COUNCILLOR’S MESSAGE
What the province took away – and the danger that returned
There was a tragic car crash last week at Woodroffe Avenue and Slack Road. One person was killed – a woman from Leslie Park, who leaves behind a husband and three children. And over the weekend another woman suffered life-threatening injuries in a high-speed collision in Barrhaven, and a man on a scooter suffered serious injuries in a collision with a vehicle in Vanier. As summertime returns to Ottawa, so again comes the spike in vehicle-related fatal and major injuries, along with our seeming unwillingness to do much about it.
- In Canada, the leading cause of death for children, teenagers, and young adults is unintentional injury, with motor‑vehicle collisions accounting for the largest share across these ages.
- A significant portion of these fatalities involve pedestrians and cyclists, particularly in urban settings and at intersections, rather than occupants protected inside vehicles.
- Speed is the decisive factor in whether a crash becomes fatal, with higher speeds and larger vehicle mass producing sharply worse outcomes, especially for people outside a vehicle.
At last week’s Public Works & Infrastructure Committee, we received a report from staff that was shocking and disturbing, yet not at all surprising. The content of the report was on staff’s analysis on the road safety and financial implications of Bill 56, which was Premier Ford’s decision last year to repeal the use of Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) cameras.
Bill 56 only took effect in November 2025, but predictably, the significant and deleterious impacts to both safety and the City’s finances are already being felt.
And it bears repeating, the ASE program had been a resounding success in both categories, i.e. safety and finance. Fines collected from ASE cameras not only paid for the program itself, but the reduced revenues will now create budget pressures elsewhere and will greatly compromise the City’s Road Safety Action Plan.
At the safety level, the statistics could not have been more clear. In school zones alone, ASE was a proven tool for reducing speeds. The original ASE pilot of 8 cameras in school zones showed that speed-limit compliance went from an abysmally low 16% to a remarkably high 87% in only 4 years. And when it came to high-end speeding, i.e. speeding at more than 15 km/hr above the posted limit, it had declined from 14% to a statistically negligible 0.3% in that same span.
In other words, the cameras worked. No reasonable person can deny this fact.
And what has happened since the removal of those cameras in November 2025? The result is as horrifying as it is depressing, because it was altogether predictable.
Ever since the cameras were removed in November 2025, City staff have been monitoring speeds at the 8 locations where ASE cameras had first been installed in the original pilot project – all of them in school zones. While there will be another analysis once the City has implemented the new oversized signs that have been mandated by the Ford government, the initial post-removal speed data shows significant regression in driver behaviour.
As you’ll see from the graphs below, compliance with posted speed limits has declined from the 87% baseline mentioned above, back down to 36%, in only 4 months. And as for high-end speeding? It’s up again from the 0.3% baseline to 6.1%, again, in just 4 months. While no single dataset explains everything, the timing and magnitude of the change strongly suggest that removing ASE removed the strongest incentive for compliance.
I showed those graphs to my wife, and her only reaction was to shake her head and say “I don’t understand why. I just don’t understand.” I sympathize with her, because what could there possibly be to understand about the rationale for Ford’s decision? Whether in the face of such undeniable evidence, or out of sheer morality or even logic about a public servant’s inherent desire to protect school-aged children, how can this be understandable?
If the goal is safer school zones, Ford’s policy is moving us in the wrong direction. With evidence this clear, the only question is whether the province is willing to act on it. As we move forward to implement the alternative measures the province has committed to, we should require that the province demonstrate that their replacement measures achieve the same safety outcomes as ASE. And if they fail, then they should return authority to municipalities to use the tools that work.
Why I opposed the Bubble By-law
Last week, City Council passed Ottawa’s “Safe Access” (or “Bubble”) By‑law by a vote of 20–4. I was one of the four Councillors who voted against it.
I did so not because I oppose safe access to schools, places of worship, or community facilities. No one should ever face intimidation, harassment, or obstruction when accessing essential services. I voted “no” because of how this by‑law chose to address those concerns, and because of the precedent that approach now sets.
As written, the by‑law does something new and troubling: it prohibits all demonstrations within designated zones, regardless of content, or conduct. That means perfectly peaceful civic expression can become illegal — not because it blocks access, not because it targets anyone, but simply because it is visible. In essence, protest itself becomes the thing that must be restricted.
