Newsletters
My newsletter has evolved into a combination of a blog, column, and editorial. Published every Tuesday, it’s the best way to learn more about what’s on my mind and what’s happening in the community, the city, and at City Hall!
An archive of past newsletter issues is at the bottom of the page.
Weekly newsletter: January 14, 2025
It’s mid-January, and the days are slowly starting to get longer. I visited Parc Omega with my wife last weekend for her birthday and made some animal friends, but I think the friendship is one-sided. I think the animals only liked me for the carrots.
In this week’s newsletter:
Small Trillium Line update
Idling By-law
Weekly newsletter: January 7, 2025
Happy New Year!
Early yesterday morning, I parked my car at Bowesville Station and took a ride on the first-ever scheduled northbound trip on O-Train Line 2.
Although I’ve been on the Trillium Line twice before it opened, seeing it finally in passenger service and seeing how the general public interacted with the new system was different!
Weekly newsletter: December 17, 2024
It’s the last newsletter of 2024. The end of the year is nigh! In this week’s newsletter:
Strandherd/Beatrice traffic signals
2025 budget approved
Vacant Unit Tax
A reflection on 2024, what a year!
Weekly newsletter: December 10, 2024
My pneumonia has finally subsided and I’m feeling much better. I’m still a bit behind on emails, but the backlog should be cleared by tomorrow.
In this week’s newsletter:
Snow clearing
Trillium Line opening
Service Line Warranties of Canada
Weekly newsletter: December 3, 2024
Last week, I celebrated my birthday by becoming incredibly ill! Nothing like a solid reminder of your own mortality. At least I’m spending quality time with my wife hacking away at our lungs together.
This week’s newsletter:
Trillium Line dress rehearsal
Sprung structure – staff-led information session
Weekly newsletter: November 26, 2024
It’s the last week of November and I’m going to be 33 soon. What better way to celebrate than to dive deep into the budget?
In this week’s newsletter:
Transit budget
Trillium Line
The rest of the budget
Upcoming things to do
Weekly newsletter: November 19, 2024
It was great to see so many out for the Santa Claus Parade on Sunday! Some of you may have noticed I was getting quite warm on the float. No regrets, though, I’d rather be overdressed than cold.
This week’s newsletter includes:
2025 budget, early thoughts
Sortation facility
Greenbank pathway
Purple streetlights
Weekly newsletter: November 12, 2024
Sprung structure shelter update 10. Sites at the Nepean Sportsplex and by the Eagleson Park and Ride were ultimately chosen as the locations for the sprung structure shelter project. Last Thursday, City staff released a 20-page memo detailing the site selection process and other analytical work done over the last few months that got them there.
Newsletter archive
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January 7, 2025 - O-Train Trillium Line opens
January 14, 2025 - Small Trillium Line update, Idling By-law
January 21, 2025 - Trillium Line update, March break registration, traffic calming measures
January 28, 2025 - Recreation registration, Walter Baker Sports Centre pool, board and advisory recruitment
February 4, 2025 - Trillium Line service updates, shelter permissions in the Zoning By-law, provincial election signs
February 11, 2025 - Shelter permissions, 80 years since the Rhineland Campaign
February 18, 2025 - Snowfall cleanup continues, Windrows, The other Super Bowl
February 25, 2025 - newcomer reception centre (sprung structure)
March 4, 2025 - Snowbank removal, Mois de la Francophonie, Greenbank Road pathway
March 18, 2025 - Chapman Mills and St. Emily school traffic. Greenbank Road realignment, lawn lights
March 25, 2025 - Newcomer reception centre update, street racing and noise enforcement, Federal election signs, World War II: Commonwealth Air Training Plan
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December 31, 2024 - no newsletter (New Year’s week)
December 24, 2024 - no newsletter (Christmas week)
December 17, 2024 - Strandherd/Beatrice traffic signals, 2025 budget approved, Vacant Unit Tax, A reflection on 2024, what a year!
