Budget 2026: Investments for Barrhaven West

This was a good year for Barrhaven, with significant investments into local projects that I’ve been advocating for all year (and in some cases the whole term). Below you can find details on infrastructure investments in our community, and details on improved city services.

When I ran for office in 2022, I promised that I would fast-track Greenbank Realignment. This project was long promised to the Half Moon Bay community but had stalled out for years, making getting in and out of one of the city’s fastest-growing communities a nightmare. I’m very excited to say this budget we built on the momentum of the previous three years.

• In previous budgets this term, I secured over $30 million in funding to begin Phase 1 of the project.

• In this budget, I secured $56 million to build the new bridge over the Jock River. This is one of the biggest hurdles of the project, and with this funding, the bridge construction is now fully funded.

• Based on the above funding, construction for new Greenbank will start in spring 2026, moving the project forward by years from its original 2031 start date.

Infrastructure was a major investment area for Barrhaven, including:

• $1.57 million for new intersection improvements. There are several “problem” intersections that will be improved in this budget. This includes funding for the new left turn lane going off Borrisokane south onto Flagstaff. The City will also be preparing designs for intersection improvements for Cambrian/Elevation and Cappamore/Old Greenbank. I’ll share more information on both projects when available. 

• $930,000 for road resurfacings on Berkshire Way (Sherway Dr. to Fable St.) and Fable Street (Jockvale Rd, to Phylis St.). If you are concerned about the current state of your road, or any road in the ward, please reach out to my office and let us know so we can start advocating for improvements in next year’s budget.

• $270,000 for Sidewalk repairs on Fable Street from Jockvale Road to Phylis Street.

• $7.65 million for the Southwest Transitway Extension, connecting Barrhaven Center to Kilbirnie. This is part of Greenbank realignment, which, when completed, will include two dedicated bus lanes to bring rapid transit into Half Moon Bay.

• $214,000 for new drainage culvert construction and designs for O’Keefe Court culvert (construction), Onassa Circle pathway culvert (construction), and Jockvale road culvert (design).  

• $281,000 for an upgrade to Mowat Farm Park, that will introduce new play structures and equipment

There were also investments in key community services, including:

• A $26.1 million increase to the Ottawa Police Services budget, the largest increase to the police in the last decade. These funds will go directly into hiring an additional 25 new police officers for 2026. This is the second phase of a multi-year plan to increase the OPS capacity by 100 new police officers by 2027. Safety and security is a top priority for me. When I knock on doors I hear from you loud and clear about your concern of rising crime in Ottawa. You deserve to feel safe, and to be safe in Barrhaven. With the current status quo, the officers patrolling suburban neighborhoods like Barrhaven get pulled downtown anytime there is a demonstration, or a visit by a senior dignitary, which in Ottawa happens a lot. I have assurances from Chief Stubbs directly that with this budget that issue will be stabilized, and officers assigned to Barrhaven will remain in Barrhaven. We have to keep investing in our police, because I am not satisfied with just holding on to the officers we already have. We need more police in Barrhaven, and that will require further investments into our police in next year’s budget, despite the protests from some of my council colleagues.

• Ottawa will hire 23 new paramedics for 2026, to build on the over forty paramedics we have hired over the last two years in response to a motion I passed with council colleagues at the height of the “level zero” crisis. Level zero describes where someone calls 911 and no ambulance is on the road to service them. With the investment in new paramedics and improvements in how patients are onboarded at hospitals I’m proud to say that we have seen a reduction in level zero events by 79% in just two years. But more to do so that we can make that reduction a hundred per cent!

• A $20 million investment into OC Transpo’s bus fleet for the purchase of new buses for 2026, which will replace aging busses that frequently break down. If the procurement is successful, this will ensure more of the fleet is on the road every morning instead of in the garage getting worked on, with the goal of increasing reliability.

• An extension of the afternoon weekday transfer window from 90 minutes to 115 minutes to ensure Barrhaven riders are not charged twice when returning home from the office.

• $28 million in investments for the Trail Road landfill, including improvements to the systems that capture gas and reduce smell

This budget will see the overall municipal tax rate increase by 3.75%. This is a reduction from last year, but I still am uncomfortable with any tax increase during an affordability crisis. Over the last three years, Ottawa has kept its tax increases lower than any other major Canadian municipality. Montreal (11.2%), Toronto (21.9%) and Vancouver (22.1%) all increased their taxes substantially higher than Ottawa (8.9%) in their last three budgets, and this year is a continuation of that trend. I will continue to push staff to find savings and efficiencies so that we only come to you with what we need as a city. Over our last four budgets, Ottawa has found $250 million in savings, and there is more we can build on.

At the end of the day, I am proud to vote for a budget that includes necessary infrastructure investments into Barrhaven that some residents have been waiting over a decade for. Over the last four budgets we’ve fast tracked construction on Greenbank, fully funded the civic center, and invested in a score of infrastructure projects, including upgrading intersections, road re-pavements, and new parks. As we look ahead to the next budget, please let me know any areas in Barrhaven West where you would like to see more investments. Work on the 2027 budget started about five seconds after the 2026 budget passed!