George Burroughs farmstead, a farming operation from the early 1840s until the 1870s.

They also found the remains of structures from a later farm that operated on the land until at least the early 1990s.

What’s interesting is how they came across the old farm: It was all thanks to a crab apple tree.

The archaeological team first noticed the tree while surveying the site in early spring 2009, and recognized right away that there was something different about it.

“A large sunken feature surrounding an old crab apple tree was the first indication that an historic archaeological site was present between Feedmill Creek and Highway 417 in the southeastern quadrant of the property.”

“Although this feature lay in close proximity to the remains of the more modern farm, it was evidently of some antiquity since the tree growing from its centre was clearly old.”

Further excavation of the area uncovered artifacts and evidence of a farm that operated in the mid-19th century.

Based on old maps, census data and other historical references, we can get a pretty good idea of who owned the land over the years, and what was on it.

Adams outlines the likely ownership of the property and farm in the report:

The 1851 Personal Census shows George, his wife Anne and their several children, all of whom were born in Upper Canada beginning about 1831. The family lived near John Burroughs. A John Burroughs, who emigrated from Mothell, Kilkenny … appears on the 1822 Census for Huntley, so the presence of other Burroughs families may represent chain immigration of a large family group.

In 1851, George Burroughs had fifty acres cleared, of which twenty were in crop, and thirty in pasture. He was present in the township through to his death in 1879. The 1871 Census records him as having one house, 1 storehouse, four barns and stables, and a large number of agricultural implements.

It also records that 80 acres of his total of 250 acres were cleared. We know that the Burroughs family owned other farms in the area, but it is not clear how much of the farm on Lot 3 was cleared at the time.

His wife, Ann Booth Burroughs, appears on the 1881 Census, living next to her son, Benjamin. Ann died in 1882, and in 1885/6, Benjamin Burroughs is listed in a local directory as the owner of part of Concession 1, Lot 3. The Burroughs family also owned Lot 1, Concession 1, and Lot 2, Concession 2, at this time.

Walling’s Map of 1863 shows a structure on the property, close to the southern boundary of the lot, with a significant setback from the township line. A map of 1878 suggests that in the intervening years the house location had changed. On this map, in Belden’s Historical Atlas, the house is shown closer to the township line, and near the northerly property boundary, in close proximity to the Black Farm.

It’s possible the original house on the 1863 map burned in the great fire of 1870. Most homes and buildings in the area were obliterated by the fire.

(The Burroughs would eventually sell Lot 1, Concession 1 to James and Jane Boyd, who I’ve written about previously.)

***

A number of artifacts were found that are believed to date from between 1840-1879, including hand-painted dishes, window glass, a cast iron kettle and a green glass bottle. They also found what they believed to be an old fence line, marked by a lilac bush and a line of maple trees.

The items found are useful for establishing a date of the farm that was there, but don’t have any special significance themselves.

“Toy guns (are) not so common, but typical of the kind of twentieth century trash one can anticipate from a farmyard that has been in active use well into the twentieth century,” says Adams.

“Same with the pottery. Usually we find smaller bits, but people create garbage and since a broken plate is no longer useful, it gets thrown out to wherever garbage is thrown. The same materials could be found around old farmsteads on every single 100 acre piece of property in Carleton County (or the whole of eastern Ontario, for that matter). So no, not rare, not unusual and not particularly interesting,” he says.

The site has been registered as “BhFx-40”, and notes that it should be preserved and protected from any development activities.

It’s not entirely clear what will happen to the tree or the archaeological remains when Tanger’s Phase Two is built.

The tree itself is visible from the road south of the current Tanger mall, near the children’s playground. It’s surrounded by protective fencing, as are two other large trees nearby. The area is grown over with weeds, and there are a few newly-planted trees, but the crab apple tree still stands out.

Earlier this year I asked Fotenn, the company that developed the plan for the site, about what will happen to the trees and the remains of the farm.

“At this point, RioCan and Tanger are considering the options for the site. The site plan that was submitted to the City is still very much in flux and is subject to change based on lease deals, revisions responding to city comments, etc. We continue to work with the City and the Province regarding the archaeology present on the site,” replied planner Paul Black.

***

I wonder if George and Ann Burroughs could ever have imagined what Concession 1, Lot 3 of Huntley would eventually become, with outlet stores across the creek and a highway next door? What would they think, what would they say if they could see their farm today?

Post script: The proposed hotel and restaurants were never built. Plans for the new housing proposal, published in May 2026, would avoid development on the most archaeologically significant part of the Burroughs Farm. And it looks like they’re planning to name the development “The Burroughs”, as a nod to the land’s history.

Here is a copy of his speaking notes, plus a media hand-out distributed today. We’ll get additional information at Transit Committee on Thursday. (I’ve added bold at the start of each section for clarity.)

Check against delivery

Good morning, Bonjour.

Thank you, Mayor. It’s my honour to be here today in the role of General Manager of OC Transpo in our Nation’s Capital.

In my first 30-days here, I have spent time listening and speaking to customers, union leaders, employees, and members of Council.

I have received a lot of feedback, and I appreciate all of the discussions.

Today, I’d like to talk to you about my initial assessment and the 10 points that will drive change in our transit system.

Since joining the City of Ottawa, I have been using our bus and O-Train system, and I’ve visited our control centre and garages to see them in action.

I am excited by the potential to improve transit in Ottawa.

I have said it before and I mean it, the sorts of issues OC Transpo has experienced are not unique to Ottawa. Transit agencies across North America have all faced similar issues.

City Council has invested in the bus fleet, O-Train, new Para Transpo vehicles, infrastructure upgrades as well as customer improvements and technology that lay a solid foundation for good transit service.

We have all the components to turn the page and improve OC Transpo service reliability for our customers.

My job is to turn those initiatives into real improvements residents can see and feel in a strong, more reliable transit system that is worthy of our capital city.

