Police join facial-recognition network; council adopts heritage plan
The Ottawa Police Service Board voted to join a shared facial-recognition network with three other Ontario regions, a move that expands the reach of surveillance technology locally. The board also approved a body-worn camera program during its June 22 meeting. Separately, city council adopted the Bank Street Heritage Conservation District Plan and created two new financial-incentive programs.
Police Services Board
The board approved Ottawa’s onboarding into a facial-recognition network operated by York, Peel and Halton police services. The same meeting authorized the purchase and deployment of body-worn cameras. A renewal of Telus mobility services was approved on a 5–1 vote, and a separate Telus M2M wireless renewal for police and fire services was carried without a recorded division. The board delegated authority to the chief to renew a security-screening contract with Garda. Two policy motions were adopted: one directs the chief to report back on systems that detect police database misuse, and another supports steps to address sexual harassment and misconduct within the service. The annual use-of-force report was received for information. The public portion of the meeting was then adjourned so members could go into a closed session to discuss demonstrations, Canada Day planning, legal matters and labour relations.
City Council
Council adopted the updated Bank Street Heritage Conservation District Plan and approved heritage designations for five properties designed by architect James Strutt; a sixth, at 915 Merivale Road, was deferred. A new Commercial Heritage Façade Improvement Program was created, along with a pilot Extreme Weather Preparedness Grant Program. Council appointed KPMG as auditor for Hydro Ottawa and accepted the 2025 consolidated financial statements. A heritage permit was approved for 275 Hillcrest Road. Two reports from the Office of the Auditor General — on bus-service planning and on cybersecurity — were received.
Community Services Committee
The committee approved a standardized reporting framework for unsheltered homelessness. The system will feed into the Unsheltered Homelessness Outreach Model, supplying updates on encampment service requests and public dashboards.
Public Works and Infrastructure Committee
A pilot program authorizing three school-street initiatives to start in fall 2026 was approved, with an amendment. The committee also added all-way stop controls at three intersections: Solarium Road and Andromeda Road, Brian Good Avenue and Chorus Avenue, and Kelly Farm Drive and Sora Drive. Staff were directed to include e-scooter safety and usage in future road-safety plans and to review the city’s branding on municipal street-sign blades. The 2025 parking-services annual report was received.
Other meetings
The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee met on June 30. Its agenda listed a zoning amendment for a place of worship at 912 David Manchester Road, an official-plan amendment to expand the Osgoode Care Centre at 7650 Snake Island Road, a one-year extension of an ATV trail-network pilot, an update to sanitary-sewer development charges for the Village of Richmond, and the appointment of an engineer for the Thomas R. Baxter Municipal Drain. Minutes were not yet published.
The Community Safety and Well-Being Advisory Committee also met on June 30 to hear updates on a substance-use project and the 10-year housing and homelessness plan. The Environment and Climate Change Committee agenda for the same date contained no substantive items.
Coming up
No meetings were posted for the next 14 days as of July 5. New agendas may be published on the city’s website in the interim.
Generated from official meeting agendas and minutes — every underlying document is linked from the city page. Read the primary source before you rely on a detail.