After a two-week hiatus period, Councillor Gower is connecting with the community to provide news from City Hall and updates on other important issues and events relevant to Stittsville. At the July 15th City Council meeting, members will be addressing the “Transportation and Mobility Strategy and Action Plan” to address the increased traffic expected this fall. He shares information gathered from the July 1st weather that affected many in the West-end of Ottawa, including a handful of flooded basements in Stittsville. The Stittsville Business Association and Postcard Perfect Ltd. are seeking sponsors for the ‘flower basket’ project on Stittsville Main – if you or a company would like to support this endeavour, your contribution will be recognized. There are several planning and development updates that the Councillor brings to your attention. City Council approved two commemorative street names for future streets in Stittsville – one for Tysen Lefebvre and another for Collinda Joseph. Stormwater pond maintenance will be taking place at Paul Lindsay Park. Not satisfied with the Hydro One response to the tree cutting on Maple Grove Road, the Councillor continues to pursue the situation. Did you know that Youth Ottawa are holding a municipal election and encourage youth to get involved and run as a candidate? Should you require assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Councillor’s office at the contact information provided below.
City Council meets on Wednesday and one of the many items on the agenda is the “Transportation and Mobility Strategy and Action Plan”.
We’re all getting ready for an expected increase in traffic this fall as federal employees increase their in-office presence, regular traffic patterns return post-summer, and students head back to school. This plan is aimed at making it easier to move around the city, no matter where you may be going.
The plan includes:
- Transit: Implement express routes serving key locations and employment nodes and improve reliability and capacity while encouraging alternative modes such as cycling, shuttles, and Park & Ride.
- Traffic management: Optimize traffic flow through signal timing, monitoring, incident response, enforcement, and coordinated construction activities
- Parking measures: Expand and optimize parking, including Park & Ride options, to improve transit access and reduce congestion
- Active transportation: Promote walking and cycling through improved access, connectivity, and awareness
- Communication: Provide timely, clear travel information to support trip planning and system navigation
I encourage residents to visit engage.ottawa.ca for updates, tools, and information to help you plan your commute and stay up to date as the plan is rolled out. You can also see a summary of the action items at Transportation and Mobility Strategy and Action Plan Fact Sheets (PDF).
Recovering from the July 1 storm
I remain extremely thankful that Stittsville was not significantly affected by the July 1 storm, considering the large number of homes and businesses affected in other parts of Ottawa.
We’ve been asking residents in Stittsville who had basement flooding to please report that via ottawa.ca/311/. Even if you do not require assistance or if you’ve finished your clean-up, the information is still useful to understand where there may have been issues with stormwater management in different neighbourhoods. So far we have received just eight reports from Stittsville residents.
I’ve shared a memo on my web site with data from municipal rain gauges across Ottawa, and the amount of rain recorded was remarkable. Some areas of the City experienced rainfall approaching or exceeding that associated with a 1-in-200-year storm. However, there was significant variation across the City.
Rain gauges in and around Stittsville recorded a range of precipitation:
- Maple Grove: 104 mm
- Jackson Trails: 65 mm
- Glen Cairn (Kanata): 96 mm
- Monahan (Kanata): 69 mm
- St. Gabriel (Kanata): 114 mm
- Carp: 80 mm
- Richmond: 28 mm
If you’re looking for any updates about the storm response, including waste pick-up, compassionate grants, and so on, please visit ottawa.ca. While damage may have been minimal in Stittsville, I know a lot of residents have been helping friends and families in other wards. Please reach out if we can help in any way.
How you can help Stittsville Main Street bloom!
Once again we’ve teamed up with the Stittsville Business Association and Postcard Perfect Ltd. to install flowers on Stittsville Main Street. Would you or your company like to be recognized for contributing to the beautification of the street? Consider sponsoring the 2026 Main Street Hanging Flower Basket Program. Your support will enhance Stittsville’s village core and will reflect your commitment to the community. More information…
Planning and development updates
We’ve had a busy few weeks on the planning front, including:
- Planning & Housing Committee voted “no” to the Stittsville West urban boundary expansion
- An application to remove a zoning condition at 5100 Robert Grant Avenue requiring a 2,500 landscaped plaza
- A resubmission of the Zoning By-law Amendment for apartment buildings at Hazeldean at Savage
- A Site Plan Control application for new apartments at 2765 Palladium (at Derreen)
We’ve also updated our summary of local development files, with the latest info on over 30 active housing applications. You can find more information at glengower.ca/development/.
Commemorative street names for Tysen Lefebvre and Collinda Joseph
City Council has approved two commemorative street names for future streets in Stittsville.
One is for Tysen Lefebvre, 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. Tysen passed away earlier this year at the age of 25 years old.
The other is for Collinda Joseph, the Canadian Paralympic athlete who was a member of Canada’s wheelchair curling team that won bronze at the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games and gold at the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.
I was proud to bring these proposals forward as a small way to recognize the leadership and accomplishments of both of these individuals. The exact locations of the streets are still to be determined. They’ll be in future subdivisions within the ward.
Paul Lindsay Park stormwater pond maintenance
The initial work to remove sediment has started and will last 2-3 weeks. The sediment will be removed and the pond re-instated this fall. You can see a summary of what’s involved here.
Hydro One tree cutting on Maple Grove Road
We had another meeting with representatives from Hydro One on July 10. They say they are not planning any new tree planting on the site, but are going to provide neighbours with vouchers to purchase trees for their backyards. I’m still not satisfied with this response and will continue advocating for trees to be replanted along the edges of the property. More information…
Youth Municipal Election
For the first time ever, Youth Ottawa is inviting young people to run, campaign, and vote in a Youth Municipal Election. Young people aged 15–25 can run to represent their ward and build a real campaign, supported by workshops and media training from August to October. Then there’s a vote in-person at Ottawa City Hall on October 24, during a full day of civic learning and youth networking. This is a great initiative that gives young people hands-on experience with democracy, and helps encourage our next generation of civic leaders. I really want to encourage Stittsville youth to get involved. Deadline to apply is July 31, 2026. For more information: https://untapped.earth.
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