 Last week, City Council tabled the 2026 Draft Budget — a detailed plan outlining how our city intends to invest in the year ahead. It’s a complex and extensive document, and my team and I are carefully reviewing the details to understand what it means for residents here in Orléans East-Cumberland. While I’m encouraged by some of what I’ve seen so far, I still have questions and will continue working through the documents.
Over the next several weeks, City committees and boards will meet to review their portions of the budget. I’ll be actively participating in these discussions and advocating for the needs of our community.
I want to highlight that I have some concerns about the transit portion of the draft budget, and I will be closely examining how the proposed funding translates into real, tangible improvements for residents in our ward.
As the LRT extension launches, it’s essential that residents living beyond the main highway corridor including all corners of Orléans have convenient and reliable access to the train through timely and dependable bus connections. My goal is for the LRT and OC Transpo to be a truly viable and convenient option for everyone, not an unreliable last resort or a service that’s overlooked entirely. While new growth is concentrated along the Orléans Economic Corridor and LRT line, we must also ensure effective transit connections for residents living outside these areas.
I’m not advocating for an increase to the transit levy, but I am strongly advocating for meaningful service improvements. Reliable and timely OC Transpo service not only provides more transportation options for east-end residents but also helps reduce congestion on Highway 174. Given that Orléans has the highest modal shift of any suburb in the city, it’s critical that we maximize the value of the LRT extension by enhancing surrounding bus service and connections, ensuring it delivers real benefits to our community.
This year’s budget also takes a balanced approach, investing in other key priority areas while remaining mindful of affordability and responsible financial management. My focus continues to be on ensuring that city investments tangibly improve people’s daily lives whether that’s safer streets, quicker access to emergency responders, or more reliable public services, all while avoiding unnecessary financial pressure on households.
I’m cautiously encouraged by the proposed investments in critical infrastructure repairs, which have the potential to maintain and improve our roads, pathways, and community facilities for years to come. I’m also pleased to share that the proposed investment for Ward 1 currently sits at over $10 million. Projects include sidewalk and pathway renewals, repairs to recreation facilities, culvert replacements, and other key upgrades. In the weeks ahead, I’ll be working with City staff to advocate for additional projects to be confirmed as funding from unallocated envelopes becomes available.
Affordability remains a significant concern for many families. As I continue reviewing the budget, my goal is to maintain the core services residents rely on while being mindful of the financial pressures households are already facing.
Your feedback is an important part of this process. I want to hear what matters most to you—your thoughts and ideas help guide my decisions at City Hall.
Whether you want to explore the full budget document, speak at a committee meeting, ask staff a question, or simply review the highlights, this newsletter is designed to help you navigate all things Draft Budget 2026.
As the budget process moves through committee and Council, I’ll continue sharing updates on the final list of projects and investments for our ward, and I’ll do everything I can to maximize the investment in Orléans East-Cumberland.
– Matt
|
|
Below is a list of proposed Ward 1 investments included in the 2026 Draft Budget. These investments focus on maintaining and improving our local infrastructure, enhancing community spaces, and supporting the services residents rely on every day.
While funding is identified in the 2026 budget, some projects will be completed in future years to allow time for design work, coordination with other departments, and citywide scheduling.
I am currently working with staff to determine updated implementation timelines for each investment. I look forward to sharing a finalized list of projects, along with confirmed timelines, once the budget is approved by Council.
2026 Draft Budget – Proposed investments in Orléans East-Cumberland:
Road resurfacing – $3,653,000
- Austin Court – Fieldown to cul-de-sac
- Durant Court – Overdale to cul-de-sac
- Fieldown Street – Overdale to Lookout Drive
- Lookout Drive – Dunning to Overdale
- Lough Drive – Kinsella to Wilhaven
- Old Montreal Road – Dunning to Kinsella
- Overdale Drive – Lookout to Fieldown
- Stoney Lane – Fieldown to cul-de-sac
Pathways & Parks Renewals – $989,000
- Apollo Crater Park – replace asphalt pathways
- Queenswood Ridge Park – pathway renewal & replace asphalt in parking lot
- Pathway link – Cassia Circle to Springridge Drive
- Pathway link – Schroeder Crescent to Peppergrass Road
- Pathway link – Timbertrail Terrace to Pine Vista Drive
Sidewalks – $250,000
- Centrum Boulevard – detailed design of both sidewalks
Bridges, culverts & other structures – $2,217,800
- Old Montreal Rd culvert over Cardinal Creek – design
- Annie Court culvert – – 0.01 km west of Pierette Drive
- Austin Court culvert – 0.01 km south of Fieldown Street
- Byrnes Terrace culvert – 0.01 km north of Kinsella Drive
- Du Gouverneur Drive culvert – 0.24 km east of Jules Leger Drive
- Jules Leger Drive culvert – 0.01 km south of Du Gouverneur Drive
- Old Montreal Road culvert – 0.20 km east of Barnett Drive
- Pierrette Drive culvert – 0.01 km south of old Montreal Road
- Quigley Hill Road culvert – 0.15 km north of Old Montreal Road
- Watters Road culvert – 0.99 km east of Trim Road
- Watters Road culvert – 1.21 km east of Trim Road
- Cameron Street retaining wall – design
Building & Recreation Facilities Renewal – $1,044,000
- Cumberland Museum: Exterior painting
- Fire Stations & Paramedic Posts: Fire alarm replacements, building condition audits, and safety system upgrades at stations in Fallingbrook, Cumberland, and Orléans.
