Here is an incomplete list of the issues that the Ward 14 office has been tackling over the last few weeks:
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Keeping bus stops in service to accommodate seniors. I recently attending a volunteer appreciation lunch at the Good Companions Senior Centre, where I had the opportunity to meet with staff and residents to discuss accessibility for seniors in the community. At this event, I learned that two route 12 bus stops near Good Companions would no longer be in service due to the city's upcoming bus route changes. As these stops are essential for ensuring the safety and accessibility of residents accessing the centre, we brought these concerns to staff at OC Transpo. I am happy to say that OC Transpo agreed to keep these stops in service! Sometimes the little things make a big difference.
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Post-mortem with city staff on snow-clearing. We heard all of your complaints and frustrations during and after the mammoth February snowstorm. I met with city staff to discuss how we can ensure that major bus routes and commercial arteries are cleared first, along with accessible bus stops and entrances to transit stations. My team flagged the need to come up with a better solution for street parking permit holders. I will keep you posted as discussions progress.
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Advocating to end parking minimums in new zoning. At Planning and Housing Committee, we approved draft two of the new zoning bylaw, which will now be up for public consultation. Both at committee and council, I spoke about the need to improve housing affordability by abolishing parking minimums city-wide. Did you know that adding a parking spot can increase the cost of an apartment by as much a $150,000 per unit? By allowing the market to decide the need for parking without the city imposing a specific ratio, we can promote more affordable housing, particularly in transit-rich neighbourhoods.
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Advocacy with the mayor’s office, Ottawa Public Health and the province on public drug use. We are still hearing tremendous concern about public drug use in Chinatown, especially since the supervised consumption site was forced to close at the Somerset West Community Health Centre and the Northwood Clinic opened shortly after. I spoke out about the situation at the most recent Board of Public Health meeting, met with the Mayor’s Office and will soon meet with a representative from the Ford government. I will keep you posted as things progress. And in the meantime, you can call 211 to help a neighbour who may be experiencing and overdose or mental health crisis.
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Unveiling Sens Mile on Elgin Street. I was happy to join the Mayor, fellow city councillors and the Ottawa Senators to re-establish Sens Mile, as our hometown hockey team entered the playoffs. It was great to see so many business owners from Elgin Street there too – a real chance to promote downtown Ottawa a a great place to socialize and celebrate.
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Working on downtown action plan with city staff and Bloomberg Associates. We have a plan to make Centretown green, clean, safe and more fun. This will include new pedestrian seating, public art, street outreach teams, public toilets and improvements to pedestrian and cycling infrastructure. More to come on this soon, I cannot wait to share the plan with you.
I look forward to seeing you at community events over the next couple of weeks, including the Centretown Community Association’ Earth Day event at McNabb Park on Saturday, and at various Cleaning the Capital events throughout Somerset Ward.
Enjoy the sunshine,
Ariel
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Earth Day Festival
The Earth Day Festival is back this year in McNabb Park on Sunday, April 27th, at 10am! There will be activities for kids, live entertainment, free popcorn and over 20 booths and exhibits. Drop by for the live music and drag or take a walk through the booths to see the "P-Rex" dinosaur or EnviroCentre's "Ask-an-Arborist" segment, get gardening advice from Ottawa's Master Gardeners, discuss sustainable cities, clothes and food, meet candidates running in Ottawa Centre, and much more!
Cleaning the Capital
Come join your neighbours and the Dalhousie Community Association on Sunday, April 27th, at 10am for a spring clean up at a local park!
Saving renters money in Ottawa
Great news! Thanks to a direction from Councillor Shawn Menard, we will now see greater tax fairness for people living in older multi-residential buildings. At our council meeting last week, we voted to reduce the tax ratio for multi-residential properties over the next three to five years so that it would be equivalent to the tax rate of single-detached homes.
In 2024, the tax ratio for multi-residential properties was 1.409, meaning that for every dollar paid for other residential properties, multi-residential properties would pay $1.41. That is a significant difference, and it amounts to an unfair tax burden on tenants.
