Weekly newsletter: January 13, 2026
Happy new year, Barrhaven East!
Thanks to everyone who came out to the New Year’s Eve family celebration at Walter Baker. It was great to see and chat with so many new and familiar faces from the community!
Otherwise, I hope you had an enjoyable Christmas holiday season. I spent the “lost days” (the few days when one isn’t really sure what day it is) almost exclusively in sweat pants.
This first newsletter of 2026 looks at how the first week of the waste collection changes went, hiccups, and some answers to commonly asked questions so far. Also, a continuation of the Beatrice/Queensbury bus shelter saga.
Waste collection – new system, week one
Unsatisfactory recycling and green bin service last week for many households across Barrhaven East.
As of January 1, 2026, the provincial government officially assumed responsibility of curbside recycling in municipalities across Ontario. The programme is administered by Circular Materials↗, which has hired Miller Waste as the local contractor in Ottawa.
The City of Ottawa continues to be responsible for curbside garbage, green bin, and yard waste, along with household hazardous waste depots↗ and all collection at multi-residential properties with pre-existing contracts.
Last Tuesday was the first collection day in Barrhaven East under the new arrangement, with changes to collection times and the number of collection vehicles noticed by many residents. That was primarily due to routing changes, as recycling and green bin materials no longer shared a vehicle, so routes were lengthened accordingly with the new capacity.
As such, residents are kindly reminded to have their materials at the curb by 7:00 am as the collection times you’re used to may have changed.
Though there were no issues reported with curbside garbage collection, and while most curbside recycling and green bins were collected without issue last week, residents of 16 streets across the ward (plus some individual houses) received delayed service or had to wait until Wednesday morning for their items to be collected.
That level of service was unsatisfactory. Yes, kinks are not uncommon following a major systems change, I feel the number of streets and houses missed was beyond reasonable.
For the rest of last week, City staff monitored garbage and green bin service closely elsewhere in the city. I am hoping last week was a one-time occurrence that will not repeat, but it will be monitored closely regardless. I am grateful for Solid Waste Services staff for their engagement and added hours.
Please let me know at Wilson.Lo@ottawa.ca if your green bin is not serviced by 6:00 pm tonight.
Residents also reported difficulty contacting Miller Waste for recycling-related inquiries, including a full voicemail and late email responses, while there was some confusion with information about recycling bin replacements.
Unfortunately, while I can’t address recycling bin and service issues, I was able to find answers to some of commonly asked questions.
1. Why the change?
The change was mandated by the provincial government, whose stated goal was to shift the cost of recycling from residents to producers (i.e. companies making the materials) and to improve consistency across the province. See CircularMaterials.ca↗ for more information.
2. When are recycling materials collected?
Between 7:00 am and 6:00 pm on collection day. Please call 1-888-852-2374 or email Area2@MillerWaste.ca for missed recycling collection inquiries.
3. Who do I contact?
Recycling bin and service inquiries: Miller Waste at 1-888-852-2374 or Area2@MillerWaste.ca.
General recycling programme questions: Circular Materials at 1-877-667-2626, CustomerService@CircularMaterials.ca, or visit CircularMaterials.ca/Ottawa↗.
All garbage and green bin inquiries, plus service at select multi-residential properties: City of Ottawa at 3-1-1 for immediate help or email my office at Wilson.Lo@ottawa.ca. More information at Ottawa.ca↗.
4. Why is information in the Circular Materials and City collection calendar apps mismatched?
Information on the Circular Materials app was incorrect when it was first launched and has since been corrected. The City’s collection calendar↗ is correct and valid until the end of March.
5. Are recycling bin replacements free?
Replacement bins are free if it was damaged or removed by a Miller Waste employee. Free bins are also provided to new residences. Additional bins or replacement bins in situations out of Miller Waste’s control will be at cost (waiting on information about the cost).
Please call 1-888-852-2374 or email Area2@MillerWaste.ca to arrange for a new or replacement bin.
6. Are black bins being discontinued?
Black bins will be discontinued once the stock runs out, and all future recycling bins will be blue. However, paper and cardboard currently remain separate from plastic, glass, and metal (this is why Circular Materials doesn’t use colour-matched dots in their app).
