Newsletter - 5 June 2026
From the desk of Councillor David Brown
Ottawa's $691.3 Million Capital Infrastructure Investment Season Begins
This year, Ward 21 has received more than $22.4 million in capital infrastructure investments.
Read more
Ward Updates
Small Community, Big Heart: Local Quilters Collect Over 3,000 Blocks for Charity
The Richmond Area Quilters Guild and The Country Quilter have achieved something truly incredible for a wonderful cause.
Back in April, they set a goal to collect 400 "orphan blocks" (extra quilting blocks) to support Quilts for Survivors, an Indigenous-led charity in Porcupine, Ontario, that creates quilts for residential school survivors. Thanks to overwhelming generosity, they smashed that goal by collecting a staggering 3,027 blocks, and blocks are still coming in, contributing to a massive total of 15,989 blocks collected from across Canada.
A massive thank you to Guild President Tracy Parr Labbe, The Country Quilter owner Ann McLean, Kelly, and South Carleton co-op student Anelie for leading this beautiful initiative and showing the true strength of community.
Ottawa Fire Services Annual Report Shows Strong Emergency Response
Ottawa Fire Services continues to provide reliable emergency response for residents, even as demand grows across the city.
The 2025 annual report, received by the Emergency Preparedness and Protective Services Committee, shows that Ottawa Fire Services received more than 125,000 calls for service to its communications centre last year. That represents a nine per cent increase from the previous year, reflecting both Ottawa’s population growth and the increasing complexity of emergency calls.
Despite that growing demand, Ottawa Fire Services continued to meet most response time standards set by Council. That is important for residents, because when every second matters, we need to know that our emergency services are prepared, properly resourced and able to respond.
The report also shows that medical calls attended by Ottawa Fire Services decreased by 12 percent compared to the previous year. This reflects improvements to the emergency dispatch system with Ottawa Paramedic Service, helping ensure the right emergency resources are sent where they are needed most.
There are still challenges. Longer travel distances, traffic and growth in developing communities can all affect response times, especially in parts of the city where geography and growth patterns create added pressure. That is why the City continues to monitor trends and plan ahead for stations, staff, equipment and resources.
I was also pleased to see the report highlight continued investments in firefighters themselves. In 2025, Ottawa Fire Services hired 90 new recruits, modernized facilities such as Fire Station 81 in Stittsville, and advanced planning for a new training facility.
The report also recognizes expanded mental health and wellness supports, including access to a staff psychologist, peer programs and cancer prevention initiatives. These supports matter. Firefighters face incredibly difficult work, and keeping them healthy, resilient and supported is essential to keeping our communities safe.
Ottawa Fire Services also continues to maintain international accreditation, which reflects high standards and a commitment to continuous improvement. Prevention work, including the False Fire Alarm Strategy, is helping reduce nuisance alarms and keep firefighters available for real emergencies.
City Council will consider the report on Wednesday, June 10.
Finding Manotick’s Fallen Soldiers
I am pleased to share the following submission from Terry Hunter, Archives and Historical Officer of Branch 314 Manotick Legion. Terry and the Manotick War Dead Research Team are doing important work to identify, document and honour the servicemen connected to Manotick who never returned home from the First and Second World Wars.
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Private John Robinson Padget left Manotick long before the German guns near Vimy Ridge claimed his life on 22 May 1917.
Born in Manotick, Ontario, Padget enlisted in the 128th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force on Dec. 18, 1915, in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. He was 31 years old, stood five-foot-11, and had previously served with the 56th Regiment in the Grenville and Dundas areas of Ontario.
Whether patriotism, duty, or economic opportunity motivated him to re-enlist is impossible to know. What is certain is that Padget believed he could still be of service to King and Empire.
By the spring of 1917, Private Padget was serving with the 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles during the bitter fighting around Vimy Ridge. Between May 20 and 25, the regiment supplied hundreds of men for working parties near the front lines. Their duties included repairing trenches, laying barbed wire, carrying ammunition, and moving supplies under dangerous conditions.
The Battalion war diary noted fine weather and active enemy aircraft during those days. It did not record the constant threat of shellfire that haunted every movement near the front.
On one of those working parties, Private Padget, along with an Officer and another soldier, was killed by enemy shellfire.
Back in Moose Jaw, his mother, Mrs. Eliza Padget, a few days later, would have received the devastating telegram from the Department of Militia and Defence beginning with the familiar words: “Deeply regret to inform you…”
Later would arrive letters from Chaplains, Senior Officers, and perhaps fellow soldiers, offering details of her son’s death and burial. Like thousands of Canadian mothers during the Great War, she would later receive a brass Death Plaque, a Memorial Cross, and a standardized form letter of condolence from King George V.
A few weeks later, news of Padget’s death would also reach his friends and family still living in Manotick. A June 6, 1917 edition of The Ottawa Journal reported simply that he had been killed in action.
