Places to give this holiday season, support investment over austerity, Ward 14 Holiday Pizza Party, and more!

I see you at rallies demanding an end to food insecurity and homelessness. And also at bake sales, fundraising dinners and food drives. While I wish that we didn’t need to rely on charities and volunteers to help people meet basic needs, I am so grateful for the organizations that do this essential work.

Here are some organizations serving Somerset Ward that would appreciate your donations this holiday season:

• The Dalhousie Food Cupboard, the Centretown Community Food Centre, and the Parkdale Food Centre all help people in Centretown and Chinatown with groceries and essential supplies.
• Centre 507 and Belong Ottawa provide meals and respite for people experiencing homelessness and food insecurity.
• Kind Space and the Ten Oaks Project offer programming for people from the 2SLGBTQ+ community.
• The Ottawa Trans Library houses a collection of books by trans authors, as well as historical, important and interesting works on trans issues and people. It is also a social space and important organizing space for queer and trans people in Ottawa.
• The Door Youth Centre is an after-school drop-in program for youth that also offers homework help, sports activities, field trips, scholarships and daily meals.
• Cornerstone Housing runs shelters and supportive housing for women and gender-diverse people experiencing homelessness.
• Orkidstra offers after-school music programs in low-income neighbourhoods, including at the Bronson Centre.
• Operation Come Home works with youth experiencing homelessness and addiction. They also run an alternative high school program, several social enterprises, and an innovative supportive housing program for young people exiting foster care.
• The Youth Services Bureau runs shelters for teens and other programs designed to support young people who are struggling.
• The Elizabeth Fry Society and the John Howard Society provide resources and supportive housing for people exiting incarceration and getting their lives back together.
• Minwaashin Lodge provides services to Indigenous women and children, including those who survived violence and the trauma of the residential school system. They also run the STORM street outreach van.
• The Somerset West Community Health Centre and Centretown Community Health Centre provide primary healthcare, street outreach, services for people with addictions, programming for young families, affirming healthcare for trans people, and so much more.
• The Ottawa Mission runs a shelter for men experiencing homelessness, but also operates a food truck that distributes thousands of meals a year to people in Centretown.
• Jaku Konbit assists African and Caribbean individuals, families, and anyone seeking to engage in economic and civic pursuits in Canadian society. Based out of the Bronson Centre, they run tutoring, entrepreneurship, and outreach programs.
• Highjinx on Kent Street helps furnish homes for people exiting homelessness, while also providing daily meals and pantry staples.

If you can, please give generously. Thank you to everyone who works hard to build a city where no one is left behind.

Warmly,

Ariel

Ariel Troster with Patrick Newton Bondo, after presenting him with the Order of Ottawa last week.

Sign on to support investment over austerity                      

In the summer, Councillor Jeff Leiper and I held our 2026 budget consultation. You told us that you want reliable transit service, resources to address the overdose crisis and reliable city services. In October, we shared our “As We Heard It Report.”

We made sure the Mayor and Council heard this feedback, and we’ve been fighting to make these things a priority. Despite this, the draft budget has failed to substantially address these issues, and it includes hikes to user fees across the board.

This week, we launched a sign-on campaign, calling on the Mayor and Council to rethink this draft budget, and focus on the issues that matter most to neighbours in Somerset Ward and across the city.

Add your name here

We also put out a video highlighting the issues with the draft budget. Can you share it with your friends and neighbours? The final vote on the city budget is on December 10. I will keep fighting for Somerset Ward’s priorities.

Somerset Ward Holiday Pizza Party

Join Councillor Troster and the Ward 14 staff at Spark Beer and Pizza on Tuesday, December 16th from 6:00pm - 8:00pm for our annual holiday party! Pizza is on us, and there will be a wide selection of beers, cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks for sale. Drop by and help us celebrate the season.

RSVP online here

Bill 60 and provincial overreach

The Ford government recently passed Bill 60, an omnibus piece of legislation that will have a negative impact both on tenants’ rights and pedestrian/cyclist safety. I was vocal in the media and at a rally at City Hall, speaking out against this terrible overreach by the province. You can listen to my interview on the impact of Bill 60 on building bike lanes in Centretown with Alan Neal from CBC here.

At last week’s Public Works and Infrastructure meeting, I put forward a motion that instructs city staff to ensure that when Albert and Slater Streer are rebuilt, that they are designed in such a way as to allow for retrofitting with bike lanes, should the provincial legislation change.

Final draft of the new zoning bylaw: have your say!

The staff report for the final draft of the new Zoning By-law is now online. A joint meeting of the Planning and Housing Committee and the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee on December 17 will discuss the new bylaw and bring forward final recommendations to council. Members of the public can review the report and submit further comments to the Office of the City Clerk at [email protected], (613) 580-2424, ext. 16875. Residents who wish to speak at the meeting may also contact the Clerk’s Office to register as a delegation.

Sea Shanties, Carols & Empty Barrels: a fundraiser for the Dalhousie Food Cupboard

Join the Bytown Sea Shanty Collective on Friday, December 19, 2025, at 8:00 pm (doors 7:00 pm) for an unforgettable night of sea shanties, community spirit, and holiday cheer — all in support of the Dalhousie Food Cupboard.

This year, they’re thrilled to be upstairs at the newly opened Saint Brigid’s Centre for the Arts (above Brigid’s Well in the Market) with a capacity of 700, giving even more friends the chance to join in.

Tickets are "pay what you wish" (suggested contribution $25) and you can get yours online here.

Cold weather assistance

• Call 2-1-1 for information about drop in centres, community and health resource centres, food banks and community food programs, winter clothing, financial assistance with utilities and a list of Out of the Cold locations with free meals, snacks and drop-ins. The 211 service is provided by Community Navigation of Eastern Ontario.   
• Call 3-1-1 to get referred to the best available shelter, or to get assistance for someone who needs transportation to get out of the cold. The City's 3-1-1 Line is available to respond to calls 24 hours a day. Calls are answered by the City of Ottawa Call Centre on a priority basis and referred to appropriate service providers.
• Call 8-1-1 Health Connect Ontario for non-emergency medical advice.
• Call 9-1-1 for medical emergency assistance such as hypothermia.
• Use the Ottawa Public Health map online here to find places to warm up.

New Who to Call list available

The Somerset West Community Health Centre has put together a new “Who To Call” list for residents.

You can view the list and find a copy to print and share with neighbours online here.