Based on my initial 30-day assessment, I have created OC Transpo’s Customer-First Action Plan.

This plan is grounded in one core principle: improving the customer experience at every step of the transit journey.

We want to build the most customer-focused transit service in Canada.

This action plan has four key areas of focus to drive results:

• Make service reliable

• Put customers first

• Strengthen financial stability

• Build a sustainable workforce

These areas reflect the clear direction the City Manager has provided to me, further supported by the Mayor and Transit Committee Chair, who are here with me today, as well as the feedback I’ve received so far and my experience at other transit agencies.

Improvements in all of these areas translates into the transit system this City expects and deserves – reliable, predictable and sustainable.

At the Transit Committee on Thursday, I’ll go into more details about the action plan. For now, I’d like to provide an overview of how we will drive change through this plan.

First, we need to make service more reliable.

We must improve the reliability of our O-Train, bus and Para Transpo services.

As I mentioned, the direction made clear to me on my first day was to restore capacity to Line 1. We’re making progress here.

I’m pleased to be able to say that double-car trains will be back in operation by mid-June.

Line 1 will have the capacity to welcome everyone, whether they’re returning to the office more often or taking part in Canada Day celebrations or Bluesfest this summer.

I’d like to let you know that in my short time here, I have observed that the O-Train service is frequent and reliable.

We have a positive and collaborative relationship with our maintainers – Rideau Transit Group and Alstom. Today I can tell you that they will join us at Thursday’s Transit Committee to answer questions about getting back to the capacity residents expect.

The second clear direction to me was to build back bus reliability.

We know that our customers’ experience of buses arriving on-time at their stops is only about 65 to 70 per cent.

We know we can improve this. To get there, we need to have:

• buses that are reliable

• and a schedule that is attainable.

Maintaining 20-year-old buses is very, very difficult.

Our intent will be to re-focus the way we plan maintenance. Right now, our team splits their time almost equally on corrective repairs and preventative work.

This needs to change.

We should spend 80 per cent of our time on preventative maintenance and only 20 per cent on corrective work.

We have a clear path when it comes to our fleet:

• Over the course of the next year, focus on putting into service new zero emission buses and the new 60-foot buses the City has purchased,

• Prioritize our maintenance hours on vehicles that will be dependable for customers, and

• Retire the least reliable buses that require the most frequent and intensive repairs.

The good news is that I have seen service start to improve.

I am confident that we will continue to see significant improvements in the coming months.

As I mentioned earlier, the second component is adjusting our schedules to reflect real travel times. We want our customers to have schedules they can rely on.

This action also addresses what I have heard from our union leaders and frontline operators.

We have already added time to the schedules of a number of routes to account for real travel times. We’re going to continue to expedite this work until all necessary routes have been reviewed and updated.

Allocating accurate travel time will mean that schedules are predictable for customers.

Para Transpo customers are another important part of our transit service.

We have good discussions with Para Transpo customers, but we want to hear from you on how the service can continue to improve to support spontaneity, participation in the community and quality of life. As part of this plan, we’ll launch a new consultation process to hear how you would like to see Para Transpo continue to grow.

In the next area, our focus is enhancing how we put customers first.

I have said that this action plan will put customers first in every service-related decision that OC Transpo makes.

To do this, there are three action points:

• Customer safety and experience

• Communicate reliably, and

• Measure what matters to customers

These will shift operational decisions to deliver results for customers.

Part of service improvements is providing a clean, comfortable and safe experience on our vehicles and in our stations.

Our work here is already underway.

Our team is giving the entire bus, Para Transpo and O-Train system a deep clean for spring to increase customer comfort.

Our forthcoming Public Safety Strategy will outline a number of initiatives to improve comfort, safety and security on the system.

This strategy includes:

• The launch of the Special Constables’ community visibility team on bikes and foot patrols downtown

• In the coming weeks, you’ll see employees at Rideau Station as we put in new efforts to revitalize the station with repairs, signage and cleanliness

• And a more visible presence of our Special Constables and other employees across the network.

We’re also committed to ensuring our customers know the progress we’re making. Our commitment is to communicate regularly and effectively with customers to follow through on our priorities.

Finally, data will fuel our decisions. The data we use needs to reflect the daily experience of our customers, and our reporting needs to represent their real-life experience.

We’re developing new Key Performance Indicators that will help guide our discussions and decisions. By understanding what customers experience daily, we can better address their concerns.

I’m going to introduce KPIs at Transit Committee that will reflect the customer experience. For instance, we know that approximately 17 per cent of our fleet experiences issues while in service.

That means customers’ trips are impacted.

That needs to change, and we’ll report on how our efforts are making real improvements.

I’ll talk now about strengthening our financial stability.

Council has made significant investments in purchasing zero emission buses, improving the infrastructure around these buses, building a light rail system and customer improvements over the last number of years.

By uploading LRT to the Province, the City can eliminate $85 million in annual budget pressures creating capacity to reinvest in transit services, enhancing reliability, frequency and capacity while strengthening our financial position.

I look forward to working with the Mayor and our provincial colleagues to advance this very important work.

Another component to long-term financial viability and planning is building a 10-year capital investment plan for transit.

We’ll also make our federal partners aware of our long-term needs. We can deliver better transit when all levels of government are working together.

We are leaving no stone unturned to improve our bottom line.

The team is working to increase revenues from non-traditional sources, like digital advertising, and to bring OC Transpo’s program in line with other industry leaders. We are also pursuing innovative partnerships with major employers and other organizations to design fare packages that can result in additional revenue over the long term.

Finally …to do this, we need to build a sustainable workforce.

Our employees keep the entire transit system moving every day and they are our frontline ambassadors to customers. We want to ensure that they are supported, engaged and empowered so that we are the top transit employer in Canada.

Our integrated workforce strategy will accelerate recruitment of frontline positions that directly support service delivery.