With council’s direction, city staff will be reducing the tax ratio to 1.3 for 2025, and then reducing it by a further 0.1 annually until a ratio of 1.0 is reached.
Importantly, this money must be passed on to tenants. Under the Residential Tenancies Act, any tax decrease greater than 2.5% requires the city to send notices to landlords and tenants, informing them of an automatic rent reduction for 2026. A 4.5% property tax reduction will mean a mandatory rent reduction in 2026. For example, a person paying $2,000 per month in rent will see an estimated $16 automatic rent reduction per month ($192 per year) in 2026. A letter will be sent by the city to every owner and tenant of older multi-residential buildings (built before 2002).
Thank you to Councillor Menard and team for bringing this forward!
Bus route changes & free transit weekend
New Ways to Bus are coming to Ottawa on Sunday, April 27. This will be the largest bus service change in the city’s history, impacting most customers and bus routes. OC Transpo's new bus network will focus on frequency, local service in your neighbourhood, and connections to key destinations. Check out the list of new routes and plan your trip on the OC Transpo website.
To encourage transit users to familiarize themselves with the new routes, OC Transpo is offering a free service weekend on Saturday, May 3 and Sunday, May 4 aboard all buses, trains and Para Transpo! As part of this special weekend, you can join OC Transpo staff at Hurdman Station on Saturday, May 3, from 10 am to 2 pm for a fun, interactive event. It’s a great opportunity to connect with transit staff, ask questions, and enjoy activities designed for the whole family. Plan your trip and see what’s happening around the city.
Engage on the Transportation Master Plan
Ottawa has grown into a city of one million residents. Over the next 25 years, that number is expected to grow to more than 1.4 million. With that kind of growth, we need to revisit how people, vehicles and goods move through our city.
Transportation decisions affect all of Ottawa’s residents and businesses. No matter if you walk, drive, cycle, bus, take the light rail transit or scoot, whether you ship products or have them delivered, or whether you own or share a car, how people and goods move through the city affects you. All the choices we make moving forward will require some give and take. Tell us what’s important to you and how our transportation system can move us in the right direction for decades to come.
Minto Park Sale registration
It’s that time of year! We’re excited to announce that this year’s Minto Park Sale will be held on June 7, from 9am to 3pm at Minto Park. The Sale is a beloved Centretown tradition, and we’re pleased to bring it back for this year. The annual no yard, yard sale is a great opportunity to bring out all your odds and sods and see if they can find new life with another neighbour.
To fill out a request for a table, please fill out this form. If you have difficulty filling out the form, or are unable to do so, please reach out to us at [email protected] . Please note that tables will be booked on a first come first serve basis. FILLING OUT THE FORM DOES NOT GUARANTEE A TABLE SPACE – you will receive a follow up email with more information, and to confirm your space. If there is sufficient interest, we will open up a wait list.
Federal election: find your polling station
As you might be able to tell from the signs that are up in our community, there is a federal election coming up. Check out the Elections Canada website to find out where you can vote on Monday, April 28 (if you didn’t already vote in advance polls).
Spring into Spring!
It’s getting warmer and the sun is shining! Celebrate Spring into Spring by walking, rolling, scooting or cycling to school as many days as you can this April and May! If you can’t walk all the way, you can participate by parking away from the school and walking a block!
Safe cycling and updates from the Road Safety Action Plan
Not only is cycling a great way to stay fit and healthy, but it is also good for the environment, especially if you commute by bike. Navigating the streets of Ottawa comes with its own set of challenges, from puddles and debris to other road users. As a driver,
it's crucial to exercise additional caution—always check your blind spots and remember to share the road. Cyclists—never stop beside a truck at an intersection—stay behind where they can see you.
We all have a role in keeping our roads safe by sharing the road:
- Between 2019 and 2023, 62 collisions resulted in cyclists killed or seriously injured.
