March 27, 2026 newsletter from Rawlson King, City Councillor for Rideau-Rockcliffe.
Your Councillor in the Community
Enjoyed the Eid celebration at the Rideau-Rockcliffe Community Resource Centre's Carson Community House this week with Ottawa Community Housing staff, tenants and volunteers!
Thank you to Mayor Mark Sutcliffe for the invitation to the 19th annual Francophone RendezVous event this morning featuring Maison Marie-Louise. A wonderful event!
Great to drop-in to the well attended Newcomer Volunteer Fair held by Volunteer Ottawa at the Rideau Community Hub this week!
It was great to wish “Eid Mubarak” to residents attending the Eid celebration at the Overbrook Community Centre last weekend with Ottawa-Vanier-Gloucester MP Mona Fortier!
Rideau-Rockcliffe News, Events and Engagement Opportunities
Your waste collection day may change, starting Monday, May 30;
Reminder: your curbside collection day may be changing starting March 30. To see if this impacts you, view your curbside waste collection calendar at ottawa.ca/CollectionCalendar or in the Ottawa Collection Calendar app for Apple or Android devices. Your green bin will continue to be collected weekly. To support all curbside residents, operators will collect up to six garbage items on your scheduled garbage collection day between March 30 and April 24 (no yellow bags required!). he frequency of garbage, green bin, leaf and yard waste, and recycling collection is not changing. Details: ottawa.ca
One-time, one-garbage bag drop-off for Rideau-Rockcliffe residents - April 4
NEW! Some curbside residents of Rideau Rockcliffe will experience a one-time period of longer than 17 days between garbage collections. To further support residents of New Edinburgh, Lindenlea, Rockcliffe Park, Manor Park, Castle Heights, Overbook, and the Borthwick-Cummings-Trojan-Forbes community. Solid Waste Services is hosting a one-time, one bag garbage drop-off:
Location: St. Laurent Complex, 525 Côté Street
Date: Saturday, April 4, from 8:30 to 11:30 am
Please note: No bulky items or additional bags will be accepted. Proof of address may be required onsite.
Ottawa Food Bank "Fill the Plates" Spring Food Drive - March 28
On Saturday, March 28, 2026, from 10 am to 3 pm, you can drop off non-perishable food items at participating Loblaws, Metro, Real Canadian Superstore, and YIG locations. Ottawa Food Bank volunteers will be collecting donations at the entrance of the grocery stores. Monetary donations can also be made through the Ottawa Food Bank's website here. This spring season, the most needed items are cereal, canned tomatoes, and oats. Locally, participating locations include
- Loblaws, 100 McArthur Avenue
- Loblaws, 1980 Ogilvie Road
- Metro, 50 Beechwood Avenue
- Metro, 1930 Montreal Road
More information is available at www.ottawafoodbank.ca.
Free - Strong and Steady Fall Prevention Program for older adults
The Strong and Steady program is a free, 10-week fall prevention exercise program designed to help adults aged 65+ improve strength, balance, and mobility. Classes are designed for beginners, held twice a week and there is no cost to join. Limited spaces are available, so register today or add your name to the waiting list for the following local class options:
- Virtual on Zoom - March 17 to June 11, 2026; Tuesday and Thursday, 10:30 to 11:30 am
- Overbrook Community Centre, 33 Quill Street - April 1 to June 5; Monday and Friday, 1:00 to 2:00 pm
- African, Caribbean, and Black Wellness Resource Centre, 610 Donald Street - April 2 – June 9, 2026; Tuesday and Thursday, 10:30 to 11:30 am. To join classes, visit the registration link
- Ottawa West Community Support - Ottawa Community Housing, 540 Thomson Street; April 8 to June 15, 2026; Monday and Wednesday, 1 to 2 pm
Get ready for a wild, high-stakes animated adventure that proves anyone can be a hero! Ottawa Family Cinema, located at 815 St. Laurent Boulevard, presents GOAT in 3D on Saturday, March 28 at 2 pm. For details and tickets, visit www.familycinema.ca.