7. Can plastics, metals, and glass be placed in a see-through bag?
Yes, but residents must purchase their own bags.
8. Can paper and cardboard be placed in a cardboard box?
Yes, but the box will be taken away too.
9. Have there been changes to what recyclable materials are accepted?
Yes. The most notable additions are Styrofoam, plastic bags, and soft plastic packaging can now go in the blue bin. No items have been removed. See the recycling guide at CircularMaterials.ca/Ottawa↗ for more information.
10. Where can I take my alcohol containers?
Bottles and cans may continue to be returned for a deposit refund at The Beer Store. Grocery stores that sell alcohol are supposed to accept returns for a deposit refund as a condition of their selling licence (page 60)↗, but I have not confirmed if that is the case at Barrhaven’s alcohol-selling grocery stores. Convenience stores that sell alcohol are not required to accept returns.
As more information becomes available, including some gaps in the answers above, they will be shared in a future newsletter and on social media. Let me know if there’s a question you’d like to see asked.
Thank you for your patience as I am also navigating this change and trying to get as much information for you as possible!
Waste collection – multi-residential/condominiums
Ongoing issues with the City’s contractor and information about bulky item pickup. This section applies only to multi-residential/condominium properties with a City waste collection contract. Some properties have private contracts, please check with your property manager.
Residents and property managers at some multi-residential and condominium properties across Barrhaven East recently raised concerns about inconsistent and missed waste collection service by the City’s contractor over the last month or two.
According to the complaints, contract operators have been refusing to service or enter properties on claims that the properties and areas around their bins are not free of ice and snow, even if photos show otherwise. This has left some properties with weeks of uncollected garbage, recycling, compost, and bulky items.
Solid Waste Services staff are investigating the issue and have requested service at known locations with uncollected items (no extra cost to the City, as it’s considered recovery service). Please email me at Wilson.Lo@ottawa.ca or reply to this newsletter if your property has not had waste collection for multiple weeks.
Additionally, effective January 1, 2026, bulky item collection at multi-residential and condominium properties has changed to an on-demand service. Bulky items include mattresses, hot tub covers, and furniture.
The change improves resource efficiency, so the vehicle does not have to travel to every property for no reason, as most properties don’t regularly have bulky items for pickup. In turn, it keeps the cost of the service under control.
Multi-residential and condominium residents with bulky items for disposal must notify their property manager, who in turn will contact the City for service. The City must receive the request in advance — for Barrhaven East, those requests must be received by 10:00 am the Monday of a garbage collection week.
Property managers have been provided with an email address that allows them to reach City staff directly as to divert calls from 3-1-1.
Beatrice/Queensbury bus shelter
OC Transpo staff’s reason why the project was delayed from spring 2025 to the coming spring/summer.
Early last month, I shared an update on the shelter at bus stop 3345, Beatrice/Queensbury, which was unexpectedly removed late-2024. As I said in that update, the whole situation is, plainly, stupid.
To summarise very briefly, a few months after the new concrete pad was poured (which itself was delayed by a few months), OC Transpo suddenly discovered the new bus shelter would obstruct the view of the stop sign that has been there unchanged since 2002.
I asked if existing conditions, including sightlines, were not evaluated as part of the design process for the new concrete pad and shelter, noting the previous shelter was deliberately set back a few metres for the stop sign.
Staff have since provided some additional context…
The bus shelter that was removed was an older style of bus shelter that was installed on a prefabricated concrete slab that sat on the ground. It was set a few metres back from the sidewalk as to not obstruct the view of the stop sign. When that shelter was removed, the concrete slab was also removed, leaving just a poured concrete pad that connected the sidewalk and the shelter.
When the new concrete pad was poured in August, it replaced the previous concrete pad like-for-like and did not account for the set back location of the prefabricated concrete slab to which the old shelter was affixed.
OC Transpo staff say the amount of time from when the shelter was removed to when the new concrete pad was poured (about 10 months), in addition to limited historical documentation, meant the setback and sightline were not identified until after the new concrete pad was poured.
