Seeing a newcomer experience their “firsts” in Ottawa is truly special. It has been my great honour to volunteer with refugees and asylum-seekers and get to see them during their first snowfall, their first Beavertail, their skate and their first-ever Pride parade.
It always reminds me how lucky we are to live in this beautiful city and why so many people choose to move here and make it their home.
For this reason, I was thrilled to help open Ottawa’s first-ever office-to-transitional-housing project at 230 Queen Street last week. This beautiful new facility was designed by CSV Architects and will house 140 people – a mix of men and women, mostly single refugees and asylum-seekers. The space will be run by CCI Ottawa, an organization with more than 70 years of experience settling and integrating newcomers in our city.
Unlike the legacy shelter model, people will be free to come and go, have private space and access to lockers, as well as offices, a shared kitchen and a lounge. All meals will be provided on-site, as well as employment and social services.
People will be welcome to stay for up to a year, but the goal is rapid re-housing and integration within six months. We already see this model working well at the YMCA on Argyle Street and in a new facility in a former nunnery that the city bought in Orléans.
War, famine, human rights violations and climate disasters are causing a global migration crisis. The newcomer reception model is designed for people who are generally "lower acuity" and highly motivated to be rapidly re-housed.
Over the last three years, we have seen an unprecedented influx of asylum seekers in our shelter system. It was not a good mix to have these folks in the same spaces as people with serious mental health and addiction issues. Different needs merit different solutions.
Supportive housing is better suited to people with complex mental health and addiction issues. Portable housing subsidies work well for people who just need some extra money to make rent. The city is doing all these things simultaneously.
Last year, more than 1,000 people were housed from the centralized waitlist, including 215 unsheltered people. Nearly 1,000 new households received housing subsidies. We built 318 affordable and 75 supportive housing units, and 1,000 more are under construction.
Since the advent of the COVID pandemic, the city has been using community centres and arenas as temporary overflow shelters.
Low-income communities like Vanier and Heron Gate have lost these valuable recreational spaces for more than five years. The exciting thing about these new refugee reception centres opening, is that we will finally be able to return all these community centres back to their intended uses.
Homelessness remains an unsustainable disaster in our city, which is why I am pushing for upstream solutions to stop it from happening. This includes a new renoviction bylaw that council will vote on in a few months. We also need to significantly scale-up the construction of permanent, non-profit, affordable and supportive housing.
In the meantime, I am celebrating the opening of 230 Queen Street as an example of the ongoing transformation of our shelter system into something much more dignified and beautiful.
Because our city is for everyone. And absolutely everyone deserves a home.
Warmly,
Ariel
Councillor Troster with Councillor Dudas and Mayor Sutcliffe at the opening of 230 Queen
Pedestrian and cycling safety at Bank and Laurier
I was heartbroken to hear about a terrible accident, just steps from City Hall. A young woman was hit by the driver of a pickup truck at Elgin and Laurier while walking through a crosswalk on Monday afternoon, later dying in hospital. A cyclist was killed in 2018 at the same intersection.
The entire intersection is getting rebuilt this summer to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians. This project was supposed to be completed last summer, but jurisdictional issues with the federal and provincial governments delayed construction, because they own some of the land in the right-of-way.
We need to move quickly to fix all the most dangerous intersections in our city. That means finding ways to accelerate these processes when other levels of government are involved and making sure that these projects are funded adequately.
Vision Zero calls for no more cyclist or pedestrian deaths due to road violence. That is the goal we need to meet, and I will continue to advocate for our city to do better.
McNabb swings and play structure re-opening: July 18!
Join us to officially cut the ribbon on the new swings and play structure at McNabb Park, on Friday, July 18, at 5:30 pm. Bring your little ones! There will be free ice cream and popsicles to help celebrate.
Rent event space for FREE at one of the Street Seats locations!
This summer new public spaces are coming to Centretown with Street Seats on MacLaren, Frank, and Florence. Community members and organizations can book space at one of these locations for free to host a community event! Book space online here.
