A place to meet friends, try something new or stay active can make a difference at any age. For Stittsville’s children, teens and seniors, having those opportunities close to home matters, but so does being able to afford them, get there and find a spot.
The City of Ottawa estimated Ward 6’s population at 55,740 at the end of 2025.
With the Ward 6 election approaching, Stittsville Central asked candidates about gaps in local recreation, ways to make activities more affordable and accessible, and the improvements they would aim to deliver in their first year as councillor. Eight of the nine candidates responded. Theresa Qadri was invited to participate but had not submitted responses by the deadline.
Finding Space for Changing Needs
As children grow older and residents enter different life stages, their needs change, and finding something close to home that suits them can become a challenge. Even when a suitable program is available, getting a spot can be another hurdle.
Limited space in recreation programs was a recurring concern. Chelsea Walton and Tanya Hein both pointed to swimming lessons and ice time. Hein also identified demand for soccer fields and indoor recreation space for seniors during colder months. Devin O’Brien described swim and skate waitlists at CARDELREC, while Kevin Hua linked limited program spaces to the community’s growth. Sheetal Narwal raised similar concerns about swimming, camps, soccer fields and ice time.
Candidates also questioned whether neighbourhood facilities are keeping pace with growth. Hua named Crossway Terrace Park, Fringewood Park and Joe Lewis Park as examples of parks residents consider insufficient for their communities. Walton called for recreation to be planned alongside growth and wants residents involved in shaping Fernbank District Park. She also reported requests for cricket pitches. Narwal argued that recreation space has not kept up with growth, while O’Brien criticized development that proceeds without the community spaces and safe connections residents need.
Planning for additional recreation space is already underway. The City’s Fernbank District Park concept includes children’s play areas, a splash pad, cricket, soccer, tennis and pickleball, a fitness area, an outdoor rink, and shaded gathering spaces. These remain proposed amenities: the City says the final plan may change because of public feedback, site conditions or financial constraints.
For older children and teens, finding an activity that appeals to them can be another challenge. Paul Meek singled out 11–15-year-olds who do not play sports. Walton, Mani Sharma and Marie-Ange Yindaki Ahinful also emphasized options beyond organized sports. Sharma identified a need for study, arts, music and evening social spaces, while Ahinful pointed to Home Bosses Youth Centre as community work to build on. Narwal raised interests such as coding, robotics and entrepreneurship, along with outdoor callisthenics. Hein reported requests for better basketball courts and outdoor gym equipment.
Sharma acknowledged the value of existing parks, trails, arenas and CARDELREC, while noting that working families can struggle to find affordable programs nearby at suitable times. Ahinful would work with residents and existing providers to identify where additional space, hours or support would make the greatest difference.
For seniors, access to recreation also raised questions about connection and isolation. Walton emphasized nearby activities and support for the organizations already providing them. Sharma identified safe crossings, seating and programs within walking distance, while Ahinful highlighted the role activities play in maintaining friendships. O’Brien focused on missing sidewalks and limited off-peak transit. Narwal also raised transport and physical access barriers, along with demand for pickleball and shaded neighbourhood gathering places with outdoor board games.
Their responses suggest that meeting these needs requires considering both available spaces and the people who hope to use them.
Making Participation Affordable
For families balancing expenses and seniors living on fixed incomes, the cost of an activity can determine whether they take part.
Several candidates proposed making greater use of existing facilities to offer free or low-cost activities. Walton would review demand and schedules at CARDELREC–Goulbourn and Johnny Leroux Arena for additional drop-ins or expanded programs, where space and staffing allow. Meek favoured programs that reduce the need for expensive memberships or long-term commitments. Sharma proposed after-school teen drop-ins and daytime seniors’ programs in school gyms, community rooms and City facilities, while Narwal called for greater use of City rooms and gyms.