For a time, the residents of Manotick would have remembered the loss of one of their own. But as decades passed, the story of Private John Robinson Padget — like so many others — faded from public memory.
Today, Padget is recognized as one of at least 17 known servicemen connected to Manotick who died during the First and Second World Wars. Yet few residents know their names or stories.
That is something local historian and Veteran Terry Hunter hopes to change.
Hunter, who served nearly 48 years in the Canadian Armed Forces and is the Archives and Historical Officer of Branch 314 Manotick Legion, is leading a research effort to identify and document Manotick’s war dead. The project involves examining Church Rolls of Honour, newspapers, military records, books, and online archives to uncover the stories of local Manotick servicemen who never returned home.
The work is challenging. During the First and Second World Wars, Manotick had no municipal registry recording those who served. Hunter’s research team must piece together information from scattered historical sources among the nearly 650,000 Canadians who enlisted during the First World War and the more than 1.1 million Canadians who served during the Second World War.
Once identified, it is Hunter’s plan that the names of Manotick’s fallen Servicemen will be added to the community Cenotaph through a proposed brass plaque listing their service numbers and names. As Canadian military historian Norm Christie has observed, a cenotaph without names has no stories.
Hunter states “When you uncover the story of someone like Private John Padget, you begin to understand that Manotick’s war dead were more than names in an archive. They were Sons, neighbours, workers, and members of the Manotick community whose sacrifices should never be forgotten.”
The research team is also developing a Manotick Virtual War Memorial that will provide access to Attestation papers, service records, photographs, newspaper clippings, and biographical information about each individual. The goal is to ensure future generations understand not only the names, but the lives behind them. Hunter and the Manotick War Dead Research Team are seeking assistance from local families and residents. Anyone with photographs, letters, newspaper clippings, or information about Manotick residents killed during the First or Second World Wars is encouraged to contact Terry Hunter at peilighthorse@hotmail.com.
Older Adult Plan Fund Opens June 10
The City of Ottawa has announced that the Older Adult Plan Fund call for proposals will open on June 10, 2026.
This fund supports the implementation of the Council-approved Older Adult Plan 2025 to 2030 by investing in time-limited initiatives led by community partners and City departments. The goal is to support programs and services that help older adults remain connected, active, healthy and supported in our communities.
A total of $800,000 will be allocated over the 2026 and 2027 funding cycles. Funding priorities include improving access to programs and services, expanding mobile wellness clinics and hubs, strengthening preventive health and wellness outreach, reducing barriers to social and recreational participation, and supporting programs that reflect the specific needs of priority older adult populations.
There will be two funding streams. Not-for-profit community agencies may apply for up to $150,000 over two years, or $75,000 per year, for projects running from September 2026 to August 2028. City of Ottawa departments may apply for up to $75,000 for time-limited initiatives running from September 2026 to December 2027.
Key dates include the call for proposals opening on June 10, information sessions on June 11 and June 16, and an application deadline of July 15, 2026, at 11:59 pm. Applicants will be advised of results on September 9, 2026.
This is an important opportunity for organizations that support older adults in Ottawa. Strong community programming helps reduce isolation, improve access to services and ensure older residents can continue to participate fully in community life.
More information is available on Ottawa.ca.
The City is Hiring Election Workers for the 2026 Municipal Election
The City of Ottawa’s Elections Office is hiring more than 5,000 paid election workers for the 2026 Municipal Elections.
This is a great opportunity for residents who want to support local democracy, gain work experience and help ensure voting runs smoothly across Ottawa.
Election workers are needed for Advance Voting Day on Friday, October 16, and Voting Day on Monday, October 26. Applicants must be at least 16 years old, reliable, able to learn quickly and comfortable working with the public.
Proficiency in English and French is an asset, and additional languages are also considered an asset. Applicants are encouraged to include any languages they speak when submitting their application.
Only selected applicants will be contacted by the Elections Office. Due to the number of applications expected, selected candidates may be contacted at any time between June and October.
Residents can learn more about available positions, pay rates and how to apply at ottawa.ca/vote. Questions can also be directed to the Elections Office by phone at 613 580 2660 or by email at elections jobs@ottawa.ca.
Out & About
On May 22, I had the pleasure of attending the official ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening for CFT Recycling South’s new location at 6682 Bank St. It was fantastic to take a guided tour of the facility, meet the operational leadership team, and see firsthand how they are making sustainable recycling services more accessible for residents and businesses in the area.
Congratulations to the entire team at CFT Group on this impressive new facility. We are glad to have you as neighbours!
A great morning on the green at the Goulbourn Lawn Bowling Club on May 23 for their open house.
What a fantastic time this past Saturday, May 23 at the Manotick Public School Spring Fair!
Team Ward 21 had a wonderful day connecting with neighbours, checking out the local vendor tables, and watching the live entertainment.