December 10, 2024 - snow clearing, Trillium Line opening, Service Line Warranties of Canada
December 3, 2024 - Trillium Line dress rehearsal, sprung structure (staff-led information session)
November 26, 2024 - transit budget, Trillium Line, rest of the budget, upcoming things to do
November 19, 2024 - 2025 budget early thoughts, sortation facility, Greenbank pathway, purple LED streetlights
November 12, 2024 - sprung structure update, sites selected, scoring criteria, next steps
November 8, 2024 - special update on sprung structure shelters
November 5, 2024 - Remembrance Day, sprung structure shelter update nine, fenced dog parks, Andy Haydon
October 29, 2024 - sprung structure shelter update eight, Trillium Line trial running, O-Train Line 1 service disruptions
October 22, 2024 - Foot Guards Park barbecue, Trillium Line trial running update, O-Train Line 1 service disruptions, sprung structure shelter
October 15, 2024 - Trillium Line trial running, sprung structure shelter update, additional parking for Carleton students
October 8, 2024 - sprung structure shelter update, Trillium Line testing
October 1, 2024 - fenced dog parks, autumn tree planting, O-Train Line 1 service
September 24, 2024 - St. Mother Teresa High School pedestrian crossover, Journée des Franco-Ontariens/ennes, new garbage limit, O-Train Line 1 service, get help with snow clearing
September 17, 2024 - sprung structure shelter update, Stoneway/Woodroffe road cut, 2025 municipal budget directions
September 10, 2024 - late-night traffic enforcement, police station update, traffic updates, Zoning By-law public virtual consultation
September 3, 2024 - school zone speed limits, waste collection vehicles update, Harvest Fest
August 27, 2024 - Labour Day reminder, back to school, waste containers in parks
August 20, 2024 - Greenbank/Highbury Park traffic signals, sidewalk inspections, O-Train partial closure, U-Pass and student card integration
August 13, 2024 - Mayor's press conference
August 6, 2024 - Strandherd traffic signals, transit funding, Marketplace towers, sprung structure shelter update
July 30, 2024 - Fallowfield/Transitway signals, sprung structure shelter update, E. coli at beaches
July 23, 2024 - community barbecue, sprung structure shelter update, police enforcement, Fallowfield/Transitway signals, new bike posts
July 16, 2024 - catch basins, Woodroffe resurfacing, Clearbrook/Longfields modifications
July 9, 2024 - Integrated Transition to Housing Strategy and sprung structure shelters
July 2, 2024 - no newsletter (Canada Day)
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June 25, 2024 - summer construction update, student artwork (traffic light boxes), water safety, Canada Day
June 18, 2024 - rats
June 11, 2024 - new zoning by-law
June 4, 2024 - D-Day, new garbage limit, yard waste
May 28, 2024 - city grass cutting, Greenbank Greenbelt pathway, special consideration waste collection
May 21, 2024 - waste collection vehicles, visit a local business
May 14, 2024 - fireworks safety, changes to policing, planned summer construction projects
May 7, 2024 - Volunteer Ottawa VOscars
April 30, 2024 - tree planting, sewer cleaning
April 23, 2024 - sports fields delayed opening
April 16, 2024 - water rate structure review
April 9, 2024 - tree planting programme survey, fibre optic installation
April 2, 2024 - curb weeds, Earl Mulligan traffic calming
March 26, 2024 - benches, Easter schedule changes
March 19, 2024 - upgrades to 3-1-1, debt collection bungle
March 12, 2024 - no newsletter (March Break)
March 8, 2024 - special comment about the family lost to tragedy
March 5, 2024 - Woodroffe Avenue lane reductions, Solid Waste Master Plan, Minto Recreation Complex annual pool maintenance
February 27, 2024 - Stoneway/Woodroffe partial no-right-on-red, property taxes
February 20, 2024 - Solid Waste Master Plan
February 13, 2024 - library and recreation updates, Winterlude, Family Day event at Centrepointe Park
February 6, 2024 - bus network realignment and explanation of routes
