It’s been a busy week for Councillor Gower with a number of items to share – the important one – the Stittsville Village Association’s ‘Parade of Lights’ takes place on December 6th starting at 6:00pm. Thanks to iSiLIVE, the parade is available again this year as a live broadcast – link below. Also, if you have a few hours to help out, the SVA is still looking for volunteers. It takes many community volunteers to make this event successful. The Goulbourn Recreation Complex, now know as the CARDELREC, was officially opened 25 years ago and on November 25, 2025 this important anniversary was celebrated. Feedback is being requested by the City of Ottawa on the concept design for the renewal of the Stitt Street Park. Councillor Gower shares his ‘recap’ of the November 24th Transit Committee at which the 2026 draft budget for OC Transpo was approved. Minor Zoning By-law Amendment and Site Plan Control applications have been received by the City for 6310-6320 Hazeldean Road. Find out more about Coyotes at the Coyote Watch Canada information session being held on December 11th. The Ottawa Police Service RIDE Program returns again this year. Check out the Multicultural calendar for various events and commemorative dates on the Councillor’s website. As always, should you require assistance, the Councillor and his staff are there to assist you at the contact information below.
The Stittsville Parade of Lights takes place on Saturday, December 6, 2025
It starts at 6:00 pm and runs along Stittsville Main Street from Brown’s Your Independent Grocer to Carleton Cathcart Street. (Please note that Stittsville Main Street will close to traffic at 5:45 pm.)
The Stittsville Village Association is the organizer of the parade. It’s an annual tradition that draws thousands of spectators to Stittsville Main Street. Each year, dozens of beautifully decorated community floats set the tone for Santa’s much-anticipated arrival at the end of the parade. Merry makers are also encouraged to stay for the lighting of Village Square Park, and to share in some hot chocolate, cookies, musical entertainment, tree lighting, and a visit with Santa immediately following the parade. For more information about the parade, visit www.stittsvilleva.com
iSiLIVE is producing a live webcast
Join hosts Ken Evraire and his daughter Summer, along with Sam Laprade and her daughter Avery, as they bring you exclusive interviews and lively commentary throughout the event. Coverage starts at 5:30 p.m. Watch live at: https://video.isilive.ca/sva/2025-12-06
Volunteers needed
The Stittsville Village Association is still looking for more volunteers to help out at the parade. All volunteers must be a minimum 15 years of age or be accompanied by an adult if younger. Volunteer hours can be signed for this event. Volunteers are needed from approximately 5:30 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. (Various shifts are available.) Click here to sign up!
Celebrating 25 years at CARDELREC-Goulbourn (Goulbourn Recreation Complex)
On November 25, 2025 we marked the 25th Anniversary of the opening of the Goulbourn Recreation Complex, now known as CARDELREC–Goulbourn.
Town Crier Daniel Richer Dit Laflêche opened the ceremony with a proclamation, as he did in 2000 for the official opening ceremonies. We were joined by Janet Stavinga, the final Mayor of Goulbourn Township, and the first City Councillor for Stittsville (the ward was then known as Goulbourn Ward) in the amalgamated City of Ottawa, along with her former council colleague Louise Beggs.
We were also joined by former Goulbourn Township staff and community volunteers who were part of the planning and construction of the building a quarter-century ago.
Every day, people from all over the city of all ages and backgrounds visit the facility for recreation, programming, community meetings, and social activities. Thank goodness we have CARDELREC-Goulbourn as part of Stittsville, I can’t imagine the community without it. Thank you to everyone who had a hand in its creation and ongoing operation. More photos & videos here…
Stitt Street Park playground renewal concept designs
The City of Ottawa is looking for your feedback on the concept design for the renewal of the Stitt Street Park. The existing play structure is at the end of its lifespan and does not meet current safety and accessibility requirements. You can see the concept plans and a link to a survey on my web site. We’re also organizing an on-site consultation for neighbours in January 2026 – date to be announced.
NOTEBOOK: Recap of Transit Committee on November 24, 2025
This week, the Transit Committee approved OC Transpo’s 2026 draft budget, including a gross budget of $938.7 million, or 10.8% higher than in 2025. The draft budget supports several strategic initiatives tied to OC Transpo’s 5-Year Roadmap and goal to improve reliability and customer service. We also received ridership updates that show a 17% year-over-year passenger increase in October. More information about the transit budget and updates here…
6310 Hazeldean Road – Minor Zoning By-law Amendment and Site Plan
The City has received Minor Zoning By-law Amendment and Site Plan Control applications related to the development of two high-rise buildings at 6310 and 6320 Hazeldean Road. Amendments are required to address technical changes to setbacks, stepbacks, building height (low-rise portion only), landscape buffers, projections, tower separation and driveway width. More info…
DECEMBER 11: Coyote information session
Join us for an information session with Coyote Watch Canada (CWC). During this session, attendees will learn about coyotes in suburban settings and how to foster safe human-coyote interactions. CWC is a federal not-for-profit organization that advocates positive human-wildlife coexistence, focusing on canids. More info…
RIDE program launches to prevent impaired driving
This holiday season, the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) will be conducting RIDE (Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere) programs and is asking drivers to keep our roads safe by celebrating responsibly. The OPS is adopting a new approach to its Festive RIDE campaign. Every week, the OPS will proactively share its enforcement locations for the coming weekend to encourage drivers to plan and make smart choices. More info…
December 2025: Multicultural and human rights calendar
We publish a monthly calendar listing the main commemorative dates of various religions and cultures, as well as important dates related to strengthening human rights and diversity. Here’s the calendar for December. If you have comments or suggestions for dates to add to the calendar, please contact glen.gower@ottawa.ca.
Get in touch!
If we can help in any way, please email me at glen.gower@ottawa.ca or leave a voicemail at 613-580-2476. Please call 3-1-1 if you require immediate assistance, or submit a request online at ottawa.ca/en/311. – Councillor Glen Gower