August 19, 2025, Newsletter

COUNCILLOR’S MESSAGE 

OC Transpo and the elimination of youth fares 

It’s hard for Ottawa to take steps forward on transit when we keep shooting ourselves in the foot. 

A few weeks ago, OC Transpo made the announcement that, effective September 1, it was eliminating the discounted youth pass, which affects transit riders aged 13 – 19, as well as eliminating free transit for youth aged 11 – 12. What this will mean is that transit riders as young as 11 years of age will soon be charged the same fare as adults. 

For youth aged 13 – 19 that don’t get their transit passes paid for by the school board, this means that their monthly pass will increase from $104 to $135. This amounts to an additional cost of $372 for any youth purchasing monthly passes all year long, whether it’s for school, or work, or simply as their primary mode of transportation. 

To put that in context, here’s what various Canadian cities charge for a youth monthly pass: 

• Ottawa: $135 (as of September 1) 
• Toronto: $128.15 
• Hamilton: $103.40 
• Calgary: $86 (for youth aged 13 – 17) 
• Winnipeg: $84.70 
• Edmonton: $66 
• Vancouver: $63.80 
• Montreal: $62.75 

And when it comes to charging 11 and 12 year-olds the same fare as adults, this means that we’ll be charging $4 for a single fare to 11 year-olds. Across Canada, only two other cities charge a fare to 11 and 12 year-olds (Winnipeg at $2.15, and Calgary at $2). Every other major Canadian city does not charge a fare to youth aged 11 – 12.  

This is as embarrassing as it is unjust and idiotic.   

There’s no need to explain why it’s embarrassing to be Canada’s leader in charging the highest transit rates for little kids.  

It’s unjust, because the people who are going to be most hurt by this shift in policy are those who don’t have a choice other than to pay the higher fares. This is OC Transpo’s “captive riders”, the riders who have no other viable mode for transportation. For example, the single mother with two kids aged 11 and 12 will need to pay to pay $24 return fare to take her kids to their dentist appointment, instead of the $8 she pays now.  

It’s idiotic because how is this going to help grow OC Transpo’s ridership over the long-term? Building our transit ridership needs to be one of OC Transpo’s core objectives towards achieving sustainability, instead of counter-productive measures that only address a short-term budget deficit. For every family who decides to walk or bike or buy a car instead of taking transit, for every parent who chooses to leave their kids at home and not expose them to using transit at an early age, those are lost potential riders.  

It didn’t have to be that way.  

During last year’s deliberations for the 2025 budget, Council wrestled with how to address OC Transpo’s $120 million deficit. While a majority of Council approved the elimination of discounted youth fares as one way to address this deficit, I did not. I brought a motion seeking to pay for the discounted use fare through a minor increase to the transit levy, in the range of $1 more per month. Rather than have the entire city pay for this component of the transit deficit, it was put on the backs of young riders and their parents, some to the tune of $372 more per year.  

The big debate during last year’s transit budget involved the proposal of a drastic increase to fares for seniors. Those seniors organized quickly and effectively to oppose the increase, and the resulting increase was far more modest. I hope that youth, their families, and other stakeholders are just as effective this year. While I’m eager for Ottawa to be perceived as less embarrassing or unjust when it comes to transit, I’m also eager for us to be less idiotic.  

This week’s political lobbying 

This week, the City of Ottawa hosts delegates from across the province at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Annual Conference & Trade Show. I’ll be actively involved, along with several of my Council colleagues, in all kinds of workshops, information sessions, learning and networking opportunities, plus some high-level advocacy opportunities.  

One element that I’m particularly looking forward to is being a delegate on behalf of the City of Ottawa, along with Councillor David Hill, to speak to Ontario Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria, on the issue of speed racing and stunt driving. Councillor Hill and I have been working on this for several months, along with Ottawa Police Services, and we’ll be presenting a list of five priority actions that we believe will have a significant impact on curbing this dangerous activity.  

I’ll be sharing a lot more information about what transpires at AMO in the next issue of the newsletter, along with some exciting news about another high-level political meeting taking place this week.  