These are mechanics, bus and Para Transpo operators and diesel and electric rail operators, as well as Controllers and Special Constables.

We have successfully hired nine mechanics since January, almost half of our target of 20 new mechanics this year to keep our buses running reliably.

In transit, we need to be two steps ahead of our hiring process and forecast our future needs.

I am also committed to building an engaged and informed workforce.

What you’ve heard today is the result of employee feedback, and I look forward to continuing these discussions.

I know it’s unusual to speak publicly ahead of Transit Committee, but I felt it was important to speak directly to customers.

Residents deserve to know that we have a clear plan to improve reliability, strengthen service, and rebuild confidence in OC Transpo.

I invite residents to tune into Thursday’s meeting at 9:30am to hear more about the work ahead. And I’ll be launching a series of town halls to hear directly from OC Transpo customers. I want their feedback and ideas on how we can improve service... I’m sure they have lots of things in mind.

Over the next 60 and 90 days, we will continue to peel the onion, to dig deeper to provide more details on the current state, the path forward and how we’ll achieve our goals and report back on our work.

I’m excited for OC Transpo’s future and realizing its full potential. As I said earlier, these issues are not unique to Ottawa.

OC Transpo has a solid foundation. There are good people who have the skills and passion to deliver quality service. From here we can build the transit service customers deserve and expect.

I am excited to bring my knowledge, experience, a fresh approach and direction to improving transit.

I would now like to invite Chair Gower to say a few words.

Thank you, Merci.

I was going to write an explainer piece about Ottawa’s Housing Accelerator Plan, and last week’s progress update at committee.

But Andrew Pinsent has already written a great summary! So go read that: “Ottawa Housing Acceleration Plan can’t outrun the markets”.

A snippet:

“The good news is that legitimate progress is being made on the plan itself: Of the 58 recommendations, more than half are complete, with the city on track to get to 78 percent by the end of this year.

But the update delivers a sobering bottom line alongside that progress.

Independent modelling from Bloomberg Associates finds virtually no typical housing development in Ottawa is financially viable right now, with high construction costs, interest rates, and a pullback by private capital all working against new builds.”

One change that would move the needle on housing starts would be to reduce municipal development charges (DCs). We should absolutely do that – but with a caveat.

Current Ottawa DCs are $57,827 for a single home inside the Greenbelt, and $64,634 for a single home outside. For a two-bedroom apartment, they’re $31,870 inside the Greenbelt and $34,752 outside.1

Those fees get passed on to renters as higher monthly rent, and to owners as a higher home price (plus extra cost for years to come as mortgage debt).

This raises all sorts of issues around equity, fairness, and priorities as Ontario faces a housing crisis. The right approach would be to substantially reduce DCs as soon as possible, and then phase in a complete elimination over the next decade.

Federal and provincial politicians have been calling for municipal DC cuts for years, and the development industry would welcome the move. But there’s a caveat: Other levels of government have to step up with an alternate funding source.

Ottawa’s DC revenue in 2025 was nearly $250-million, which gets used to fund new infrastructure like water pipes, sewers, major roads, transit, fire stations, libraries, and so on.

That’s a substantial amount of money for the City and not something that we can realistically shift to the property tax bill.

A potential solution: The provincial and federal governments say they want Ontario municipalities to cut DCs by up to 50%, and in return they’ll offer replacement money for infrastructure. They’ve earmarked $8.8-billion ($4.4-billion each) over the next ten years.

Exactly how this fund would work, and what qualifies, is not yet clear. They made the announcement at the end of March and we’re still waiting for details. I suspect it’s not nearly enough to fully offset the financial impact to Ottawa, but we’ll see.

(That uncertainty may actually be worsening the slowdown of housing starts, with developers holding off on projects while they wait to find out the details. Why start building now if you might save tens of thousands of dollars per unit if you wait a little longer?)

My colleague Steve Desroches noted that our city is but “a tiny ship in an ocean of economic forces”. We have advanced a ton of progressive, meaningful housing policy, process change, and economic incentives to spur more housing developments.

The other levels of government hold levers that are far, far more powerful.

About 40 people joined us on Saturday for the annual Jane’s Walk on Stittsville Main Street. It was part of the Ottawa Jane’s Walk Festival with dozens of free walking tours happening all over Ottawa (and many more happening around the world).

This year’s walk focused on the history, present state, and future of the street, and how it has transformed from “string town” to suburb. I’ve been leading this walk since 2016, and over ten years I’ve seen a lot of change on the street: Several new buildings, a lot of new businesses, new LED streetlamps, a new public square.

After ten years, it’s a good opportunity to take stock of where we’ve been, and where we may be going.

Photos by Mandy Hambly, Marlova Martin, and Laura Mueller.

Stittsville’s origin story

Indigenous people have lived in our area for millennia. There’s no direct evidence that they settled or travelled on what’s now Stittsville Main Street*, but their presence in the area is well-established. In 2006, during the construction of Holy Spirit Parish 1,200 metres away at Shea and Abbott, archeologists discovered over 800 artifacts dating back 9,000 years.

(*I have no idea when the street was first referred to as “Main Street”. It started being known as “Stittsville Main Street” sometime around the municipal amalgamation in 2000. Throughout this article I’ve used modern street names for clarity, although several streets have had different names over the years.)

The first settler surveys in this area were done around 1817 when it was largely swamp and forest. The road that would become “Stittsville Main Street” left the military settlement of Richmond and forged northward, staying fairly straight save for a few curves to avoid low, swampy areas. The road would intersect with another road (now Hazeldean Road) that crossed the northern end of Goulbourn Township from east to west, between the 11^th and 12^th concessions.

From that crossroads, you could have headed south to Richmond, north to Carp, east to Hazeldean and Bells Corners, or west to Carleton Place. Up sprang a small settlement at around 1820 around the triangle bounded today by Stittsville Main Street, Hazeldean Road, and Carp Road. By the 1840s this settlement was known as “Stitts Corners”. Jackson Stitt became the settlement’s first postmaster in 1854.