January 30, 2024 - developer contributions, tribute to Merv Beckstead
January 23, 2024 - Woodroffe water main repair, snowbank removal
January 16, 2024 - snow clearing, vehicle thefts, Woodroffe/Slack water main works
January 9, 2024 - Woodroffe/Slack water main works, vacant unit tax, new year's eve event
January 2, 2024 - no newsletter (new year's week)
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December 26, 2023 - no newsletter (Christmas week)
December 19, 2023 - 2023 retrospective, 417/Greenbank off-ramp reopen, property tax payments
December 12, 2023 - curb weeds update, property tax payments
December 5, 2023 - construction impacts on Woodroffe Avenue, snow clearing service standards, road salt, OC Transpo/Loblaw food drive
November 28, 2023 - transit virtual town hall, new winter parking restrictions
November 21, 2023 - Beatrice/Berrigan, Ottawa Police Service community safety data portal (beta), transit virtual town hall
November 14, 2023 - OC Transpo bus route realignment early proposals
November 10, 2023 - special comment about Lansdowne vote
November 7, 2023 - Battle of Hong Kong (Remembrance Day), sewer cleaning, bus network realignment
October 31, 2023 - Cresthaven/Baypointe, planned power outages, daylight saving ends, recreation registration
October 24, 2023 - nothing to talk about
October 17, 2023 - my position on Lansdowne
October 10, 2023 - the history of Lansdowne
October 3, 2023 - Wolfgang/Fallowfield repairs, planned power outages, Thanksgiving schedule changes
September 26, 2023 - yard waste change (clarification), autumn tree planting
September 19, 2023 - new police station, Clarke Bellinger Ponds, sidewalk inspection pilot
September 12, 2023 - curb weeds update, St. Luke pathway
September 5, 2023 - budget directions, 1245 Kilborn Place, vacant unit tax
August 29, 2023 - AMO (London, Ontario), transit budget, waste collection truck spills, resident outreach
August 22, 2023 - crossing guards
August 15, 2023 - recreation registration, curb weeds, waste collection truck spills, Woodroffe Avenue resurfacing
August 8, 2023 - street racing, Prince of Wales Drive resurfacing, Gus Este, Highway 417 closure
August 1, 2023 - traffic calming
July 25, 2023 - LRT
July 18, 2023 - tornado, LRT, Earl Mulligan
July 11, 2023 - OC Transpo's adaptability and five-year road map
July 4, 2023 - Barrhaven Food Cupboard appeal
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June 27, 2023 - Use and Care of Roads By-law update
June 20, 2023 (lost) - promoting local businesses, I ❤️ Barrhaven campaign
June 13, 2023 - wild parsnip
June 6, 2023 - garbage bag tag proposal vote
May 30, 2023 - Service Line Warranties of Canada letters, FCM conference in Toronto
May 23, 2023 - new overhead street name signs
May 16, 2023 - Canadian Urban Transit Association Saskatoon conference
May 9, 2023 - new police station and planned summer construction overview
May 2, 2023 - garbage bag tag proposal
April 25, 2023 - Transportation Master Plan, part one
April 18, 2023 - tree planting
April 11, 2023 - ice storm aftermath
April 4, 2023 - airport hotel
March 28, 2023 - fibre optic installation information
March 21, 2023 - the city's housing pledge, Alliance to End Homelessness
March 14, 2023 - spring flooding, new traffic signals at Longfields/Highbury Park
March 7, 2023 - newsletter permanently changed to Tuesdays, snowbank removal, pothole patching
February 28, 2023 - 2023 budget
February 21, 2023 - Heritage Week and the meaning behind some local street names
February 13, 2023 - potholes
February 6, 2023 - 2023 budget public consultation
January 30, 2023 - electric buses
January 23, 2023 - traffic calming
January 16, 2023 - hybrid work
January 9, 2023 - vacant unit tax
January 2, 2023 - no newsletter (new year's week)
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December 26, 2022 - no newsletter (Christmas week)
December 19, 2022 - winter maintenance quality standards
December 12, 2022 - the budget process
December 5, 2022 - LRT public inquiry report
November 29, 2022 - a greeting, LRT public inquiry report, office setup