CITY WORKS 

General Burns Pool update 

On August 7th, as concrete work began on the General Burns Pool basin, city staff discovered that more repair work was needed than originally anticipated. After having removed all of the paint from the pool walls through extensive sandblasting, city staff indicated that now was the ideal time to complete any and all necessary repairs, and that these repairs will likely extend the pool’s lifespan by an additional five years of operation.

City staff have notified our office that the estimated date for completion of this work is September 9th, pending good weather. We have also learned that once the pool’s repairs are completed, General Burns will be re-opened for an extended season until October 3rd.

While we fully understand how frustrating it’s been for residents to lose access to this pool during a very hot summer, we’re pleased to see that city staff have decided to extend its use.

Pinhey Forest fire risk 

Residents in Merivale Gardens have long been aware of the potential fire risk posed by nearby Pinhey Forest from the combination of dry conditions and tree debris remaining from the 2022 derecho. In light of the recent heat wave and drought conditions, our office reached out to Ottawa Fire Services to ask for a status update. Here’s what they provided:  

• This continuous “heat dome” that Ottawa is currently facing has required that Ottawa Fire Services put their entire Wildland Fire Program on “High Alert”. Of course, that status is not just for Pinhey Forest, but for all of Ottawa. Ottawa Fire Services don’t have specific operational plans for each woodland area within the city, but they are “equipment-ready” with specific response standards supported by specialized wildland teams.
• The NCC, which is responsible for clearing tree debris within their forests, reported that the debris clean-up work of Pinhey Forest was completed earlier this year. This is good news as it significantly decreases the risk of something catching fire. 

Play, Grow, Lead update 

A few months ago, Councillor Devine partnered with Active Newcomer Youth Ottawa (ANYO) to have them devise a new sports / mentorship program for priority youth in Craig Henry, as a means of addressing ongoing concerns about mischief, vandalism and public safety issues in the area. The Play, Grow, Lead program has been operational for a few weeks, with over 75 kids aged 9 – 15 registered. Councillor Devine checked in with our partners at Minto, the housing complex on Craig Henry Drive where most of the youth participants live. Minto had been dealing with many complaints from local residents over the last year, so we asked them if anything has changed since then. Here’s what we heard back from Minto:  

“From our perspective, the program has drastically reduced the number of complaints we’re getting about the kids playing dangerously in the parking lots. The kids are playing at the park more regularly now, their parents are taking them to the park, and the older kids are also getting into the habit of being in the park. All of them are now far more comfortable going to the park, instead of playing in the parking lots or on the streets and sidewalks. The feedback from the kids has been that it's really fun and they like it.” 

Become a Crossing Guard! 

Join the Ottawa Safety Council’s (OSC) dedicated, community-minded team of Adult Crossing Guards! 

Great reasons to join the OSC’s crossing guard team: 

• Make a real difference in your own community! 
• Get to know your neighbours 
• Help local families 
• Become a trusted face in your neck of the woods 
• Enjoy supplementary income and perks 

Being a Crossing Guard provides a meaningful employment opportunity that puts a smile on everyone’s face. Interested in learning more? Get all the details on becoming a crossing guard from their website or contact them by email.

Traffic safety update 

After campaigning on traffic safety concerns in 2022, safety on our roads remains a top priority with several initiatives underway that will see results this year and into the next Term of Council. We wanted to provide an overview of some of the projects that we are currently working on, along with some other traffic safety updates:  

No Right on Red: There’s been much discussion lately about a proposal to ban “right turns on red” in the downtown core. Somerset Ward Councillor Ariel Troster suggested these restrictions in response to the high number of fatalities and major injuries affecting pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users across Ottawa this summer. Councillor Devine has added his voice to this public campaign, and did several media interviews to suggest that, at the very least, the City needs to address these recent dangerous and tragic incidents. While there are different positions, even among traffic safety specialists, about the effectiveness of banning right turns on red, Councillor Devine believes that the matter should be reviewed. Ecology Ottawa recently launched a petition to ban right turns on red at all intersections in the downtown core, and at all protected intersections city-wide. Residents can expect this matter to be discussed at the next Public Works & Infrastructure Committee meeting in September.   

