The City’s Election-Related Resources Policy (ERRP) and its procedures prohibit Members of Council who are seeking re-election in a municipal election from using City resources such as office budgets and staff for newsletters and general communications from August 27, 2026, up to and including October 26, 2026 (known as the “blackout period”). As a sitting Member of Council, I must adhere to the City’s ERRP, meaning that this website will not be updated during the blackout period.
My office remains open to deal with day-to-day constituency matters.
March is Francophonie Month —a time to celebrate Francophone culture, language and heritage which have deep roots in Ottawa. Today, the City kicked off the month with a proclamation to recognize the many contributions Francophones have made to the cultural, economic growth, bilingualism and prosperity of our city.
To celebrate, the City will be hosting the 17th annual Mayor’s Francophone RendezVous on Thursday, March 21, 2024. The RendezVous is an opportunity for members of Ottawa’s francophone community to come together, network, share ideas and strengthen connections. This year we will welcome representatives from Ottawa’s Francophone and bilingual post-secondary educational institutions and celebrate the role they have played in supporting our city as a destination to live, learn and work.
There are many additional ways to take part in Francophonie Month, including attending events and accessing a variety of resources to learn more about Francophone culture.
Our colleagues at the Ottawa Public Library, the largest French and English bilingual public library in North America, are celebrating with French film screenings, a list of French authors to discover, a story telling workshop for children and lively discussions with local Francophone authors.
Les Rendez-vous de la Francophonie (RVF) highlights hundreds of activities that are planned across the country, including multicultural gatherings, performances, film screenings, contests, and educational activities in French throughout the month of March. For more, be sure to check out the events calendar on the RVF website.
We also encourage you to explore some of the resources and programs available to City employees. You can:
The City is proud to recognize and honour the Francophone community who are integral in shaping our city. We hope you will take time this month to learn more about Francophone heritage and culture and its impact on Ottawa.
Happy Francophonie Month!
Mark Sutcliffe (he/him/lui)
Mayor
Wendy Stephanson (she/her/elle)
City Manager
This post is also available in French.
The City is taking a citywide approach to mobility as we prepare for a change in commuting patterns, with up to 65,000 additional weekly trips downtown anticipated by fall 2026. The focus is on keeping Ottawa moving as travel patterns continue to change. Below are all...
Investing in Ottawa’s Future Through Three Scholarships In late 2025, I launched the Community Builders Scholarship – Rideau-Vanier, creating three $1,000 grants to support students pursuing careers in skilled trades and early childhood education. That means a total...
On July 28, I was proud to host the inaugural ceremony for Herbert and Estelle Brown Park at 612 Besserer Street. Together with the Brown family and Black History Ottawa, we officially unveiled the park’s permanent educational storyboard celebrating the Browns’...
One of the issues I heard about over and over again during my first term was traffic safety, especially around our schools. Ward 12 has about 8 schools and 1 high school, so we have a lot of kids walking, cycling, or scootering during the week. Getting to school...
In addition to getting a new playground and splash pad, Carillon Park in Vanier will be turned into Ottawa’s first Sponge Park thanks to a Ward 12 CIL investment of $860,000. A Sponge Park is designed to better absorb and manage rainwater where it falls. “Sponge”...
Ottawa, ON – Shepherds of Good Hope (SGH) plans to transform its current emergency shelter into a health and supportive housing facility designed to better serve people experiencing chronic homelessness, while creating lasting benefits for the broader community. The...
From June 9-11, my office, in collaboration with the University of Ottawa’s Pop-Up Lab on Housing and Homelessness (housed within the Office for Research and Public Policy Outreach and the Office of the Vice-President Research and Innovation), the Centre for Research...
The Embassy of Switzerland in Canada, the Vanier Community Services Centre (CSCV), the Vanier BIA, the Association Communautaire Francophone d’Ottawa (ACFO), and my office are pleased to invite residents to a free community watch party for the FIFA World Cup match...
English
French