Newsletter July 29, 2025

COUNCILLOR’S MESSAGE

Ottawa’s new Transportation Master Plan

At the City Council meeting we held on July 23rd, we finally passed the Transportation Master Plan (TMP), which is a critically important document for managing our city’s future growth. The TMP took many years of work, following an extensive, multi-phased and iterative public consultation process with residents and communities all across the city.

But the biggest news story that came out of the TMP is an item that not only didn’t make it into the TMP, but was never a part of it in the first place. The ring road!

The idea of a ring road had never been prioritized or even proposed by our city’s transportation staff or elected officials over the entire course of developing the updated Transportation Master Plan, at least not until Councillor Tierney (Beacon Hill-Cyrville) brought it as a motion at the June 26th meeting of the Public Works & Infrastructure Committee.

I spoke with Councillor Tierney the day after his motion was defeated because I wanted to convey that his concern over traffic congestion is absolutely valid. Congestion in our city is steadily increasing, and if it is not addressed systematically, it can have devastating impacts on the city’s viability.

Building a ring road will not solve our congestion problems, at least not in the long term.

The prevailing view among many transportation planners, economists, and environmentalists is that building more road capacity, i.e. building new roads, or widening existing highways, often fails to provide a long-term solution to congestion. This is due to the concept of "induced demand”. When new lanes are added or new roads are built, they initially offer some congestion relief. However, this increased road capacity effectively lowers the "price" of driving (in terms of time). This lower "price" incentivizes more people to use that increased capacity, which quickly fills up again. Just do a quick Google search of “what is induced demand” and you’ll be able to view many articles and videos.

There are far more pragmatic, proven, and less expensive solutions to congestion. We can continue to invest in alternatives to driving, like public transit and active transportation. We can do the difficult and challenging work of disincentivizing vehicle use, whether through economic measures or imposing restrictions. And we can commit to better land use planning, with a greater emphasis on transit-oriented development.

Thankfully, our Transportation Master Plan addresses some of these areas, but there’s much room for improvement. While it’s great to see that we’ve prioritized major transit projects like the Baseline BRT, there doesn’t appear to be much political will at City Hall to detach ourselves from our very car-centric nature.

As I’ve said before, there were several interesting and exciting projects in the TMP that will be of great benefit to Ward 9 residents. But what was equally exciting were the several motions encouraging city staff to continue seeking improvements. I was proud to have brought two of those motions myself: first, a motion to have staff explore and adopt a better methodology for assessing and prioritizing transportation projects (by using people-based metrics instead of vehicle-based metrics), and second, the motion to evaluate and acquire segments of the Beachburg Rail Corridor for future considerations as a high-order transit corridor.

There is still lots of work needed to ensure that Ottawa moves in the right direction and not gridlocked on a highway not of our own choosing.

Tour of Ward 9 with Ottawa Police Chief Stubbs

Last week I got to spend almost three hours with Ottawa Police Services (OPS) Chief Eric Stubbs, and West District Staff Sergeant Andrew Pidcock. The purpose of these meetings was not only for me to raise awareness about policing issues in Ward 9, but also for Chief Stubbs to provide an update on the OPS’ plan for a new district model.

When it came to policing issues in Ward 9, we focused on the ongoing pattern of violence and mischief incidents emanating from the neighborhoods of Craig Henry and Parkwood Hills. Residents in these areas are well aware of the many issues that involve local youth, which range from nuisance issues, to matters of extreme violence, including a fatal shooting off Craig Henry Drive earlier this Spring.

Chief Stubbs was quick to comment about how the OPS’ plans for a new district model will help to address these matters, since they’ll put a far greater focus on community policing. But the new district model will not come cheap, as it relies on a significant increase in the number of sworn officers, which will cost taxpayers an additional $11.4 million over three years.

