March 17, 2026, Newsletter

COUNCILLOR’S MESSAGE

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, everyone! In the spirit of keeping things festive, and to honour my dear, departed mother’s birthday – she liked to keep conversations light and cheerful – I’m going to keep this edition of the Councillor’s Message a bit more introspective, and focus it on some positive items coming out of Ward 9. And you’ll have to forgive in advance that one of the items involves a bit of self-promotion. What a cheeky Irishman, I am! In the next issue of the newsletter, I plan to bring an even cheekier Councillor’s Message, leading off with a piece called – with all due respect to Donald Shoup - The High Cost of Not-So-Free Parking.

Habitat for Humanity in Craig Henry

In previous issues of this newsletter we talked about the Habitat for Humanity project that is coming to Ward 9 – at 40 Beechcliffe in the Craig Henry neighborhood. Last week I participated in the Public Information Session that was jointly hosted by Habitat for Humanity and CAIVAN, the company that will design and build these new townhomes. Although the Info Session was well-publicized through our newsletter and leaflets distributed to the immediately affected residents, attendance at the event was quite low. But since construction on this project is going to start soon – and I know that residents will start to ask questions about it – I wanted to address some of what makes this project so special, and why I’m grateful that it’s coming to Ward 9.

In fact, the project has generated so much interest that Ottawa’s The Lookout published a feature story on what’s happening at 40 Beechcliffe.

The bulk of this large greenfield at Woodroffe / Knoxdale is still being held in reserve for a future LRT station. But since the City has a mandate to make surplus land available for affordable housing, and the parcel is more than big enough for the eventual LRT project, I made sure that the City kept its pledge and carved off a segment of the greenfield for housing. And so, 33 families will soon call this neighborhood “home”, as first-time homebuyers.

It’s important to clarify just how much demand there is for affordable home ownership in Ottawa. Even though only 33 units were available – which is still the largest project-to-date for Habitat for Humanity Ottawa – over 1,000 families submitted applications for these new townhomes.

For anyone concerned about the impact that this development will have on the neighborhood, consider the positive impacts, first and foremost. These are 33 families – employed, with good credit, most of them with kids – who are likely quite excited and proud to be owning their first homes. And because it’s a Habitat for Humanity project, where they get favorable financing conditions to make the purchase feasible, they need to contribute 500 hours of “sweat equity” as part of the arrangement. And all these new families will be moving into their homes within the same short span of time. In other words, you’ve got an entire “mini community” that’s invested in contributing to the larger community.

Another exciting component to this project is how fast the construction will happen, compared to other projects. The builder for this project, CAIVAN, is an organization that I’ve grown to know over my term. Not only does CAIVAN have a strong commitment to affordable housing, but CAIVAN is an industry leader in sustainability when it comes to land use efficiency, conservation and waste reduction. I’ve visited CAIVAN’s manufacturing facility in Barrhaven multiple times, and it’s easy to see how the investment they’ve put into housing design and construction pays off in better outcomes.

The 33 townhomes being built on Beechcliffe will be constructed as modular housing, which means that the various components are assembled at the manufacturing centre, and then transported to the site, there the components are assembled with cranes. This makes for a much faster on-site process – and more fun to watch for onlookers – than traditional home construction.

Because of the new homes going in on the east side of Beechcliffe, there needs to be new underground infrastructure put in place (i.e. new watermain, sanitary sewer and storm sewer). The downside of this is that the existing residents on the west side of Beechcliffe will briefly lose access to their water servicing as new laterals will be installed from the new watermain to their homes (which will also require a portion of each resident’s driveways will need to be removed and replaced). But the upside is that Beechcliffe residents will have brand new infrastructure, including a freshly paved new road.

Here is a rough timeline for the project’s construction – which spans only one year from start to finish:

Servicing & infrastructure construction: April 2026 – July 2026
Home construction: July 2026 – September 2026
Interior finishing: September 2026 – February 2027
Occupancy: February 2027 – April 2027

Finally, I wanted to let residents know about the commitment that Habitat for Humanity and CAIVAN have to keeping the community informed about the project throughout the construction phase. In addition to making a single email address available for residents to use for questions and concerns, CAIVAN will also be issuing a weekly newsletter sent every Friday to keep residents informed about the project. To sign up for that newsletter, send an email to Christine Woods at [email protected]

On writing & publishing in Ward 9

I wanted to end this issue’s Councillor’s Message with a “plug” about some local writers and publishers. And yes, I’m including myself in this shameless bit of self-promotion. But there’s a reason for that.

