Weekly newsletter: October 28, 2025
Hi everyone!
So…18 innings. Today’s going to be a rough day for some (including me).
On Saturday, I got to attend Farley Mowat Public School’s annual trunk or treat, where vehicles decorated for Halloween line the parking lot to provide kids with a safer space to trick or treat. It was super cool seeing the creativity in some of the costumes, including a claw machine!
I also attended the South Nepean Muslim Community Centre and Mosque’s open house on Sunday, where I had engaging conversations about youth issues, Mosque capacity, and other interests. Thank you to the SNMC’s administration for also being receptive to feedback I shared from the neighbourhood, mostly about on-street parking.
It was nice meeting many new faces and seeing many familiar ones at the two events.
Private Approach By-law review
Review underway for the by-law regulating the portion of your driveway within the right-of-way.
Residential driveways in the City of Ottawa consist of two sections, the driveway and the private approach.
Most are familiar with the driveway, the legal access to a parking space(s), which is the garage for most residential properties in Barrhaven East.
The private approach is the other section between the roadway and the property line. It’s within the City’s right-of-way and contains buried utilities like gas lines, hydro wires, and (more recently for some) fibre optic cables. Utilities generally have right of access to rights-of-way related to the services they deliver.
Within the current Private Approach By-law↗, suburban driveways may be widened by up to 1.8 metres without a permit, which must be constructed of pavers or interlocking for drainage. Where space permits, the 1.8 metres can be split amongst the two sides of the driveway.
Most homeowners and landscapers are familiar with those basic provisions, but what many don’t know is the total width of the driveway plus widened portion cannot exceed 50 per cent of the street frontage. That means homes on narrower lots, those with wider driveways that already meet or exceed 50 per cent of the lot frontage may not be able to use all 1.8 metres, including some homes where no widening can happen at all.
Additionally, the permission ends at the property line, meaning those driveway widenings technically can’t extend to the roadway or sidewalk.
Whether it’s caused by confusion or ignorance of the by-law, the reality is there are many driveway widenings in the community which do extend into the right-of-way. Most widenings generally meet the width limits.
City staff are currently working to update the Private Approach By-law so it’s clearer for residents and landscapers trying to interpret and work within it.
Generally, while the width limits (maximum 1.8 metres or 50 per cent of street frontage, whichever is lower) will not change, the updated by-law as proposed will allow for widenings to extend into the right-of-way to the roadway.
The proposed updated by-law will also include clearer language on homeowner responsibility over the private approach, including any widened portions. Utilities will continue to have their right to access the right-of-way including the widened portion.
Language that addresses on-street parking will also be added, which limits parking enforcement for blocked driveways to in front of the legal driveway only. Essentially, only if the vehicle parked on the street blocks the actual access to the garage.
That means blocked driveway violations won’t apply to a vehicle parked on the street that is blocking the widened portion only. This is especially important to know in communities approved pre-amalgamation with semi-mountable curbs, used widely in pre-amalgamation Nepean.
Time limits, facing the correct direction, winter restrictions, and other signed and unsigned provisions of the Traffic and Parking By-law↗ will continue to apply.
Aside from residential driveway widenings, the update will also address emerging issues that come with intensification and infill development requirements set by provincial planning legislation (which is being addressed by the Zoning By-law update↗, also ongoing).
City staff will also evaluate internal processes to ensure permitting and enforcement is managed appropriately and smoothly.
The Private Approach By-law has not been properly updated since it was created in 2003 by combining a mosaic of related pre-amalgamation by-laws. Through concurrent work to update the Zoning By-law and a new licencing regime↗ for landscape contractors, City staff’s goal is to reduce confusion and conflict between by-laws to ensure homeowners are not caught in unfortunate (sometimes unfair) situations.
City staff are hosting two information virtual sessions over the next two weeks for residents to learn about the function of the right-of-way and the proposed updates to the by-law.