As we toured through Craig Henry, which has very similar issues to what has been occurring in Parkwood Hills, I showed him a number of parking lots which have been regularly used for illicit and dangerous activity, ranging from alleged drug trade, to gathering spots for car rallies, to late-night hangout spots. Chief Stubbs and I discussed the various proposals I’ve made to city staff about installing barriers to restrict access to cars at nighttime, but we also discussed how increased OPS patrols could act as a useful deterrent. We also discussed the progress that my office has been making with the Play, Grow, Lead program that I initiated with Active Newcomer Youth Ottawa (ANYO), which is a soccer program that aims to provide mentorship and guidance to priority youth in Craig Henry.

We then talked about speed racing. While this is certainly a city-wide issue, it’s particularly bad in Ward 9, due to the high number of arterial roads and large parking lots.

Chief Stubbs and Staff Sergeant Pidcock repeated what I already knew, which was that OPS officers will rarely engage in high-speed pursuit when it comes to speed racing. This poses a challenge to enforcement, since officers need to be able to identify the driver in order to issue the elevated fines and sentencing that comes with speed racing (i.e fines of $2,000, 30-day license suspension, and a 14-day vehicle impound).

In many ways, police face a lot of challenges when it comes to enforcement, since they face a lot of restrictions that can only be changed through new or amended legislation, much of it at the provincial level.

Later this summer, at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference, I hope to address this when I’ll be an official City of Ottawa delegate to Ontario Solicitor General Michael Kerzner. After having met previously with the Solicitor General to discuss speed racing, he showed an interest in tackling this issue, which has province-wide implications. I’ll be using my time with the Solicitor General to focus on four areas of potential improvement:

The creation of a new municipal by-law prohibiting unsanctioned car rallies
Investigating the circumstances for allowing stricter penalties, including the possibility of vehicle forfeiture
Allowing new technology like noise detection cameras to aid with driver identification

FEATURE: COUNCILLOR DEVINE IN MONTREAL

Earlier this month I spent three days in Montreal, on a municipal infrastructure study tour. It’s always worthwhile to visit other cities and see what they do well, in the hopes of bringing their innovations back to Ottawa.

My goal for this tour was to focus on four areas of civic infrastructure that Montreal has excelled in for years, and especially since Mayor Valérie Plante and the Projet Montréal party won their historic landslide election 2017. These areas of interest were:

Traffic calming and pedestrian safety
Active transportation
Stormwater management
Public realm

My other interest was examining something that I call “integrated infrastructure”, which is a strategic approach to infrastructure systems that combines various infrastructure needs into one asset, to enhance efficiency, sustainability and resilience in urban planning.

Here’s a day-to-day summary of what I discovered. And I apologize in advance for the fact that I begin pretty much every video with "Hey there Ward 9". Got to work on my style!

DAY 1

My first day in Montreal consisted of a self-guided tour of several points of interest that had been referenced in the book Saving the City: The Challenge of Transforming a Modern Metropolis, written by journalist and former Projet Montréal staffer Daniel Sanger.

One thing to note about Montreal is how different their municipal government system is from ours. Most importantly, they have political parties. And so, when a party gets elected with the kind of majority that Projet Montréal did in 2017, there are few obstacles to advancing the government’s agenda.

Another interesting item is that each of Montreal’s boroughs (Ottawa has wards, Montreal has boroughs) has its own Council, and even its own Mayor. Ultimately, what this means is that each borough council has a great deal of autonomy over what it can do at the local level. It was through this independence that Projet Montréal first started making the kinds of infrastructure changes in the borough of Plateau Mont-Royal in 2009, where Projet Montréal won its first borough.