The first Ward 9 writer that I’m very proud to promote is my predecessor – Keith Egli. As many Ottawa residents know, Keith made a brave admission in 2023 when he revealed that he was a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. Soon after going public about his traumatic experience, Keith became an advocate for Voice Found, a survivor-led Ottawa organization dedicated to preventing human trafficking and child sexual abuse. No surprise to anyone, Keith continues to be a leader for his community.

More recently, though, Keith found himself drawn to writing about his experience, so that he could be an advocate for an even wider audience. And so he wrote Tenacious Little F*cker – A Survivor’s Story, to be published by Broken Keys Publishing & Press – also Ottawa-based!

“In this raw, heart-wrenching but hopeful essay, this TLF (“Tenacious Little F*cker”) chronicles his journey through unexplained hurt to rage to self-forgiveness and finally, to the road he has taken towards healing. With this book, Keith wants to normalize discussions of childhood sexual abuse, assist other survivors in finding the resources they need to heal, and convince everyone else of the necessity to devote more resources to programs that have proven their worth in helping survivors.”

Feel free to join me on April 16th at 6:30pm for the official book launch of Tenacious Little F*cker – A Survivor’s Story, to be held at Nepean Council Chambers (101 Centrepointe Drive). The evening will feature a conversation between the author and local celebrity Sam Laprade.

Next up we have an interesting Ward 9 discovery! If you head over to 28 Concourse Gate (Unit 105), you’ll find DC Canada Education Publishing, which is a small local business (woman-owned, racialized minority-owned) that is an innovative publisher of children’s books, games and music.

I got to take a tour of DC Canada Education Publishing last week with Editor-in-Chief Kara Cybanski. Check out the video we recorded where Kara talks some more about these exciting new books they’ve published, which I wanted to feature here today.

The ABCs of Black Stories in Canada is a two-book set by Canadian historian Dr. Dorothy Williams and illustrated by Joseph Orei Bonsu. Dive into 26 heartfelt stories of Black resilience, courage, and compassion, and discover the historical figures whose experiences in Canada made an impact on their lives, their communities, and even the world. And My Amazing Race Car Brain, by Dianne Koebel-Pede and illustrated by Ottawa local Dania El Khatib, offers a compassionate, empowering story for children with ADHD and the families and friends who support them. 

Finally, I’ve got my own story to tell.

In the last issue of the Ward 9 newsletter, I mentioned that I’ll soon be performing for one-night-only in GCTC’s production of BL_NK on March 27th. I don’t talk about it a lot, but long before I entered public life as a politician, I was a theatre artist. For more than 25 years, I worked as an actor and a playwright. It’s not something I talked about much during the campaign, because my concern was that it would make me seem less credible in the minds of residents.

I’ve since abandoned that concern. In fact, I’m among a very small group of playwrights who were also politicians; the most famous being Czech playwright Václav Havel (1936 – 2011), who served as the last president of Czechoslovakia (1989 – 1992) and the first president of the Czech Republic (1993 – 2003). And no, I’m not mentioning this to foreshadow my greater political ambitions.

Over the course of my career as a playwright, I’ve written and produced four plays professionally. The most successful of them is DAISY, which tells the true story of the creation of the infamous “Daisy Girl” advertisement which played a prominent role in the 1964 U.S. Presidential election. That play has had about 10 professional productions across Canada and the U.S., including here in Ottawa at the GCTC. The first play I wrote is called RE:UNION, which is based on the real events surrounding the life and death of U.S. Quaker activist Norman Morrison, who self-immolated at The Pentagon in 1965, as a protest of the Vietnam War. First produced by my own theatre company in Vancouver in 2013, RE:UNION was later produced in Ottawa in 2015 as part of the Magnetic North Theatre Festival. But no other professional company ever produced it – although Meryl Street’s daughter performed in a student production at Yale University in 2017 – which was seen by her famous mother.

But I’m happy and proud to announce that Saskatoon’s Persephone Theatre will be producing RE:UNION in February 2027. The reason that this is exciting for me is that it’s one thing to self-produce a play; it’s another thing entirely to have someone else produce it. For RE:UNION, the first play I ever wrote – and it took almost ten years to develop this play - I’ve waited 12 years for this.

As for being among a small group of playwright-politicians, this is where it gets quite interesting. History shows a handful of individuals who operated simultaneously as an elected politician, while also being an active playwright (i.e. actively writing and/or having their plays produced). In addition to Václav Havel, there was also famed Anglo-Irish playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751-1816), who sat in the British House of Commons from 1780 – 1812, as well as nationally-recognized Indian playwright Purushan Kadalundi, who served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly for Kerala from 2011 – 2021.