Flamenco For Food and Fun Project - March 28
Enjoy an evening of passionate music and dance hosted by Sueños Flamencos at the New Edinburgh Park Fieldhouse, 203 Stanley Avenue! Includes a Flamenco presentation by Sueños Flamencos (and students), Mini flamenco lesson: palmas, cante, baile y guitarra (clapping, singing, dancing, and guitar); and Juerga (flamenco party for all). The event takes place March 28 from 6:30 to 11 pm. Doors open at 6 pm. Admission is free. If you are able, please bring non-perishable food items for the Partage Vanier Food Bank and your reusable travel mug for FREE tea! Enjoy an unforgettable night of flamenco music and dance, while giving back to the community. Details: www.newedinburgh.ca
Vanier Sugar Festival - March 28 & 29
On Saturday, March 28, and Sunday, March 29, from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm, everyone is welcome to the Vanier Sugar Festival. Children and adults alike can enjoy a wide variety of free activities, as well as a few paid activities on site. Richelieu Park will come alive with the sounds and traditions of the sugar season: performances by local artists, a traditional sugar shack breakfast, a lumberjack competition, axe throwing, delicious maple taffy, and much more. The music stage will offer free performances. Details are available on the Festival’s web page. The Vanier Museopark is looking for volunteers for the Sugar Shack Festival. Several shifts are available. Sign up here.
Tax Clinics in Rideau-Rockcliffe Ward
- Need help filing your taxes? Ottawa-Vanier-Gloucester MP Mona Fortier and Ottawa-Vanier MPP Lucille Collard host free tax clinics on March 28 and April 11, 18 and 25 from 9 am to 12 pm at 233 Montreal Road. Book a timeslot by calling 613-998-1860 or emailing [email protected].
- The African, Caribbean & Black Wellness Resource Centre hosts free tax clinics every Saturday until April 25, from 10 am to 2 pm, at 610 Donald Street. No appointment needed. First come, first served. Please bring your documents. For details, please email [email protected].
- The Rideau-Rockcliffe Community Resource Centre at 815 St. Laurent Boulevard offers a free income tax clinic for Rideau-Rockcliffe residents (area codes K1K, K1M and some K1G) until April 30. Appointments are required and are being accepted at this link. For those with barriers to booking online, please call 613-745-0073 ext. 180. For details, please visit Facebook.
Overnight work - Montreal and Cummings - March 29 to April 8
Overnight construction will be required March 29 to April 8, from 7 pm to 6 am, in order to avoid major daytime traffic impacts. This work is part of Enbridge's St. Laurent Pipeline Replacement Project. A new gas main is being installed. Construction will take place 30 metres south of the intersection of Montreal Road and Cummings Avenue, extending westbound along Montreal Road, continuing approximately 30 metres north along Brittany Drive, and extending further west past the plaza at 548 Montreal Road. Construction noise is expected with the use of a hydrovac, excavator, backhoe and trucks.
de l’Église Street and Blake Street watermain and sewer integrated renewal - Public Open House - March 31
Residents are invited to attend a drop-in public information session on March 31 from 6 to 8 pm at The Bridge Public House in the Rideau Room, at 1 Donald Street, to discuss the integrated watermain and sewer renewal project planned for de l’Église Street, from Montreal Road to McArthur Road, and Blake Street for 172 metres west from de l’Église Street. Preliminary design drawings will be on display and staff will be present to answer any questions and receive comments. There will not be a formal presentation at this open house. Please attend at your leisure. The information materials will be available at this link for review and comments after the open house. Feedback is welcome by April 14.
What: The project includes watermain and sewer replacements, along with full road reconstruction featuring new pavement, sidewalks, traffic-calming measures, and bicycle infrastructure.More information is available at ottawa.ca/delEgliseStreet.
Tree Trimming and Power Outage - Hillcrest Road, Montagu Place and Thorold Road - April 2
Hydro Ottawa will be undertaking tree trimming and vegetation management. To safely perform this essential work, a planned power outage is required on April 2, 2026, between 8 am and 4 pm, which will impact customers on Hillcrest Road, Montagu Place and Thorold Road. All affected customers are contacted by phone, text or email and informed by a written notice delivered to their door. Traffic control and lane reductions will be implemented to ensure that roads and sidewalks remain safe for residents and staff. Construction activities will occur on the City of Ottawa Road Right-of-Way.
