Newsletter - 20 February 2025
From the desk of Councillor David Brown
As everyone digs out from the back-to-back snowstorms, I wanted to give some information about the storms, the City’s response to date, and how we are managing the storm’s aftermath.
For some context, the last two storms were *BIG!* Ottawa has received over 116 centimetres of snow since mid-January and almost 70 centimeters fell over a 5-day period last week. Right now, Ottawa has a total snow depth of 91cm – that’s the deepest it's been at this time of year since 1971! It’s no wonder the snow is so deep; the weekend storm was the snowiest storm in over 3 years. And the storm last Thursday was the previous snowiest day in over 2 years. Combined, they packed quite the punch.
To meet this challenge, City crews have been out in force. With close to 600 pieces of equipment, operators worked around the clock to keep roads cleared. Snow falls accumulated at a rate of up to 6cm an hour. This, combined with extremely high winds, meant that the City’s winter road maintenance teams had to go back and forth multiple times to keep priority roads cleared throughout the storms. Crews on our roads have cumulatively travelled over 62,000km while clearing our transportation network since the first storm last week. That’s the equivalent of going around the world one and a half times, in a snowplow, during a storm!
Even so, there’s more work to do. The City is shifting its effort to snow removal operations, physically removing snow from the side of the road and transporting it to municipal snow storage facilities. Folks can expect to see City workers out in the community placing temporary ‘No Parking’ signs in snowbanks along the side of the roadway to prepare for snow removal – please make sure to observe these signs so that snow removal teams can get our roads fully cleared, cut back tall windrows, and improve sightlines at intersections. You will know that snow removal is taking place when you see temporary no parking signage in the community or line-ups of large trucks with snow being blown into the boxes.
These operations are expected to continue over the coming days and weeks. You can read more about these snow removal operations here: https://www.ward21.ca/news/winter-operations-update-tuesday-february18-34fmy
I am extremely grateful to all the operators who worked long, hard hours doing their best to keep our roads and sidewalks clear. I am also grateful to residents who have been extremely patient throughout the storms, as well as the many folks in our neighbourhoods who went the extra mile to help shovel out a neighbour or offer up their driveway to reduce street parking so the plows could get through.
If you believe a street or sidewalk has been missed by operators or if there is a hazard on the network that needs *urgent* attention, please file a 3-1-1 request: https://ottawa.ca/en/3-1-1/report-or-request/road-and-sidewalk-maintenance/snow-and-ice
Ward Updates
New Hours for Rural Branches of the Ottawa Public Library
Seven rural branches of the Ottawa Public Library (OPL) will have new opening hours. This change aims to provide more consistent service levels, improve the client experience, and create opportunities for programming and community engagement.
Starting March 3, opening hours at these following OPL rural branches will be changing: Richmond, Greely, Osgoode, Metcalfe, Constance Bay, Vernon, and Munster.
With this change, you can look forward to more programs, offered more often, and with greater variety at rural branches.
Check the OPL website for the new opening hours at Find an OPL Branch | Ottawa Public Library
Previous updates
Out & About
I was pleased to represent the Mayor, provide opening remarks, and present awards at the 2025 Ottawa Sports Awards Ceremony earlier this month.
The Osgoode Rideau Minor Hockey Association Puck Drop for Manotick Shiverfest at Centennial Park.
Enjoying a delicious pancake breakfast at Alfred Taylor Recreation Centre to celebrate North Gower's 61st Winter Carnival.
Chili Taste testing at the Munster Community Centre for Munster Winterfest, Yum!
Construction Updates
Road Resurfacing & Construction Impacts
Below is a updated list of roads that will be resurfaced or are being impacted by infrastructure work. There may be nighttime construction noise associated with some of these projects from the hours of 10:00pm to 7:00am.
Further updates will be provided as necessary about these projects and other planned road work.
Prince of Wales Drive from Longfield Drive to Barnsdale Road (ongoing)
Other Construction
Below are other ongoing construction projects and activities that may have local impacts, including closures and lane reductions:
-Multiple Roads on Long Island - Manotick Watermain Link (Phase 2)
-Brophy Drive between Moodie Drive and William McEwen Drive - one lane closure (until the end of the year) for two culvert renewal projects.
-Joy's Road between Franktown Road and Garvin Road - intermittent closures (until Spring 2025) for Hydro Ottawa pole line work.
-Ottawa Street West - Storm sewer and utility work.
A list of current and future construction project plans are listed on the Ward 21 website here. Any immediate or significant construction notices and/or development plans will be included in future newsletters.
**For more information about planned construction projects and road resurfacing plans across the city, please visit the online interactive map here.**
Community Events
You can check out the Ward 21 website at any time to see an up-to-date list of upcoming events.
In case you missed this week’s event newsletter, click here: Upcoming Community Events in Ward 21!
Stay in touch
I want to hear from you! Connect with the team and stay informed by:
Following us on social media by clicking the icons below
Visiting our website at www.ward21.ca
Emailing your concerns to ward21@ottawa.ca
Calling the office at 613-580-2491
Want to meet with Councillor Brown at his North Gower office? Email ward21@ottawa.ca to book an appointment.