Montreal is an amazing city for cycling, where you can see dozens of cyclists passing through intersections with each traffic light cycle. Montreal also has a fantastic bike-share program called BIXI. Over my three days I pedaled over 100 km.
There are numerous instances of integrated infrastructure across Montreal, often combining cycling infrastructure or pedestrian safety infrastructure with features for stormwater management. Here’s just one example in the Mile End neighborhood of how cycling lanes are used as stormwater management assets.
I then headed over to Outremont to check out one of Montreal’s many “sponge parks”, which are used to manage excess runoff. This park featured many stormwater management elements, including a storm sewer running along the bottom of the park’s natural basin, which fed water back into the park’s splashpad.
While still in Outremont I came across a construction site of a new bulbout, which is a raised median that narrows the roadway at an intersection. As another example of integrated infrastructure, you can see just how deep a trench is dug for the placement of a stormwater retention cell.

I then biked over to Plateau Mont-Royal to check out one of the first experiments in pedestrianization that Projet Montréal did in that borough. Essentially, they pedestrianized one block of Rue Saint-Dominique between Avenue Laurier and Boulevard St. Joseph, making it no longer accessible to cars. In doing so, a lovely public park was effectively widened and made much safer and more accessible.

From there it was a quick ride east to Laurier Metro station, which was my station when I was studying at the National Theatre School of Canada. Back then, Avenue Laurier was a busy two-way street, with a parking lane on either side. After a child was killed in a collision in 2011, Projet Montréal installed one of their first attempts at pedestrian safety through reducing car lanes.

I then got back onto my BIXI bike and headed east to Parc Wilfrid Laurier, where I not only got to check out some of their cool public ping pong tables (a great element of public realm infrastructure), but some of the safest cycling infrastructure I’d yet seen, where this park is bordered by two-directional segregated bike lanes, which also double as stormwater management devices.

Then I went to check out Montreal’s network of pedestrianized commercial streets. What started off as a means of social distancing during COVID has remained a world-leading example of successful public realm. And no street demonstrates this as well as Avenue Mont-Royal, which was the first thoroughfare that Montreal pedestrianized. Not only has this added an amazing vibrancy, but it also proved to be a success for businesses and commerce, too, with a vast majority of business owners supporting the program.

Among the exciting things that I saw on Avenue Mont-Royal were a public art / misting station, as well as a vegetable garden built right alongside the pedestrianized boulevard.

DAY 2

For my second day in Montreal, I headed south to the borough of Verdun (which is where I was born). Back when I was a kid, Verdun didn’t have the greatest reputation. Even though it was an alcohol-free “dry city”, it was still a bit of a rough-and-tumble area.

No longer! I was shocked to see just how vibrant this area had become, and it boasted some of the most impressive infrastructure I saw during my trip.

The day started off with a tour of Rue Wellington, another one of Montreal’s pedestrianized streets, where my tour guides were three members of the Societé de Development Commercial (SDC) Wellington, which is Montreal’s version of a BIA.

Known locally as “La Well”, Rue Wellington was voted “the coolest street in the world” by TimeOut in 2022. And it wasn’t hard to see why! The pedestrianized segment of Rue Wellington was full of restaurants, shops, and many public realm elements. On Friday nights all summer long, two entire blocks of Rue Wellington are filled with residents from across the city participating in a salsa dance party. This exciting program appears to be a large-scale variation of Ottawa's fantastic Salsa at City Hall!

“La Well” had several other innovations, including Boutique Pop-Up VerdunLuv, a storefront rented out by SDC Wellington, which they lease to different start-up businesses on short-term contracts, and a small outdoor theatre which features live entertainment all summer long.

After spending the morning with the staff from SDC Wellington, I then got back onto a bike for a tour of Verdun’s impressive civic infrastructure. My tour guide for the afternoon was Verdun Borough Councillor Benoit Gratton. As a member of Verdun’s Transportation & Public Works Committee, Councillor Gratton and I had lots to discuss when it comes to infrastructure.

And it didn’t take long for Benoit to show me something that I wish we had in Ottawa. Right next to his house is something that he instituted himself for his borough, since, as mentioned above, Montreal’s boroughs have a lot of independence when it comes to public works.

