2025: Reflecting on the Past Year

As we wrap up 2025, I want to use this final Manotick Messenger column to share some of the progress we have made together in Ward 21. It has been a busy year, with real gains on safer roads, more responsible growth, and a stronger rural voice at City Hall.

This year Council completed its Midterm Governance Review, which changed how rural issues move through City Hall. Items that affect rural communities regardless of what service area they are delivered through, are now reviewed by rural councillors before they go to full Council. That gives the people who know rural Ottawa best a formal role in shaping decisions and ensures that our communities are not treated as an afterthought.

As Chair of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee and a member of the Finance and Corporate Services Committee, I have worked to keep rural priorities front and center.

Road safety and infrastructure have been a core focus of my work in 2025. Too many serious and fatal collisions happen on rural roads. In response, I brought a motion to prioritize upgrades at high-risk rural intersections. These upgrades include better lighting, safer turn lanes, clearer signage, and modern designs that reduce the chance of a serious crash.

We also made progress on the day-to-day condition of our roads. For the first time since amalgamation, the City has begun to allocate funding to local road repaving so that more investment flows to our residential areas. In Ward 21 that means major investments in resurfacing and preservation, bridge work, upgrades at key intersections, and replacing aging culverts that protect our roads from flooding.

On top of these larger projects, we continued to roll out practical safety measures such as speed display boards, flexible stakes, and other traffic calming tools in villages and along rural roads. We also launched the living snow fence pilot with the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority. By planting rows of trees and shrubs along key roadways, we can reduce drifting snow, improve visibility, and protect soil, while improving winter driving conditions at no cost to participating farmers.

Another major theme this year has been how and where Ottawa grows. In recent years, rural villages have carried a large share of new housing, with rapid growth in communities like Richmond and Manotick. That has put pressure on roads, schools, water systems, and emergency services, and it has raised fair questions about protecting farmland and village character.

I have been clear that development in rural Ottawa must be responsible. Infrastructure must come first, and the scale of new projects must fit the communities around them. Council has now approved a comprehensive housing strategy that aims to speed up approvals and build more homes in the areas that can best support them, especially downtown and near major transit. Rural Ottawa has already done more than its share, and our focus now is on stability, better services, and protecting what makes our villages unique.

Looking ahead to 2026, the draft City budget continues to invest in the basics while supporting residents who are struggling. For Ward 21, there is nearly $9 million set aside for roads next year, including rehabilitation of key rural routes, culvert work, and intersection improvements. The City is also increasing spending on rural ditching so that drainage problems do not undermine our roads or private property.

At our final Council meeting of 2025, where the budget was debated, I was pleased to introduce a motion, along with Councillor Desroches, focused on the fee charged to residents who pay their property taxes and water bills through the preauthorized debit program. The motion directs staff to continue reviewing the fifty-five cent per transaction fee to make sure it reflects actual costs, to work with the banks on better integration of systems, to look for further efficiencies and savings, and to improve fairness and keep payment options accessible for residents.

As Christmas approaches and we look toward a new year, this is a season to think about neighbours who are finding it hard to make ends meet. Local food banks in Ward 21 depend on the generosity of the community. If you are able, please consider donating your time, making a financial contribution, or setting aside a few extra nonperishable items for food banks that serve Manotick, Richmond, North Gower, Kars, and the wider rural area.

From my family to yours, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thank you for the privilege of serving you and I look forward to continuing the work in 2026.