Designing for Connection and Belonging. - Exhibition April 7
St. Laurent Complex update - Full operations resume April 7
St. Laurent Complex has been the focus of a significant rehabilitation project involving multiple areas of the facility.
The work includes full replacement of the roof over the pool changerooms, reception area, weight room, dance studio and hallways, as well as a complete renovation of the pool changerooms with new flooring, walls, fixtures, lighting, lockers, ventilation systems, and the addition of cooling to improve user comfort. The upgraded changerooms will now meet current accessibility standards. The project also includes installation of a new chiller system serving the entire complex, new doors and windows at all access points, updated flooring in activity rooms and common areas, and improvements to the facility’s security systems.
Due to the complexity of the roof work, the construction timeline was extended, affecting pool use during the winter session.
The complex, including the swimming pool and changerooms, is anticipated to be fully operational on April 7. Public swims, family swims, lane swims, and aquafit programs are expected to resume at that time, and the spring swimming lesson session is also scheduled to begin that same week.
Plant Your Place tree-planting programs - registration now open for city-wide tree distribution; registration for priority areas opens April 8
The Plant Your Place! program returns with two ways to get a free tree:
- City-Wide Tree Distribution: Open to any City of Ottawa resident. Pick up a free tree and plant it yourself. 16 species to choose from. Registration now open.
- Full-Service Tree Planting: Available to residents in designated priority areas. Registration opens April 8. In Rideau-Rockcliffe, the designated inner urban priority area is Cummings-Cyrville.
For details and to register, visit www.plantyourplace.ca
Adult financial literary program for African, Caribbean and Black residents - registration now open
The African, Caribbean & Black Wellness Resource Centre, located at 610 Donald Street, is preparing to launch its Adult Literacy Program, a free eight-week session designed to help adults build confidence with money and learn practical skills for a brighter financial future. Topics include budgeting, managing credit, savings, employment, and planning for the future. Registration is now open. For details, please visit Facebook. To reserve your spot, please complete this form.
Mental health and wellness workshops for Black and Racialized Youth - until June 30
Black and racialized youth ages 14 and up are invited to participate in the African, Caribbean & Black Wellness Resource Centre's Rooted & Rising Workshop on mental health, wellness and identify, every other Tuesday from March 24 to June 30, 5 to 7 pm, at 610 Donald Street. Participation is free. Participants will be credited for volunteer hours. For details and to reserve your spot, visit Eventbrite.
Volunteer Week Celebration Breakfast - April 24
Volunteer Ottawa’s Volunteer Week Celebration is an annual gathering that brings together everyone involved in Ottawa’s non-profit, charitable, and volunteer sectors to celebrate the impact of volunteering and strengthen cross-sector connections. The 2026 edition, Connected Ottawa, marks an exciting collaboration with Rideau-Rockcliffe Councillor Rawlson King and will be hosted at Ottawa City Hall, elevating the event’s civic profile and reinforcing the importance of volunteering as a shared community responsibility. The breakfast event takes place April 24, from 7 am to 10 am, at Ottawa City Hall's Jean Pigott Place, 110 Laurier Avenue West. This event welcomes community leaders and advocates, non-profit and charity leaders, volunteer managers and coordinators, funders and corporate partners and municipal representatives and sector allies. Admission is free. Advance registration is required.
Road closures - Arundel Avenue and Farnham Crescent - until April 24
The City of Ottawa has commenced construction on the new sewers, watermains and associated road rehabilitation work as part of the Jeffrey Avenue, Arundel Avenue, Farnham Crescent et al integrated renewal project. To facilitate the installation of the works, the City of Ottawa has approved the closure of portions of Arundel Avenue and Farnham Crescent as outlined below. Local access will be maintained for the affected roads noted above, notably Farnham Crescent, from the dead end to the cul-de-sac. No other access through the closure will be available.