At Council, I spoke about the unintended consequences of such a blanket prohibition, and offered examples that illustrate why this matters: a quiet, peaceful demonstration outside a high school about speed cameras; a couple standing across the street from a place of worship, one holding a candle and singing, the other holding a sign that says “End the War.” None of that conduct involves intimidation or interference. Yet under Ottawa’s by‑law, all of it would be prohibited.
Those same actions would not be illegal under Toronto’s by‑law, which is narrower and more tightly constrained. And that brings me to a second concern: process.
At the beginning of Council’s debate, I brought a motion that we go in camera to discuss an external legal opinion commissioned by the City, a legal opinion that clearly listed out fundamental Charter risks with the by‑law—particularly its categorical ban on demonstrations. Council rejected that request. Despite the fact that the staff report did not at all serve as a summary of that legal opinion, or that only a minority of Councillors even read the explicitly clear legal opinion, only six Councillors voted in favor of going in camera to hear details of that external legal opinion. One Councillor went so far as to say that “Councillors are free to be as informed as they want to be.”
On a by‑law this precedent‑setting — one that directly limits freedom of expression and peaceful assembly — declining to even debate legal risk is itself a decision.
Independent voices have since echoed these concerns. The Canadian Civil Liberties Association has called Ottawa’s by‑law “a direct attack on expression” and part of a broader, worrying trend across the country. In my conversation last week with constitutional law expert Professor Jamie Cameron, she warned me Council’s move to ban demonstrations in these locations was “beyond the pale of constitutionality.”
What further troubles me is how little debate this Council held compared to other cities. Toronto’s Council debated its version extensively, with a far narrower by‑law passing by a much closer 16–9 vote. In Ottawa, by contrast, the by‑law passed 20–4, with remarkably few Councillors engaging openly with the basic constitutional issues involved. Several of my colleagues who are normally quite opinionated had barely a word to say.
Underlying all of this is a deeper concern.
Fear makes for urgent politics, but brittle law. When fear becomes policy, evidence stops mattering. Silencing voices doesn’t make ideas disappear — it pushes them underground, fuels them with grievance and notoriety, and makes them harder to challenge openly. Democracies don’t become stronger by banning disagreement; they become stronger by drawing firm lines against harmful conduct and having the confidence to tolerate peaceful dissent.
Even when you end up in the minority, drawing principled lines still matters.
I believe it mattered here — and I’m comfortable with the vote I cast.
Global lessons from local leadership
Back during my time serving in rotation as Deputy Mayor, one of the most enjoyable perks of being Deputy Mayor was the flag-raising events. During each such event, I had an opportunity to talk to the Ambassador of whichever country’s flag was being raised that day.
The first such event I attended was for the raising of Malaysia’s flag. During the event itself, I had a very good conversation with Malaysian Ambassador to Canada, Her Excellency Dr. Shazelina Abidin, and we were soon exchanging books and ideas about each of our countries, including the book that she had sent me, “SCRIPT for a Better Malaysia”, written by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. It’s a very interesting book, with lots that Ottawa and Canada could learn about sustainable, values-led policy development.
Ambassador Abiding has now invited me to her home on two occasions. The first was for a fundraiser she was hosting for the NAC Orchestra last year. But last week I had the honor to be invited to a dinner where the guest list consisted of a Canadian Senator, a Canadian federal minister, two university professors, and nine ambassadors. Present at this dinner were the Ambassadors of Armenia, South Africa, Switzerland, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, India, Indonesia, Denmark, and of course, Malaysia. I had to ask myself: “How the heck did I get on this guest list?!”
For my entire professional career, somewhere in my DNA there has been this eagerness to learn from other places than where I live, and to take those lessons back home. This appreciation and curiosity of other people’s ways of thinking has frequently opened doors and opportunities.
Having long been an admirer of Copenhagen as a city, and of Denmark as a country, I struck up a conversation with Danish Ambassador Nikolaj Harris. It just so happens that one of my former staff members is a current staff member of the Danish Embassy. The Ambassador and I got to talking about the innate role that trust plays in the Danish political institutions, as well as our mutual appreciation for sustainability in civic infrastructure.
