Weekly newsletter: June 30, 2026
Hi everyone,
After a rainy start to the market season, the Barrhaven Farmers’ Market got a sunny (and hot) day this past weekend.
Just remember, if you’re already sick of the heat, we’ll be in the throws of winter in less than 6 months.
Canada Day
City services will be closed/adjusted on Canada Day. Waste collection is delayed to Friday for those in the ward with a Thursday collection day - no impact on households with Tuesday collection.
Canada Day is this Wednesday, July 1! City staff have compiled useful information into one large webpage↗, including traffic information, impacts to City services, and some handy reference material, but here are some of the highlights:
City services will be closed or adjusted on Canada Day. All libraries, day cares, public health clinics, and social services centres will be closed. Make sure to check this list ahead of time for more information.
Waste collection will be delayed to Friday this week for households in the ward with a Thursday collection day. Households with a Tuesday collection day are not affected.
3-1-1 will be open for urgent matters only. You can file a 3-1-1 request online↗ any time.
Several roads and streets across the City will be closed tomorrow for Canada Day, including in Barrhaven and especially downtown. See the City of Ottawa Canada Day page↗ for closures downtown.
In Barrhaven, Strandherd between Borrisokane and Maravista will be closed from 9:45 pm until crowd dispersal after the fireworks at Clarke Fields Park is complete.
All OC Transpo services will be free all day on Canada Day. Line 1 will operate 6:00 am to 2:00 pm, while lines 2 and 4 will operate 7:00 am to 1:00 am. Some bus routes will also have additional trips. Detailed schedule information can be found on the OC Transpo website↗.
Water safety
Water safety knowledge is essential. Prevention is key! Please share this information with children, family, and friends.
Already, in 2026, two young children have died in drowning incidents in Ottawa. Drowning is fast and silent, and most drownings occur between May and September.
The heat brings with it the opening of pools, beaches, and water parks. Whether you are enjoying a day at the beach or time at the pool, everyone has a role to play in water safety.
Recently, Ottawa Public Health, the Ottawa Police Service, Ottawa Dive, Rescue and Trails Unit, Ottawa Fire Services, the Ottawa Paramedic Service, and the Ottawa Drowning Prevention Coalition came together to remind the community and all residents to be safe in and around water.
Talk with children about water safety and teach them to:
Never swim alone or without an adult present.
Call 9-1-1 when anyone is in trouble.
Wear a properly fitted lifejacket/PFD.
Be water aware: How deep is it? Are there any dangers?
Stay away from fast moving water like rivers and streams – currents can take you away.
Everyone has a role to play in water safety
Don’t swim alone – always swim with others who know how to swim.
Always keep children within arms’ reach.
Make sure children and weaker swimmers wear properly fitted life jackets or personal flotation devices (PFD) – in and around the water.
Keep safety equipment and a phone close to the pool.
Stay sober – do not use alcohol, cannabis or drugs when swimming or supervising others in the water.
Always swim inside the designated swimming area.
Be aware of the limits of your swimming abilities.
Learn first aid skills and CPR.
Make sure you and your family members learn to swim – swimming is a life skill that lasts a lifetime.
Ensure that your backyard pool is not accessible to children – use multiple layers of protection, e.g.: fences, self-closing gates.
Ottawa Public Health recommends installing four-sided fencing to ensure pool access is separate from the house.
Enjoy safe boating – always wear a properly sized lifejacket/PFD.
Ottawa is home to many open water ways. Unlike pools, these have added risks to consider such as weather-related changes, hidden hazards like rocks or sudden drop offs, and fast flowing currents. Always swim between the red/yellow flags, inside the designated swimming areas and be aware of your surroundings.
Please stay safe this summer. Remember water safety is everyone’s responsibility and essential to ensure a safe experience.
For more information on staying safe in and around water and for water safety resources - available in nine languages - please visit Ottawa Public Health↗’s dedicated page to the topic.
Bite-sized updates
Sorted alphabetically. New/updated items marked with asterisk (*).
Beatrice/Queensbury (bus stop 3345) shelter – Tender in progress. Staff anticipate concrete pad extension and shelter installation in August.
Development application, 3400 Woodroffe↗ – Minutes and supplementary information for April’s public information meeting were shared previously. The developer has indicated they expect to have an update some time in July.
Earl Mulligan Drive – Traffic calming construction is anticipated to be complete by late-June (previously mid-July). See Ottawa.ca/EarlMulliganDrive↗ for more information, including a project overview.
Fallowfield Road resurfacing – Resurfacing between Greenbank and the railway has started and will include some overnight work. Catch basins will also be relevelled and repaired where needed. A separate request has been opened to smoothen the railway crossing, as work at the crossing requires additional permission from Transport Canada.
Fallowfield Via Rail Station – Construction will happen 10:00 pm to 10:00 am nightly until June 30 (excluding Fridays and weekends, unless delayed by weather during the week) to partially rebuild the train station’s island platform. No impacts to the OC Transpo station are expected.
Free summer transit for youth – Youths aged 11 to 18 can use OC Transpo for free↗ from July 1 to 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. Kids aged 10 and under still ride for free year-round.
Highway 417 – Construction in the median near Pinecrest Road is complete, and the westbound left lane has reopened. 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 next drop-off depot near Barrhaven is on October 17, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm – Strandherd snow dump (4061 Strandherd Drive↗ - enter via Dealership Drive).
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.
*Longfields/Via Verona sidewalk – Construction of a missing section of sidewalk on the west side of Longfields between Via Verona and Via Chianti is complete. We had an unofficial opening this past weekend. Thank you to Emily and her dad who brough it to my attention at last autumn’s town hall and for the excellent ribbon cutting.
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) – The market has restarted for the year and will continue every Sunday, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, at the Nepean Woods Park and Ride.
*Police office hours – Due to space conflicts at Walter Baker, police office hours have been suspended until the end of August. Residents may still reach out to the Ottawa Police Service for general inquiries, non-emergency concerns, and more from 8:00 am to 6:30 pm every day at 613-236-1222, ext. 7300. Call 9-1-1 in an emergency.
Riverside/Bank – Ongoing Bank Street construction will affect residents whose commute includes the Riverside/Bank intersection, including lane closures and roadway shifts now until August 31. See Ottawa.ca↗ for more information.
*Waste collection (this week) – For households with a Thursday collection date, garbage, blue bin, green bin, and yard waste collection will be delayed to Friday next week as Wednesday is Canada Day. No changes for households with a Tuesday collection date.
That’s it for this week. If you’re planning on celebrating Canada Day with fireworks, make sure to set up in a clear and open space. A little planning helps everyone enjoy a safer celebration. Get more safety tips online↗.
Have a great week ahead and stay cool.
-Wilson