(Volunteers came together at the W.J. Bell-Rotary Peace Park for Cleaning the Capital in the fall of 2025. Photos: Stittsville Central)
Let’s come together in Stittsville to join the citywide effort in keeping our public spaces clean, green, and healthy for all. After a rough, cold and snowy winter, it’s time we welcome the spring season. The City of Ottawa invites residents to participate in the Cleaning the Capital Spring campaign to make sure we bring in a healthy spring season for the city.
Since the start of the Cleaning the Capital campaign in 1994, over 1.5 million people have volunteered in the cleanup projects and removed over 1.2 million kilograms of waste! It’s now the 33rd year of the campaign and the City of Ottawa is eager to continue keeping our communities green.
Registration for the Cleaning the Capital Spring campaign opens on March 27. Every person makes a difference, so register and come participate in the cleaning projects between April 15 and May 31. The online registration form is available on the Cleaning the Capital webpage. Check out the interactive map beforehand to see all the locations and dates of the cleanup projects in Stittsville and other communities. You could be cleaning public spaces such as parks and greenspaces, roadsides, shorelines, or even areas around bus stops, keeping them safe and enjoyable for both people and the wildlife.
Volunteer opportunities
Are you a high school student in need of volunteer hours? Participating in the Cleaning the Capital is a great and flexible option for hours! Take this chance to make a positive impact on your community. Visit Student Volunteer Hours on ottawa.ca/clean for more information.
Cleanup kits
This year, the City of Ottawa is partnering with Operation Come Home, an Ottawa-based non-profit organization dedicated to providing employment, education, and support to homeless youth. Operation Come Home will be working with the city to assemble the cleanup kits for Cleaning the Capital participants.
For those registered, cleanup kits will be available for pickup between April 2 and May 15 at fourteen City of Ottawa facilities across the city. These kits will include nitrile gloves and garbage bags.
Instructions for proper disposal of Cleaning the Capital waste and litter
Appropriate disposal is just as important as collecting the waste and litter itself. Cleaning the Capital staff will provide participants in groups of up to 25 with city-branded yellow bags in the cleanup kits. These yellow bags provide a convenient way for disposing the collected waste and litter from the Cleaning the Capital campaign at residential curbsides on regularly scheduled collection days.
Participants will be given instructions for proper disposal of collected waste/litter before their planned cleanup projects. There will also be a reminder that Cleaning the Capital does not provide special pickups at residential curbsides for collected waste/litter. This information will be communicated to participants via the Cleaning the Capital eSubscription, registration confirmation, and the Cleaning the Capital webpage.
Key spring campaign dates:
- March 27, 2026: Registration opens
- April 2 – May 15, 2026: Cleanup kits available for pickup at participating City facilities
- April 15 – May 31, 2026: Cleaning the Capital Spring campaign
- April 22, 2026: Earth Day
- May 4, 2026: Registration closes
- June 15, 2026: Deadline to submit online cleanup reports
Don’t miss this chance to make a positive difference in your community. Let’s keep Stittsville green and healthy!