As it stands, I’m now on the guest list for a breakfast reception at the Danish Ambassador’s home this Friday, where the topic of discussion will be “to explore how architecture, landscape, and nature can advance sustainable and resilient urban development.”
In the same way that I traveled to Montreal and Toronto last year to learn about and import climate resilient infrastructure best practice to Ottawa, I’m now looking forward to developing this relationship with the Danish Embassy in the hopes of a cultural / learning exchange between Ottawa and Copenhagen in the not-too-distant future. There is much that Denmark can teach Canada, and that Copenhagen can teach Ottawa, whether on how they design and manage resilient and safe streets, or their world-leading stormwater management systems, or the seamless integration of their transit priority measures.
A world of ideas and innovations is out there. Sometimes you just need a seat at the table.
CITY WORKS
Spring 2026 OC Transpo Service Changes
OC Transpo’s spring service changes took effect on April 19, 2026. As with every seasonal update, these adjustments are intended to respond to changing travel patterns, seasonal demand, and construction impacts across the city.
This spring, OC Transpo focused on prioritizing the most critical trips and improving schedule consistency. Bus availability has increased slightly compared to the winter period, reflecting incremental progress in stabilizing service. However, longer run times on some routes and higher fleet requirements mean there is a temporary reduction in the total number of weekday trips. OC Transpo has indicated that work continues to grow bus availability and restore trips as reliability improves.
Seasonal ridership changes—particularly following the end of the winter academic term—have led to reduced frequency during certain weekday periods on lower‑demand services. In addition, infrastructure and road construction projects across the city will result in some detours, delays, and longer travel times throughout the spring and summer.
Victoria Day (May 18) will operate on a Sunday service schedule.
Customers are encouraged to use real‑time tools such as Transit App, text alerts, station screens, and octranspo.com to stay informed as conditions evolve. OC Transpo will continue monitoring performance and adjusting service based on ridership data and feedback.
For more details on specific routes, please visit OC Transpo’s website.
In the next segment below, we’ve provided a more detailed update on Route 82 and all of the work we’ve been doing on it over the past several months.
Route 82: Where we are now, and what still needs to happen
Many residents will remember the deep dive that our office published earlier this year on Route 82—what had gone wrong, what the data showed, and the package of operational and infrastructure improvements that we worked on with OC Transpo staff. Since then, Councillor Devine has continued to press for updates, and we want to share where things stand now.
The most immediate improvement riders should be seeing is a more realistic schedule. Let’s be clear: this specific fix doesn’t make the route run any quicker – more on that below – but it will make it more reliable. As part of the Spring 2026 Service Changes, OC Transpo has added significant runtime to Route 82 schedules, particularly during peak periods where trips were previously running up to 20 minutes longer than scheduled. This change is aimed at improving on‑time performance and reducing cascading delays. While adjusting a schedule doesn’t fix congestion or inefficiencies on its own, it does restore a basic level of honesty between the timetable and reality—and that matters.
On the structural fixes identified through the Route 82 segment analysis, progress is more incremental. OC Transpo is now finalizing discussions with other councillors along the route and preparing to initiate design work with a consultant. Some smaller operational adjustments to the route may be achievable later this summer or fall. However, larger changes that require design and physical infrastructure will likely take longer, with implementation now projected into 2027. That timeline is frustrating—but it is also the reality of constrained capital capacity and competing priorities.
Among these structural fixes, and in particular the “larger changes”, transit priority measures remain the most important long‑term lever for reliability. Work is underway on traffic analysis and design related to some exciting priority measures on Carling Road, though timelines are still to be confirmed. Without getting into detail just yet, these are the kinds of measures that can shave off a few minutes to the runtime on a day with heavy congestion. In addition, we’re also working on Better Bus Stop upgrades along Craig Henry Drive, which will also prevent transit delays along that lengthy collector road. That work is already moving through early planning stages, with consultation potentially occurring later this spring or early summer. Due to the scope of construction involved, those upgrades are also likely to land in 2027 at the earliest. Our team is actively looking at ways to align this work with planned active transportation improvements so that we get better results—and better value—when shovels finally go in the ground.
