General questions, concerns, frustration about infrastructure capacity
I hear your concerns and questions regarding the capacity of the City’s stormwater infrastructure, with how large the impact of this flooding was across the area. I have been been in conversation with staff from the Infrastructure and Water Services (IWSD) department, asking and collecting these questions from residents regarding the current state of the City’s infrastructure. We know that staff at IWSD have a review of their department’s response and the operations of the City’s stormwater infrastructure during last week’s storm. We should receive more information from staff on this review soon, that we’ll plan to share with residents when we receive it.
The storms on July 1st led to our infrastructure receiving an insane amount of water in such a short amount of time, which is difficult not to overwhelm any infrastructure system, even ones that are operating correctly.
Regardless, if there are changes and improvements that need to be made to better support residents and alleviate extensive flooding like this in the future, I am ready to fight for what is needed for our community.
Emergency Preparedness Questions
There are going to be many conversations coming out of this with staff around how we better prepare for emergencies like this in the future. We are asking and collecting these larger questions from residents, to start a conversation thinking about how we can learn from this storm and be better prepared at all levels in the future.
I am currently preparing an inquiry that will be presented shortly to Council requesting an after-action review of the City’s response to the storm. This will involve multiple departments, with the goal of breaking down where our current processes are working, and where they can be improved. This isn’t going to be a quick fix, but we are doing what we can to drive this well-needed conversation forward.
Requests for additional funding support
With your question around financial assistance to support folks impacted by the flooding, we’ve prepared a list of currently available grants and supports that may be worth exploring.
I have also advocated alongside our local MPPs to call on the Province to assess Ottawa immediately for additional relief for residents through the Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians Program. This would open a new line of funding for residents affected by the flooding to afford new supports in cleaning up the damage they’ve experienced.
Support for seniors and vulnerable residents
While the City is supporting residents through enhanced waste collection and other recovery services, cleanup inside private homes remains the responsibility of homeowners, insurers, or qualified restoration contractors. Many residents have been able to complete cleanup efforts with the support of family, neighbours, insurance providers, or contractors.
In some circumstances, however, additional assistance may be required. This has been slow to come, and unfortunately, many services that would normally respond have been deployed to other parts of the country. City staff are working really hard to try and coordinate support.
If you know someone who is unable to safely manage flood recovery, please email our office, or ask them to reach out to 311 for support. We can connect them with the City's dedicated support team, who will assess their needs and help coordinate available assistance, as well as a wellness check if needed.
Residents who have been displaced or who require temporary emergency accommodation as a result of flooding are encouraged to contact 3-1-1 for an assessment and support.
Update on the Additional Waste Collection Services currently underway
- Since Monday, July 6th, there have been Special Collection operation crews out and about in our neighbourhoods picking up all storm-related debris in College Ward. We’ve heard from staff today that, by tomorrow morning, everyone in flood-impacted neighbourhoods will have had one pass with the special collection trucks.
- The trucks are now going to pivot to the other flood-affected Wards to give them all one pass of garbage collection as well. They’ll then regroup closer to the end of the week to see how much more garbage is out on the curb in College Ward, and when they’ll plan to schedule the next garbage collection passes for our area.
- While we don’t have the confirmed timeline for the next planned collection of flood-related garbage in our area, there will be another collection of garbage from the flooding sometime next week, to help grab any additional waste as people are beginning to clean up the damage from the flood. Residents are being asked not to make additional service requests if waste is left behind for the time being.
- Trail Waste Landfill will continue to collect storm-related waste for free from residents. This also includes construction-related material, like drywall, carpet, etc. damaged during the flood.
- As this service is only being offered to folks who have demonstrated flooding damage, the only thing that is required of residents is your 311 service request number from reporting your flooding to the City, as well as proof of address, and then your materials can be dropped off there for free.
- Please feel free to visit the City’s storm-related waste website if you have any more questions about this additional collection, what is eligible to be collected, and more. If you have additional questions, don’t hesitate to reach back out to our office as well!
- Please note that, due to the large volume of material anticipated, crews may not be able to collect everything at your curb in one visit. It might take a few trips to collect all the waste at your curb. Residents are being asked not to make additional service requests if waste is left behind, as it will be collected at a later date.
- On your regular collection day, the 3-garbage item limit has temporarily been lifted, so you can place out additional storm-related debris alongside your regular garbage collection as well for pick up.
- Residents are encouraged to continue using their green bin to dispose of spoiled food and other organic waste resulting from extended power outages. Green bin service occurs weekly on your regular collection day, and there is no limit to the amount of organic waste that can be set out. As temporary measure and in support of storm response waste collection, if you have more food waste material than will fit in your green bin, you can place additional garbage bags beside it. Clearly label each garbage bag "Green Bin." These materials will be collected with your regularly scheduled pickup.
Ben Franklin Place Updates
Ben Franklin Place is currently closed following significant water infiltration and flooding, caused by the July 1 extreme weather event. This includes the Centrepoine Branch of the Ottawa Public Library.
At this time, the facility is expected to remain closed until at least July 13. This timeline remains subject to change as assessments and restoration work continue. We are working to better understand the full extent of the impacts and will provide further updates as more information becomes available.
We have confirmed that water intrusion is localized to the lower levels of the building and has affected several building systems.
To continue serving residents, Client Service Centre services normally available at Ben Franklin Place are being provided at the following locations:
- Provincial Offences Court, 100 Constellation Drive
- Ottawa City Hall, 110 Laurier Avenue West
- Orleans Client Service Centre, 255 Centrum Boulevard
Meetings scheduled for Ben Franklin Place have been accommodated at other City sites or postponed.
