Ottawa City Council Meeting: Housing, Safety, and Community Support

Ottawa City Council's meeting covered housing, pedestrian safety, small business supports, public health, land-use matters and commemorative naming motions. Council approved a development charges deferral program for housing, funded work on delayed pedestrian crossings, suspended patio fees for summer 2026, and passed several site-specific and naming items. The notes also show debate over affordable housing application reforms, opioid treatment services, and a proposed wastewater drug surveillance system, though the final disposition of some items was not clear from the material provided.

Topics Discussed

1. HOUSING: wait list, application system, and development-charge deferrals

Council discussed affordable housing pressures, including a reported 16,000 households waiting for income-based rental housing. The notes indicate support for improving the application system so residents can apply online and track their status, along with a review of data quality, service standards, technology systems and business processes.

Council also approved a development charges deferral program aimed at supporting housing construction. In the motion, Councillor Gauer said council had "confirmed its intention to make Ottawa the most housing-friendly city in Canada" and cited a Bloomberg Associates feasibility analysis, adding that "housing starts in 2025 increased by 35 [to] 38% in Ottawa, while in the rest of the province there was a decline of 13%." The deferral is to be retroactive to Jan. 1, 2026 and revisited through a broader development charge review in 2027.

A separate housing-related motion referenced the importance of affordability. Councillor Carr said, "We recognize the importance of affordable housing in the community," and that the registry should ensure applications meet housing needs.

2. PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS AND ROAD SAFETY

Council approved funding tied to delayed pedestrian crossings. In a motion, Councillor Plante said there is "a backlog" of pedestrian crossings justified by city staff across Ottawa and that residents in some neighbourhoods have been waiting "10 years" for approved crossings. The plan provides $4.1 million in 2027 for design work on 30 crossings, according to the notes.

The discussion linked the item to broader road safety goals, including Vision Zero and 15-minute neighbourhoods. The notes also identify a separate item on the consequences of Bill 56 on road safety that is to be revisited.

3. SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT: patio fees for summer 2026

Council approved a motion to suspend patio fees for summer 2026. The notes say the fee was set at $0 for the season, down from $16.49 per square metre per month, and that fees already paid in 2026 are to be refunded.

The motion cited affordability pressures on residents and businesses, especially in the hospitality sector. Councillor Menard said rising costs are contributing to the affordability crisis for residents and small businesses, and that the hotel and restaurant sector is under "incredible pressure" because of increases in rent and food prices. The city is to compensate the three fee-collecting authorities through vacant positions and the professional services budget in the Housing and Planning Division, according to the notes.

4. PUBLIC HEALTH: toxic drug monitoring and opioid treatment concerns

Council discussed public health responses to the toxic drug supply, including a proposed wastewater drug surveillance system. The notes indicate the program would involve infrastructure and water services working with Ottawa Public Health to identify sampling locations and establish rapid alerts. The final disposition of that direction was not clear in the material provided.

Council also debated concerns about for-profit opioid dispensing facilities in downtown neighbourhoods. The motion described concerns about the concentration of services, impacts on nearby businesses and public spaces, and the lack of integrated rehabilitation and long-term stabilization supports. The notes say council voted to send those concerns to the Ontario Ministry of Health, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, and the Ontario College of Pharmacists.

5. LAND USE, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND COMMUNITY NAMING ITEMS

Council addressed several site-specific planning and commemorative matters. Notes indicate support for amending zoning to allow a childcare use at 1 Crescent Terence Matthew for the relocation of the Little Arrow Centre by September 2026. In presenting the item, Councillor Hubley said the property had been acquired before zoning changes and that staff should proceed with a zoning bylaw amendment "so that we can have a daycare at this address as soon as possible."

Other adopted items identified in the notes include the Hospital/Lac Darr station connection, the City View wetland restoration project, infrastructure agreements on Hill Road and 2761 Chemin, and naming motions including Dian Holmes Park, Marion Gulock Park, and the Ross Thomas music kiosk at the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum.

On the Marion Gulock naming item, Councillor Gauer said Gulock received the Roger Griffith Memorial Citizen of the Year award in 2000, Senior of the Year in 2002 and 2012, and the city's community activism award in 2003 for her volunteer work in Sarsfield.

A motion on water service interruption notice was postponed to the May 27, 2026 council meeting.

Motions

Passed: - Development Charges Deferral Program - Pedestrian crossings funding plan - Hospital/Lac Darr station connection - City View wetland restoration project - Hill Road water/sewage collective distribution agreements - 2761 Chemin septic system infrastructure replacement - Suspend patio fees for summer 2026 - Motion raising concerns about opioid treatment services to provincial regulators - Dian Holmes Park naming - Rename Ralph Park to Marion Gulock Park - Ross Thomas commemorative naming of music kiosk at Cumberland Heritage Village Museum

Unclear from provided notes: - Affordable housing application system improvements and registry review; one recommendation was rejected on an 8-14 recorded vote - Zoning change to permit childcare at 1 Crescent Terence Matthew - Wastewater drug surveillance direction

Deferred/Postponed: - Water Service Interruption Notice — postponed to May 27, 2026 - Bill 56 consequences on road safety — to be revisited

Attendees

The provided notes explicitly mention the following councillors as participating or speaking:

• Councillor Desroches
• Councillor Plante
• Councillor Menard
• Councillor Skalski
• Councillor Turnbull

The notes also reference the Mayor and Deputy Mayor, but do not provide names in the material supplied.