Dear Neighbours and Friends:
As 2025 comes to a close, I want to take a moment to reflect on what we have accomplished together in Ward 13 and share my gratitude for your continued engagement and participation in our community. Your input at consultations, neighbourhood meetings, and community events continues to guide our work, and I am especially thankful for the leadership of our community associations, whose dedication strengthens the resilience and character of Rideau-Rockcliffe.
This has been a transformative year for our ward, marked by significant investments in infrastructure, parks, housing, health care, and community safety. I am pleased to share some of these highlights with you.
Major infrastructure work is underway and planned across our ward. The St. Patrick Street Bridge renewal continues to progress, while planning is advancing for North River Road with active transportation, transit, and traffic-calming upgrades. Significant integrated road, sewer, and watermain renewals are planned across multiple streets, including Arundel Avenue, Braemar Street, Farnham Crescent, Finter Street, Jeffrey Avenue, and Kilbarry Crescent; de l'Église Street; Hemlock Road; Marguerite Avenue, Ontario Street, Stevens Avenue, and Wolff Street; Prince Albert Street and Queen Mary Street; and Vincent Massey Avenue, Père Charlebois Avenue and area. New sidewalks will be installed on both sides of Bathgate Drive from Den Haag Drive to Gulf Place, and important facility upgrades are underway at the St. Laurent Complex including roof, chiller, and change room renewals.
With major investments planned, 2026 promises to be a banner year for park improvements across Rideau-Rockcliffe. Building on significant planning work completed in 2025, new investments will enhance accessibility, recreation opportunities, and the quality of our green spaces. Hemlock Park in Manor Park saw major upgrades in 2025 valued at $260,700, including new swings, junior play equipment, an accessible swing, and a fitness circuit. The Centennial Garden in Rockcliffe Park is undergoing a rejuvenation through a strong partnership with the Rockcliffe Park Foundation, the community association, and local residents, with construction anticipated to begin in late summer 2026. St. Paul's Park in Overbrook is receiving new outdoor fitness equipment with seven exercise stations, a pathway connection, a new bench, and bicycle parking, with construction anticipated to begin in spring 2026.
At Alvin Heights Park in Manor Park, improvements will include double basketball keys, shade tables for the pool deck, a concrete ping-pong table, and additional benches. The City is expanding the project to include a full pool deck replacement, an accessible ramp upgrade, and repairs to the pool building, with upgrades scheduled to begin in spring 2026. Following extensive community consultation, Presland Park in Overbrook will undergo a significant renewal beginning in 2026, with conceptual drawings to be developed for public input.
Significant progress on affordable housing was achieved in 2025. A federal investment is creating 121 rental homes in Wateridge Village at 375 Codd's Road, including 22 deeply affordable units. Council also approved the 400 Coventry Road development in Overbrook, adding 1,770 homes and a new public park. Construction began at 342 Queen Mary Street, creating 24 new townhome units, of which 30 per cent are affordable and 20 per cent are accessible. The City also approved Official Plan and Zoning By-law amendments for a fully accessible 62-unit mixed-income building at 240 Presland Road in Overbrook.
The new Ottawa Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic at 214 Montreal Road opened in 2025, is accepting patients daily, and will eventually serve 4,000 residents. Serving residents of Ward 12 and Ward 13, the clinic is prioritizing new patients through Ontario's Health Care Connect waitlist and referrals from local partners, such as the Montfort Hospital and nearby Ottawa Community Housing. This milestone represents a significant step forward in improving access to primary care close to home for our families.
We have made significant progress on neighbourhood safety with Gateway Speed Zones introduced in Rockcliffe Park and Lindenlea this year, standardizing residential speeds at 30 km/h. Overbrook and parts of Manor Park and Carson Grove will follow in 2026. Work is progressing on the Beechwood Avenue Public Realm Plan, which will guide future upgrades to sidewalks, cycling facilities, lighting, trees, seating, waste bins, and landscaping. Technical studies and design concepts advanced this fall, broad public engagement is planned for early 2026 and $1.5 million will be allocated to advance the detailed design.
Council has also finalized the Transportation Master Plan Update, shaping travel across Ottawa for the next 20 years. For Rideau-Rockcliffe, it includes proposed continuous bus lanes on Montreal Road and new transit lanes on Blair Road to improve reliability and travel times. The plan advances safer walking and cycling with new sidewalks near schools and parks, improvements on streets such as Edith Avenue, Glynn Avenue, Hardy Avenue, Gardenvale Road, London Terrace, Mart Circle, Braemar Street, Thornwood Road, and Rideau Terrace, and upgrades to key pathways including the Gil-O-Julien link. Cycling projects include parking-protected bike lanes on Beechwood, new lanes on Den Haag Drive and Bathgate Drive, enhanced Aviation Pathway connections, and safety upgrades on North River Road.
As Council Liaison for Anti-Racism and Ethnocultural Relations Initiatives, I continue working with Black, racialized, and immigrant communities to advance equity across Ottawa. The City's five-year Anti-Racism Strategy is underway with 132 actions focused on employment equity, housing, economic development, health outcomes, and youth opportunities. Through partnerships with organizations such as the African, Caribbean and Black Wellness and Resource Centre in Overbrook and the Ottawa Black Coalition, we are strengthening Black-led initiatives and supporting community-driven solutions for mental health, economic development, and youth programs.
As we look ahead to 2026, I am optimistic about what we will accomplish together. These investments and initiatives reflect our shared commitment to building a more accessible, equitable, and vibrant community for all who call Ward 13 home.
As the holiday season approaches, I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and your loved ones. May this time bring you joy, peace, and opportunities to connect with family and friends. Thank you for your trust, your engagement, and your continued commitment to making Rideau-Rockcliffe a wonderful place to live, work, and raise a family.
Wishing you a very happy holiday season and a healthy, prosperous New Year!
Warm regards,
Rawlson King
City Councillor, Rideau-Rockcliffe Ward