New automated speed enforcement cameras: Last year, two new ASE cameras were installed in Ward 9, on Merivale Road, and on Knoxdale Road. This year, residents can expect to see two new cameras installed between now and mid-November. These new ASE cameras for Ward 9 are proposed for Meadowlands Drive between Chesterton and Tiverton, and on Fisher Avenue between Meadowlands and Urbisci Private.  

Merivale Road & Viewmount Drive: Readers of this newsletter will recall that our office has been involved in seeking safety improvements to this dangerous intersection, ever since a serious collision caused major injuries to a student at Merivale High School, back in October 2023. Our office is pleased to report the following improvements:  

• As of August 14th, there are new restrictions banning right turns on red between 7:00am and 7:00pm, for both the northbound lane (on Merivale) and the eastbound lane (on Viewmount). Following the October 2023 injury arising from a right turn on red at this very location, we asked the city’s traffic engineers to assess this intersection for banning right turns on red, but our requests were denied because the restrictions would impede traffic flow. More recently, this intersection was included in a nationwide road safety study led by CAA, which aimed to better understand risk factors at key intersections across Canada. Based on the results of this study and CAA’s conclusions, city staff have now installed these new restrictions.  

• As part of our office’s annual recommendations for Temporary Traffic Calming projects, we got two new changes approved for Viewmount at Merivale. The first are “painted bulbouts” which serve to widen the curb at the intersection, which forces drivers to take slower, narrower turns. The other is a “painted median” with cycle-lane delineators, which creates a form of “safety refuge” for pedestrians attempting to cross the street and also prevents drivers from doing illegal and dangerous u-turns when dropping off or picking up students.  

Knoxdale Road: Last year we initiated a Neighborhood Traffic Calming project for Knoxdale Road, which will result in permanent changes (e.g. speed bumps, narrowed lanes) to the roadway to effectively reduce speed. This project wrapped up its first public consultation a few months ago. Our office is waiting to hear the results of this consultation soon and will then aim to move towards final design and construction in 2026.  

Meadowlands Drive: Over the past year, our office has been actively involved in working with city staff to propose an innovative solution to concerns about speeding and the lack of active transportation on this major east--west collector road. We’ve recently learned that our proposal is likely moving forward soon, and that city staff will be presenting us with design concepts that we can then share with residents.  

Conover Street: Another Neighborhood Traffic Calming project on Conover Street in Craig Henry is nearing completion. After installing three speed bumps there last year, city staff will soon be beginning construction on a raised pedestrian crosswalk (which will connect the adjoining pathways along the Hydro corridor), along with a new streetlight. This work is scheduled to be completed by the end of August.  

New Cycling Guide app: Bike Ottawa has introduced a free Cycling Guide app to help residents and visitors navigate the city by bike in the safest and most comfortable way possible. Unlike standard navigation apps that often direct cyclists through high-traffic areas, this app focuses on low-stress, bike-friendly routes. What sets this app apart is its emphasis on rider experience. Instead of just providing a route, it helps cyclists understand what to expect along the way, making it easier to choose a path that suits their comfort level. 

Road rehabilitation update 

We wanted to provide a brief update on some of this summer’s road rehabilitation projects taking place in Ward 9:  

• The work on Grant Carman Drive is now complete. Last year, this road was absolutely one of the worst roads in the entire ward. It has now been freshly re-graded and re-paved, with new sidewalks, and the bike lanes have been restored to the appropriate widths. Councillor Devine stopped by there last week to record a quick video of how it turned out.  
• For the work being done on Merivale Road between Viewmount and Meadowlands, some of the sidewalk reinstatements are on hold due to some shallow gas mains. The contractor will be laying down some temporary sidewalks in the interim. 
• The re-paving of the Greenbank Road Multi-Use Pathway was completed last week. There is some minor work remaining to close out the project, which should be fully completed and cleaned up within a week or two.   

We wanted to end this segment by relaying an email we received from a Ward 9 resident who was very happy to see the work being done on Greenbank:  

“I just wanted to say THANK YOU for fixing the bike path along Greenbank. I saw people biking on the path on the weekend, so I tried it out. The path is amazing! No more bumps, no more cracks, no more grass down the middle, on the sides, and across the path, and it even seems wider - it is great. I know it was a long time coming but I really appreciate the City for listening to all the complaints and getting this done.”    