What Benoit showed me was an intersection where they were installing a new pedestrian crosswalk. But the innovative element was the public bench installed for crossing guards, many of whom are senior citizens. Verdun is in the process of installing 20 of these benches for crossing guards.

From there, I came across some shocking discoveries.

Regular readers of my newsletter will recall me complaining about the high cost for speed bumps in Ottawa, where it can cost as much as $16,000 to construct a single speed bump. Guess how much it costs to construct a single speed bump in Verdun? You should sit down before reading this.

A speed bump in Verdun costs $4,000.

When I told Benoit how much Ottawa’s Public Works department budget per unit, he used some very colorful French swear words. A few minutes later we crossed paths with one of Verdun’s public works engineers (each borough has their own public works employees), he re-confirmed the $4,000 price tag and expressed his own shock at Ottawa’s cost. Councillor Gratton has promised to send over designs and invoices for their speed bumps. To paraphrase Hamlet, “Something is rotten in the state of Ottawa”.

From there we went to the intersection of Rue Evelyn and Rue Caisse, where I saw something truly remarkable. A few years ago, this intersection that’s immediately adjacent to a primary school would’ve looked quite safe and pedestrian-friendly by Ottawa’s standards. It had an all-way stop control, as well as ladder marking crosswalks at each corner.

But what Councillor Gratton did at this intersection was as impressive for its innovation as it was for its affordability. As you’ll see from the before-and-after photos below:

The ladder marking crosswalks have now been replaced with brightly colored thermoplastic crosswalks, which use the same design for every crosswalk in proximity to the nearby school.
Each of the four corners has a small concrete median, which forces vehicles to take a slower, narrower turn, and offers pedestrians and cyclists a safe passage as they enter the intersection.
There are bollards everywhere.
The intersection is narrowed with what appears to be a raised layer of gray bricks, which prevents cars from driving onto it. But those “bricks” are also a form of thermoplastic, which is remarkable. They’re about 1.5” off the ground, are completely solid, and are built to last 5 – 10 years.
This entire intersection re-construction cost only $50,000.

Benoit and I kept on pedaling our way through Verdun where he showed me a couple of “Kids Streets”, where signage notifies drivers that kids are encouraged to play on these residential streets, and speeds are lowered to 30 km/hr. Each of these streets had at least one speed bump (only $4,000 each), and a large concrete planter at each corner with signage posted. And guess what percentage of residents on these streets are required to pass a petition to get their street turned into a “Kids Street”? Only 3%.

He then showed me an intersection where he brought about another innovation. By using a drone in the wintertime, Councillor Gratton was able to trace the tire tracks in the snow of vehicles passing through an intersection. As this “natural” path was far narrower than the intersection itself, the councillor was then able to adjust the laneways to be much narrower, reducing the speed and risk that come with wider turns.

We then headed down to the riverside where I saw some charming elements of public realm infrastructure, including an outdoor community classroom for local schools to use, along with an outdoor community library.

In the end, my day spent in the borough of Verdun was wonderfully informative, and it helped build a collaborative relationship with Councillor Benoit Gratton which I hope will be very productive.

DAY 3

After two days of extensive bike riding, I was already getting tired. But I had no time for sore muscles, because Day 3 started off with a three-hour tour of active transportation infrastructure. My host for this guided tour was none other than Jean-François Rheault, the President and General Manager of Vélo Québec, which is a province-wide advocacy and consulting firm for cycling in Quebec. I was introduced to Jean-François by Plateau Mont-Royal Councillor Marianne Giguère, who leads Montreal City Council’s active transportation agenda.

[Special note: people might notice I’m wearing the same shirt on Day 3 as I did on Day 1. As the temperature on Day 3 was extremely hot and humid, I needed to wear my thinnest shirt possible. Poor Jean- François.]

And Jean- François proved to be an excellent guide, even though most of his commentary was done on-the-move.

