Due to the hazardous weather, the City of Ottawa is advising of service impacts for December 23.
Environment Canada has issued a weather alert for the Ottawa area that includes freezing rain. The freezing rain expected will create increasingly icy and slippery conditions on the roads and highways. Wind gusts of 70 to 90 km/h will cause widespread blowing snow which will significantly reduce visibility.
By minimizing travel, you help keep the roads clear for roads crews and emergency vehicles. If possible, complete your errands before the event is scheduled to begin later this evening. Please stay home tomorrow unless it is absolutely necessary. Anyone who is required to travel during this event is asked to plan ahead and give themselves extra travel time.
Emergency preparedness
Residents are reminded to work on their emergency kit to prepare for any power disruptions. Your emergency kit should contain flashlights, battery or crank radios, extra batteries, water and canned food. Follow local news and social media channels for the latest weather, transportation schedules and road conditions. Be prepared to alter plans, stay informed and stay safe. For more information on how you can prepare for an emergency, visit ottawa.ca.
Communication during an emergency
In the event of any emergency, the City of Ottawa provides important information and updates to affected residents in a variety of ways:
- The City’s website, ottawa.ca
- The City’s Twitter account, @ottawacity
- Media interviews
- By email to subscribers of the City news e-newsletter
The City also shares critical information and public service announcements with our local news media so that they can include it in their news coverage.
Please look out for each other. Have a conversation now with neighbours, friends and family members about how to stay in touch with each other in the event of an emergency. Plan to check in with each other if one of you lives in a community that is affected by an emergency.
Recreation and Cultural Facilities
All recreation and cultural facilities will be closed on Friday, December 23 and all drop-in activities, programs and rentals will be cancelled.
Other City facilities
All other City facilities, including City Hall and Mary Pitt Centre, will remain open with the exceptions listed below.
Counter services
All Client Service Centres and all other City counter services will be closed. Please visit ottawa.ca for how to obtain services remotely and online. Civil Ceremonies scheduled on this day will not be impacted.
Municipal child-care services
All Municipal child-care centres will be closed.
Ottawa Public Library branches
All Ottawa Public Library Branches will be closed. All bookmobile stops and homebound deliveries are also cancelled. Due dates and holds pickup dates will be extended.
Waste and recycling collection
At this time, the City is not anticipating an impact to residential waste collection as a result of the weather event. Residents can stay informed of curbside collection delays by signing up to receive notifications through the Ottawa Collection Calendar app; download the mobile app or register for alerts and updates.
Transit Services
OC Transpo customers should plan ahead and anticipate possible delays. Stay informed by following OC Transpo at octranspo.com or Twitter.
Parking ban
A significant weather event has been declared and a parking ban will be in effect from 10 am on Friday, December 23 to 7 am on Saturday, December 24.
Follow us on Facebook or Twitter to receive updates or subscribe to our electronic email alerts. If you subscribe to e-Alerts, you will receive notification if a winter weather parking ban is put in place and lifted. There is no charge for this service, and you can unsubscribe at any time. Sign up today at ottawa.ca.
For more winter parking information, please visit ottawa.ca/winter.
