Orléans South-Navan Community Update | August 14th, 2026

Aug 14

10 min read

Councillor's Message

Did the summer absolutely fly by for anyone else!?

I hope all the students, teachers, staff and bus drivers heading back to school starting next week have an excellent transition into the new scholastic year. A reminder to all that with more little ones on the road, please be mindful of your speeds and obey all traffic regulations, especially in school zones!

I hope you took the time to enjoy the season and recharge your batteries. My team and I remain hard at work, and we’re always here to assist with any of your needs. In fact, we continue to see a record number of cases and inquiries come in, and we’re committed to working on your behalf to push things along as we always do.

I’ll be spending much of tonight and tomorrow out in the community, and I’m looking forward to what is always one of my favourite weekends of the year in Ward 19! The Chapel Hill South Summer Sizzler and Canada Day Take 2 fireworks are happening tonight (Friday), followed by the Greater Avalon Summer Fest and BECA Annual BBQ tomorrow (Saturday). The Heart of Orléans is also hosting a Night Market and Movie Night tomorrow from 6 to 10 pm at 250 Centrum Blvd. With so many great events on the calendar, there are plenty of opportunities to get outside, connect with neighbours and enjoy everything our community has to offer.

A huge thank you to all of the community association volunteers who put so much time and energy into making weekends like this possible. I hope to see lots of familiar faces as I make my way around Ward 19 this weekend!

I want to express my immense gratitude to the dedicated volunteers of the Navan Fair Board, who just wrapped up the 79th Navan Fair! This event is a community favourite, and it runs so smoothly every year thanks to the tireless efforts of volunteers who plan year-round. It was a blast seeing so many of you, and a special thank you to those who stopped by my booth.

I’m already looking forward to celebrating the big 80th edition next year!

Update on the intersection widening project at Brian Coburn and Tenth Line

I know many residents have noticed that work on the eastbound lane widening project at Brian Coburn Boulevard and Tenth Line Road has been at a standstill over the past several weeks.

Unfortunately, work had to be paused due to a legal issue involving an adjacent private property owner. I had hoped the matter would have been resolved by now, but discussions remain ongoing.

At this point, I do not have a firm timeline for when construction will resume. I share residents' frustration with the delay. Please know I follow up weekly for new information. This was a hard-fought project that will provide much-needed additional capacity at one of the busiest intersections in our community, and I want to see it completed as soon as possible.

I have made it clear to City staff that I do not want us to lose the remainder of this construction season. My office will continue to push for the outstanding issue to be resolved and for work to resume as quickly as possible.

As soon as I have a meaningful update on the timeline, I will share it with the community. Thank you for your continued patience.

Copperhead Street full closure for Mer Bleue/Decoeur intersection improvements

Starting Monday, August 17, Copperhead Street will be temporarily closed between Alpenstock Avenue and Mer Bleue Road until Friday, August 21 to allow for work as part of the Mer Bleue/Decoeur Intersection Improvement project.

The work includes full road excavation, relocating a fire hydrant, rebuilding the road base, and constructing new curbs and sidewalks.

Access through the work zone will be restricted during construction. Local access will be maintained where possible, but residents should expect delays and follow all posted detour signage. Pedestrians are asked to use the designated routes around the work area.

Thank you for your patience as these important infrastructure improvements are completed. Work is weather dependent and the schedule may change if necessary.

Fall transit changes announced ahead of back-to-school and return to office

As many of you know, I have consistently raised concerns about the federal Return to Office requirements and what they will mean for mobility in our community. My position has not changed: I remain deeply concerned that our transportation network is not ready to absorb the increase in travel demand.

The reality is that thousands of additional commuters will soon be back on our roads this September. With that in mind, I want to share several transit improvements coming this fall, including a new direct shuttle between Chapel Hill and Blair Station that I have been advocating to secure for quite some time.

New Route 526: Direct peak-period shuttle between Blair and Chapel Hill Stations with no intermediate stops, operating every 40 minutes from 6:30 am to 9:30 am.
New Route 539: Peak-period shuttle stooping only at Millennium, Trim, Place d'Orléans, and Blair stations. Three trips departing at 6:30, 7:30, and 9 am.
Route 24: Additional trips serving the Chapel Hill Park & Ride.
Route 30: Schedule adjustments aimed at improving reliability, along with additional peak-period trips to increase frequency.
Line 1 LRT: Peak service will increase to double-car trains every four minutes, while off-peak service will improve from every 10 minutes to every six minutes.