The Great Fire blazes a new course

The Great Fire of August 1870 would change everything. On a windy day in the middle of a hot, dry summer, workers clearing the brush between Almonte and Pakenham for a new railway sparked a fire that devastated much of Carleton County. Almost everything in Stittsville was destroyed, save for a few stone buildings including two that still stand today: Kemp’s Tavern (now Cabotto’s on Hazeldean Road) and the little stone cottage on Maple Grove Road in Fairwinds.

The railway eventually was completed, following what’s now the Trans Canada Trail, along with a train station in Stittsville just east of the main road – now the site of Village Square Park. The centre of Stittsville shifted from the old “Stitts Corners” towards the train station, and a number of shops, hotels, and local businesses sprang up in the late 19^th century and early 20^th centuries.

A “string town”

It’s hard to imagine from today’s perspective, but for most of Stittsville’s history the main street was not only the main road, but also one of the *only* roads in the community. The community was referred to as a “string town”, meaning that most of its buildings and institutions were along one very long street, with very few cross-streets or secondary roads.

The first subdivision was created in 1901 with several homes back-to-back on Abbott Street and Manchester Street, west of Main Street. Additional subdivisions didn’t come until after the Second World War.

That linear layout makes the street quite different than other “traditional main streets” in our area. It lacks the grid-like structure and intersections of the Glebe or Westboro, and it’s way less compact than old main streets in Carleton Place or Almonte. It remained very much rural in character until well into the 20^th century.

Post-war ambition

The people who lived in Stittsville immediately following WWII were an ambitious bunch. In the late 1940s they opened a new elementary school (Stittsville Public School, now Frederick Banting Secondary Alternative School and home to the Home Bosses Youth Centre). It was a model of a modern elementary school and school board officials from across the province came to visit. At about the same time the community established a Board of Trade, and an Urban Development Area – a first stab at a master plan and zoning for the village.

In 1956 Stittsville became a “Police Village”, which gave decision-making and budget powers to local elected officials, within the broader Goulbourn Township. By the early 1960s, Stittsville was recognized formally as a “village”.

This period also marked the start of suburban growth and car commuting, with Stittsville a convenient distance from jobs in Ottawa. The first post-war subdivisions were established in the older parts of Stittsville on large lots, due to the need for wells and septic. Streets like Pretty and Ralphpark, Henry Goulbourn and Norway Spruce, Coach and Conductor, Brigade and Bell Park, just to name a few.

Through the 60s and 70s Stittsville welcomed new churches, a community centre and arena (Johnny Leroux Arena), a post office, a fire hall, a library, all along (or very close to) Stittsville Main Street. Goulbourn Non-Profit Housing built a two-storey affordable apartment building on Carleton Cathcart.

In the late 1970s, the town council decided to connect the village to municipal water and sewage. That, combined with construction of the Queensway to the west end in the 1980s, would eventually shift Stittsville’s focus away from Main Street towards the close of the century.

End of the railway

The last VIA Rail train travelled through Stittsville in January 1990, making the end of nearly 120 years of rail. Soon the tracks would be torn up, the rail buildings demolished, and the crossing arms removed from Main Street.

In 1991, work began to upgrade Main Street. The $8-million project was funded by the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton and Goulbourn Township, and included burying hydro lines, building sidewalks on both sides of the street, and boulevards, trees, and street lamps.

In 1996 the site of the old train station was redeveloped as Village Square Park, including the first version of the railway-themed play structure. (The second generation of the play structure opened in 2024.) The old rail lines were removed and the Trans Canada Trail was established by 2000, connecting from Bells Corners to Carleton Place.

There’s an old painting by Ben Babelowsky at City Hall capturing Stittsville as it looked around 1999-2000. Looking northward from about where the pedestrian crosswalk is now, it depicts a colourful collection of small two-storey buildings, a mix of shops and restaurants, and a local police station.

The painting is one of a collection of depictions of cities and townships before they were amalgamated into the City of Ottawa in 2000.

A planning crisis and the Community Design Plan

With amalgamation, “Main Street” became “Stittsville Main Street” to differentiate it from all the other ones across Ottawa. Amalgamation also coincided with the start of an economic decline on the street, despite continuing residential growth overall in the community.

I think there were a few factors at play here: Stittsville’s residential development was shifting north, west, and south. Newer retail pads built in the 1990s and 2000s on the north end of Stittsville Main and along Hazeldean Road shifted the retail centre of the community northward. A few of the older buildings burned down.

Around 2010, a proposed mixed-use apartment building and townhomes next to the Stittsville Legion sparked an uproar. At five storeys, it would have been the tallest building on the street in one of the narrowest sections. After a few twists and turns, the townhomes were built, the apartment building was not, and part of the lot remains for sale today.

But that development would still have a major impact. Responding to community interest, former councillor Shad Qadri launched a “Community Design Plan” process for Stittsville Main Street. Approved in 2015, it provided a blueprint for future development on the street from Hazeldean Road to Bobcat Way. The vision was for a vibrant neighbourhood with more homes, businesses and services in old and new buildings. It included a four-storey height limit; a preference for mixed use (retail on the bottom, apartments on top); and highlighting opportunities for community enhancements (public art at the corner of Carleton Cathcart; a public square at the trail south of Abbott; acquiring Frederick Banting school for city recreational use should it ever go up for sale).

Revitalization begins

The plan estimated that Stittsville Main had the capacity for about 2,200 housing units between 2015-2031. More than a decade on, we’re nowhere near the target, but there have been several developments:

• The Switzer (1531 Stittsville Main) – 43 apartments, opened 2022

• The Landing (1370 Stittsville Main) – 71 apartments, opened 2025

• The Station (1518 Stittsville Main) – 27 apartments, under construction

• 1412 Stittsville Main – 18 apartments, under construction

All of these were permitted “as of right” under the Community Design Plan and required no rezoning. Each of them (except for 1412 Stittsville Main) includes retail on the ground floor and apartments above. Together, that’s just over 150 apartments.