We are cautiously hopeful that some riders may already be noticing fewer trip cancellations, as OC Transpo continues to rebuild fleet availability. But reliability remains fragile, and it will take sustained effort to make improvements stick.
To that end, Councillor Devine reached out to newly appointed OC Transpo General Manager Rick Leary to discuss the urgency of transit priority measures and to revisit the Transit Reliability & Accountability Framework that he successfully passed earlier this year. Reliable transit isn’t a luxury—it’s a basic expectation. Route 82 is moving in the right direction, but we are not nearly at “good enough” yet, and we will continue pushing until we get there.
Build Canada Homes: A major investment in community housing – including in Ward 9
Last week, City Council received confirmation of the first set of projects approved under the new Ottawa–Build Canada Homes partnership, a collaboration with the federal government aimed at building housing faster and at scale. In this initial phase, eight non‑profit projects across eight wards are moving forward, delivering more than 1,100 new affordable and supportive homes city‑wide. Construction is expected to begin in 2026 or early 2027.
Importantly for Ward 9, this includes a new supportive housing project at 58 Capilano Drive, led by Ottawa Salus. The project will deliver 20 supportive bedrooms across four townhomes, designed for independent living with on‑site supports. It’s a small‑scale, community‑integrated project that reflects the kind of housing that works: non‑profit‑led, supportive where needed, and thoughtfully located within existing neighbourhoods. It’s also right next door to the other very exciting Ottawa Salus supportive housing project happening at 56 Capilano Drive. Our office is hosting a “Welcome to the Community BBQ” later in May to celebrate that project’s completion, and we’ll tell you all about it in the next newsletter.
As for the Build Canada Homes projects, roughly 78% of all units approved will be affordable to low‑ and middle‑income households, reinforcing a shared commitment to restoring affordability while ensuring vulnerable residents are supported with dignity.
Traffic safety at St. John XXIII: Dangerous behaviour will not be tolerated
Our office is dealing with an escalating and completely unacceptable traffic‑safety situation in front of St. John XXIII School on Knoxdale Road. The problem is not ambiguous: it is being caused by parents who are routinely parking illegally, driving aggressively, and behaving dangerously, including making threats. In many cases, these are families who live close enough that they should not be driving their children to school at all.
By‑law Services has already responded and has issued numerous tickets for illegal parking. Given the escalation, Ottawa Police have also been alerted and will be on site shortly to address moving violations, which carry significantly higher penalties. This behaviour will be punished and disincentivized using every enforcement tool available.
Our office wants to acknowledge the dedication of Brittany Lauzon, a parent council member who has been carefully documenting what is happening and communicating constantly with Councillor Devine. We have also learned that Ottawa Police Service was notified about one incident involving an illegally parked parent who, after being ticketed, threatened another parent by saying she had “friends with guns” who would kill her. That level of intimidation around a school is horrifying. We will wait to hear back from Ottawa Police on the status of their investigation.
Councillor Devine will be on site multiple times this week and next—during both drop‑off and pick‑up—to directly observe conditions and intervene if necessary. Longer‑term, the Knoxdale Neighbourhood Traffic Calming project will significantly reduce this behaviour, but construction is not scheduled until late 2027.
In the meantime, amid rising vehicle‑related deaths and serious injuries—and a Ford government that has effectively declared open season for drivers—our office will continue pushing for proven infrastructure solutions and aggressive enforcement. This selfish, brazen behaviour puts children at risk, and it will not be tolerated.
Provincial Road Safety Initiatives Fund: What it means for Ward 9
City staff are actively assessing opportunities to leverage the Provincial Road Safety Initiatives Fund, a funding program that supports targeted, evidence‑based safety improvements. To qualify, all projects must use safety measures prescribed by the Province—such as traffic calming, signage upgrades, operational safety improvements, and targeted enforcement—and must be completed by March 31, 2028.
As part of this work, staff are reviewing former Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) locations and other high‑priority sites to identify projects that are technically feasible and capable of being delivered within the program timeline. A preliminary list of potential locations has been included for information in the newly released Road Safety Action Plan, recognizing that locations will still need further technical review and may change before final funding applications are submitted.
This funding represents an important opportunity to redirect investment into proven road‑safety measures at a time when serious injuries and fatalities remain a pressing concern.