A huge thank you to the Manotick Public School Council for their incredible work in organizing this day, to all the fantastic volunteers, and to the crew from Ottawa Fire Services Station 94 for making the event so special for everyone.
An evening of celebration: I was glad to be invited to Councillor Skalski's 2025 Community Awards on Tuesday, May 26.
I had the pleasure of dropping by the Manotick Place Retirement Community for a very special visit with 10 of my week-old chicks!
A huge thank you to the team and residents at Manotick Place for inviting me. And yes, I arrived with 10 chicks and, luckily, managed to leave with all 10!
Presenting Mark and Angela, the incredible team behind Saunders Farm, with a City of Ottawa certificate celebrating their 50th anniversary. Thank you for 50 years of fantastic memories and dedication to our community!
It was great to present the proposed traffic calming measures to a packed room of Fallowfield Village residents at our community meeting on June 3. Seeing this level of turnout, the incredible community engagement on display, and hearing your feedback firsthand is exactly how we build safer streets together.
I stopped by the intersection of Perth and Shea around noon on June 4th to check out the geotechnical drilling operations. This site investigation is a crucial first step for the upcoming intersection project.
On June 4, I had a fantastic time connecting with families at the Kars on the Rideau Public School Council "Kickoff to Summer" event.
I was proud to partner with the school council to sponsor Magic by John, which brought plenty of smiles and laughs to the schoolyard. Another huge highlight for the kids (and adults!) was the special appearance by the Ottawa Police Service Mounted Unit. Thank you to the school council and all the incredible volunteers who put together such a fun evening for our community!
Construction Updates
Road Resurfacing & Construction Impacts
A number of resurfacing, maintenance, and preservation projects are scheduled across Ward 21 in the coming months. Some work will include nighttime construction between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., which may result in temporary noise impacts for nearby residents.
We will continue to share updates as these projects progress and appreciate your patience during this work to improve our roads.
Road Renewal Projects
Bankfield Road, from Kilreen Lane to 370 metres west of Prince of Wales Drive
Black’s Side Road, from Fernbank Road to Ridingview Crescent
Brophy Drive, from Eagleson Road to Fourth Line Road
Community Way, from Fourth Line Road to Relin Way
Doctor Leach Drive, residential, from Beaverwood Road to Potter Drive (Tentative start date in mid-July)
Fallowfield Road, from Munster Road to Dwyer Hill Road (Tentative start date in mid-July)
Farmstead Ridge, crack sealing, from Church Street to Church Street (Tentative start date in late August)
Fernbank Road, from Jinkinson Road to Munster Road
Fernbank Road, from 138 metres east of Shea Road to 385 metres east of Shea Road
Fourth Line Road, from Lockhead Road West to Shellstar Drive
Harbison Road, gravel road upgrade to hard asphalt surface, from Proven Line Road to McCordick Road (Tentative start date in mid-July)
Jinkinson Road, from Fernbank Road to 2.7 kilometres north of Fernbank Road
Manotick Main Street, from Bridgeport Avenue to Eastman Avenue
McBean Street, from Perth Street to Strachan Street
Phelan Road West, slurry seal, from Prince of Wales Drive to Ormond Road (Tentative start date in late July)
Rideau Valley Drive South, crack sealing, Dilworth Road to Roger Stevens Drive (Tentative start date in mid-August)
Shea Road, crack sealing, from Hemphill Street to Fernbank Road
Other Construction Projects
➔ Hydro Work Supporting Dwyer Hill Training Facility Expansion
Hydro Ottawa is working on major electrical upgrades in Ward 21 to support the long-term expansion of the Department of National Defence’s Dwyer Hill Training Centre, a project scheduled to continue through 2034.
Phase 1: Hydro Pole and Equipment Installation on Dwyer Hill Road
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Phase 1 has been completed.
Phase 2: Transformer Installation and Infrastructure Upgrade on Garvin Road
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Phase 2 has been completed
➔ Pole Installation on Franktown Road
Hydro Ottawa is installing new hydro poles and equipment along Franktown Road. This work will be carried out by Bradley Kelly Construction Ltd. and is ongoing.
For a full list of current and upcoming road work in Ward 21, visit the Ward 21 website. Major construction notices will be shared in future newsletters and community updates.
To explore citywide construction projects, use the City of Ottawa Interactive Construction Map.
Community Events
You can check out the Ward 21 website at any time to see an up-to-date list of upcoming events.
In case you missed this week’s event newsletter, click here: Upcoming Community Events in Ward 21!
Stay in touch!
I want to hear from you! Stay connected and keep informed by:
📱 Following us on social media – Click the icons below to stay updated.
🌐 Visiting our website: www.ward21.ca
📧 Emailing your concerns: ward21@ottawa.ca
📞 Calling our office: 613-580-2491
📅 Want to meet with Councillor Brown at his North Gower office? Email ward21@ottawa.ca to book an appointment.
Looking forward to connecting with you!