Weekly newsletter: March 17, 2026
Hi everyone! Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Did you know the correct, authentic short form is St. Paddy’s Day, as it is derived from the Irish name Pádraig? Patty typically refers to someone named Patricia, the meat in a hamburger, or a delicious Jamaican pastry.
This photo is from the St. Patrick’s Day parade 10 days ago.
Ottawa’s St. Patrick’s Day parade had been cancelled since 2020 (one of the first major events cancelled by COVID, in fact), so it was nice to see its return.
High water use alerts
New service for residents with My ServiceOttawa account.
Since the rollout of the new water meters in 2014, the City has used them to not just track usage, but also to help detect extremely high continuous water use, often the sign of a leak. A courtesy letter would then be sent to notify the resident, which could take days to arrive.
All residents with a My ServiceOttawa account can now enroll to receive email notifications in addition to a letter. The new service allows for a quicker turnaround time for a resident to identify and resolve the issue, potentially avoiding higher water consumption and charges.
To enroll, log in to your ServiceOttawa account, select your water account, then alert subscription in the menu. Residents may select up to three alert options:
Continuous usage alert – when water meter records uninterrupted flow (including very low flow) over a seven-day period
Monthly usage alert – when your usage in a 30-day period reaches 75, 100, and 150 per cent of your average usage based on the last 12 months of use
Daily average usage – when your average daily usage exceeds a preset threshold
Accounts not enrolled to receive email alerts or residents without a My ServiceOttawa account will still receive a notification letter by mail for high continuous water use (uninterrupted flow over a seven-day period).
Despite the supplementary service, residents remain responsible for monitoring their water usage, including any leaks on their property. This includes the private property portion of the pipe (known as a service line) that connects to the city main under the street.
Cleaning the Capital
Barrhaven East had the most cleanup projects in the autumn 2025 campaign!
City staff who oversee Cleaning the Capital↗ have advised that Barrhaven East had the most registered and completed cleanup projects in the autumn 2025 campaign.
However, that achievement would not have been possible without the participation, care, and dedication from residents, community groups, and schools.
Thank you for keeping our community looking great!
Cleaning the Capital↗ is a community initiative that allows residents, community groups, and schools to register light cleanup projects at parks and other public spaces. It’s also a great way for high school students to get volunteer hours. The City provides participants with cleanup kits, which include gloves and garbage bags.
Registration for the spring 2026 campaign↗ begins on March 27!
Bite-sized updates
Sorted alphabetically. New or updated items marked with an asterisk (*).
Beatrice/Queensbury (stop 3345) bus shelter – Installation tentatively scheduled for the spring.
*Deerfox Drive – Deerfox Drive between Woodroffe and Ryland has reopened.
*Development application, 3400 Woodroffe↗ – The City received an application to construct 160 homes divided amongst stacked townhouses, back-to-back townhouses, and traditional townhouses. The developer is seeking rezoning to allow the desired density. Given public interest in the file, I am organising a public information session, aiming for mid-April. Details to come.
Disc golf baskets – Proposed at Calaveras, Chapman Mills, and Oldfield parks, meant for learning, practice, and light back-and-forth play. See proposals on Facebook↗ and let me know what you think before Friday March 20.
*Dog run access from Thare Crescent – With thanks to residents who shared their feedback, the access at 147 Thare Crescent will be kept unlocked. City staff will repair the gate latch in the coming days.
Police office hours – South District officers are testing out open office hours as an added form of community outreach. Officers will be upstairs at the Walter Baker Sports Centre from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm every other Thursday, with their next day on March 19. No registration or scheduling needed.
Property taxes – Interim property taxes are due on March 19. See Ottawa.ca↗ for more information and payment methods.
Recycling – Friendly reminder that all recycling inquiries, including service issues and replacement bin requests should be directed to Miller Waste at 1-888-852-2374 or Area2@MillerWaste.ca. Garbage, green bin, and yard waste remain responsibilities of the city.
*Riverside South Community Centre and Library – Over in Riverside South, City staff are hosting a public meeting on March 24 about the new community centre and library planned for near Limebank Station. Details at EngageOttawa↗.
Vacant unit tax – The deadline to complete the VUT declaration is March 19, 2026. Homeowners may complete their declaration through their ServiceOttawa account↗, at Ottawa.ca/VUT↗, by calling 613-580-2444, or in person at Ben Franklin Place or City Hall. Letters with access codes were delivered late-January.
*Watershield neighbourhood street parking – Effective April 1, the existing winter one-side parking restrictions will be extended to apply year-round. Signage on Cicely, Coralroot, Gentian, Springbeauty, Sweetflag, Tawyblade, and Watershield will be updated before then. Thank you to residents in the neighbourhood for their ongoing engagement on the issue over the last few years.
The weather’s given us quite the ride the last few days, both in terms of temperature fluctuation and creating the perfect conditions for potholes to proliferate. Please report potholes by calling 3-1-1, completing a webform↗, or by notifying me at Wilson.Lo@ottawa.ca. Webform service requests for potholes no longer require contact information.
For those who are so lucky, hope you’re enjoying a bit of down time for March Break!
-Wilson