As we pedaled our way through the borough of Villeray, we stopped at the corner of Rue Beaubien & Rue Boyer. I used to live at this intersection, which has certainly changed for the better! As recently as 2019, there had been a parking lot, where now stood the most interesting stormwater management park.

Jean- François then took me north to Jean-Talon Market, where he wanted to show some new active transportation rail crossings, which allowed residents to safely cross the train tracks between neighbourhoods. It was useful to see this, since it's something that the City of Ottawa will soon be considering in Ward 9 to create connectivity over the Beachburg Rail Corridor between the neighborhoods of Tanglewood and Crestview.

As we continued biking up and down Montreal’s wide separated bike paths, I commented to Jean- François that one reason we don’t often get separated bike paths in Ottawa is because of the difficulty of snow-plowing them in the winter, since regular street plows are too wide, and sidewalk plows are too narrow. Jean-François said that in Montreal, they simply install a plow blade onto a pickup truck, which can plow the bike path in one pass!

After my time with Jean-François ended back at the headquarters of Vélo Québec, I took a quick stroll through Parc Lafontaine to see one of Montreal’s most impressive elements of outdoor public realm: the magnificent Théâtre de Verdure, an outdoor theatre that provides a full season of summer evening entertainment.

From there, I headed down to Old Montreal for a tour of Montreal’s City Hall with Projet Montréal Councillor Despina Sourias, who represents the borough of Notre-Dame de Grace. Councillor Sourias and I met to discuss the intricacies of Montreal’s municipal governance system, as she and her Projet Montréal colleagues get set for a challenging election this Fall, as they seek to win their third term in government, under the new leadership of Luc Rabouin.

All in all, it was an extremely informative and inspiring three days in Montreal, and I look forward to trying to implement some of what I learned back at home in Ward 9 and Ottawa.

CITY WORKS

Update on General Burns Pool

Although General Burns Pool is still closed to the public, we wanted to provide a brief update, based on conversations we’ve had with city staff.

As residents are aware, the problems with water clarity started back in June, with city staff looking to investigate potential problems with the pool’s filtration system. The pool was completely drained so that staff and contractors could do a thorough investigation.

Currently, city staff believe that some of the problems were caused by the paint at the pool’s floor. Staff believe that a combination of the old paint degrading, and the filtration systems trying to filter out particles from the degrading paint may be the root cause for the water clarity issues. Early season inspections did not reveal any of these issues at the time. Staff have been in the process of removing the old paint (through sandblasting) and replacing it with new, epoxy paint.

The filtration system has since been inspected, and the sane containing paint particles has been replaced. For now, they simply need to complete sandblasting the pool, re-paint it, re-fill it, and re-open.

Yes, city staff do intend to re-open General Burns Pool this summer. Timelines for that are largely contingent on how the weather will affect the schedule.

Currently, the pool is expected to remain closed for repairs until the estimated reopening date between August 5-11. The opening date all depends on good dry weather to complete repairs. The swim schedule will be available as soon as the pool re-opens.

While the pool remains closed, all swimming lessons and lifeguard courses are moved to either Sportsplex or Crestview Pool. The wading pool and customer service desk will remain open.

Staff are also planning to extend the season into September. As we learn more, we will keep everyone informed.

Nepean Sportsplex Pool - August Schedule

On the Civic Holiday, Monday August 4^th, there will be NO Swimming Lessons or Aquafitness classes. They will be running a reduced Lane Swim and Public Swim.
The week of Aug 5-8, there will be 2 Aquafitness Classes daily to help accommodate the General Burns Pool closure as they continue to move their swimming lessons to Crestview Pool.
The 50 Meter Pool will be closed as of Saturday August 16^th for annual maintenance.
The 25 Meter Warm Pool will be closed as of Saturday August 23^rd for annual Maintenance.
Membership card holders may choose to go to another facility while the Sportsplex is closed, OR they can place their membership card on hold during the maintenance closure period. Please see the Customer Service Desk for assistance.