I won’t argue about the length of time, but staff’s claim that there is limited historical documentation is laughable. Open Google Maps↗, and the satellite view shows the old shelter’s position, not to mention 10 years of Streetview imagery (2019 view linked)↗.
I will continue to pursue staff’s failure internally.
Anyway, crews will return to construct a second concrete pad behind the existing concrete pad, upon which the new shelter will be installed. The work will most likely happen in the spring.
Unfortunately for transit passengers at Beatrice/Queensbury, it means you’ll be without a shelter for another winter.
Carleton Lodge
Brief message of gratitude and recognition.
Over the Christmas holidays, a sprinkler pipe at Carleton Lodge burst, causing flooding and ceiling damage that affected 40 rooms. Long-term care staff at the facility worked to accommodate affected residents, many of whom rely on mobility devices or have dementia.
Staff have been working with Ontario Health atHome to temporarily relocate affected residents to other long-term care rooms in the region until repairs are completed.
Thank you to the staff at Carleton Lodge and to the City's long-term care staff for the quick response to the emergency and for keeping residents and staff safe.
A resident with a parent at the facility summarised it better than I can: “a high level of commitment, professionalism, and very long hours to ensure proper care was provided with dignity and respect. The staff at Carleton Lodge exhibited a high standard of care and have gone above and beyond under very challenging circumstances.”
Bite-sized updates
Sorted alphabetically!
Beatrice/Queensbury bus shelter – Delayed to the spring or summer. See explanation from December and new update above.
March Break camp registration – Residents may now browse March Break camp activities at register.ottawa.ca↗. Registration opens next Tuesday, January 20, at 9:00 pm.
Fallowfield/Transitway – The traffic signals at Fallowfield/Transitway are intermittently cycling on their own (instead of changing for Transitway traffic only). City staff will investigate all detection components as the fault has happened a few times over the last year.
Greenbank Road streetlights – Over the last month, crews completed repairs to 18 streetlights along Greenbank Road through the Greenbelt (mostly closer to West Hunt Club, but some near Fallowfield). Thank you to the residents who reported them.
Spring recreation registration – Residents may browse spring recreation activities starting January 27 at register.ottawa.ca↗. Registration on February 10 at 9:00 pm for aquatics, February 12 at 9:00 pm for all other activities.
Vacant unit tax – The 2026 vacant unit tax declaration portal is now open. 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 will be mailed out next week.
Waste collection – Information in the Circular Materials app was incorrect when it was first launched and has since been corrected. The City’s collection calendar↗ is correct and valid until the end of March. For reference, the next four collection days are:
Tuesday, January 13 (today) – black, green, yard waste
Tuesday, January 20 – garbage, blue, green, yard waste
Tuesday, January 27 – black, green, yard waste
Tuesday, February 3 – garbage, blue, green, yard waste
Woodroffe/Deerfox-Stoneway – Crews were on site yesterday to smoothen the road cut across southbound Woodroffe Avenue. Cold patch was used, so a proper repair with hot mix asphalt will be completed after the asphalt plants reopen early-May.
Today, in 1991, marks the end of the January Events↗, the Soviet Union’s attempt to retake Lithuania, which declared its independence a year earlier by force.
Two nights before, Soviet troops began seizing government buildings and other state assets before reaching the Vilnius TV Tower shortly after midnight on January 13, 1991. As Lithuanian civilians protested the action, Soviet troops and tanks advanced and fired into the crowd. Fourteen were killed and many were injured.
Some 20,000 Lithuanians then barricaded the Seimas (their legislature) and began building anti-tank barricades and other defences around and inside the building. By daytime, the crowd grew to 50,000. Despite column of tanks and soldiers, the Soviet military retreated instead of attacking, later withdrawing. Lithuanian statehood was preserved.
As news about that night spread, governments around the world began recognising an independent Lithuania, basically spelling the demise of the Soviet Union.
January 13 is the Day of the Defenders of Freedom in Lithuania, which commemorates the events as not just a day of mourning for the victims, but also a day of national victory.
Enjoy the week ahead!
-Wilson