Ahinful proposed a regular schedule of affordable activities with community partners, ranging from children’s recreation to teen drop-ins and seniors’ social or gentle fitness sessions. She noted that programs in existing spaces still require staff, supplies and, sometimes, accommodations. She would seek a clear operating plan and funding from the City and partners. Sharma would pursue business and community sponsorships to cover registration, equipment and transportation, with public reporting on available support.
Financial help is already available through Ottawa Hand in Hand, which provides $185 in annual recreation fee support for each qualifying individual or family member, according to the City.
Candidates suggested different ways to make assistance easier to find and use. Walton supports maintaining Hand in Hand and promoting programs and assistance through newsletters and social media. Sharma would expand and better advertise fee reductions or passes. Ahinful would offer information and application help through facilities and community organizations, including by phone or in person. Narwal would push for online or telephone applications so residents do not need to travel to a recreation facility to seek support.
Walton also supports continuing Play Free, including free swimming and skating opportunities for children and youth. Narwal would protect free swimming, skating and gym time and build free recreation into parks through callisthenics equipment and seniors’ gathering spaces. She argued that activities close to home can also save families travel costs.
O’Brien proposed subsidized off-peak drop-ins and free, supervised Friday evening activities for teens, along with a ward-specific recreation credit funded by redirecting municipal community improvement funds. He also proposed tiered neighbourhood pricing and drop-in micro-passes to reduce large upfront registration costs.
The responses also included support for community organizations. Walton would ask existing seniors’ groups what help they need with space, City contacts or promotion. Hua would connect initiatives such as Home Bosses Youth Centre and community-run rinks with public spaces, volunteers and City grants. He would explore a recreation-fee freeze if feasible and supports a Community Benefits Framework to help secure parks suited to neighbourhood needs.
Hein emphasized capacity over price, saying most programming offers decent value and subsidies are available. She suggested reducing rates during underused off-peak periods and expanding hours for people whose schedules don’t fit traditional programming times.
Whether through lower fees, financial assistance or community partnerships, the proposals aim to make participation easier to fit into residents’ lives.
Removing Barriers to Participation
Finding an activity to enjoy is only the beginning; reaching it safely and participating comfortably matters just as much.
Most responses cited local travel as a concern. Meek emphasized the need for transit within Stittsville, beyond routes to downtown or major destinations outside the community. Walton would advocate for reliable service and affordable fares for students and seniors, and bring Para Transpo customers’ booking, pickup and return-trip concerns to transit staff. Ahinful would review program locations and hours alongside transportation needs, including whether teens can get home afterward, and raise service gaps with OC Transpo and Para Transpo.
The candidates proposed different ways to improve those connections. Hua would work toward a bus-station transit hub supporting more local routes and year-round fare-free transit for youth aged 18 and under and seniors. O’Brien would champion a dedicated local shuttle connecting subdivisions and seniors’ residences with recreation hubs. Sharma would focus on reliable evening and weekend service and explore small shuttle or ride-share pilots where direct access is poor.
Narwal would seek a public Ward 6 bus reliability report covering on-time service, delays and cancellations, using that evidence to press for evening and weekend improvements and reliable Para Transpo service that keeps pace with growth.
Walking and cycling routes were also central to the discussion. O’Brien said he would require missing sidewalk connections to CARDELREC, local schools and Stittsville Main to be completed before further high-density subdivision applications are approved. Hua proposed a Vision Zero Action Plan and filling gaps in sidewalks and cycling infrastructure, identifying Maple Grove Road as a concern for young people travelling to sports facilities.
Sharma would seek clear standards for sidewalk repairs, crossings, benches and winter maintenance. Narwal would work with residents using wheelchairs, walkers and canes to map missing benches, curb cuts and sidewalk links, then seek to include them in the City’s capital plan. She would also push for parks alongside new housing.
For Ahinful, accessibility extends from the journey to the experience inside a facility, including entrances, washrooms, seating, sensory needs and registration. She would involve residents with disabilities in identifying barriers and assessing changes. Walton also emphasized listening directly to residents with disabilities. Meek would identify and prioritize barriers, then measure whether changes improve participation. He also raised wheelchair access at the Home Bosses program’s school location as a concern.