Ward 9 road rehabilitation projects

The following is a brief overview of three road construction projects happening this summer in Ward 9:

Residents will be happy to see construction on the Greenbank Road Multi-Use Pathway (MUP) is now underway. While there won’t be much visible progress during this early phase, more noticeable construction will begin once major operations ramp up. Paving of the MUP is scheduled to commence this week. The project remains on track for completion in fall 2025. Information about the Greenbank MUP can be found under the City’s 2025 Resurfacing and Road/Intersection Modifications program list. This work is part of the City’s broader efforts to enhance active transportation infrastructure and provide safer, more accessible connections between neighbourhoods and key destinations.
The reconstruction of Grant Carman Drive is nearly complete, with only line re-painting work still remaining to be done.
Construction on Merivale Road between Viewmount Drive and Meadowlands Drive continues along. Our last indication from staff is that northbound and southbound lanes were re-paved last week.

Parking Regulations Reminder

A friendly reminder that on-street parking in Ottawa is subject to time limits and other regulations — even when signs aren’t posted — as blanket parking bylaws are in effect across the City. To avoid tickets and help keep our streets accessible for everyone, please keep the following in mind:

Key rules to remember:

Maximum 3-hour parking on streets during the day (unless otherwise posted)
Up to 6 hours allowed on weekends and statutory holidays
No parking within 9 meters of an intersection
No parking within 1 meter of a fire hydrant
Do not block sidewalks, driveways, or bus stops
Always park in the direction of traffic flow

If a report is made about a vehicle, officers will assess the entire area, and all vehicles found in violation will be ticketed, not just the one that was reported.

For more information or clarification, please visit the City’s website.

Forestry summer update

Growing our canopy: The first phase of the 2025 Plant Your Place! program is complete and was a huge success. It saw 1,200 homes across the City access trees for their property at no charge. Residents who missed the distributions this year should stay tuned, as the program will return in 2026. Meanwhile, the next Plant Your Place! event will plant 50 more trees at Ottawa Community Housing locations in the fall. While tree planting distributions are over, we still encourage residents to help grow our canopy by planting trees on their own property. However, when selecting the right tree for the right place, it is important to be mindful of the location of property lines and to contact Ontario One Call so that utility providers can locate where infrastructure is buried on their property. This service, which is free, protects residents from being injured from infrastructure such as gas lines, and protects the utilities that they depend on. The City also has many tree planting programs for streets, parks and greenspaces. If you would like a tree planted on City property, please visit Ottawa.ca to learn more. So far this year, we have planted more than 1,700 trees!
Tree Inventory: Our tree inventory is a continuous project across the City. We are collecting a wide range of data including tree location and species. An inventory of City-owned trees is an essential tool to manage these valuable assets. It helps us protect and enhance urban and rural forests, maintaining sustainable forests for generations to come.
Tree Check Month: Did you know August is Tree Check Month? Our partners at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) mark the month as an opportunity to encourage everyone to be on the lookout for unwelcome invasive pests. Whether on your own property or on public land, spotting and reporting invasives right away to the CFIA is the best way to protect our trees. This year, the CFIA is hosting an information event and you are invited to attend to learn more about how to check trees. Come on down to Britannia Park on August 13 between 11am and 1pm! Forestry Services will join them under the trolley next to the Ron Kolbus Community Centre.
How residents can help: With camping season now here, we once again remind residents to please burn firewood in the same local area where it was purchased and not to transport it outside that area. Bringing firewood in from other municipalities can greatly contribute to the spread of many different diseases and pests that negatively impact trees and forests. Don’t forget to confirm campfires are allowed!

Have your say on the 2026 Ottawa Police Budget

The Ottawa Police Service Board (OPSB) and the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) are inviting residents and stakeholders to provide input on the upcoming 2026 Police Budget through the 2025 Budget Consultation Survey. The Board is seeking feedback from the community to ensure the budget reflects the priorities, expectations, and concerns of those who live and work in Ottawa.