(We could also include the 37 Wildpine apartment development just off of Stittsville Main, with 93 apartments. It’s still going through the approval process.)

Besides housing, there’s been a large crop of new businesses opening up on the street. Most of them are independently owned and operated, taking advantage of cheaper rents in older buildings. The street has become an incubator for a score of women-owned and diversity-owned businesses. Restaurants, retail shops, and more. Jane Jacobs would approve.

Even the Stittsville Muslim Association has moved in, adapting the old Bradley’s Insurance building at 1469 Stittsville Main Street for a temporary mosque and school while they search for a larger property elsewhere in Stittsville.

In the first few years of my Jane’s Walk, we would stop on the porch of the old Green’s Hotel / Butler’s Hotel at the corner of Stittsville Main and Abbott. At the time, it was home to Hudson’s Insurance and I would talk about how great it would be to have a coffee shop or a brew pub open up. Today, it’s home to Ritual Café owned by Chinelo Houron – a popular stop for cyclists and walkers along the Trans Canada Trail.

Instead of stopping at the porch of the building, now we gather at Bradley’s Square. Completed in 2019 with main street stimulus funding from the provincial government, it was one of the projects identified in the 2015 community design plan, and renamed for the Bradley family’s historic contributions to Stittsville in 2022.

Looking down the road

Stittsville ward has about 55,000 people today, and will grow by another 25,000 in the coming decades. As far as Ottawa’s suburbs go, our main street is unique: the character, the mix of old and new, and the growing ranks of eclectic businesses.

One of the big challenges is transportation. Stittsville Main is somewhere between a road and a street: a “stroad”. It’s a road, in the sense that it’s an artery for vehicles heading north and south in the community. It’s a street, in the sense that it is lined with small shops and quite walkable.

In the future it will have to shift more towards a street, because neighbourhood-scale retail thrives on streets and struggles on roads. New roads like Robert Grant Avenue will deflect north-south traffic away from Stittsville Main. And the 2022 Public Realm Plan and subsequent 2025 Transportation Master Plan call for new sidewalks and pathways on both sides of the street – making it safer and more convenient for pedestrians and cyclists and connecting to the Trans Canada Trail. OC Transpo route 163 launched in 2025 and Route 61 service will become more frequent soon.

In the next few years Stittsville Main will be extended northward, connecting through Jackson Trails and Connections to Palladium Drive and then the Queensway. The old road to Carp will soon become a road to Kanata and beyond.

There will be new apartment buildings, both on the street and nearby. Thanks to the rural origins of the street, most lots are large and deep, making them ideal for housing and retail. The old firehall at Carleton Cathcart is due for a major rebuild, where the City will create a permanent home for the Stittsville Food Bank, likely along with affordable housing and community meeting rooms.

Meanwhile close to Hazeldean Road, new provincial policy has superseded the 4-storey limit established in the 2015 Stittsville Main Street Secondary Plan. Provincial rules mean that maximum heights are now 10-18 storeys between Hobin and Hazeldean. So if the strip malls or school board land ever gets redeveloped, we’re likely to see some taller mixed-use buildings.

Change is constant

I can’t remember where I heard or read it, but a smart urban planner observed that while land uses change over time, and buildings may come and go, the roads will always be there.

Walking up and down the road, you can see evidence of every part of Stittsville’s history. Architecture from many decades, and clues about the rural and railway history of the village. I wonder if the original surveyors and settlers of Goulbourn Township had any concept that the road they plotted north from Richmond Road to Concession Line XI would eventually become the backbone of a growing 21^st century suburb in the Nation’s Capital?

Ten years ago when I started the Jane’s Walk, Stittsville Main was at the very start of its modern revitalization. We’re still in the very early stages, it’s far from perfect, and there are some growing pains. But in new buildings like the Switzer or The Station, you can see a glimpse of where the street is going, and what it might become over the next 25 years.

I’ll see you around the neighbourhood.

Sources consulted for this article include:

• Stittsville: A Sense of Place by Barbara Bottriell

• Goulbourn Township Historical Society

• Goulbourn Museum

• StittsvilleCentral.ca

I’ve been meeting with a lot of prospective municipal candidates, and almost every one of them wants to know about toxicity in politics. How do we deal with all the negativity?

My answer in a nutshell: There is definitely some unreasonable behaviour. It’s worse for women than for men. It’s more acute at the provincial and federal levels than at the municipal level. It has been better in my second term compared to the first. I still do my groceries in my ward, although some councillors do not. I’ve never experienced physical threats or harassment, but one individual has a court order to cease contact with me and other public officials.

Overall, the good of the job outweighs the bad. I’m sharing this post as encouragement to anyone who is thinking about putting their name forward to run. I wrote it for the Ottawa Citizen in the middle of the last municipal campaign in 2022 and it still holds up.

The municipal nomination period opens today, May 1. Good luck (and thank you) to all of the candidates who will be running in this year’s municipal elections in Ontario.

***

Last week a woman at the door asked me: “Why would you want to run for office… again?” She wondered why anyone would want the job, with all the emergencies (pandemic, occupation, storm, etc.), with all the backlash on social media, and with all the disagreement between councillors.

Her question caught me by surprise, and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. Here’s why.

It’s because despite all of the difficulties an elected official may face, as a councillor there is an incredible opportunity to make a difference and help out in my community.

Yes, we spend an awful lot of time on Zoom, and sometimes (though not very often) those meetings can get heated. But politics is only a small part of what we do as councillors every day.

I’m lucky to spend most of my time in my community, meeting residents when they have a problem that needs solving, or when they’re hosting a street barbecue.

I love the ten-minute bike ride to my ward office and all the people I get to wave “hello” to as I ride by on the Trans Canada Trail.

