It has been a busy week for Councillor Gower with so many meetings and events to attend, including the Stittsville Muslim Association unveiling of their new sign and the amazing Parade of Lights on Saturday evening. Above, Councillor Gower is with Mayor Mark Sutcliffe and his wife Ginny who all travelled down Stittsville Main on the City of Ottawa float. Councillor Gower shares his recap and photos from the parade. He also shares the importance of supporting our Stittsville Food Bank – the need is great – and how you can donate. He shares the results from his survey of residents on the 2026 City of Ottawa draft budget. The staff report for the final draft of the new Zoning By-law is now available for review. The Ottawa Safety Council is in need of crossing guards in Stittsville and Kanata – find out more below. OSTA school transportation is developing its next Strategic Plan and would like to hear your feedback using the link below. On December 11th, Lesley Sampson, Coyote Watch Canada Founder and Executive Director, will be holding a presentation whereby attendees will learn about coyotes in suburban settings and how to foster safe human-coyote interactions. The Idylea Linear Park and pathway construction is beginning. The audit of the Ottawa Paramedic Service took place examining the support and oversight provided by superintendents to paramedics – more below. As always, should you require any assistance please reach out to Councillor Gower at the contact information provided below.
Parade of Lights recap
What an incredible parade on Stittsville Main Street!
Thank you to the Stittsville Village Association and all the volunteers who helped make the 2025 Stittsville Parade of Lights such a great success. A fantastic night that started with a snow squall and ended with a visit from Santa himself! You can see photos and video from the parade here…
Supporting the Stittsville Food Bank
Stittsville Food bank chair Theresa Qadri says that December is always their busiest time of year, with donations ramping up as the need continues to grow. They expect to serve well over 400 families leading up to the holidays, providing basic food and personal hygiene items as well as food hampers and gifts to people in need.
Here’s how you can help:
- Donate money via the Stittsville Food Bank web site.
- Drop off a non-perishable food item at your local grocery store, or directly to a food bank.
- Mark your calendar for December 13, when OC Transpo and the Stittsville Food Bank will host their annual “Fill the Bus” campaign at Brown’s Independent and No Frills.
A recent study from Ottawa Public Health found that 25.7% of Ottawa households experienced food insecurity in 2024. Write to your MP and MPP and express your support for income-based policies, such as adequate social assistance rates, a living minimum wage, and a guaranteed basic income program, to effectively address the systemic reasons behind food insecurity. Charitable food programs should not be seen as a permanent solution. Read more…
The Stittsville Food Bank is powered entirely by volunteers and relies on the generosity of our community. They work tirelessly to make sure no one in our community goes hungry, but the need is constant. A huge THANK YOU to all of the volunteers who work so hard to help our community.
Celebrating the new Stittsville Muslim Association sign
Last Thursday we celebrated the official unveiling of the new Stittsville Muslim Association sign, in front of their community building on Stittsville Main Street.
In August, the SMA property was vandalized, the community came together for a reflection and healing event. One of the action items stemming from that meeting was to install a sign to bring more visibility to the SMA in our community.
I’ve been thrilled to see the SMA’s growth in recent years, and their continuing involvement in the community. They are now one of the largest associations in Stittsville, supporting Muslim residents and giving back to the community at large through programs like Adopt-A-Park, Cleaning the Capital, and food drives. More photos…
NOTEBOOK: Results of our Budget 2026 survey
For the last several weeks we have been asking Stittsville residents to share their feedback about the 2026 Draft Budget. We’ve held three pop-up activities at local grocery stores where we talked to dozens of residents on a wide variety of topics. And close to 550 residents took our survey about their priorities for city services and spending.
The survey was voluntary so the results are unscientific, but the data does give us a good indication of what’s on the minds of Stittsville residents. See the results here…
City Council votes on the budget on Wednesday.
Staff report and final draft of the New Zoning By-law are now available
The staff report for the final draft of the new Zoning By-law is now available. On my web site at glengower.ca, we’ve shared links to the report, zoning documents, and the updated zoning map. This report will be coming to a city committee on December 17, and then in front of City Council for final approval in January.
Ottawa Safety Council is recruiting adult crossing guards
Stittsville and Kanata communities urgently need school crossing guards! Paid micro-shifts, perfect for students, retirees, caregivers, newcomers, and people with availability during school bell times. Help keep the children of our community safe! Apply today at crossing-guard.ca 
OSTA school transportation survey
OSTA is developing its next Strategic Plan which will guide decisions on student transportation for the coming years. Share your perspective by completing their survey before Friday, December 12…
December 11: Coyote information session
Coyote Watch Canada Founder and Executive Director Lesley Sampson will discuss best practices for residents living with coyotes. CWC is a federal not-for-profit organization that advocates positive human-wildlife coexistence, focusing on canids. More info…
Construction is starting on the Idylea Linear Park and pathway
Taggart is beginning construction on the Idylea Linear Park and pathway. In the final design, the pathway alignment will follow a mostly-straight line heading north-south along the eastern edge of the park, with a few deviations to address grading issues. This alignment was chosen based on resident feedback and to minimize the removal of existing mature trees. More info…
Committee receives audits of Ottawa Paramedic Service and Council expenses
The audit of the Ottawa Paramedic Service examined the support and oversight provided by superintendents to paramedics, as well as the management of controlled substances. The Council Expenses Audit focused on the Constituency Services Budgets that are allocated annually to each Councillor and the Mayor to support the operation of their offices, constituent engagement, and participation in community activities. More info…
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