The following is a list of Ward 9 improvements being considered for this fund:
New signalized intersections coming to Ward 9
We wanted to make sure that residents who live near Fisher / Normandy noticed that last item in the chart above. Our office has been fighting to get the intersection signalized, especially since there’s a major roadwork project happening there in the next 18 months. While there had not been sufficient budget available to see that improvement, this new funding from the province may be the solution we needed. This could be a significant win for our Ward.
And that’s not all!
Residents in the vicinity of St. Monica’s will know just how frustrated we were to see the loss of the ASE camera at Merivale / MacFarlane, as that camera had proven to the most effective new camera installed in 2024. And while we can’t force the return of that camera, we’ve got another significant piece of good news, in addition to the items mentioned in the chart above.
Councillor Devine started pushing staff soon after being elected about the safety issues addressing St. Monica’s. It was long argued that a new signalized intersection was not possible, due to the proximity of the nearby rail line.
Well, we’ve got good news.
After lobbying to get a pedestrian crossing project for Merivale Road / Brookdale listed among the Active Transportation Projects in the Transportation Master Plan, further assessments of the pedestrian crossing options at this location have determined that the preferred solution was the installation of a full signal control. This would mean a new, fully signalized intersection, which would include pedestrian crossing as part of the signal control. In other words, kids walking to school could safely and responsibly cross the street at Merivale and Brookdale, using a crosswalk, with traffic controlled by a red light. Just as it should be.
This is huge news. Our office is meeting with planning staff soon to get more information on design and schedule.
Spending our Temporary Traffic Calming money before we lose it
As readers of this newsletter likely know, each year councillors are provided with a Temporary Traffic Calming (TTC) budget (currently at $100,000 per year), which councillors can use on measures like flex-stakes, speed display boards, as well as the much more expensive speed bumps. Sometimes, councillors prefer to defer spending their full annual budget, as the funds can be carried over from one year to the next, and even from one Term of Council to the next.
No longer.
Another consequence of Premier Ford’s Bill 56 and the removal of ASE cameras is that any unspent funds from councillors’ TTC budgets will be returned to the Road Safety Action Plan’s reserve funds, since that fund has been heavily impacted by the loss of ASE revenue.
Thankfully, Councillor Ariel Troster noticed this change, and brought a motion to last week’s Public Works & Infrastructure Committee meeting, whereby a councillor can still access those funds, provided the funds have been allocated to approved traffic-calming project before the election.
Our office’s original plan had been to spend about 66% of this year’s available funds, since we wanted to save up for some more speed bumps in 2027. But we no longer have that option, since the process to get speed hump projects approved and costed takes too long.
And so, in addition to the large number of small TTC projects we had planned for 2026, we will also be advancing several projects that we had slated for 2027, including several projects to add protective cycle-lane delineators to several of the ward’s bike lanes. While these new recommendations still need to be approved, we’ll let you know the areas we’ve recommended:
- Deer Park Road between Fisher and Millford
- Grant Carman Drive between Meadowlands and Viewmount
- Prince of Wales Road between West Hunt Club and Black Rapids Creek
- MacFarlane Road between Merivale and Deakin
At the moment, we don’t yet know whether these projects can be realized within the budget cap we still have available. We’ll know soon enough.
Please note: this list does not include plans for protective bike lane infrastructure on Meadowlands Drive (between Merivale and Fisher), and Viewmount Road (between Merivale and Fisher), as those potential improvements fall within other projects that are currently in-development.
Cleaning the Capital
Cleaning the Capital’s Spring 2026 campaign is off to a strong start, with over 880 cleanup projects and 43,000+ participants already registered city‑wide. Registration remains open until May 4, with cleanups running through May 31. Visit the City’s website to get involved.
After having seen some larger Ward 9 projects earlier this month, we’re happy to see a smattering of small-group projects:
- On April 25th, we saw several small group events taking place, with clean-ups happening on Grant Carman Drive, Chesterton Drive, and Woodfield Drive
- On April 26th, we saw another small group clean-up on Chesterton Drive
- On April 29th, we’ll be seeing a larger group clean-up taking place on Eleanor Drive
Let’s see some more Ward 9 clean-ups!