What: A full road closure of a portion of Arundel Avenue and a portion of Farnham Crescent.Details: ottawa.ca/ArundelAvenue
City of Ottawa News, Events and Engagement Opportunities
Spring is almost here. Registration for the Cleaning the Capital Spring campaign opens March 27, with litter cleanup projects taking place across our city between April 15 and May 31. The online registration form is available on the Cleaning the Capital webpage. Residents are encouraged to review the interactive map prior to registering to view the locations and dates of all registered cleanup projects in their communities. Participants can choose to clean public spaces such as parks and greenspaces, roadsides, shorelines, or even areas around bus stops. Cleanup kits, which include nitrile gloves and garbage bags, will be made available for pickup by registrants between April 2 and May 15 at fourteen City of Ottawa facilities across the city.
Community Greening and Gardening Information Session - March 31; intake period is April 7 to May 5
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- Intake period for new or expanded projects on City land: April 7 to May 5, 2026.
- In-person information session: Tuesday March 31st from 6 to 8 pm at the Nepean Sportsplex in Hall A. This information session will provide details about the program and guide applicants through the application process.
Black maternal health, reproductive justice, and collective wellbeing - Conference April 2
Join the Canadian Women of Colour Leadership Network for a powerful, community-rooted gathering focused on Black maternal health, reproductive justice, and collective wellbeing. This conference brings together Black mothers and birthing people, families, community members, health and wellness leaders, advocates, and partners for a full day of learning, dialogue, connection, and shared action — grounded in lived experience, community voice, and collective care. The conference takes place April 2, from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm, at the Ottawa Birth and Wellness Centre, 2260 Walkley Road. Admission is free. Registration is required at this link.
Extreme Weather Preparedness Grant - proposed pilot program - Survey open until April 3
The City is developing a new pilot program to improve local communities’ ability to prepare for extreme weather events and we’re looking for your input!
Goal: Build capacity of local community organizations to help them prepare for and recover from extreme weather events.For details and to complete the survey, please visit Engage Ottawa. The survey is open until 5 pm on Friday, April 3.
Enhancing Access to Spaces for Everyone (EASE) Grant - deadline is May 7; info webinars April 7 and 23
The Ontario government is investing $2.25 million to protect, strengthen and expand access to inclusive, barrier free community spaces across the province. Ontario has opened applications for the second round of the Enhancing Access to Spaces for Everyone (EASE) Grant, which awards up to $60,000 for small capital projects that improve accessibility and support active, healthy lifestyles for people with disabilities and older adults. The EASE Grant program is open to Indigenous communities and incorporated not-for-profit organizations and municipalities. The deadline to apply is May 7 at 5 pm. Four English- and French-language information webinars will take place April 8 and 23. For details and to apply or to register for an information session, please visit ontario.ca.
All about your property: Landscaping Education Guide; Updated Bylaw takes effect April 8
Are you a contractor looking to learn about the City's rules related to landscaping? Are you a homeowner preparing for an outdoor renovation project? Whether it is installing a pool, building a fence, adding a new driveway, or beautifying your backyard, the Landscaping Education Guide includes important information to assist you with your landscaping and hardscaping projects. Please note that the guide references the Access By-law, which outlines new regulations for driveways and walkways in the right of way. The Access By-law, formerly the Private Approach By-law, comes into effect on April 8, 2026. For more information, please visit ottawa.ca.
Community Environmental Projects Grant Program - open until April 10
The Community Environmental Projects Grant Program (CEPGP) is being offered once again for 2026. The City is now accepting applications. Applications can be submitted from now until April 10. To receive updates related to the program please send your request to [email protected]. This year, the annual budget for the program has increased from $102,000 to $204,000. The additional $102,000 in funds will be specifically directed to projects that support the City’s Solid Waste Master Plan along the themes of waste avoidance, reduction, and reuse. The other $102,000.00 will continue to support a broad range of environmentally sustainable projects. Project funding has ranged from $200 to $10,500, with an average grant of roughly $3,200. Details: ottawa.ca
Emergency Services Updates
Spring is here; the ice is not safe