Our priority is ensuring the safety of staff and visitors while minimizing disruption. We will share updates as the damage assessment progresses and a clearer timeline for reopening becomes available.
Parking and Bylaw Enforcement
I wanted to provide you with an update regarding parking enforcement in areas affected by the recent flooding.
Recognizing the significant challenges many residents are currently facing, officers have been directed to exercise discretion and provide consideration for parking offences where the circumstances are directly related to the impacts of the flooding. Our priority is to support residents during this difficult time, while maintaining a reasonable and compassionate approach to enforcement.
Parking Control Officers will continue to issue tickets in cases where vehicles are creating safety concerns or posing a risk to the public, such as blocking emergency access, obstructing traffic or creating other hazardous conditions. These situations require enforcement to ensure the safety of pedestrians and motorists, while ensuring access is maintained for emergency vehicles.
We appreciate that this has been a difficult time for many members of the community, and our staff are approaching these situations with empathy. We hope this balanced approach provides flexibility where appropriate while ensuring that public safety and mobility remains our foremost priority
Community information hubs
The City is opening information hubs for residents that were impacted by the extreme weather event on Wednesday, July 1. Staff will be onsite to answer questions and provide information on programs, resources and safety.
The following community information hubs will be open tomorrow, Friday, July 10 from 12 to 7 pm:
Ottawa Public Library - Beaverbrook - 2500 Campeau Drive
Ron Kolbus Centre - 102 Greenview Avenue
Ottawa Public Library - Centennial - 3870 Old Richmond Road
Nepean Sportsplex, Entrance 1 - 1701 Woodroffe Avenue
Ottawa Public Library - Emerald Plaza - 1547 Merivale Road
The locations and hours of these community information hubs are subject to change based on demand. Be sure to check this webpage before visiting a community information hub.
In addition, the City is planning some community resource centres where residents can drop in to receive information and guidance to assist with the safe cleanup of their homes. Additional details, including dates and locations, will be shared as soon as possible.
Available Financial Programs and Resources
The Compassionate Grant provides financial assistance to qualified City of Ottawa property owners and tenants affected by flooding due to a sewer surcharge event.
The Residential Protective Plumbing program provides financial assistance to qualified City of Ottawa property owners for the installation of protective plumbing devices such as sump pumps and storm and sanitary backwater valves.
Rain Ready Ottawa offers:
- Information on projects for your home including a series of self-guided eLearning courses to help you implement rainwater management projects
- Rebates up to $5,000 to help you install practices that help manage rainwater where it falls
The City of Ottawa's financial assistance program for victims of crisis and emergencies, including floods.
The Insurance Bureau of Canada has also activated its Virtual Community Assistance Mobile Pavilion (V-CAMP) to provide one-on-one support for residents with insurance-related questions. You can reach the IBC Consumer Information Centre at 1-844-2ask-IBC (1-844-227-5422) for guidance and assistance.
Additional City Resources
On cleaning tips and identifying mold, resources can be found here: Flooding Summer 2026. We also have specific resources, including a 7-Steps To Cleaning Your Home After Flooding page, as well as additional information on Cleaning up after a flood, including what items should be discarded, and protecting your health and safety during a cleanup.
You may also want to consider sharing resources on responding to stressful events. Witnessing or experiencing stressful events can affect mental health. The impact of stress can be immediate or delayed. People can feel a range of emotions and reactions which can affect thinking and physical health. A person might have trouble sleeping, eating or paying attention. If these feelings are affecting day-to-day life, please ask for help.
Flooding Emergency: A Guide for Ottawa West–Nepean Tenants
Ottawa West-Nepean MPP Chandra Pasma has put together a guide for tenants who have been flooded.
It helps tenants understand their rights, what steps to take after a flood, available supports, and where to find legal and community resources.
Download the guide here:
Flooding Emergency A Guide for Ottawa West–Nepean Tenants
Counselling Services
I know you're all working hard to get life back to normal. Please look after your mental health, too - it's been a stressful week.
We have lots of resources available, including the Jewish Family Services, which offers counselling to everybody. They provide walk in counselling support throughout the city, and in a number of languages. JFS is the lead agency and we run our clinics on weds 12-8 and Sundays 12-5.
Call, write, and stay up to date
As City Councillor, my team and I can help you with issues that fall within the municipal areas of responsibility: local traffic calming; infrastructure like sidewalks, roads, and bike lanes; municipal tax statements; some social services; parks and recreation; and more. Please note that I cannot help you with parking tickets or other provincial infractions - to attempt to do so is illegal.
Here's how to stay up to date on College Ward news and events, and to contact me:
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: college-ward.ca
Pour nous appeler, nous écrire et vous informer
Mon équipe et moi, en tant que conseillère municipale, pouvons vous aider avec les questions qui relèvent des domaines de responsabilité municipale : la modération de la circulation locale, les infrastructures comme les trottoirs, les routes et les bandes cyclables, les relevés d’imposition municipale, certains services sociaux, les parcs et services récréatifs et plus encore. Veuillez noter que je ne peux vous aider en ce qui concerne les contraventions de stationnement ou les infractions provinciales – le faire serait illégal.
Pour connaître les nouvelles et événements du quartier Collège et communiquer avec moi :
Courriel : [email protected]
Site Web : quartier-college.ca
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