- R.J. Kennedy Memorial Centre: Roof replacements, cooling system upgrades, and equipment renewals to extend the facility’s lifespan.
- Ray Friel Recreation Complex: Roof and air handling unit replacements to improve energy efficiency and comfort.
- Roy G. Hobbs Community Centre: Fire code compliance upgrades and alarm system replacement
- Shenkman Arts Centre: Building condition audit.
- South Fallingbrook Community Centre: Roof replacement.
Cycling and pedestrian facilities investments – dollar amount to be confirmed
- Portobello Boulevard – pavement marking and signage modifications to add painted bike lanes
Wastewater pumping stations – $2,000,000
- Cumberland pumping station – rehabilitate Cumberland 2, 3, and 4 pumping stations
The total proposed investment for Orléans East-Cumberland in the 2026 Draft Budget is $10,153,800, with more expected to be added. Several citywide funding envelopes have yet to be allocated and will be finalized in the coming weeks before Council’s approval. I’ll continue advocating for additional funding to support projects that reflect our community’s priorities and I look forward to sharing an updated list of confirmed investments for our ward soon. |
|
The 2026 Draft Budget focuses on the core services residents rely on every day, while advancing key priorities to make Ottawa a safe, reliable, and affordable city, all with a continued commitment to fiscal responsibility.
Through the City’s ongoing culture of continuous improvement, including the work of the Service Review and Agile Government Working Groups, this Term of Council has achieved more than $252 million in cumulative savings, including $45 million in this year’s budget alone — the equivalent of avoiding a 12% tax increase, or about $531 in savings per household.
With a $5.2 billion operating budget and a $1.9 billion capital budget, the Draft Budget proposes an overall net tax increase of 3.75 per cent — resulting in an average annual increase of $166 for urban and suburban homeowners, and $93 for rural homeowners.
Below are some of the citywide highlights from the Draft Budget 2026, reflecting key investments that will help make our city safer, more reliable, and more affordable for residents.
Safe
- $3.3M for 23 new paramedics, and by-law and regulatory services personnel
- $2.8M New Traffic Control Devices program
- $3.6M to replace breathing devices for firefighters
- $59.6M for pedestrian and cycling mobility with sidewalks, dedicated cycling lanes and pedestrian crossovers
- $121K for Cycling Safety Improvement program
- $574K for Pedestrian Crossover program
- $437K for Pedestrian Safety Evaluation program
- $1.4M for the replacement of fire equipment
- $1.2M for the Safety Improvement program
- $550K for Ottawa Community Housing’s Community Safety Services
- $100K for each Ward Councillor to allocate to temporary traffic calming measures in their community
- $483K for Safer Roads Ottawa
- $700K to accelerate the expansion of ANCHOR in 2026
Reliable
- $87.2M invested in wastewater treatment renewal at ROPEC
- $12.7M for the Storm and Surface Water Rehabilitation program
- $190M for integrated rehabilitation projects, at the same time including roads, sanitary sewers, storm drainage and watermains
- $20M towards the purchase of new diesel buses
- $5.9M for the Water Storage Tanks and Reservoirs program
- $135M for road resurfacing, preservation and rehabilitation
- $25.4M towards sidewalk rehabilitation
- $117.5M for road projects to support growth
- $3.6M for Rural Ditching program
Affordable
- $10.8M towards affordable units at OCHC’s Rochester Heights (Phase Two), a total of 273 units created
- $5M towards affordable units for Multifaith Housing Initiatives at LeBreton Flats, a total of 133 units created
- $7.45M in additional capital to support the new development of affordable and supportive housing
- $2.18M for essential health and social supports vulnerable residents, particularly low-income seniors
- $2.8M to support social housing
|
|
 The Draft Budget 2026 was shaped by resident priorities, and there are still plenty of opportunities for you to share your thoughts.
Over the past month, I held two budget consultations, one in Orléans and one in Cumberland, and received valuable feedback from many of you. However, I remain eager to hear more about your priorities for the budget and for Orléans East-Cumberland.
The draft budget was presented on November 12. Over the next few weeks, it will be reviewed by Standing Committees and Boards before going to Council for final approval on Wednesday, December 10.
