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Holiday Season Schedule Changes to City Services

The City of Ottawa would like to remind residents of the following schedule changes for the holiday season between Wednesday, December 24 and Friday, January 2.

 

Client Service Centres

  • The City’s 3-1-1 Contact Centre will be open for urgent matters only on Thursday, December 25, Friday December 26 and Thursday, January 1. Please visit ottawa.ca/311 to submit a service request online.

  • All ServiceOttawa’s Client Services Centres, Provincial Offences and Administrative Penalty System (APS) counters and phone lines will be closed on Thursday, December 25, Friday, December 26 and Thursday, January 1. Counters are located at Ottawa City Hall (110 Laurier Avenue West), Ben Franklin Place (101 Centrepointe Drive), Kanata (580 Terry Fox Drive), Orleans (255 Centrum Boulevard) and the City’s Provincial Offences Court at 100 Constellation Drive.

  • The Metcalfe, West Carleton, and North Gower Client Service Centres will be closed from Monday, December 22 to Friday, January 2.

  • The Business Licensing Centre at 735 Industrial Avenue will be closed on Thursday, December 25, Friday, December 26 and Thursday, January 1.

  • The City of Ottawa Spay and Neuter Clinic at 26 Concourse Gate will be closed from Monday, December 22 until Friday, January 2. It will reopen on Monday, January 5.

  • The City of Ottawa Archives and Gallery 112 at the James Bartleman Centre will be closed from Monday December 22 until Monday, January 5. They will reopen on Tuesday, January 6.

 

Green bin, recycling and garbage collection

  • There will be no curbside or multi-residential green bin, recycling, garbage or bulky item collection on Christmas Day, Thursday, December 25 or New Year’s Day, Thursday, January 1. The pick-up will take place on the following day. In addition, the collection will be delayed by one day for the remainder of the week.

  • Residents can sign up to receive collection reminders and service alerts by email or phone call at ottawa.ca/CollectionCalendar.

  • The Trail Waste Facility will be closed on Thursday, December 25 and Thursday, January 1. It will be open on Boxing Day, Friday, December 26, from 7 am to 6 pm. For Trail Waste Facility hours, visit ottawa.ca.

  • Christmas trees will be picked up on your regular collection day. Please remove all decorations. Christmas trees in plastic bags or frozen into a snowbank will not be collected.

  • Starting January 1, 2026, the City will no longer be responsible for collecting your recycling. The new province-wide recycling program will be managed by Circular Materials. As described on the City’s website, until December 31, 2025, please continue contacting the City for all your recycling concerns, such as missed collection.

 

Parking

  • Free parking will be available at City Hall (110 Laurier Avenue West), from Wednesday, December 24 at 4 pm until Friday, December 26 at 7 am, and from Wednesday, December 31 at 4 pm until Thursday, January 1 at 7 am.

  • The ByWard Market Garage at 70 Clarence Street and the Dalhousie Garage at 141 Clarence Street will offer free parking from Wednesday, December 24 at 4 pm until Friday, December 26 at 7 am, and from Wednesday, December 31 at 4 pm until Thursday, January 1 at 7 am.

  • At these facilities, exit gates will be placed in the ‘up’ position during these time periods to allow for free exits. If a vehicle remains in the garage when the gate goes to the ‘down’ position, drivers are responsible to pay for the full time spent in the garage.

  • All other City parking regulations apply.

 

Transit Services

  • OC Transpo holiday service will run from Monday, December 22 to Friday, January 2. Visit octranspo.com for information on hours of operation, frequency adjustments and schedules for bus routes and O-Train Lines 1, 2 and 4 during the holidays.

  • With the 2-for-1 DayPass two customers can ride all day for the price of one DayPass. The 2-for-1 DayPass is valid on Thursday, December 25, Friday, December 26, Thursday, January 1, and every Saturday and Sunday.

  • Free transit service will be provided on New Year’s Eve, Wednesday, December 31, after 6 pm courtesy of Safer Roads Ottawa and MADD Ottawa and Area. · Use the Travel Planner or Transit, the recommended app for OC Transpo customers, to plan your New Year’s Eve trip. O-Train Line 1 will run until 2 am, after which Night bus service will run through downtown. Fare gates will be open. Line 2 will run until 1 am and Line 4 will run until midnight. Para Transpo service will run until 3 am. Last trips are booked for 2 am, or 1:30 am for rural trips. Bookings for midnight or later must be made the day before by calling 613-560-5000. · Customers can get real-time schedule information, 24 hours a day, by using the Transit app, calling 613-560-1000 or texting 560560 plus their four-digit bus stop number or first three letters of the station name. Standard rates apply.

