The City of Ottawa would like to remind residents of the following schedule changes for the holiday season between Wednesday, December 24 and Friday, January 2.
Client Service Centres
- The City’s 3-1-1 Contact Centre will be open for urgent matters only on Thursday, December 25, Friday December 26 and Thursday, January 1. Please visit ottawa.ca/311 to submit a service request online.
Green bin, recycling and garbage collection
- There will be no curbside or multi-residential green bin, recycling, garbage or bulky item collection on Christmas Day, Thursday, December 25 or New Year’s Day, Thursday, January 1. The pick-up will take place on the following day. In addition, the collection will be delayed by one day for the remainder of the week.
- Residents can sign up to receive collection reminders and service alerts by email or phone call at ottawa.ca/CollectionCalendar.
- The Trail Waste Facility will be closed on Thursday, December 25 and Thursday, January 1. It will be open on Boxing Day, Friday, December 26, from 7 am to 6 pm. For Trail Waste Facility hours, visit ottawa.ca.
- Christmas trees will be picked up on your regular collection day. Please remove all decorations. Christmas trees in plastic bags or frozen into a snowbank will not be collected.
- Starting January 1, 2026, the City will no longer be responsible for collecting your recycling. The new province-wide recycling program will be managed by Circular Materials. As described on the City’s website, until December 31, 2025, please continue contacting the City for all your recycling concerns, such as missed collection.
Parking
- Free parking will be available at City Hall (110 Laurier Avenue West), from Wednesday, December 24 at 4 pm until Friday, December 26 at 7 am, and from Wednesday, December 31 at 4 pm until Thursday, January 1 at 7 am.
- The ByWard Market Garage at 70 Clarence Street and the Dalhousie Garage at 141 Clarence Street will offer free parking from Wednesday, December 24 at 4 pm until Friday, December 26 at 7 am, and from Wednesday, December 31 at 4 pm until Thursday, January 1 at 7 am.
- At these facilities, exit gates will be placed in the ‘up’ position during these time periods to allow for free exits. If a vehicle remains in the garage when the gate goes to the ‘down’ position, drivers are responsible to pay for the full time spent in the garage.
- All other City parking regulations apply.
Transit Services
- OC Transpo holiday service will run from Monday, December 22 to Friday, January 2. Visit octranspo.com for information on hours of operation, frequency adjustments and schedules for bus routes and O-Train Lines 1, 2 and 4 during the holidays.
- With the 2-for-1 DayPass two customers can ride all day for the price of one DayPass. The 2-for-1 DayPass is valid on Thursday, December 25, Friday, December 26, Thursday, January 1, and every Saturday and Sunday.
- Free transit service will be provided on New Year’s Eve, Wednesday, December 31, after 6 pm courtesy of Safer Roads Ottawa and MADD Ottawa and Area. · Use the Travel Planner or Transit, the recommended app for OC Transpo customers, to plan your New Year’s Eve trip. O-Train Line 1 will run until 2 am, after which Night bus service will run through downtown. Fare gates will be open. Line 2 will run until 1 am and Line 4 will run until midnight. Para Transpo service will run until 3 am. Last trips are booked for 2 am, or 1:30 am for rural trips. Bookings for midnight or later must be made the day before by calling 613-560-5000. · Customers can get real-time schedule information, 24 hours a day, by using the Transit app, calling 613-560-1000 or texting 560560 plus their four-digit bus stop number or first three letters of the station name. Standard rates apply.