You are encouraged to share your views throughout this process by:
- Emailing your thoughts directly to my office at matt.luloff@ottawa.ca
- Submitting questions about the Draft Budget to staff through Engage Ottawa
- Registering as a public delegate to speak at any budget review meeting hosted by Standing Committees and Boards.
Your input helps shape the future of our community—please don’t hesitate to get involved! |
|
To support residents in understanding the budget, several tools have been developed to simplify the information:
- The Budget Explorer presents key information from the 2026 Draft Budget in a clear and engaging way using easy to understand explanations and interactive features, like graphs and charts. It is designed to provide a simple overview of the budget and answer basic questions, such as how much money the city has and how the money will be spent with this budget.
- The 2026 Draft Budget Magazine provides insight into how the budget is created, what elements make up the budget, some of the key financials, an update on service reviews, as well as highlights from over 100 lines of services that are advancing Council’s strategic priorities.
|
|
As part of the 2026 Draft Budget process, each City of Ottawa Standing Committee and Board will review and discuss the portions of the budget relevant to their mandate. These meetings offer an important opportunity for in-depth review and public input before the final budget is approved.
Residents are encouraged to review the budget sections related to each committee or board and to submit written or oral presentations (or both) during these meetings.
To make an oral delegation or provide a written submission, please contact the Committee Coordinator for the relevant committee or board.
Below is the list of Standing Committee and Board dates for budget consideration, along with links to their budget books and contact information for the Committee Coordinators.
AGRICULTURAL & RURAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
📆 Meeting date: Thursday, December 04, 2025 @ 10:00 AM
💻 Budget book
🗣️ Committee Coordinator: Christopher Zwierzchowski – 613-580-2424 ext. 21359 & Christopher.Zwierzchowski@ottawa.ca
AUDIT COMMITTEE
📆 Meeting date: Friday, November 28, 2025 @ 9:30 AM
💻 Budget book
🗣️ Committee Coordinator: Eric Pelot – 613-580-2424 ext. 22953 & eric.pelot@ottawa.ca
COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE
📆 Meeting date: Tuesday, November 25, 2025 @ 9:30 AM
💻 Budget book
🗣️ Committee Coordinator: Eric Pelot – 613-580-2424 ext. 22953 & eric.pelot@ottawa.ca
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & PROTECTIVE SERVICES COMMITTEE
📆 Meeting date: Thursday, November 20, 2025 @ 9:30 AM
💻 Budget book
🗣️ Committee Coordinator: Christopher Zwierzchowski – 613-580-2424 ext. 21359 & Christopher.Zwierzchowski@ottawa.ca
ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE COMMITTEE
📆 Meeting date: Monday, December 08, 2025 @ 10:00 AM
💻 Rate supported budget book
💻 Tax supported budget book
🗣️ Committee Coordinator: Melinda Aston – 613-580-2424 ext. 21838 & melinda.aston@ottawa.ca
FINANCE AND CORPORATE SERVICES COMMITTEE
📆 Meeting date: Tuesday, December 02, 2025 @ 9:30 AM
💻 Budget book
🗣️ Committee Coordinator: Melinda Aston – 613-580-2424 ext. 21838 & melinda.aston@ottawa.ca
PLANNING AND HOUSING COMMITTEE
📆 Meeting date: Wednesday, November 19, 2025 @ 9:30 AM
💻 Budget book
🗣️ Committee Coordinator: Kelly Crozier – 613-580-2424 ext. 16875 & Kelly.Crozier@ottawa.ca
PUBLIC WORKS AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE
📆 Meeting date: Thursday, November 27, 2025 @ 9:30 AM
💻 Budget book
🗣️ Committee Coordinator: Marcela Busnardo dos Santos – 613-580-2424 ext. 28642 & marcela.busnardodossantos@ottawa.ca
TRANSIT COMMITTEE
📆 Meeting date: Monday, November 24, 2025 @ 9:30 AM
💻 Budget book
🗣️ Committee Coordinator: Marcela Busnardo dos Santos – 613-580-2424 ext. 28642 & marcela.busnardodossantos@ottawa.ca
OTTAWA BOARD OF HEALTH
📆 Meeting date: Monday, December 01, 2025 @ 5:00 PM
💻 Budget book
🗣️ Board Secretary: Casey Whiticar – 613-807-5318 & Casey.Whiticar@ottawa.ca
OTTAWA PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD
📆 Meeting date: Tuesday, December 02, 2025 @ 5:00 PM
💻 Budget book
🗣️ Library Board Assistant: Julie Tremblay – 613-580-2424 ext. 32169 &
Board@BiblioOttawaLibrary.ca
OTTAWA POLICE SERVICES BOARD
📆 Meeting date: Friday, December 05, 2025 @ 9:30 AM
💻 Budget book
🗣️ Contact: 613-560-1270 & ottawapoliceboard@ottawa.ca |
|
|