Traffic impacts during Bluesfest
Ottawa Bluesfest takes over LeBreton Flats this weekend, with concerts from Thursday, July 10 to Sunday, July 13 and Wednesday, July 16 to Sunday, July 20. Residents and visitors travelling in the area can expect increased traffic and pedestrian activity throughout the festivities.
The following streets will be closed throughout the festival:
More information and updates on road closures is available online here.
Food Truck Fridays at Plouffe Park
The Plant Pool Recreation Association and the Dalhousie Community Association are teaming up to host Food Truck Fridays this summer!
The event will take place at Plouffe Park from 5pm – 8pm on July 25 and August 29. Each week there will be four different food trucks participating. Bring your friends, meet neighbours and enjoy everything that Plouffe Park has to offer!
Indigenous Walking Tours: Unearthing our Roots
The Indigenous Walking Tours will explore Ottawa downtown monuments, art, architecture and landscape through an Indigenous perspective. These exceptional tours present a unique opportunity to learn the impact and presence of Indigenous People’s history in our city.
The walking tours are approximately 90 minutes in duration and are wheelchair and stroller accessible. Interpretation occurs during stops in a mixed indoor / outdoor environment and park areas. We begin in a relatively quiet space indoors at City Hall (Elgin entrance) – 110 Laurier Ave W. Once we go outside on to Elgin Street, it can sometimes be noisy with sirens or people. There will be places for shelter and opportunities to take breaks, use the washrooms and sit down. Pets are also welcome.
Learn more and reserve your spot here.
Elgin Street Farmers’ Market
Discover local produce, artisanal products, and a chance to connect with neighbours at the Elgin Street Market every Sunday from 9am – 1pm through October. Enjoy a vibrant community atmosphere and support local businesses with each visit.
Learn more and plan your trip online here.
Free live music on Sparks Street
A collaboration between the Downtown BIA and the Ottawa Music Industry Coalition is bringing local music to The Shed on Sparks Street all summer long!
The lunchtime concert series, Songs from the Shed, will take place every Tuesday and Thursday from 12 pm-1:30 pm. Music lovers from the Ottawa region are invited to come enjoy lunch outdoors with a variety of captivating singer-songwriters in solo or duo formations.
Revitalizing public space in the ByWard Market
The City of Ottawa is seeking your input on the upcoming redesign of William Street and ByWard Market Square, which will begin to reimagine the ByWard Market and strengthen its role as a premier destination within the nation’s capital for many years to come.
Learn more about the project and provide your input here
Ottawa's next culture plan
In 2025, the City of Ottawa is embarking on an exciting journey to develop a new Municipal Culture Plan. This is the first city-wide cultural planning exercise since 2012 and aims to help the city better serve the evolving needs of Ottawa’s culturally diverse populations.
Led by Recreation, Cultural and Facility Services, the new Culture Plan will be created collaboratively with residents and community groups.
Learn more and provide your input here.
Town Hall: Save the AAADD program
A meeting hosted by Chandra Pasma, MPP for Ottawa West–Nepean
The Academic Assistance for Adults with Developmental Disabilities (AAADD) program at Algonquin College has provided adults with developmental disabilities the chance to strengthen their academic and social skills in an inclusive college environment. The program is set to end on April 30, 2026, following a decision by the college to cancel it.
We believe this is a program worth saving — and we invite you to join us for a community town hall to hear from families, educators, and advocates, and to learn how you can help.
Town Hall details:
City View United Church — 6 Epworth Ave, Nepean
Thursday, July 17, 2025
7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
The evening will include personal stories, open discussion, and opportunities to get involved.
People in Centretown are very generous. I know that so many of you donate your time or your money to worthy organizations in our community.
What we spend tells us who we are. That is always the mantra I take into every budget season, as I comb through spreadsheets to try and uncover how council’s decisions will impact the everyday lives of residents in Somerset Ward.