I have no illusions that these changes alone will solve the transportation challenges facing our community. As I shared at our last Council meeting, a few million dollars in service improvements cannot undo years of transportation infrastructure failing to keep pace with the growth our community has experienced. That is why I have remained focused on moving the major transportation projects our community needs from planning and design toward construction.

Those long-term investments remain essential. In the meantime, September is fast approaching, and we need to do what we can to prepare.

Residents are encouraged to attend OC Transpo's upcoming customer information session on Wednesday, August 19, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at the Bob MacQuarrie Recreation Complex. This will be an opportunity to hear directly from senior leadership and ask questions about the upcoming service changes. I will see you there.

Stage 2 East Extension update

I also want to acknowledge the continued frustration surrounding the delayed opening of the Stage 2 East Extension. With substantial completion achieved back in March, residents have understandably been asking when the required 21-day trial running period will begin and, ultimately, when they will finally be able to ride the train.

Updates on major transit projects would typically come forward at Transit Commission meetings. However, with no meetings scheduled in either July or August, we were facing a particularly critical stretch for the East Extension without a formal opportunity for Council or the public to receive an update. I did not think it was reasonable to wait until September. For the past several weeks, I have been pressing OC Transpo and senior City staff for more detailed information to be shared with residents about where things stand, what remains outstanding and what needs to happen before trial running can begin.

At my urging, Council received a memo yesterday providing some of that additional detail. OC Transpo says it is now undertaking “final readiness activities,” and residents should expect to see an increasing number of out-of-service trains operating between Blair and Trim as the system is exercised ahead of pre-trial and trial running.

We also learned that approximately 80% of the fleet required for trial running has now been equipped with the new condition-monitoring technology, known as “Smart Bugs,” being installed in response to the cartridge bearing assembly issue. Staff expect to have enough vehicles equipped to support trial running by the end of August.

This is progress, and I am glad my push for an interim update has resulted in a bit more information being made public rather than residents having to wait until the September Transit Commission meeting. But I remain frustrated that we still do not have a firm date for the start of trial running or a clearer opening timeline beyond the expectation that service will begin “later this year.”

East-end residents have been waiting a long time for this extension. At this stage of the project, they deserve clear and proactive communication about what remains outstanding, which milestones still need to be reached and when they can reasonably expect to begin using the system.

I will continue pressing for answers and greater transparency until we have a clear path to trial running and, ultimately, opening day.

Hydro One vegetation management work ahead of schedule

Earlier this week, Hydro One began emergency vegetation management work within its transmission corridor between Tenth Line Road and Trim Road to help maintain a safe and reliable electricity supply to Orléans.

During a recent inspection, Hydro One identified a significant number of trees growing too close to the transmission lines. While pruning is considered whenever possible, the utility determined that many of these trees would eventually grow, or had already grown, into the required safety clearance. In these cases, repeated pruning would remove too much of the living tree, leaving it unhealthy and unstable and making removal the safer long-term solution.

When I was first advised of the upcoming work, I requested a tour of the transmission corridor with Hydro One to better understand the scope of the project. I joined Hydro One representatives on-site, along with Councillor Matt Luloff, whose ward is also affected, to review the areas where tree removal was required, better understand the technical rationale behind the work and discuss opportunities to minimize impacts wherever possible.

One important factor that is not always obvious is that transmission lines are not fixed in place. As temperatures rise and electricity demand increases during the summer months, the lines naturally expand and sag lower than they do under cooler conditions. Hydro One must therefore maintain sufficient clearance between vegetation and the lines under a range of operating conditions.

As of today, Hydro One has advised that the project is progressing significantly ahead of schedule. The work was originally expected to take approximately six to eight weeks, but additional resources and forestry crews were dedicated to the corridor, allowing the tree removal work to advance much more quickly than anticipated.

The tree removal portion of the project is now substantially complete, with Hydro One's forestry team conducting a final verification of the corridor.