Over the next few weeks, our office will be participating in some information sessions and project briefings for two very significant road projects that will have a significant impact on Ward 9 residents, at least on the western side of the ward. These would be the major intersection projects taking place at Greenbank and Baseline (Ward 8), and at Greenbank and West Hunt Club (Ward 9). We’ll provide an update on these projects in our next newsletter.  

Merivale Transformer Station 

Hydro One is continuing its modernization of the Merivale Transformer Station, aiming to improve power capacity and reliability across Ottawa. To stay on schedule, crews will be working overnight and on weekends from August 11 through October. Most work will take place inside the newly constructed building, with minimal noise expected, though residents should expect increased traffic around the site during these extended hours. 

Love Food Hate Waste 

The City has partnered with Love Food Hate Waste to launch a new campaign to help you save money and cut down on food waste. Reducing food waste was identified as a priority by residents during the development of the Solid Waste Master Plan. This campaign is one of 50 actions in the plan that will guide the city towards more sustainable waste management.  

Did you know the average Canadian household throws away approximately $1,300 worth of food every year? While some food waste—like bones, peelings and eggshells—is unavoidable, a staggering 63 per cent of food that gets thrown out could have been eaten. That includes leftovers, spoiled produce and those forgotten items at the back of the fridge. Visit the waste reduction and education website to get more food saving tips and recipes. 

Solid Waste Services 2025 mid-year update 

It’s been a busy year for Solid Waste Services as they continue to deliver on Council-approved priorities, keep our waste services running smoothly, manage graffiti, and get ready for a busy fall. Between January and June, Solid Waste Services completed several major deliverables as outlined below: 

• Landfill Gas Utilization Agreement Extension: In February, Council approved a five-year extension to the PowerTrail agreement, ensuring continued landfill gas collection with enhancements to the agreement terms. 
• Household Hazardous Waste Event Coordination and Communications: As winter ended and spring began, Solid Waste Services planned and shared the schedule for 2025 Household Hazardous Waste events. 
• Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional (IC&I) Waste Ban at Trail Waste Facility Landfill: In May, Solid Waste Services advised Council through a memo that as of July 1, 2025, Trail Waste Facility Landfill would no longer accept IC&I waste, as approved through the Solid Waste Master Plan. The ban was successfully implemented in early July and now applies to all commercial vehicles and trailers, except those transporting commercial metal, e-waste, or leaf and yard waste. 
• Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Strategy: In June, Council approved the HHW Strategy which outlined the City’s approach to managing hazardous waste not covered under Individual Producer Responsibility (IPR) and addressed ongoing challenges with covered materials that continue to be received by the City. 
• Waste Management Technologies Feasibility Study: Alongside the HHW strategy’s approval in June, Council also approved the Waste Management Technologies Feasibility Study report.  This project will assess a range of new and emerging technologies to support exploring long-term solutions for residual waste management, analyzing their social, environmental, and financial implications.   

Solid Waste Services are already busy planning for the second half of the year and there are several strategic reports and updates scheduled for Council: 

• Parks Waste Collection and Diversion Strategy: In September, Solid Waste Services will present a report outlining how waste diversion and collection in parks will be standardized across the city.  
• Plans for Post-2026 Provincial Blue Box Program: Also in September, Solid Waste Services will provide an update to Council on the City's plans for post-2026, when all recycling for eligible sources will fully transition away from the City's responsibility to the Provincial Blue Box Program. The report will detail collection plans for non-eligible sources including an update to the Yellow Bag Program for Small Businesses and communication plans to update our residents on any potential impacts.  
• Annual Solid Waste Master Plan Update: In October, Solid Waste Services will share its first annual update on the Solid Waste Master Plan.  
• Financial Statements for In-House Solid Waste: In November, Solid Waste Services will provide the audit results for the in-house waste collections team, covering the period from June 1, 2024, to May 31, 2025, along with the department's performance report. 

