Ottawa’s 2025 Draft Budget is complex. With well over 100 service areas and nearly $5-billion in proposed operating expenses, the budget book is hundreds of pages deep. Throughout November and December, city committees are reviewing each departmental budget, making sure the budget reflects resident priorities and city priorities.
There’s a ton of information online at ottawa.ca/budget/ and a good place to start is with the Draft Budget 2025 Magazine and Explorer. I’ve also pulled out some highlights of individual budget items that address Stittsville issues.
Stittsville-specific priorities
- $10.4-million to start the upgrade of Carp Road in 2025. That money will be used for land acquisition and the start of construction work. Then in 2026, there is another $56.6-million representing the balance of the project cost. We expect the project to take 2-3 years to complete.
- There’s $2.3-million for 22 new firefighters who will work out of Station 81 on Stittsville Main Street, alongside the current volunteers
- There’s $739,000 to begin detailed design and construction of Fernbank District Park (near Abbott and the Trans Canada Trail, east of Robert Grant Avenue)
- $430,000 for the completion of the Johnwoods sidewalk improvements, between Alon and Hazeldean
- $150,000 for play equipment at Crossway Park in the Connections neighbourhood
- $87,500 for road safety measures in Stittsville
City-wide initiatives
- $2.4-million to hire 23 new paramedics, and $600,000 to procure two new vehicles to help address rising response volumes.
- $1.3-million for 10 new By-law and Regulatory Service staff and eight new by-law vehicles to improve response times.
- An 11% increase in the OC Transpo budget to support new LRT extensions, improve reliability, and enhance Para Transpo services. That includes $75-million for bus replacements and a $12.9-million increase in Transit fleet maintenance to support service reliability.
- $22.9-million to support construction of 565 new affordable homes and supportive housing by non-profit housing providers.
- $450,000 to support free drop-in activities for children and youth at City facilities through Free Play.
- $245.1-million for integrated rehabilitation projects and make sure city road infrastructure remains in good working order.
- $10.5-million for new cycling infrastructure and multi-use paths.
- $3.1-million for emerging natural area management including funds to secure and conserve important greenspaces and environmental lands.
- $2.8-million for generators in recreation facilities and fire stations for climate resiliency.
- $30.8-million to support more than 100 non-profit social service agencies to address the root causes of poverty.
- $18-million for road safety initiatives, including increased investments in pedestrian crossovers, Pedestrian Access and Intersection Ramping Program, and new traffic control devices programs.
- $16-million through the Ontario-Ottawa agreement to address safety issues downtown and on transit.
- $2.3-million for tree planting programs across the City.