September 2025 Newsletter

Fall is approaching.

Hello Action Sandy Hill Members!

This email contains information about the activities of your community association and neighbourhood. Newsletters, both present and past, can be found here. Please contact us at [email protected] with any questions, concerns, and comments.

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Become an ASH member

The next Board meeting is on September 29 and will be a hybrid meeting; please send us an email at [email protected] to request the login link to the meeting. To view minutes from past meetings, click here.

ASH Info

ASH membership payments paused
Meetings of the ASH Board of Directors
New! ASH Community Conversations
ASH Board says goodbye and thank you

Neighbourhood Info

New Downtown Ottawa City-Wide Perceptions Survey
Update on Belong Ottawa at Centre 454
Greenfield Avenue, Main Street, Hawthorne Ave etc. Project Update
Activities at the Sandy Hill Community Centre
New Zoning By-law
Vulnerable Social Infrastructure By-law Review

Neighbourhood Events and Activities

Sandy Hill: History and Housing - October 5
The Good Books Sale - November 15
The One & Only Arts & Crafts Fair - November 15

1. ASH membership payments paused

Are you a current ASH member wondering if your membership has expired? A new member wanting to officially join? Due to security issues on the ASH website, collecting membership fees was paused over the summer. A new process will be available soon with (fingers crossed!) the ability to accept payment by credit card. Look for an invitation by email soon.

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2. Meetings of the ASH Board of Directors

The ASH Board of Directors meets monthly (except for July and December), generally on the lastMonday of the month at the Sandy Hill Community Centre and virtually. Current ASH members should have access to the ASH calendar via the Action Sandy Hill Members google group. If you are not a member of the group or need help finding the calendar, contact ASH. Meetings for 2025 are: September 29; October 27; and November 24.

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3. New! ASH Community Conversations

Can’t make it to an ASH Board meeting? Drop into our new virtual ASH Community Conversation at 7pm on the second Monday of every month. Some months will feature themed discussions and invited guests while others will just be an opportunity to chat! If you have an idea for a topic, please reach out to Betsy Schuurman, Chair, Action Sandy Hill. Current ASH members should have access to the ASH calendar via the Action Sandy Hill Members google group. If you are not a member of the group or need help finding the calendar, contact ASH.

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4. ASH Board says goodbye and thank you

Two members of the ASH Board of Directors resigned recently and we wish to thank them both for their service. Mikaela Kennedy, Chair of the ASH Outreach and Membership Committee is leaving the ASH Board as of September 30 to move to a new neighborhood.

Calla Barnett, Chair of the ASH Community and Social Services Committee and ASH representative to the Sandy Hill Liaison Committee, resigned on August 27, 2025 to work on a new initiative that is focused on the impact of the toxic drug supply and the overconcentration of services in both Sandy HIll and Lowertown with colleagues from both neighbourhoods. Calla remains a resident of Sandy Hill and a member of ASH. We look forward to hearing more about her new initiative!

1. New Downtown Ottawa City-Wide Perceptions Survey

The Downtown Rideau BIA, with expertise and support from Environics Research, has initiated a city-wide perceptions research project. One of the components of the project is a survey. This survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete and includes questions related to general awareness of what Ottawa’s downtown has to offer as a destination, and to gain further insight into what drives or impacts visitation.

Who Can Participate?

Businesses and their staff
Patrons and visitors of downtown Ottawa
Residents of the Ottawa-Gatineau area

All responses to the survey are confidential with results being reported in aggregate format to help strengthen the experience for Ottawa residents and visitors. The deadline to participate is September 30, 2025. Please contact Colleen Mcilquham for more information.

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2. Update on Belong Ottawa at Centre 454

Following an operational review conducted in collaboration with its primary funder, the City of Ottawa, and in response to community concerns expressed by residents and stakeholders in Sandy Hill and Lowertown neighbourhoods, Belong Ottawa at Centre 454 has worked to strengthen capacity for daytime response including: adjusting service hours to end operations at 3pm (1pm on Wednesdays), continuous scheduling of Social Support Workers in public spaces surrounding Centre 454 during operational hours, engagement with street-involved individuals in a respectful, non-judgmental manner to encourage connection with Centre 454 and other appropriate support services, and enhanced community care functions such as the collection of improperly discarded harm reduction and other materials, emergency overdose response, and providing residents with contact information for follow-up.

The City of Ottawa, the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa, and Belong Ottawa have agreed to an 18-month timeline regarding the relocation of Centre 454. Neighbours with questions or feedback are encouraged to reach out via the Community Feedback Form or by email.

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3. Greenfield Avenue, Main Street, Hawthorne Ave etc. Project Update

The Greenfield, Main, Hawthorne integrated renewal project continues to make progress. This work is being conducted to replace aging combined sewers with separate storm and sanitary sewers, replace sections of older watermains, and reconstruct the roadways, including the implementation of complete street features for the betterment of all road users in your community.

The overall project is still expected to be completed in fall 2025. Hallelujah!

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4. Activities at the Sandy Hill Community Centre

There are a wide range of activities for all ages which are being offered at the Sandy HillCommunity Centre this Fall. These activities include: a Baby Sitting Course, Pilates and Zumba. Click here for more information.

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5. New Zoning By-law

The City of Ottawa has released the final draft of the new Zoning By-law, which marks the beginning of the 28-day circulation period. Save the date for upcoming engagement opportunities and learn more about how the new Zoning By-law will shape growth in Ottawa:

Virtual open house

Thursday, September 25, 6 to 8 pm. Click here to register.

In-person statutory open house

Tuesday, September 23, 6 to 8:30 pm, EY Centre 4899 Uplands Drive Ottawa K1V 2N6.,
Monday, September 29, 6:00 to 8:30 PM Ottawa Conference and Event Centre, 200 Coventry Rd, Ottawa, ON K1K 4S3

No registration is required for the in-person open house. Registration for the virtual events will be available on the project page two weeks before the event.

Visit the project page for more details.

There is an Interactive Final Draft – Zoning Map on which you can find how your property will be zoned under the new Neighbourhood Zoning scheme. To understand what the new Neighbourhood Zone means, click here.

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6. Vulnerable Social Infrastructure By-law Review

The City of Ottawa is currently developing regulations to prohibit nuisance demonstrations and/or acts of intimidation or obstruction near vulnerable social infrastructure sites to ensure staff and patrons can safely access and use the services and amenities provided at these locations. The City of Ottawa is seeking community input on key questions. Click here for more information and to complete a survey.

1. Sandy Hill: History And Housing – October 5

Join Heritage Ottawa to explore our neighbourhood's transformations, from its origins as the 19th-century estate of Louis-Théodore Besserer, to its heyday as a home for lumber barons, senior public servants and prime ministers, on to its postwar shift toward denser, more middle-class housing. Along the way, the architectural styles that define our area and the shifting demographics, values, and pressures that continue to shape Sandy Hill’s urban fabric will be highlighted. Click here for more information.

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2. The Good Books Sale – November 15