PUBLIC HEALTH & SAFETY
National Immunization Awareness Week
National Immunization Awareness Week is all about reminding us of how important vaccines are in keeping our communities healthy. Immunization is one of the safest and most effective ways to protect people of all ages from serious, preventable diseases. Routine childhood vaccines help children grow up healthy, protect those who are more vulnerable, and reduce the spread of illness across the community. Thanks to rigorous testing and continuous safety monitoring, vaccines are still one of the most important tools for saving lives.
This year’s theme is “The time is now! Get immunized.” The goal is to encourage everyone to stay informed, address misinformation, and keep immunizations up to date. This week, consider checking your family’s records, booking needed appointments, or encouraging others to do the same. You can also help by reporting children’s vaccinations to Ottawa Public Health and exploring ways to promote immunization in your community.
Learn more at Ottawa Public Health’s Immunization webpage.
Rabies prevention in Ottawa
If you or someone you know is bitten or scratched by an animal, it’s important to know that all mammal bites and other potential rabies exposures should be reported to Ottawa Public Health (OPH). Every report is carefully reviewed to assess risk and determine whether rabies treatment is needed. In many cases—like when a healthy pet dog or cat can be safely observed—treatment may not be necessary. If the animal isn’t known to you or can’t be found, OPH recommends seeing a healthcare provider who will work closely with you to make sure you’re healthy and protected.
One of the best ways to prevent rabies is by keeping pets up to date on their vaccinations. To help make this easier, OPH has partnered with VCA Canada to offer a free rabies vaccination clinic:
- When: April 17, 2026, 10 am–2 pm
- Where: Banff Avenue Community House
Vaccines are available for dogs and cats 12 weeks and older, first come, first served. You are welcome to bring more than one dog. Learn more on the Ottawa Public Health website or contact the Rabies team at 613‑580‑6744.
Respiratory Disease Update
With the warmer weather settling in, numbers of new infections are beginning to moderate a little. While COVID-19 levels are maintaining a low level in the community, flu and RSV levels are persistently high. The good news is the weather is warm enough now to crack open some windows comfortably and get some fresh air flowing through our indoor spaces. So while things are looking up, we’re not quite out of the seasonal bug season yet!
COMMUNITY NEWS & EVENTS
Knox United Rummage Sale
- Location: 25 Gibbard Avenue (Behind the Soccer Dome)
- Date & Time: Saturday, May 9th from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
Barrhaven Lions Club Annual Make A Donation Pancake Breakfast
- Location: Fire Station 47, 3559 Greenbank Road
- Date & Time: Saturday, May 2nd from 9:30 am to 11:30 am
Electronics Recycling Day
- Location: Barrhaven Town Centre, 3777 Strandherd Drive
- Date & Time: Saturday, May 16th from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm
Mushroom Compost
- Location: Strandherd & Crestway Nepeanwoods, OC Transpo Park & Ride
- Date & Time: Saturday, May 9th and Sunday, May 10th from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Merivale United Church Plant Sale & Craft Market
- Location: Merivale United Church, 1867 Merivale Road
- Date & Time: Saturday, May 23rd from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
Tanglewood Hillsdale Community Centre Spring Event
- Location: 30 Woodfield Drive
- Date & Time: Saturday, May 2nd from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Craig Henry Park Spring Cleaning the Capital Volunteers
- Location: 135 Craig Henry Drive
- Date & Time: Wednesday, May 6th from 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm
Lemonade Standemonium 2026
This summer, Ottawa families and communities are hosting lemonade stands to support families affected by cancer. By hosting or supporting a stand in your neighbourhood, you’re helping raise vital funds for programs and services provided by The Ottawa Cancer Foundation.
For more information, please take a look at their website!
General Burns Community Association – Volunteer Opportunities
The General Burns Community Association (GBCA) is a volunteer‑led group representing residents in the area bordered by Fisher Avenue, Colonnade Road, Grant Carmen Drive, and Meadowlands Drive. GBCA is currently seeking volunteers, visit their website to learn more about available positions.
2026 Police Week for West District
- Location: Andrew Haydon Park, 3127 Carling Avenue
- Date & Time: Tuesday, May 12th from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Inverness Park Clean Up
- Location: Sunday, May 3rd from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm
- Date & Time: 76 Inverness Avenue