Tuesday November 4, 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm (citywide) – register here
Monday November 10, 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm (rural-focused) – register here
As it is reliant on provisions of the updated Zoning By-law, the Private Approach By-law update will not happen until after the Zoning By-law update is approved by Council in December and January. Staff’s proposed timeline for updates to the Private Approach By-law is Committee and Council in February 2026.
An EngageOttawa↗ page is also available for reference.
Bite-sized updates
Sorted alphabetically!
Amazon public information night – The in-person public information session has been postponed due to Lansdowne-related Committee meetings scheduled on October 29. A new date will be announced as soon as possible.
Beatrice/Queensbury bus shelter – Following its untimely demise back in December, then multiple delays since May, the bus shelter at Beatrice/Queensbury (stop 3345) will soon be reinstated. Concrete pouring will soon begin, followed by shelter installation by mid-November, per OC Transpo staff.
Clearbrook/Bissett-Highpointe – Construction to improve safety and accessibility at the school crossing should begin early-November. The turning radius of the curbs will be tightened to slow turning vehicles and shorten the length of the crossing across Clearbrook. Expected completion early-December, though it may be delayed to spring 2026 if the weather is uncooperative.
Daylight saving ends – Clocks fall back an hour at 2:00 am on Sunday November 2. OC Transpo service will repeat 1:00 am to 2:00 am LRT and bus schedules (Saturday night service) for the extra hour.
Limebank Station pick-up/drop-off – The pick-up/drop-off location has been moved to a temporary location↗ until November due to construction. From Earl Armstrong, turn right on Limebank, then LEFT at the signals, proceed to the end of the roadway to make a u-turn (yes, really) back to the pick-up/drop-off location. Signage is in place.
Low water conditions - The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority’s major low-water advisory↗ continues across the entire Rideau River watershed. Households on well water are strongly encouraged to suspend non-essential uses. Shower facilities and water filling stations are available at the Minto Recreation Complex↗ and Walter Baker Sports Centre↗ for residents in Hearts Desire and Rideau Glen. Please call ahead to confirm availability (contact information and hours of operation in the links).
Outside faucets – With overnight temperatures routinely at/near freezing, please consider checking that your outside faucets are winter ready, turned off, and relieved of pressure.
Pedestrian crossover construction – Two new pedestrian crossovers at Paul Métivier/Beatrice and at Stoneway/Forest Gate east are currently under construction. The crossover on Paul Métivier will be raised to double as a speed hump. Expected completion is mid-November. Crews have been asked to smoothen the road cut across Stoneway.
Via Chianti and Via Modugno – With the completion of nearby development, the two streets will receive their final layer of asphalt starting next week until early-November. On-street parking may become unavailable periodically during the paving. The City will assume control of the two streets upon completion.
Woodroffe/Deerfox-Stoneway – Lane closures and shifts may be required to accommodate the ongoing private infrastructure connection project. Expected completion is November 7. I have asked that the northbound road cut across Woodroffe be smoothened in the interim.
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Lastly, the final report for the Lansdowne 2.0 redevelopment project was released last Monday. The report outlines final costs, recommendations, approvals, and other project information for consideration at the following meetings:
Finance and Corporate Services Committee, Wednesday October 29 at 9:30 am – consideration of the project’s details, including cost, debt servicing plan, contractor selection, etc., plus the partnership’s annual report
Audit Committee, Tuesday November 4 at 9:30 am – consideration of the Auditor General’s audit of the project details
City Council – Friday November 7 at 10:30 am – final consideration and vote of items from the two Committees above, including any approved amendments
To submit written comments or to share verbal comments at Committee, please contact the committee coordinators:
Finance and Corporate Services Committee – Melinda.Aston@ottawa.ca
Audit Committee – Eric.Pelot@ottawa.ca
The full slate of documents and reports are available on the Lansdowne 2.0 EngageOttawa page↗, including documents from previous approval stages of the project.
I will share more details and my thoughts in an off-cycle newsletter later this week.
Have a great week ahead!
-Wilson