Weekly newsletter: March 11, 2026

Hi everyone!

The photo above is from an International Women’s Day tea I attended on Sunday. I brought my five-month-old, who didn’t make a single noise the entire event, until the huge sigh he let out when the host said it was the end of the speeches.

We seem to be in for some weather over the next five days! It’ll be a proper send off for the snow tires for this winter.

Reporting a pothole online↗ is easier now, as your contact information is no longer mandatory on the webform. All you need is the intersection or approximate street address of the pothole. If entering an intersection, use a slash or ampersand and include a space before and after the symbol (e.g. “Fallowfield / Woodroffe”), then hit search.

Recycling bins

Replacement recycling bins will now be delivered.

Last week, Circular Materials shared an update that replacement recycling bins will now be delivered, just as the city did when recycling was a municipal service. It’s yet another change in a short time, but I believe this to be a positive change for residents.

After I shared the update on social media last week, some residents who called Miller Waste (Circular Materials’s local contractor) were told they still had to pick them up. I made Circular Materials aware of the issue, who said it was likely information being slow to trickle down to Miller Waste’s customer service staff.

The communications issue appears to be resolved, including a statement issued to CTV by Circular Materials, publicly confirming the update.

Residents may request replacement recycling bins by contacting Miller Waste at 1-888-852-2374 or Area2@MillerWaste.ca. You will likely be asked to place the broken bin at the curb. If not, broken bins may be disposed of as garbage, on garbage week (best to label the bin as such).

Bin replacement is not mandatory and can be done as needed.

Circular Materials’s new bins will all be coloured blue. Once the stock of the City’s old black bins run out, there will be no more black-coloured bins. Residents can continue using their existing bins. However, the two recycling streams are still collected separately.

Some residents are also curious about larger recycling bins. I haven’t physically seen one of Circular Materials’s new bins, but an Ottawa Citizen photo↗ from January makes them seem larger and taller than the City’s blue bins.

Other residents have shared concerns about their bins are treated by waste collection operators. Those concerns have been shared with Miller Waste.

Additionally, Circular Materials confirmed residents can use clear plastic bags for plastic/glass/metal recyclables, while flattened paper/cardboard can be placed in a large cardboard box in addition to/instead of a bin.

Hopefully, things stabilise for a bit now on that front, because up next is our transition into a new curbside collection contract. More on that in two weeks.

For replacement green bins, please contact the City at 3-1-1, webform↗, or by emailing me.

Thare Crescent dog run access

Response to recent resident inquiries about the locked gate.

Several residents who use the strip of land along the railway tracks in the Foxfield-Holitman neighbourhood recently reached out about the chained and locked gate at the 147 Thare Crescent access point.

According to City staff, after the sewage pumping station was decommissioned and removed around 2018, the neighbouring properties asked that the access gate stay locked to deter what was described as mischief. Since it technically wasn’t a public access, staff agreed to the request.

Since then, public works crews have unlocked it to access the strip of land for maintenance but have forgotten to lock it afterwards from time to time, but it is supposed to be locked.

However, I am so far not aware of any issues when the gate is left unlocked, so considering it’s been eight years, I’m willing to revisit locking the gate with City staff and properties in the area.

Let me know if you have any comments. More information to come!

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.

Beryl Gaffney Park cricket pitch – Public feedback for the proposed project in Barrhaven West accepted via EngageOttawa↗ page until March 11.

*Deerfox Drive closure – The closure of Deerfox between Woodroffe and Ryland has been extended to Friday March 20 due to a delay with physically connecting the new water pipes and required inspections.

*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.

*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.

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.

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Have a great week ahead!

If you have the chance to go for a holiday over the March Break, enjoy and be safe!

-Wilson