As far as I can tell, and based on my own research into this topic, this means that I am the only active, elected politician (i.e. not appointed), who is also an active playwright. As my wife has told me, it looks like I’ve found my niche.

CITY WORKS

Vacant Unit Tax declaration due March 19

There are only two days left to complete your Vacant Unit Tax declaration. March 19 is the deadline for residential property owners to make their annual declaration of their property status as part of the City of Ottawa’s Vacant Unit Tax program.

Residential properties that are vacant for more than six months in a calendar year may be subject to the tax. The declaration takes less than a minute to complete using your MyServiceOttawa account. You can also make your declaration by phone or in person at a City of Ottawa service desk.

To complete your declaration by phone, you’ll need your property tax roll number and access code, both of which are included on the property tax bill mailed out in February.

You’ll want to get it in before the deadline: a $250 late fee will be applied to declarations submitted after March 19.

Keeping an eye on water levels… and your catch basins!

We have arrived at that time of year when we keep a close eye on the waterways through our region, the melting snow and ice, and the amount of precipitation we get. Seasonal flooding is something we are always on the watch for in Ottawa. So far this year, things are looking manageable. The rivers are at seasonal levels and localized flooding has been relatively minor. But watching and waiting is not the only thing we can do: we can help prevent or minimize localized flooding by giving a little care and attention to the stormwater catch basins in our neighbourhoods. There are 111,000 catch basins in Ottawa. Have a look for stormwater catch basins near your home and make sure they are clear of ice and snow and debris. Keeping catch basins clear goes a long way toward keeping water off our properties and out of our basements! If you are having trouble clearing one near your home, you can get in touch with the city and let them know.

Waste collection updates

As we wrote about in previous newsletters, changes are coming on March 30 to the collection schedule in much of Ward 9. It’s a good idea to have a look at the changes (detailed in the March 3 newsletter, under “Waste Collection Update”) and make sure you know what days to put out your bins. And to make matters a little easier, the City has produced a video showing how to use the Digital Collection Calendar. FRENCH VIDEO LINK: Comment consulter le calendrier de collecte numérique

Speaking of bins: as most of you will know, collection of blue and black bin recycling is no longer the responsibility of the city. The program is now managed across the province by Circular Materials. Coming soon, Circular Materials will only be using blue bins – no more black bins. Also, the company has recently updated its policy on bin replacements, returning to a policy closer to the one the city maintained prior to the change. If you have a damaged or missing bin, you can now get in touch with Circular Materials, directly, and they will arrange to have a new bin delivered to your home, free of charge.

Planned power outage – March 19

Hydro Ottawa will be installing underground electrical infrastructure on Bowhill Avenue and Chesterton Drive on March 19, 2026, requiring a planned power outage from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Approximately 12 customers will be affected. Please note: Hydro Ottawa will often refer to an apartment building as one customer, so we’re not yet sure of how many residents this outage will impact. Residents may notice increased construction activity, traffic control, and temporary lane reductions as crews work within the City road right‑of‑way. All impacted customers are being notified directly by Hydro Ottawa. If work is postponed due to unforeseen circumstances, the alternate date is March 23, 2026.

Construction Update

Ward 9 Capital Projects

Last week our office got a briefing on the Capital Construction Program for Ward 9, which will see a series of infrastructure improvements over the coming years to renew roads, parks, and community facilities. Some of these projects are already familiar to residents, while others have recently been added to the plan. We’re in the process of getting some additional details on several of these projects and will present you wish a more detailed list of projects in an upcoming newsletter. For now we wanted to offer a few highlights.

Upcoming work includes road resurfacing – tentatively set for 2026 and 2027 - on neighbourhood streets such as Siskin Court, Gibbard Drive, Tennyson Street and Cordell Court, as well as future maintenance on major corridors including Fisher Avenue, Viewmount Road, and Prince of Wales Drive. Residents can also look forward to upgrades at community facilities like the Nepean Sportsplex and new park amenities, including a splash pad and refurbished pathway at Medhurst Park. These investments focus on modernizing aging infrastructure and enhancing local public spaces. Many of the projects reflect the Councillor’s continued advocacy to ensure Ward 9 receives its fair share of municipal infrastructure funding.

Meadowlands Drive & Fisher Avenue Intersection Renewal Project

This is a major construction project involving the installation of a new storm sewer, replacement of a watermain, full road reconstruction with sidewalks, dedicated bike lanes, and a fully protected intersection. Information on the project can be found here: Meadowlands Drive and Fisher Avenue Intersection Renewal, including the presentation from the recent Public Info Session, as well as the project’s design boards.