Residents are key partners in helping the City of Ottawa meet its waste diversion goals. Here are some simple ways everyone can make a difference: 

• Not sure what goes where, or looking for updates and upcoming events? Check out the Ottawa Garbage and Recycling page for all the latest info. 
• Need your garbage and recycling pickup schedule? Download the Ottawa Collection Calendar app on your Apple or Android device. 
• A lot of items don’t have to end up in the garbage. Use the Waste Explorer to find out alternatives to landfill for common household items.  
• There have been a greater number of fires at the landfill in 2025.  If disposal in the garbage is the only option, please check and remove any batteries first which can cause fires at the landfill.  Residents can use the City’s Waste Explorer to find locations for the safe and convenient return of batteries.    

Cleaning the Capital 2025 Fall campaign 

End of summer means beginning of the Cleaning the Capital Fall Campaign! Registration has already begun as of August 15, with litter cleanup projects taking place across our city between September 15 and October 15. Registration closes September 30. 

The online registration form is available online. Residents are encouraged to check out the interactive map prior to registering to view the locations and dates of all registered cleanup projects in their communities. Participants can choose to clean public spaces such as parks and greenspaces, roadsides, shorelines, or even areas around bus stops. Every cleanup project helps keep our city clean.   

Cleanup kits, which include nitrile gloves and garbage bags, will be made available for pickup by registrants between September 2 and October 12 at fourteen City of Ottawa facilities across the city.     

Staff are pleased to report that the inclusion of yellow bags in the Spring campaign cleanup kits was very well received by program participants. These yellow bags provided a convenient option for disposing of collected Cleaning the Capital waste/litter at residential curbsides on regularly scheduled collection days. Cleaning the Capital staff will continue to support participants’ appropriate disposal of collected waste/litter during the Fall campaign by providing groups of up to 25 participants with a small quantity of City-branded yellow bags in cleanup kits.    

This fall, participants will again be provided instructions for proper disposal of collected waste/litter prior to their planned cleanup projects, including a reminder that Cleaning the Capital does not provide special pickups at residential curbsides for collected waste/litter. This information will be communicated to participants via the Cleaning the Capital eSubscription, registration confirmation, as well as through the city's web site..   

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT  

Order of Ottawa nominations 

The city is now accepting nominations for the 2025 Order of Ottawa and the Brian Kilrea Award for Excellence in Coaching. You can complete nominations for both awards either online, or by downloading a nomination form from the Order of Ottawa award webpage. The submission deadline is Wednesday, September 3 at 11:59 pm. Nominations will be considered every year for five consecutive years from the date of submission. 

Tools 4 School 

Last week Councillor Devine attended the donor appreciation event for NROCRC’s successful Tools 4 School campaign, which helped purchase well over 200 brand-new backpacks – each one filled with school supplies – for prioritized youth across the catchment. Our office was happy to have provided 4 of these backpacks to families-in-need in our ward. Congratulations to Caroline Franks and everyone at NROCRC for a successful campaign! 

PUBLIC HEALTH & SAFETY  

Respiratory Disease Update 

As of mid-August 2025, respiratory disease activity in Ottawa remains moderate. Ottawa Public Health reports ongoing surveillance of respiratory infections including COVID-19, influenza, and RSV, with no major outbreaks currently active. A fifth measles case was confirmed recently, linked to travel, but there is no evidence of local transmission. Residents are encouraged to stay up to date with vaccinations and monitor for symptoms if exposed. For detailed updates, visit Ottawa Public Health’s Respiratory and Enteric Surveillance Dashboard. 

PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT 

780 Baseline 

Residents in Fisher Heights will already have noticed that pre-excavation work has already begun on what will be a multi-year construction at the Lone Star Plaza. Our office is in regular contact with Theberge Group in discussing all aspects of this project. We’re waiting for confirmation of an official “ground-breaking ceremony” in the coming weeks, as well as the commencement of approximately four months of site excavation.   