 

OC Transpo Customer Service (613-560-5000) will be open throughout the holidays to help customers with schedules and trip planning, including:

  •  Wednesday, December 24 from 8 am to 6 pm

  • Thursday, December 25 to December 28 from 9 am to 5 pm

  • Monday, December 29 to December 31 from 8 am to 6 pm 

  • Thursday, January 1 from 9 am to 5 pm 

  • Friday, January 2 from 8 am to 6 pm 

  • Saturday, January 3 to January 4 from 9 am to 5 pm 

  • Monday, January 5 from 8 am to 6 pm

 

The Rideau Centre OC Transpo Customers Service Centre will be closed on Thursday, December 25 and Thursday, January 1. It will be open:

  • Wednesday, December 24 from 10 am to 5 pm

  • Friday, December 26 from 9 am to 9 pm

  • Saturday, December 27 from 10 am to 9 pm

  • Sunday, December 28 from 10 am to 6 pm

  • Monday, December 29 to December 30 from 10 am to 9 pm

  • Wednesday, December 31 from 10 am to 5 pm

  • Friday January 2 to January 3 from 9:30 am to 9 pm

  • Sunday, January 4 from 11 am to 6 pm

  • Monday, January 5 from 9:30 am to 9 pm

 

Para Transpo:

  • Para Transpo will operate a holiday service on Christmas, Boxing, and New Year’s Days. o Customers may book trips for these days by using My Para Transpo or by calling 613-560-5000 up to seven days in advance.

  • Customers are reminded to suspend their regular booking if they will be on vacation during the holiday season.

  • The Para Transpo cancellation line will be available over the holidays during regular hours, except for Wednesday, December 31, when the cancellation line will be available until 3 am.

  • Para Transpo customers can also text 57272 to connect with customer service representatives from 6 am to 12:30 am, or until 3 am on Wednesday, December 31.

  • To contact Para Transpo regarding holiday scheduling, visit octranspo.com or call 613-560-5000.

  • The taxi coupon line will be closed on Thursday, December 25, Friday, December 26, and Thursday, January 1.

  • OC Transpo Lost and Found at St-Laurent Station will be closed on December 25 and 26, and January 1. To submit an inquiry about a lost item, go to octranspo.com/lostandfound.

  • For more information on holiday service, visit octranspo.com or call (613) 560-5000. You can also connect with OC Transpo through Facebook, Bluesky, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.

 

Recreation and cultural services

  • Pools, arenas and fitness centres will operate on modified schedules during the holiday season, including public swimming, fitness and public skating facilities. Please check facility pages  for Winter Break drop-in schedules.

  • Some holiday-themed registered programs will be offered at complexes, community centres and arenas. Browse Register Ottawa or check with your facility to register.

  • The City’s four refrigerated outdoor rinks are open, weather permitting. Check the alert status on the homepage of ottawa.ca before going.

  •  Jim Tubman Chevrolet Rink has scheduled activities that may be altered for the Winter Break. 

  • Community outdoor rinks will open after the weather is favourable for ice-making.

  • Sledding hills will be open, weather permitting. Check the alert status on the homepage of ottawa.ca.

  • Shenkman Arts Centre will be closed Wednesday, December 24 to Friday, December 26, and on Thursday, January 1. Check shenkmanarts.ca for modified holiday hours.

  • The Box Office at Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe will be closed Wednesday, December 24 to Saturday, January 10.

  • Ben Franklin Place will be closed on Thursday, December 25, Friday, December 26, and Thursday, January 1.

  • The Barbara Ann Scott Gallery, City Hall Art Gallery and Karsh-Masson Gallery at City Hall will be closed on Thursday, December 25, Friday, December 26, and Thursday, January 1. 

 

Ottawa Public Health

  • The Site mobile van will operate from 5 pm to 11:30 pm on Thursday December 25, Friday December 26 and Thursday January 1st.

  • Visit the ParentingInOttawa web page for vaccination clinic hours and availability.

  • The Sexual Health Clinic will be closed on Thursday December 25, Friday December 26, and Thursday January 1. Please note on Wednesday December 24 and Wednesday December 31, we will work modified holiday hours.

  • Dental clinics will be closed on Thursday December 25, Friday December 26, and Thursday January 1. Please note on Wednesday December 24 and Wednesday December 31, we will work modified holiday hours.

  • The Parenting-In-Ottawa drop-ins will be closed on Thursday December 25, Friday December 26, Tuesday December 30, Thursday January 1 and Friday January 2.  Some of the hours of operation have changed during the Holidays.  Please check our online drop-in calendar before you visit us.  

  • Visit the COVID-19 Vaccine page for vaccination clinic hours and availability.

  • Connect with a registered nurse from Health811 for free, secure, and confidential health advice. Service is available in English and French, with translation support also offered in other languages.

  • Our immunization program telephone line will be closed Thursday December 25, Friday December 26 and Thursday January 1. You can update your child's immunization record using either the CANImmunize App or the Immunization Connect Ontario (ICON) Tool. For more information visit our Updating and Retrieving Immunizations web page.

 

Employment and Social Services

All four Employment and Social Services offices will be closed on Thursday, December 25, Friday, December 26 and Thursday, January 1:

  •  370 Catherine Street

  • 2339 Ogilvie Road

  • 100 Constellation Drive

  • 2020 Walkley Road

 

Municipal child care services

  • All municipal child care centres will be closed from Monday, December 22 until Friday, December 26 inclusive, and on Thursday, January 1.

  • Parents are advised to check the operating hours of their child care centre during the holiday season.

 

Ottawa Public Library

  • The Ottawa Public Library will be closed on Thursday, December 25, Friday, December 26 and Thursday, January 1.

  • Branches and services will operate on a regular schedule from Saturday, December 27 through Tuesday, December 30.

  • On Wednesday, December 24, and Wednesday, December 31, all branches regularly open on a Wednesday will be open from 10 am to 3 pm.

  • Visit the OPL website for hours of operation at OPL’s 33 branches for further information and to access library resources and services online.

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