This project is also being integrated with the Meadowlands Drive Active Transportation, Traffic Calming and Transit Priority Project that our office initiated, which will run between Fisher Avenue and Merivale Road. More on that exciting project coming soon.

For the Meadowlands Drive & Fisher Avenue Intersection Renewal Project, which is budgeted for $16 million, construction will begin this spring, and is expected to run through to Fall 2027. Residents near Fisher Avenue and Meadowlands Drive can expect some initial construction activity to last approximately four weeks (weather dependent), as Enbridge Gas and contractor Aecon will be relocating a section of gas main in advance of the project segments scheduled to begin later spring.

Work will take place on Fisher Avenue just north of Meadowlands Drive, with lane reductions expected. Pedestrian and cyclist access will remain open throughout the construction. Some noise, dust, and minor vibrations may occur.

Residents in this area should also note that a separate construction project, the Normandy Crescent and Valmarie Avenue Integrated Renewal Project, which takes place just a little south of Meadowlands / Fisher, has been postponed to 2027.

2026 OC Transpo Annual Bus Stop Improvement Program

OC Transpo has proposed two locations in Ward 9 for the 2026 Bus Stop Improvement Program. These upgrades ensure stops meet City accessibility standards and may include new landing pads, new shelters, or lifecycle replacement of existing shelters. For Ward 9, the following stops are included:

Stop #4057 – Viewmount at Europa: Accessible landing pad + shelter
Stop #5679 – Viewmount at Farm Gate: New accessible landing pad + new shelter

Construction is scheduled to begin at locations across the City this spring and continue through fall 2026.

Portable toilet locations in Ward 9 parks

Every year councillors are provided the option to recommend up to 5 parks in their ward for portable toilet allocations over the summer months. These placements are in addition to portable toilet allocations that are already in place due to summer sports programs. Councillor Devine has used this opportunity each year, attempting to spread the allocations over different parts of the ward each summer. Here are the parks where we have recommended portable toilets to be allocated for 2026:

George Brancato Park
Steve McLean Park (TBC)
George Brancato Park
Country Place Park
Charing Park
Trend Park (also known as Space Park)

Road Safety Action Plan

Aggressive driving is more than just being in a rush. It includes impatient, hostile, or risky behaviours like speeding, tailgating, weaving through traffic, running red lights, and failing to yield. These actions put everyone on the road at risk.

Between 2020 and 2024, 56% of fatal or major‑injury collisions in Ottawa involved high‑risk driving. Those “few seconds saved” can come at the cost of someone else’s life. Remember: you’re not stuck in traffic; you are traffic.

Choose Calm Behind the Wheel

Leave space — aim for a 3‑second following distance
Slow down — speed affects reaction time and stopping distance
Signal early and avoid weaving
Be patient at intersections — no running reds
Let someone merge (you’ll still get there)
Plan ahead and give yourself extra time

School Zone Safety

Safe speeds in school zones are essential for protecting students, and over the past several years we've seen real progress in how drivers respond to posted speed limits. Remember to follow these safety rules when entering school zones:

Reduce your speed near schools
Look for school zone signage
Be ready to stop at all times: children do not always notice oncoming traffic
Always try to make eye contact with children wanting to cross the road
Be patient and wait for children to complete their crossing before proceeding
Obey all yield, stop, pedestrian crossovers (PXO), and traffic signal controls – it’s the law.
Stop when a STOP paddle is held up by a crossing guard.

Get notified about potential plumbing leaks

Not only does getting a My ServiceOttawa account make it easier to manage your water bill, now it can also help you catch potential plumbing leaks sooner. Since 2014, the City has used automated metering to track hourly water use and detect unusually high, continuous consumption that may indicate a leak. Previously, homeowners were notified by mail, which could take several days.

With a My ServiceOttawa account, you’ll now receive email alerts much faster if uninterrupted water flow is detected over a seven‑day period. This quicker notification can help you investigate the issue, contact a licensed plumber if needed, and potentially avoid higher water bills.

These alerts typically point to leaks on private property, and homeowners remain responsible for water use and plumbing repairs. Registering a My Service Ottawa account is simple, and once you're set up, users can also view consumption data and set additional usage alerts.

Telecommunications tower on Greenbank Road

A new 30-metre telecommunications tower is being proposed at 194 Greenbank Road, designed to support current and future wireless equipment from multiple carriers, to improve cellular service in the area. Construction is expected to take 4–6 weeks and is anticipated in 2027, following required consultation and federal approvals.

