Happy New Year from Councillor Gower! As we start the new year, the Councillor is sharing information to keep everyone updated. He shares the inspiration that Tysen Lefebvre shared with our community and sadly his passing in December. There are some new school drop-off and pick-up times in Stittsville and he shares an updated list. What’s new for the blue and black bins recycling program – he shares what can now be recycled. The new monthly calendar listing the main commemorative dates of various religions and cultures is available on the Councillor’s website. He shares the top 5 common causes of power outages in Ottawa. The OC Transpo Accessibility Plan is a three-year plan that includes ways in which OC Transpo will work to reduce or eliminate barriers people with disabilities – there will be virtual meetings and a survey is available for your feedback. Alto will be conducting public and stakeholder engagements in Ottawa in the coming weeks for the newly announced high-speed train system from Ottawa to Montreal. It’s time to register your children born in 2022 for Kindergarten. If you require assistance, you can contact Councillor Gower’s office at the contact information below.
In Memoriam: Tysen Lefebvre
Stittsville is mourning the passing of Tysen Lefebvre on Christmas Day. Tysen was an extraordinary young man whose courage and generosity inspired our entire community. Despite living with Pfeiffer syndrome and undergoing more than 20 surgeries, he dedicated his life to helping others, raising over $1 million for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He was 25 years old.
His remarkable courage and determination earned him numerous awards, including Stittsville Youth Citizen of the Year, the Mayor’s City Builder Award, and the Ontario Junior Citizen Ward. Tysen’s kindness and spirit touched countless lives.
Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family and many friends.
A community-wide celebration of life for Tysen will be held in the coming weeks. Please consider donating on behalf of Tysen Lefebvre to his favourite causes: Make-A-Wish Canada andThe Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind.
Recommended reading: How meeting Adam Sandler inspired Tysen Lefebvre to raise $1-million (via StittsvilleCentral.ca).
School drop-off and pick-up times in Stittsville
With students returning to school after the break, we’ve updated our list of school drop-off and pick-up times in Stittsville.
Fewer cars and less congestion near schools means a safer environment for students. For parents driving their kids to school, please park a few blocks away and walk the final distance to school. (Check out the Ottawa Safety Council’s Walk Zone Maps for help.)
For all other residents, if you can, please find an alternate route and avoid school zones during pick-up and drop-off times. Remember to slow down, obey the instructions of crossing guards, and follow all posted no parking and no stopping signage.
What you need to know about recycling pick-up – A new recycling program started on January 1:
The City of Ottawa will no longer be responsible for recycling. It will be managed on behalf of the Province of Ontario by a not-for-profit organization called Circular Materials.
Your collection day stays the same: Blue bin and black bin will be picked up on the same day as your green bin pick-up, and will still alternate weekly between blue and black bin. We’ve heard there are some errors in the Circular Materials app. Residents can continue to rely on the City’s online calendar and free Ottawa Collection Calendar app (both available at Ottawa.ca/CollectionCalendar) until such time that Circular Materials has corrected their information.
More items are now accepted in your recycling bin: Foam packaging, plastic bags/overwrap, toothpaste tubes, and more. For a full list, visit Circular Materials Ontario https://www.circularmaterials.ca/resident-provinces/ontario/
Questions about recycling: Contact Miller Waste: at 1-888-852-2374 or area2@millerwaste.ca. (Includes missed pick-up or requests for new bins)
Garbage or green bin Issues: You can continue to call 3-1-1
January 2026: Multicultural & 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. Click here for the January edition…
If you have comments or suggestions for dates to add to the calendar, please contact glen.gower@ottawa.ca.
Hydro Ottawa: Top 5 most common causes of power outages in 2025
Power outages can be disruptive, and we’ve experienced several incidents in Stittsville over recent years. Each year, Hydro Ottawa gathers detailed information about the outages to help them plan repairs, make upgrades and prevent similar issues from happening in the future. Read more…
OC Transpo Accessibility Plan Consultations
The OC Transpo Accessibility Plan is a three-year plan that includes ways in which OC Transpo will work to reduce or eliminate barriers people with disabilities face within our public transit programs, services and facilities over time. This plan will be developed and updated in consultation with the community of persons with disabilities. Staff in both the City’s Corporate Accessibility Office and Transit Services will consult with the community of persons with disabilities through virtual an in-person consultations, an online survey, and more. Click here for more information or to take the survey…
Alto high-speed rail public engagement
Canada’s high-speed rail network project team (Alto) will be conducting public and stakeholder engagements in Ottawa in the coming weeks. (Montreal-Ottawa will be 1st leg of high-speed rail plan). For more information:
- Alto website: www.altotrain.ca
- Open Houses link: Alto open houses | Alto
- Virtual Sessions link: Virtual information sessions | Alto
- Sign-up link for Newsletter: www.altotrain.ca/en/stay-updated
Kindergarten registration
If your child was born in 2022, it’s time to register them to start Kindergarten in September 2026. There are four school boards to choose from in Ottawa:
- Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
- Ottawa Catholic School Board
- Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario
- Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est
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