The survey officially launched on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, and will remain open for 14 days, closing on Tuesday, August 5, 2025.

We encourage all Ottawa residents aged 18 and older to participate in the survey, which is expected to take approximately five minutes to complete. Your input will help guide how police resources are prioritized and allocated in the 2026 Draft Budget.

The survey will be offered in two formats:

A statistically representative telephone-to-online survey, conducted by research firm Advanis, to ensure balanced representation by age and gender.
An open web link survey, distributed through OPS channels, allowing any member of the public to participate.

To ensure accessibility and encourage broad participation, the survey will be available in eight languages: English, French, Somali, Arabic, simplified Chinese, Farsi, Inuktitut, and Spanish.

To participate in the survey starting July 22, 2025, visit the OPS survey page and select your preferred language. The survey will be hosted on the OPSB, OPS website and promoted across various online and community channels.

Survey results will be presented to the Board and OPS leadership to help inform the development of the 2026 Police Budget.

If you have any questions about the survey or the consultation process, please contact [email protected] or [email protected].

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

NROCRC’s Tools 4 School

Tools 4 School is a wonderful program that’s led by the Nepean Rideau Osgoode Community Resource Centre (NROCRC). This program provides free backpacks school supplies to eligible children and youth in NROCRC’s catchment area, which includes much of Ward 9. Eligible families can apply to benefit from this program until August 1, either by phoning 613.596.5626 (ext. 303), or by emailing [email protected], or by visiting NROCRC’s website.

Our office will be sponsoring this program again this year. We’ll be donating four backpacks, along with four $25 gift cards for school supplies. We gladly encourage any resident in Ward 9 to make a similar donation, which we can deliver to NROCRC on your behalf. If anyone is interested in making such a donation, please email us at [email protected] with the subject line Tools4School.

Community Safety and Well-Being Plan review

The City of Ottawa is reviewing its Community Safety and Well-Being (CSWB) Plan and is seeking your input. What safety and well-being issues matter most to you or your community?

We invite you to share your thoughts through our online survey, available until August 19, 2025.

To learn more about the Community Safety and Well-Being Plan priorities and stay informed, visit and subscribe to the Engage Ottawa page.

For questions or feedback, please contact: CSWB/[email protected]

PUBLIC HEALTH & SAFETY

New Medical Officer of Health

With the departure of Vera Etches in the spring, the city was on the hunt for a new Medical Officer of Health. This past week, City Council approved the appointment of Dr. Trevor Arnason to the position. Final confirmation is now up to Ontario’s Ministry of Health (MoH). Pending MoH approval, Dr. Arnason will step into the role on July 24, following this six-month stint as Interim MOH.

The Board of Health conducted a thorough recruitment process, consulting widely with OPH partners and stakeholders. Dr. Arnason was selected for his deep experience and commitment to community health.

A familiar face in Ottawa’s public health landscape, Dr. Arnason has served in various leadership roles at OPH since 2019, including Deputy MOH and Associate MOH. Before joining OPH, he was the Regional MOH in Halifax and has maintained a part-time clinical practice focused on preventive care for underserved populations.

Born and raised in Ottawa, Dr. Arnason holds degrees in Biology and Epidemiology from the University of Ottawa, where he now teaches as an adjunct professor. He earned his medical degree from the University of Toronto and completed dual residency training in Public Health and Family Medicine back in Ottawa. He lives in Kitchissippi Ward with his wife, daughter, their puppy, and pet fish—just steps from the Ottawa River.

Respiratory Disease Update

Ottawa continues to enjoy a lull in respiratory disease transmission. This summer, transmission levels have been consistently low and that continues this week. That, however, does not mean levels are at zero. There is still some transmission in the community so, when you are sharing air with lots of people, exercise some caution: you can open windows, use air filters, and wear a well-fitting, quality mask to play it safe.