The tower is being proposed to address poor cellular coverage affecting nearby residential areas. Existing towers are too distant or too short to meet demand. By allowing multiple carriers to share one structure, the project aims to improve connectivity while limiting the need for additional towers across Ottawa.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Councillor Devine joined a significant group of Ottawa City Councillors on March 7 and joined in the first St. Partick's Day Parade the city has seen its six-year hiatus. It was a great event and the Councillor is already looking forward to next year's event.

International Women’s Day at City Hall

Councillor Devine was thrilled to have so many special guests--extraordinary women, all of them--accompany him to the International Women’s Day Breakfast at City Hall on March 6. The Councillor's guests included: three leaders from the local Trend Arlington Community Association (Sarah MacHardy, Lydia Pion, and Melanie Lambert); Mary Ellis, the artistic director of Horseshoes & Hand Grenades Theatre (a company I co-founded with two other amazing women in Vancouver); and, Chelsey Fawcett, the Board Chair of HHG, and CEO of Grant Solutions Canada. And, of course, there was this office's amazing Office Manager, Tina Rose, who has worked previously with some amazing women-led organizations.

Open Office Hours

We're re-instating our Open Office Hours, with multiple opportunities per month to meet with Councillor Devine for a one-on-one conversation to discuss local issues, or just to chat. The next available date is Monday, March 23rd - 4:00pm - 8:00pm - The virtual sessions will be held on Zoom.

You can book a 15-minute appointment for the March 23 session, online. Select the "March 23" date on our Calendly page, and then select any of the available meeting slots. Our office will then send you the Zoom link. Please enter the Zoom meeting a few minutes before your appointment begins. We'll keep you in the "lobby" until your scheduled meeting time.

PUBLIC HEALTH & SAFETY

New, easier way to report non‑emergency police incidents

Ottawa Police Service has launched an upgraded online incident reporting system, making it quicker and easier for residents to report non‑emergency incidents from a computer or mobile device.

Residents can report issues such as theft, vandalism, driving‑related complaints, and cryptocurrency fraud. The system is available 24/7 and supports more than 20 languages, including English and French.

New features allow residents to upload photos or videos, save a report and finish it later, and receive email updates about what happens next. Online reporting helps police better understand neighbourhood concerns while keeping officers available for urgent calls.

To learn more (there are some helpful videos and the opportunity to register for an information session) or to submit a report, you can visit the Ottawa Police Service web site.

For emergencies or situations involving immediate danger, always call 911.

Steps to Wellness Program for Perinatal Depression

Ottawa Public Health is pleased to share this opportunity with you to invite mothers and fathers who are expecting or have a child (birth or adoption) and who have been feeling depressed, sad, anxious, angry or overwhelmed to a FREE nine-week group-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) program.

During a nine-week series, participants meet in a virtual group setting with a public health nurse and learn skills to help reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety by changing thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Next sessions for mothers:

English Group starting Thursday March 26^th, from 10 am to noon - OPEN for registration
English Group starting Tuesday April 28^th, from 10 am to noon - OPEN for registration

Interested participants can visit the web page for more information, and to register.

Next session for fathers:

The program for fathers is being offered as part of a research study to determine whether a group CBT intervention is helpful for fathers and fathers to be. All participants in the research study will complete three online questionnaires and three brief telephone interviews. 

English group starting Thursday, March 5^th, from 6pm to 8pm - OPEN for registration

Interested participants can register now by emailing the organizers or by accessing this registration link.   

Respiratory Disease Update

As we near the end of winter, flu appears to be making a minor resurgence. Levels of Flu B are up slightly over the last few weeks, so exercise some caution and stay home if you’re feeling unwell. RSV continues to be present at high levels in the community, as it has been throughout most of the season. And COVID continues to be present but at relatively lower levels than in years past. With Spring Break in full swing, it’s wise to be a little extra cautious. Open some windows, run an air filter, and wear a good mask when you are in crowded settings with lots of people. All of these precautions can help keep you and your loved ones healthy as we head into spring.

Free Diabetes Screening

COMMUNITY NEWS & EVENTS

Trivia Throwback Night in support of Culture2Culture

Join Algonquin College public relations students on Wednesday, April 8, at Cassette on Baseline Road for Trivia Throwback, a retro-themed music trivia night dedicated to supporting OCISO!

Part of the Culture2Culture campaign, this interactive evening invites guests to dress in the fashion of their favourite nostalgic decade and test their knowledge of hits from the '70s to the '00s. Guided by a comedic MC, the event will feature a classic pen and paper trivia sheet battle of wits, ensuring a night of community spirit, socializing and fun that is all for a good cause.

You can get tickets and find more information on the eventbrite page!