The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, of which Councillor Kelly is Vice-Chair, today approved a new rural economic development plan to help rural businesses grow, create jobs and strengthen Ottawa’s rural economy. The plan sets out actions to support rural businesses directly and to foster more collaboration between them. It includes a new rural business liaison who would provide dedicated, one-on-one support and help rural businesses navigate City and partner servic

With water levels changing quickly across West Carleton, we’ll be sharing regular updates here to keep residents informed on flooding conditions across West Carleton and Ward 5, including local impacts and guidance from City staff and emergency services. This page will be updated regularly as conditions evolve. Residents are encouraged to check back often for the latest information. If you have questions or need assistance, please reach out to our team at Clarke.Kelly@Ottawa.

If you are planning to visit City Hall or are just in the area, take a journey back in time and explore Ottawa’s farming history at the City of Ottawa Archives latest exhibit, Cultivating Community: Agriculture Rooted in Ottawa’s History – now open at the Barbara Ann Scott Gallery. The exhibit offers a dynamic and engaging experience for visitors of all ages. Interpretive panels, display cases with artifacts, and archival photographs will guide visitors through Ottawa’s agr

I am very proud of the two motions that I have been working on that were both carried at Council today. In 2022, the City of Ottawa took down their public-facing staff directory, citing cyber security concerns as the reason for doing so. I believe this approach was more forceful than necessary, ultimately leaving residents without a directory to consult, and feeling like their city is less navigable and open. My motion will re-establish a public-facing staff directory and org

Councillor Kelly's statement, following the April 16th Huntley Community Association AGM, held at the HCA Mess Hall. Last Thursday, I had the honour of helping welcome guests and board members to the Huntley Community Association ’s AGM. It never ceases to amaze me just how much they do for our community each year, from creating sports opportunities for youth and lining Carp Road with Canadian flags, to organizing parades, carnivals, and so many other community-building initi

April 10, 2026 Newly Renovated Corkery Community Centre Hosts First Event I had the pleasure of joining the Corkery Community Association for their AGM this week and left feeling very encouraged. It was the first event in the brand-new community centre, and not only was attendance fantastic, but two additional community members put their names forward to become directors. That’s a very successful AGM! I also heard some great conversations among residents and board members abo

April 2, 2026 The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee today approved renewing the Ottawa Rural Clean Water Program for another five-year term. The program would continue to provide cost-share grants to farmers and rural landowners for projects that protect surface and groundwater quality. With an annual budget of $200,000, applicants are eligible for grants of up to $15,000 for 19 different types of projects. In the last five years, the program supported 271 projects w

Every year, the City of Ottawa (the City) hosts drop-off events to ensure that residents’ hazardous waste is safely collected, transported, and appropriately recycled or disposed of. This helps to protect the environment and decreases the risk of toxic materials ending up in the City’s collection vehicles and landfills. The events are planned and executed by trained and certified waste management professionals in accordance with applicable laws. Any collection, handling and t

Easter Weekend schedule changes The City of Ottawa would like to remind residents of the following schedule changes and City service impacts on Good Friday, April 3, and Easter Monday, April 6. Client Service Centres The City’s 3-1-1 Contact Centre will be open for urgent matters only. Please visit ottawa.ca/311 to submit a service request online. ServiceOttawa’s Client Services and Provincial Offences counters and phone lines will be closed. Counters are located at Ottaw

It's time to launch Season 2 of the City of Ottawa’s official podcast and we OttaTalk about the City’s Spring Freshet Taskforce. What’s a freshet? It’s the annual spring snowmelt and rainfall that flows into rivers and creeks, raising water levels and increasing flood risk. Listen now to find out how the City works to monitor, prepare, inform and respond during the spring freshet. Listen now: Spotify Apple Podcasts YouTube Today, we’ll talk with Jim Lethbridge, Area Mana

With a new collection contract in place, the collection days have changed for a number of residents in Ward 5. All of Ward 5 is now set to be collected on Mondays . The recycling collection calendar will remain the same, with green bin and paper and cardboard one week, and garbage collection, recycling, and green bin pickup the next week. You may have already seen information about these changes over the past several weeks through my office's social media, website and newslet

Before planning your next landscaping project, property owners and landscaping contractors should understand the City’s by-laws and their rules. Landscaping Education Guide Whether you’re working with a contractor or tackling this project yourself, read through the City’s Landscaping Education Guide before you start. This guide is a comprehensive overview of the City’s requirements for driveways, hard and soft landscaping, drainage and grading plans, protecting trees, fences

The City is developing a new pilot program to improve local communities’ ability to prepare for extreme weather events and we’re looking for your input! A link to the survey is at the bottom of this page and will take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete. Proposed Pilot Grant Program Details Goal : Build capacity of local community organizations to help them prepare for and recover from extreme weather events. Objectives: Provide funding to acquire emergency equipment, se

The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) is upgrading its online incident reporting system to make it easier and faster for residents to report non-emergency incidents in multiple languages from their computer or mobile device. This modernized tool allows community members to report incidents like property theft, vandalism, driving-related complaints and the newly added report option for cryptocurrency fraud, a growing concern in the Ottawa area.  The system is designed to:

I’d like to extend my sincere condolences to the family and friends of Norm Ross, who passed away on Friday at the age of 71 following a brief illness. Norm spent 35 years as an OC Transpo bus driver, and eventually he and his wife, Barb, moved to Galetta to embrace rural life. Norm became a familiar, beloved presence in the community, and for over two decades, he contributed in so many ways. He served as both a dedicated volunteer and a key leader on the Galetta Community As

Environment Canada has issued a significant freezing rain warning, expected to begin either tonight (March 10) or early Wednesday morning (March 11) and lasting through Wednesday or Wednesday night. It may come with an ice buildup of 10 to 20 mm. Given the potential for significant ice buildup, Hydro Ottawa says there is a risk of downed tree branches and localized power outages. They’re encouraging residents to be prepared in case of interruptions and to have supplies on han

A Flood Watch Statement indicates that flooding is possible in specific watercourses or municipalities. Municipalities, emergency services and individual landowners in flood prone areas should prepare. This is an update to the Flood Outlook released on March 4, 2026. Weather Forecast: Warmer temperatures and rainfall over the weekend have resulted in rising water levels within the Carp River watershed. Above-freezing temperatures are expected to continue, with rainfall fore

Background Spring freshet refers to the annual increase of water discharged to rivers as the weather warms and snow melts. Spring freshets are heavily influenced by the amount of available water in the snow, the rate of snow melt, and type of precipitation events. The Ottawa River watershed conveys water from many rivers including the Rideau River. We can anticipate some level of flooding and resulting risk from fast moving waters each year. The increase in flow along the Rid

The City of Ottawa is carrying out an Environmental Assessment (EA) Study in support of the functional design and options analysis for modifications to the intersection of Dunrobin Road and Constance Bay Road to address safety concerns. You're invited to participate in the Public Information Session that's being held on Wednesday, March 4th, 2026, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM at the Constance and Buckham's Bay Community Centre (Main Hall) 262 Len Purcell Drive. View official public n

The Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA) recently completed regulatory flood and erosion hazard mapping for four important tributaries to the Carp in the vicinity of: Village of Kinburn, Village of Carp, Diamondview Estates, the Carp Airport, and the intersection of Donald B Munro Dr & Thomas Argue Rd. Draft maps will be presented at an Open House on Monday, March 16 from 4-8 p.m. at the Huntley Community Mess Hall (2240 Craig’s Side Road, Carp). MVCA staff will