Weekly newsletter: July 28, 2026

Written By Wilson Lo

Hi everyone! 

It’s the last week of July already! This week’s featured photo is two coconuts on top of some audio-visual equipment at Tamil Fest at Clarke Fields Park over the weekend. It was my first time having coconut water straight from a coconut. 

Next Monday, August 3, is Colonel By Day (Civic Holiday). Please take note of schedule adjustments for municipal services on that day. Highlights include: 

Disc golf basket update

Revisions following resident feedback and disc golf-specific safety audit.

Back in March, I shared a proposal to add disc golf baskets to Calaveras, Chapman Mills, and Oldfield parks in response to requests from the community. Each park would have two baskets meant for light back-and-forth play and practice. An update was shared in May. 

Part of the progress since May included consulting with a disc golf safety auditor (I didn’t know those existed, either), who provided some good feedback on safety considerations for both disc golfers and other park users. The auditor recommended reducing each park to one basket to meet basket clearance best practices. 

The auditor also recommended against Oldfield Park due to its layout and space constraints. Residents have also expressed concerns about the previously proposals at that park. 

As a result, that proposed location has been moved to the eastern edge of Furness Park, almost against the line of trees and shrubs up the hill from the bottom of the sledding hill. 

Below are updated maps showing what’s likely the final proposal for the disc golf baskets at Calaveras, Chapman Mills, and Furness parks. Funding has been earmarked, but not approved, so feedback is still welcome! Click on the image to enlarge.

Changes to parking tickets 

Extended timelines and brighter paper, in response to past feedback. 

Several changes to parking tickets take effect starting today. These changes apply to tickets issued on or after July 28 only. 

The following timelines have been increased: 

  • Early payment – to 15 days (from seven) after the ticket was issued 

  • Set fine – to 45 days (from 30) after the ticket was issued 

  • Time to request review – to 15 days (from seven) after the ticket was issued, to 45 days (from 30) for special circumstances 

  • Default – to 76 days (from 61) after the ticket was issued (automatic renewal of your licence plate may be denied with a ticket in the default stage) 

The timeline to request a hearing if you disagree with the result of the review remains unchanged at 15 days after that decision is issued (30 days for special circumstances). 

Staff have also updated the definition of “undue hardship” to provide greater clarity about what is considered undue hardship and information needed to support such a claim. 

Lastly, parking tickets will also be printed on yellow paper to make them more visible. 

Alto

General information about route selection, potential property impacts shared in a briefing provided by Alto last week. Preferred Ottawa-Montréal routing to be available by November.

Last week, Alto provided a briefing to City Councillors on the project’s progress, community consultation results, and what to expect in the coming months. 

The briefing focused on the project’s first section between Ottawa and Montréal, so it doesn’t directly affect Barrhaven East, but the general information may be of interest to our community, especially as the Ottawa-Toronto section of the project advances. 

The project is currently in a co-development phase, where stakeholders jointly identify goals, research options, and find consensus before moving on to more detailed planning, hence the broad (and vague) nature of most of its communications. 

During the briefing, Alto noted they anticipate starting construction in 2029 or 2030 on the Ottawa-Montréal section, with the Ottawa-Toronto and Montréal-Québec City sections to follow. 

Currently, Alto has a broad, kilometres-wide corridor identified for the entire project, but is evaluating different options to find a defined, preferred route. That process includes looking at private lands through requests to access and by using drones to determine what work will be needed for certain routes, including the number of potential grade separations, bridges, structures, and more. 

The preferred route will have a 60-metre right-of-way, which is expected to be narrower in urban and other built-up areas. The right-of-way includes the tracks, a service laneway, and safety fencing, and it will also house power substations and other infrastructure. 

After the preferred route is selected, Alto will have a clearer picture of what exactly needs to be built, and the cost estimate range will tighten. 

The preferred Ottawa-Montréal route will become available in advance of the second round of focused public consultations in November. The route may be further refined after those consultations. 

Alto provided some general information about the land acquisition process, should land be required to support the project. No acquisitions will be made until the route is finalised. Alto staff noted their preference to acquire rather than expropriate and will do so at market rates without consideration of the project (ie. how much the property/portion of the property would cost if Alto didn’t exist). Alto also noted expropriation will be a last resort. 

Most of the Alto-related questions I’ve received from residents so far relate to where (and if) the route will go through Barrhaven along the existing Via Rail tracks, if there will be a station at Fallowfield, and if private homes and properties abutting the corridor will be impacted. 

Unfortunately, other than the general information shared so far, I don’t know. 

Alto doesn’t even have a preferred route for the first section of the project between Ottawa and Montréal yet. I am, however, tracking how that section progresses, as it’ll likely inform what we can expect as things ramp up for the Ottawa-Toronto portion. I will make sure Barrhaven is included in future rounds of consultation when the time comes. 

Any future updates will also be shared with you. 

Bite-sized updates

Sorted alphabetically. New/updated items marked with asterisk (*). 