I enjoy meeting new Canadians and hearing about their family’s journey, and their hopes in their new country. (New immigrants are usually the most appreciative of what Ottawa offers: Good schools, parks and greenspace, community connections, and a safe place to live.)

I get to meet with entrepreneurs seeking advice and support as they get set to launch a new restaurant or business in our community.

Along with my incredible team, we get to help people navigate their way through municipal government. They might be having problems finding an answer due to language, age, or ability–whatever the reason, we’re there to advocate for them and take a bit of stress or confusion out of their lives.

I am supported by an incredible team at City Hall. Staff are professional, talented, and care deeply about their responsibility to ensure that Ottawa remains a great place to live.

The best part of my job is working with community organizations on projects that are important to them. Almost every day I get to meet people from across the city who are working hard to make Ottawa a better place to live. As councillors we can provide support to overcome obstacles and make their goals a reality. Groups like the Stittsville Muslim Association, who hope to establish a new mosque soon. Or a new group we’ve just established to create more affordable housing in Stittsville.

Social media does have a mute button, a block button, and even an off button if things get really out of hand. Something I realized early on is that municipal discussions on Twitter and Facebook rarely match the reality of what’s happening on the ground at the local level.

Each week I write an email newsletter and on Saturday mornings I share a live video with updates about our community. It takes time and resources but I don’t consider it a chore at all. Thousands of residents take the time to read or watch, and stay engaged with what’s happening in their neighbourhood. Engagement and involvement are the foundation of a healthy community.

Councillors have to make incredibly tough decisions sometimes and bear the brunt of criticism, online and offline. To me that’s a small trade-off for the community building that we get to be a part of every single day. Who wouldn’t want this job?

(A version of this post was published at glengower.ca over the weekend.)

Last Tuesday, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe and Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will commit both parties to upload ownership and responsibility for the O-Train and Highway 174 in the east end from the City of Ottawa to the Province.

Both moves would mean savings in the tens of millions of dollars for Ottawa residents, but I want to focus on the O-Train piece, and what it could mean for OC Transpo in the future.

1. A $4-billion financial benefit. The upload will remove a $4 billion cost on Ottawa taxpayers, representing the capital, maintenance, and operating costs of the O-Train system over its lifespan. And it would shift the financial risk of the LRT system to the province. That’s approximately $85 million every year that can be reinvested in better transit: expanded bus service, more routes, more frequency, more reliability.

2. A partnership with Metrolinx. The provincial upload would put Ottawa’s LRT under the ownership and control of Metrolinx, the provincial agency that runs most of the commuter rail systems in southern Ontario. Metrolinx would bring scale, and leverage, and experience so that problems get solved faster.

3. LRT to Stittsville. As part of the upload, the City of Ottawa will be looking for a commitment from the Province to move forward with Stage 3 Light Rail which would bring LRT to Kanata, Stittsville, and Barrhaven. The Premier made this commitment during the 2025 provincial election.

4. Fairness for Ottawa. Going back to at least August 2024, Mayor Sutcliffe has flagged a huge discrepancy in how the Province funds transit in southern Ontario as compared to Ottawa. For example, Ottawa taxpayers are paying about 55% of the cost of building Stage 1 and 2 of light rail, with the province and federal government splitting the remaining 45%. Meanwhile in Toronto, Mississauga, Hamilton, and Brampton, local taxpayers pay only about 5%. The LRT upload would fix that imbalance, and return the money that we invested.

There are some legitimate concerns about risk to the City by partnering with Metrolinx. Last fall, City Council approved a motion from me and the Mayor listing the key principles and goals that we have for any upload deal, including:

• that a deal must be fair to Ottawa taxpayers and consistent with precedent deals reached in other Ontario municipalities

• that the governance structure of Metrolinx includes appropriate mechanisms to ensure accountability and transparency for Ottawa residents

• that Metrolinx has a significant presence and adequate resources in Ottawa to meet its commitments to the City of Ottawa and OC Transpo

• that OC Transpo maintain local control over service delivery and hiring of personnel

There’s no firm timeline for when construction for Stage 3 light rail may begin, but the MOU is an important step in the process. We’re likely looking at 12-18 months before a final deal is reached – I think 2027 would be a relatively safe bet for a decision.

In the west end, the LRT route would run parallel to the Queensway, cross the highway at Canadian Tire Centre, and continue on elevated tracks to the last station, located at Hazeldean Road and Robert Grant Avenue across from the Chipotle. Rail Fans Canada produced a great video demonstrating the route and stations for LRT Stage 3 through Kanata and Stittsville. Worth watching:

It looks like the Ontario government is considering an update of e-bike and e-scooter rules. They haven’t asked for feedback yet, but I’d like to share a few ideas. I’ll focus on e-bikes here and I’ll write about scooters in a separate post.

Update: On April 22, the province posted proposed regulations and is accepting comments: “Modernizing Ontario’s Framework for Power-Assisted Bicycles (E-Bikes)”

Transportation advocate David Zipper recently wrote that e-bikes: “are a joy to ride, and they provide a Swiss Army knife’s worth of societal benefits”. It’s true: they are incredibly useful for short trips that are a bit too long for walking or conventional cycling, but too short for efficient transit. And they’re proving popular with adults of all ages who like their ease of use and relatively low cost. The more people who use them to get around the neighbourhood, the fewer cars on the road.

Here’s a quick summary of the current rules and regulations for e-bikes in Ontario. For the most part, they’re treated like regular bikes, but e-bikes can only be used by riders 16 years of age or older, and all users – no matter what age – have to wear a bicycle helmet or motorcycle helmet. There are limits on speed and power output.

My recommendations to the Ministry of Transportation:

✅ Ontario should follow the lead of British Columbia, and separate electric bikes into two categories. They distinguish between “standard e-bike” and “light e-bike”.