While the bulk of the vegetation removal is complete, residents will continue to see crews in the area over the coming weeks as the project moves into its restoration phase. Stump removal is expected to begin once the necessary utility locates have been approved, which Hydro One anticipates will be no earlier than August 24. Restoration work will follow, with grass seeding expected to begin September 1 in accordance with City requirements.

Given the scale and visibility of this work, I know it has generated significant interest and concern from residents living near the corridor. My office has been forwarding questions and concerns to Hydro One throughout the project, and Hydro One has been responding directly to residents, including conducting site visits where appropriate.

I appreciate those who has reached out to my office with questions or concerns. We will continue working with Hydro One as the remaining restoration work is completed and will continue to raise any site-specific concerns brought to our attention.

Have your say on the new Montrichard Park

The City of Ottawa is seeking your input regarding the design of the park in the Provence subdivision. This is a new park located at 561 Montrichard Road, this park is located at the intersection of Montrichard Road and Dick Brown Street.

You’re invited to identify your preferred option and to provide comments on the proposed equipment.

I also want residents to know that I have already initiated discussions with City staff about opportunities to incorporate additional inclusive and accessible features into the park.

Take the short survey here to share your preferred option and any additional comments.

The survey will be open until August 28, 2026.

TOMORROW - Bradley Estates Community Association Family Fun Day

Join the Bradley Estates Community Association tomorrow, Saturday, August 15, starting at 2 pm for their annual BBQ.

It takes place at Goldfinch Park (280 Joshua Street). They’ll be a free BBQ (while supplies last), activities for the kids, and music. If you can, please bring a cash donation for the Life Centre Foodbank as well.

TOMORROW – Greater Avalon Community Association’s Summer Fest

Join the Greater Avalon Community Association for their Summer Fest event! Bring the whole family for a fun-filled day featuring inflatables, community fun, and summer vibes as they celebrate Ottawa’s 200th anniversary together.

It’s taking place tomorrow, Saturday, August 15, from 10 am – 2 pm at Aquaview Park (318 Aquaview Drive).

Help choose what represents Orléans South-Navan for the next 50 years

As part of Ottawa's Bytown 200 celebrations, the City is creating a time capsule that will be opened 50 years from now.

I'd love your help suggesting what should represent Ward 19.

What small item, photo, document, keepsake, or symbol do you think best captures our community today? Whether it reflects our rural roots, growing neighbourhoods, local traditions, community spirit, or a memorable moment in our history, I'd love to hear your ideas.

The time capsule has limited space, so only a handful of items can be selected, but I want the choices to reflect the people who call our community home.

Please send me your ideas by September 24. I look forward to hearing what you think should tell the story of Orléans South–Navan to residents 50 years from now.

To help preserve the contents for the next 50 years, some items cannot be accepted, including food or liquids, batteries, matches or other hazardous materials, unstable paper products such as photocopies or fax paper, rubber, certain plastics, silk and wool. If you're unsure whether your idea is suitable, feel free to send it along anyway.

New Ottawa Public Health immunization clinic opens on Merivale Road

This week, I was pleased to join Ottawa Public Health staff, Councillors' Laine Johnson and Sean Devine, Medical Officer of Health Trevor Arnason, and community partners for the official opening of the new Merivale Immunization Clinic at 1580 Merivale Road.

The new clinic provides a dedicated, permanent space where children, youth, families and individuals can access immunization services, with a particular focus on supporting residents who may face barriers to care or who do not have easy access to a primary care provider.

Improving access to routine and publicly funded vaccines is an important part of protecting the health of our community and preventing the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases across Ottawa.

Thank you to the dedicated Ottawa Public Health staff who helped bring this new clinic to life and who continue to provide accessible immunization services to residents across our city.

Share your memories of Cumberland Heritage Village Museum

In 2026, Cumberland Heritage Village Museum marks its 50th anniversary. To celebrate the occasion, we’re creating a memory wall filled with photos of the museum from past five decades. In addition to photographs from the museum’s archive, we’re inviting community members to submit photographs from 1976 to today to be included on the Memory Wall!

Whether the moment was big or small, your memories are a part of the museum’s story!

To learn more, please click here.