1500 Merivale 

Our office received notice recently that the long-postponed residential development at 1500 Merivale – located on the Merivale Triangle – has taken a shift from its original plans. Claridge Homes, the owner of this large site (more than 6.2 hectares) had originally been planning a series of mid-rise buildings, which our office had thought to be unusually short, given the location. But last week, the City of Ottawa received a Zoning By-law Amendment application, seeking to amend the maximum height allowable from 34 metres (approximately 11 storeys) to a far greater height limit of 130 metres (for up to 40 storeys). This is not a surprising request. With the site being at the convergence of three arterials, adjacent to two future transitway lines, and at the centre of the current Baseline-Merivale Secondary Plan, this “hub” will likely see the most density in this area.  

This Zoning By-law Amendment application will likely come to the Planning & Housing Committee meeting of October 1, 2025. Any resident may delegate at this meeting, provided they first submit written comments, prior to the submission deadline of September 5, 2025. Information on this project and instructions for submitting comments may be found on the City of Ottawa’s DevApps site.  

40 Beechcliffe 

Residents in the Craig Henry area have long been aware of a new residential development coming to 40 Beechcliffe, which is the large, city-owned parcel of land facing Woodroffe Avenue. Our office has been very closely involved in this project, but we’ve been limited in what we can say publicly about it. There has been significant progress on this file over the past few months, and we are excited that the site plan has been submitted and is currently under review. Residents can review all of the current plans for this project on the City of Ottawa’s DevApps site.  

This exciting project will see the construction of 33 two-storey townhouses, with 26 townhouses fronting Beechcliffe Street as Phase 1, and an additional 7 townhouses fronting Fair Oaks Crescent as Phase 2. These new homes will part of Habitat for Humanity Greater Ottawa’s affordable home ownership plan and will be built by CAIVAN.  

In terms of project timing, city staff are working with Habitat for Humanity to try and get shovels in the ground for the infrastructure works along Beechcliffe this fall, with construction of the units beginning in Spring 2026. Based on these possible timelines, occupancy will likely be sometime between Fall 2026 and Spring 2027. 

The due date for comments on this development was August 15, 2025. Residents may still submit comments, which will still be received by our office, and also by city planners.  

COMMUNITY NEWS & EVENTS 

Community Association Corn Roasts 

Get ready to celebrate the harvest season with neighbours and friends! A number of community corn roasts are popping up across the ward this September, offering a fun and tasty way to connect and soak up the last of the summer sun! 

• Tanglewood-Hillsdale Community Association Corn Roast (Sept 3, 5pm - 7pm): Tanglewood Park Community Centre 

• The Glens Community Assocation Corn Roast (Sept 6): Grenfell Park 
• Merivale Gardens Community Association Corn Roast (Sept 6, 2:30pm – 7pm): Merivale Gardens Park 
• Fisher Heights & Area Community Association Corn Boil (Sept 13, 11am – 2pm): Fisher Heights Park 
• Manordale-Woodvale Community Association Corn Roast (Sept 6, 4pm – 10pm): Margaret Rywak Community Building 

Trend Arlington Community Day 

On September 27th from 6:00pm – 10:00pm, the Trend Arlington Community Association (TACA) will be hosting its annual Trend Arlington Community Day. This annual celebration started seven years ago after the 2018 tornado and serves as a yearly opportunity for Trend Arlington residents to celebrate their community spirit. And this year’s event has two exciting surprises. Not only will TACA be hosting an Outdoor Movie Night (movie starts at 7:00pm), but this event will also be celebrating the official opening of the Trend Arlington Community Pavilion, along with the Public Art project hanging from the roof.  

Parkwood Hills Movie Night 

Come out on Friday September 5th to Inverness Park in Parkwood Hills for a free movie night – with free popcorn – hosted by NROCRC. They’ll be screening the family-friendly MINECRAFT MOVIE, which will start at 7pm. Bring your own lawn chair, blanket, water and snacks.    

Myers Riders Registration 

Breakfast Matters Campaign 

Every morning, thousands of Ottawa students arrive at school hungry. ONFE’s School Breakfast Program serves more than 22,000 students each day, ensuring they start the day with the energy to learn and thrive. Right now, your gift to ONFE’s #BreakfastMatters campaign will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the Senators Community Foundation until October 1st, doubling your impact! Donate today on the Ottawa Network for Education website.

North American Festival of Wales