- Drivers must always remember to check side mirrors for cyclists before changing lanes and before opening your door when parked on the street. When passing a cyclist, the Highway Traffic Act requires that you leave a safe distance between your car and the bicycle. Extra passing distance should be given when slippery road conditions exist.
- Cyclists, beware when beside a heavy truck at an intersection, you may be in a blind spot where the driver cannot see you through their mirrors. If the driver makes a right turn, the truck may turn right into you. Always stay behind heavy vehicles. Learn more by watching this blind spot video.
- As a cyclist, it is important to be bright at night! Use a headlight, taillight, reflectors and light-coloured or retro-reflective clothing so motorists can see you.
- The Highway Traffic Act requires cyclists to have lighting and reflectors on their bikes, which are especially useful in the half hour before and after sunrise. This includes a white light at the front of the bike, a red rear light or red rear reflector and two strips of white reflective tape on front forks.
- The City continues several actions to improve cyclists safety including improved signage and pavement marking as well as protected intersections for cyclists. To learn more, visit the City’s webpage on Cycling.
- The Province of Ontario also has extensive information on how to keep yourself safe while cycling.
- Learn more tips on sharing the road as a motorist or cyclist in the feature story about gearing up for a safe cycling season, available in the City’s Newsroom
CN Cycle for CHEO: road closures
The CN Cycle for CHEO is taking place on May 4th this year, and there will be associated road closures to facilitate this event. A full list of closures can be found here.
Hazardous waste drop-off: Sunday, April 27
The City of Ottawa is hosting a Household Hazardous Waste drop-off event on Sunday, April 27 at Ottawa Stadium, 300 Coventry Road. Residents are welcome to bring their hazardous materials to the event between 8 am and 4 pm.
You don't have to wait! Residents are always welcome to use the City’s Waste Explorer to find retailers nearby where they can return many items daily.
Please note that electronic waste is not accepted at Household Hazardous Waste drop-off events hosted by the City of Ottawa. Residents can bring electronic waste to retailers by checking Ottawa.ca/WasteExplorer. They can also attend electronic waste drop-off events hosted by Junk That Funk or bring electronic waste to the Trail Road Landfill Facility at no cost.
For information on household hazardous waste, visit ottawa.ca/HHW.
Plant Your Place! program
Trees do more than just look beautiful — they help absorb rainwater, clean our air, store carbon, provide shade, and help cool down built up areas! Did you know that 40% of Ottawa’s urban area is private property? That means we all have a role to play in growing our city's tree canopy!
The City of Ottawa’s new Plant Your Place! program makes it easy for residents to plant trees on their own property, and registration is now open!
Residents can apply for a FREE tree through the City-Wide Tree Distribution stream:
- There are 16 different species to choose from. They are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Approved participants will pick up their trees at the Spring Tree Distribution Event for their ward.
- You'll also get expert tips on how to plant and care for your new tree.
Plant Your Place! is delivered in partnership with EnviroCentre. To find out more and to apply, please visit the EnviroCentre website.
If you have any questions, please reach out to EnviroCentre by e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at 613-656-0100 ext. 7.
Centretown Garage Sale – pull from previous newsletters
Friends of the Farm plant sale: May 11
Find everything you need for your garden at this popular annual plant sale, with many of the region’s top specialty growers and nursery vendors assembled in one location. Master Gardeners of Ottawa-Carleton will be present to answer gardening questions.
This year, for the first time, cut flowers will be available for customers wishing to celebrate Mother’s Day! New and used gardening books will also be available for sale.
The sale takes place from 8 am to 1 pm, rain or shine, in the parking lot to the east of the K.W. Neatby Building at 960 Carling Avenue. More information can be found at https://friendsofthefarm.ca/event/2025-friends-of-the-farm-plantsale-2/?instance_id=511
Rotary Ottawa South Annual Charity Golf Tournament
The Ottawa Rotary Home continues to be an indispensable organization in our city, providing essential respite care and support for children, youth, and adults with disabilities.