Bringing activities closer to residents could reduce some travel barriers. Walton would work with recreation and library staff on neighbourhood programming and explore school-board partnerships for access to gyms and other spaces. Ahinful would support neighbourhood delivery where appropriate. Hein suggested looking beyond existing City facilities to underused public and private resources, including hotel pools and schools. She cited a past chair-fitness training initiative as an example of how programs could reach underserved areas.
Program hours also need to fit the people using them. O’Brien proposed more daytime accessible fitness opportunities and late-night weekend options for teens. Sharma, Ahinful and Narwal likewise supported schedules that account for seniors’ daytime activities and young people’s after-school, evening or weekend needs.
Narwal added proposals for real-time facility availability and allowing walk-ins to use an empty court if nobody arrives within 15 minutes of a booked start time. For winter access, she would push for coordinated snow clearance around sidewalks and bus shelters and establish a student Snow Angels network to help seniors who cannot afford private snow removal.
Making these connections work can help residents participate more comfortably and independently.
Turning Ideas into First-Year Action
The first year would offer an opportunity to begin putting these ideas into practice, although the candidates differed in what they would aim to deliver and how.
O’Brien and Narwal both proposed outdoor activity hubs, but with different timelines. O’Brien said he would deliver a multi-use outdoor court and covered gathering space in his first year, with lighting, seating and accessible pathways. The space would support basketball, ball hockey and youth gatherings, along with a level walking path with shade and seating for seniors.
Narwal would gather resident input on an all-ages hub in an existing park within 200 days. By the end of year one, she would publish the consultation results and a design and formally request a site and funding. She would also push for an initial shaded seniors’ corner with benches and outdoor board games. Her goal would be to complete the full hub, including callisthenics for teens and a nearby children’s play space, within the council term.
Meek and Sharma both proposed plans to improve access to local recreation. Meek would work with City staff, residents and community organizations on a Recreation Access Plan that examines affordable programming, facility use, evening and weekend hours, transportation and accessibility. Sharma’s activity and access plan would include a regularly updated activity guide, at least one new low-cost teen drop-in, one daytime seniors’ social or fitness program and targeted transit and safety improvements.
Sharma also proposed monthly town halls at CARDELREC, quarterly meetings in seniors’ settings and intergenerational activities where residents could share skills. He would continue weekly updates and support community events.
Walton would work toward more free or low-cost summer activities for children and teens, including during the youth centre’s summer break. She would consult young people and local providers about activities in parks and community spaces and report back on what can proceed. She would also examine obstacles for community organizers, including permits, booking, insurance, staffing and volunteers. Young people’s input would help shape future amenities at Fernbank District Park.
Ahinful would aim to launch a recurring free or low-cost neighbourhood activity pilot in an existing accessible space. Children and caregivers, teens, seniors and providers would help choose the location, timing and activities, with different age groups able to attend separate sessions. She would work to secure a site, partners, a costed plan and the resources to launch in year one. Attendance, affordability and residents’ ability to reach and use the program would inform whether it continues or expands.
Hua identified public toilets as a first-year priority, seeking an increase in the budget allocated to each ward for facilities in parks and other public spaces. He said this could also reduce the financial burden on community groups, neighbourhood associations and sports clubs that currently pay for them.
Hein focused on improving existing parks through more natural or built shade, particularly around seating, and play structures that offer greater adventure and appeal to a wider range of ages.
The candidates’ responses offer different approaches to a question that touches residents of all ages: how can Stittsville make it easier to take part in community life? For families, that might mean finding a swimming lesson close to home. For teens, it could mean a place to spend time with friends; for seniors, a familiar place to stay active and connected. As voters weigh the proposals, the next councillor’s challenge will be turning those ideas into opportunities residents can afford, reach and enjoy.