  • *Autumn recreation – Activities now available for viewing at Register.Ottawa.ca↗. Registration for aquatics activities on August 11 at 9:00 pm, for all other activities on August 13 at 9:00 pm. 

  • *Beatrice/Queensbury (bus stop 3345) shelter – Tender process complete. Staff anticipate concrete pad extension and shelter installation in August. 

  • *Chapman Mills Conservation Area – Next month, the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority will begin preliminary works for the rebuild of the boardwalk closest to the parking lot. No closures are expected. The works are part of a three-year renewal of the whole conservation area. 

  • Claridge Drive – Minor resurfacing and sidewalk rebuild (both sides) between Strandherd and Oakfield scheduled to begin September 21. 

  • Clearbrook Drive – Neighbourhood traffic calming study initiated. See Ottawa.ca/ClearbrookDrive↗ for details, concept plan, and a link to the survey (deadline August 27, 11:00 pm). 

  • *Development application, 3400 Woodroffe↗ – Minutes and supplementary information for April’s public information meeting were shared previously. Staff have indicated there should be an update this week. 

  • *Earl Mulligan Drive – The contractor has been ordered to rebuild six of eight speed cushions at their expense after City inspectors found them to be deficient. Works are scheduled for this week. The remainder of the project is complete. For more information about the project, see Ottawa.ca/EarlMulliganDrive↗. 

  • *Fallowfield Road – Crews have shifted to overnight milling and paving, expected completion by the end of this week. Line painting will likely be completed as well, but may be delayed to early next week. Other finishing works, like landscaping and material removal, will be completed next week. 

  • Fieldgate/Grouse (north) – Works will begin late-September to replace the streetlight’s underground wiring and connect it to a new power source. The first 100 metres of Fieldgate (north leg) west of Wolfgang will also be resurfaced starting September 8. 

  • Free summer transit for youth – Youths aged 11 to 18 can use OC Transpo for free↗ until August 31. A Presto card is still needed to enter fare gates and board buses. Please ensure the card is set to youth fare to take advantage of the free fares (youths with school-issued Presto cards can use those over the summer). Kids aged 10 and under still ride for free year-round. 

  • Highway 417 – The Lyon Street westbound onramp is scheduled to reopen July 31. The eastbound right lane from Parkdale to Rochester will be closed until the end of the summer for sound barrier replacement. 

  • Household hazardous waste – The drop-off depot closest to Barrhaven is noted below. See Ottawa.ca/HHW↗ for instructions and depots scheduled for other dates and further away from Barrhaven. Many items, like light bulbs, spent batteries, old tires, paint, electronics, and more, can also be dropped off at retailers and other locations↗ throughout the year.‍‍ 

  • *Ironman – Various roads will be closed all day Sunday August 2 for the return of Ironman Canada-Ottawa, including parkways along the Rideau Canal, Ottawa River, and through the Experimental Farm, plus roads near Britannia Park, select streets downtown, and three of five bridges between Ottawa and Gatineau. See Ottawa.ca↗ for details. 

  • NCC Bike Days – The National Capital Commission’s weekend and holiday closures↗ of the Queen Elizabeth Driveway have resumed. Like previous years, the driveway will be closed to motorised traffic between Fifth Avenue and Somerset Street West weekends and holidays from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm until Thanksgiving. Similar closures also affect the Kichi Zībī Mīkan and the Sir George-Étienne Cartier Parkway. 

  • Ottawa Farmers’ Market (Barrhaven) – Every Sunday 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Nepean Woods Park and Ride. Autumn edition of the I ❤︎ Barrhaven Market (semi-annual joint market with the Barrhaven BIA and Locally Crafted Markets) scheduled for Sunday, September 20. 

  • Riverside/Bank – As part of ongoing Bank Street construction, lane reductions on Riverside Drive at Bank are in effect until the end of the summer. Starting Monday, July 13, Riverside’s travel lanes will shift to the other half of the intersection with Bank Street. See Ottawa.ca↗ for more information. 

  • Transitway resurfacing – Resurfacing between Berrigan and Fallowfield are expected to be complete this week. Faulty traffic signal detection loops at Fallowfield Road will also be replaced during the project. 

  • *Waste collection – Usual collection day this week, but next week’s collection day will be delayed by one day as Monday is the Civic Holiday. See Ottawa.ca/CollectionCalendar↗ for information specific to your address. 

Today is also Terry Fox’s birthday, who would have been 68 years old. His right leg was amputated in 1977 after he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma (cancerous tumour in bone) and began his Marathon of Hope in 1980 to raise money for cancer research↗, running the distance of a full marathon every day. 

While in Ottawa, Terry Fox performed the ceremonial kickoff at the CFL game between the Ottawa Rough Riders and the Saskatchewan Roughriders, in addition to meeting various dignitaries. 

Unfortunately, he was forced to end his run near Thunder Bay after the cancer spread to his lungs and died in 1981. 

Terry Fox is the youngest Companion of the Order of Canada, the highest grade within the Order of Canada. He will also be featured on the design of the next $5 bill↗. 

Have a great week ahead! 
-Wilson

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