Standard e-bike:
Minimum rider age: 16
Maximum motor-assisted speed: 32km/h
Maximum continuous power output: 500W
Throttle assist: Yes

Light e-bike:
Minimum rider age: 14
Maximum motor-assisted speed: 25km/h
Maximum continuous power output: 250W
Throttle assist: No

✅ Both “standard” and “light” require pedals that can propel the e-bike. Ontario should classify any device that exceeds those standards as an “electric motorcycle” and require a license, insurance and registration to operate.

✅ For “light” e-bikes, I would propose a minimum age limit of 12. With basic safety and operational training, Grade 7 students should be able to operate these devices competently.

✅ Ontario should run an extensive and ongoing awareness campaign about the rules and regulations. Provide grants and funding for organizations to deliver hands-on cycling training for kids. Even better: make it part of the school curriculum.

✅ The provincial and federal governments should develop stricter import controls to ensure that devices and batteries are safe. There must be a regulatory body that can certify the equipment for before it’s sold in Canada?

✅ And finally, passengers under 16 should be allowed to ride as passengers on e-bikes, provided they have a purpose-built seat. (Thanks to Cassie Smith for pointing out that Ontario is currently the only jurisdiction where kids are not allowed to ride as passengers.)

💡A final thought: If it’s ok to mandate maximum speeds for bikes and scooters to ensure safety, then it’s time to do the same for cars and trucks as well.

Jane’s Walk is a pedestrian-focused event that improves urban literacy by offering insights into local history, planning, design, and civic engagement through the simple act of walking and observing. It is named for Jane Jacobs (1916-2006) who was an urbanist and activist whose writings championed a fresh, community-based approach to understanding, organizing, designing, and building cities.

There are over 50 walks planned in Ottawa (and Gatineau) for the weekend of May 1-3, 2026. Each one is a guided tour led by a volunteer and there’s a big range of topics. All the walks are a great opportunity to meet interesting people and explore our city. Here are twelve that look interesting to me.

1. Challenges and Changes in New Edinburgh (1829-2026)

2. Plotlines & Pathways: Central Ottawa in Contemporary Fiction

3. The Lost Village of Billings Bridge

4. The Social History of Hintonburg

5. Britannia Village: Eclectic Architecture and Fascinating History

6. Don Kwan’s walking tour of Ottawa’s Chinatown

7. The History of the Golden Triangle — What Is and What was

8. Poets’ Pathway—Colonnade Section

9. Imagining a Better South Keys Centre

10. Carson Grove Neighbourhood

11. Les ponts d’Overbrook

12. The Sociology of Third Places

Bonus: I’m hosting another walk this year on Stittsville Main Street on Saturday, May 2. This year’s theme is “Stories of Stittsville Main Street”. We’ll explore how the function of Stittsville Main Street has changed over time through stories about its history, familiar landmarks, and distinctive architecture.

For the week of March 22-28, OC Transpo had an average of 542 buses available for weekday service – a marked improvement from early January, when that number was as low as 467. OC needs 520 buses to deliver its scheduled routes.

That’s one of the highlights from the weekly bus and light rail fleet update from OC Transpo. Other notes from today’s update to Council:

• The increase in buses available is due to the arrival of new zero-emission buses (ZEBs) and advancing the maintenance action plan.

• 109 ZEBs have been delivered to OC Transpo so far in 2026.

• There are 85 ZEBs available for service. (The balance are being prepped for customers and will be available soon.)

• The average weekly undelivered bus service was 1.5%. That’s better than earlier in the year (see chart below) but still off the target of 0.5%.

• There were 715 undelivered trips during the week, out of 44,822 trips scheduled.

• If the high number of buses remains consistent, OC Transpo will soon be able to re-schedule the 255 trips that it temporarily suspended due to the bus shortage.

• Over the week of March 22, there were 22 light rail vehicles below the 100,000 kilometre limit on the Cartridge Bearing Assemblies (CBAs). O-Train Line 1 continued to operate every three to four minutes during peak periods.

The next major update will be at Transit Committee one week from today on April 9.

It’s been a month since I announced that I am not planning to run again in the municipal election this fall. So far I’ve heard from nine (!) people who are interested in becoming a candidate in Stittsville.

If recent incumbent-free seats are any indication, it’s likely we’ll see a dozen or more candidates register here. Sign-up begins May 1 and the deadline to register is August 21. Voting day is October 26.

Here’s some of the “pre-campaign” advice that I’ve been offering, applicable to anyone thinking about launching a campaign.

1. Figure out why you are running. Get clarity on who you are, what you stand for, and your core motivations for doing this. It will help you focus your campaign, and present an authentic, compelling message to voters. (I am a fan of Simon Sinek’s “Find Your Why” approach and recommend using his framework to self-assess your reasons for doing this.)

2. The best time to start your (unofficial) campaign is … yesterday. You can’t fundraise or spend any money until you’re officially registered (see tip #4), but you can still attend events, meet with residents and community leaders and local businesses, and even knock on doors. Word will spread quickly.

3. You don’t even need a platform right now. Just go out and meet people. Ask them what they think about their community. Tell them you’re thinking of running.

4. You cannot spend or receive money, or even set up a bank account, until you’ve registered to run. Do not print flyers, do not hire a photographer, do not print t-shirts. This is a Very Important Rule and there are Very Big (and Expensive) Consequences if you break this rule.

5. Seek advice from current and former councillors. They are usually very generous with their time and may make some good connections for you too. And unless you swear them to secrecy, they will certainly help spread the word that you are running. (Hint: Don’t swear them to secrecy.)

6. Campaign to win, and brace yourself to lose. Only one person will end up with the most votes, so set your expectations accordingly. If you’re going to be financially ruined or emotionally devastated, maybe this isn’t the best project for you right now.

7. The most critical volunteer roles in my campaigns were (in this order): treasurer/accountant; graphic designer; lawn sign co-ordinator; street sign co-ordinator; volunteer co-ordinator; communications.

8. Develop a fundraising plan. In 2022 I spent just under $18,500 (against a spending limit of $29,900). You will need at least that much to stand out and run a credible campaign (flyers, signs, etc.). So start making lists of family, friends, neighbours, co-workers. What networks do you already have that you can tap into?1

9. It’s a good idea to find an auditor early and chat with them about how to set up your accounts. If you’re going to spend more than $10,000, or participate in the City’s contribution rebate campaign, you’ll need to file a third party audit of your election financial return. Budget at least $2,500 for that expense.

10. If there’s an incumbent, let them know you’re planning to run. It wouldn’t hurt to reach out to the Mayor to introduce yourself. I’m sure he’d like that.

11. Check out the election resources from the Association of Municipalities of Ontario. Other organizations have similar guides and advice available online. Some are holding webinars and events. Attend some of them.

12. The City of Ottawa will post 2026 election info soon. In the meantime, it’s worth browsing through the 2022 info (ward results, election returns, candidate guides) to get a sense of the rules and mechanics of campaigns. (The provincial government has yet to update their municipal election page for 2026.)

13. Watch some committee and council meetings on YouTube.2 Better yet, come down in person. Admission is free.

14. Go to a community meeting in your ward or in another ward. Watch democracy in action. These are good places to meet voters. (See #3.)

15. Start paying attention to CBC/CTV/Citizen. The City of Ottawa operates well over 100 lines of business so you should start getting up to speed.

16. There’s a growing network of “non-mainstream media” in Ottawa: independent news sites, email newsletters, social media influencers, podcasters, Facebook Groups, Reddit groups, etc. who are all hungry for local info, including the municipal election. Some operate on a city-wide scale, others are more local to your neighbourhood. Seek them out.

17. Buy a good pair of running shoes3 and find someone you know with a button-making machine.

I’ll share some actual campaign tips in a future post. Here’s one to get started:

Give yourself some boundaries. It’s easy to get sucked into knocking on doors 7 days a week, 12 hours a day. You are allowed some days off.

And please reach out if you’re thinking of running in Stittsville. I’m happy to answer your questions.

Impacts of Wednesday’s freezing rain

During Wednesday’s freezing rain, the Overhead Catenary System (OCS) was damaged near Lees Station. RTG continues to repair and inspect the OCS. Until service can safely resume, Line 1 train service is operating in the west between Tunney’s Pasture and uOttawa stations and R1 bus service is operating between Blair and Lyon stations. For the latest updates, visit octranspo.com.

Wheel bearing spalling update

O-Train Line 1 service continues to operate at three- to four-minute frequency during peak periods with 21 vehicles available for service. OC Transpo is making progress with Rideau Transit Group (RTG) on the action plan to safely restore full capacity on Line 1. Detailed technical work and safety reviews are progressing on a revised containment plan. When this work is finalized, OC Transpo will hold a technical briefing on next steps.

Bus fleet update

There is progress on increasing the number of buses available for service. OC Transpo continues to monitor bus service and minimize the number of undelivered trips. Last week, the daily average was 509 buses available. The temporary daily average requirement is 500.

There are now 64 zero-emission vehicles delivered, along with an additional 11 used diesel buses and 46 Para Transpo minibuses.

Next generation of bus schedules

OC Transpo will change how it schedules buses ahead of the O-Train Line 1 West Extension opening. Staff are working on strengthening processes and looking at best practices across the industry to see what can be adapted for use in our city, with a goal of implementing new scheduling processes by November 2026. This could include a shift away from interlining of routes.

Recruitment strategy

Mechanic recruitment is ongoing with a goal of recruiting up to 20 new mechanics in 2026. OC Transpo’s other recruitment targets for this year include 360 bus operators, 100 Electric Rail Operators, 27 Diesel Rail Operators, 18 Para Transpo Operators and 20 Special Constables.

Ridership

In January 2026, O-Train and bus ridership was 6.1 million, down slightly from January 2025. The total ridership for the past 12 months is 70.6 million, which is 2.4 per cent higher than the previous 12-month period.

Para Transpo ridership for January was 75,300 and 73,300 in February. Total ridership over the past 12 months is 896,500, an increase of 4.5 per cent compared to the previous 12-month period.

Stage 2 East Extension update

Substantial Completion has been achieved. Before Trial Running can begin, OC Transpo needs more trains available and Rideau Transit Maintenance (RTM) has to be fully trained on the new system and complete their familiarization process. Updates will continue to be shared with Council, and a technical briefing will be held in advance of Trial Running.

Stage 2 West Extension update

All 36 kilometres of track have been installed and the OCS is 65 per cent complete. In 2026, it is anticipated that a number of major achievements will be made in the West including electrifying the OCS, train testing, and commissioning key systems such as the tunnel ventilation system. Construction activities are expected to continue into late 2026, with a handover to the City anticipated in Q2 2027, followed by preparations for passenger service in Q3. That’s a shift from the previous estimate of Q1 2027.

Update on recommendations from the Westboro Coroner’s Inquest

Twenty recommendations have currently been implemented, 17 are in progress and four are still in the evaluation stage. Some of the completed items include safety key performance indicators being published on octranspo.com monthly, the creation of a Safety Observation Data Working Group, and completing driver abstracts on a daily basis. Full implementation of the recommendations will require a multi-year phased approach, and updates will continue to be provided to the Committee as work progresses.

Presentation slides

• OC Transpo Update – Para Transpo, Rail and Bus

• Mise à jour sur OC Transpo – Para Transpo, trains et autobus

• Stage 2 Light Rail Project Update

• Phase 2 du project du train léger sur rail

YouTube index

• Full meeting:

• Transit Operator and Worker Appreciation Day ceremony:

• OC Transpo Update – Para Transpo, Rail and Bus:

• Stage 2 Light Rail Project Update: