Lowertown Community Association – what we’re working on this quarter

Your Lowertown Community Association’s (LCA) diligent volunteers continue to focus on safety, compassion, and livability. We work with residents, city staff, and partners to ensure Lowertown remains a welcoming, connected, and resilient community.

Here is a snapshot of what we’re working on this quarter.

Community safety and well-being

• Advocating for community policing and consistent officer presence in Lowertown areas.
• Expressing concern about recurring homeless encampments and anti-social gatherings, safety for residents, visitors, businesses, and employees, and the lack of appropriate daytime and supportive spaces for vulnerable individuals.
• Placing emphasis on safety must include compassion, prevention, and supports, not just enforcement.
• Advocating with all three levels of government and working with local organizations to address the challenges associated with the homelessness issues in Lowertown.

Meaningful community consultation

• Advocating for timely, in-person, and more transparent consultation on city projects to give residents sufficient time to review proposals, have their questions answered, and their input considered before decisions are made.
• Monitoring the implementation of the long-promised ByWard Market Secondary Plan.
• Monitoring the adoption of the new city-wide rezoning.
• Updating our Lowertown VISION 2035.

Heritage  

• Protecting, conserving, and celebrating Lowertown’s remarkable heritage during Bytown’s 200th anniversary year.  
• Implementing projects including: new street signage for the Lowertown West Heritage Conservation District, heritage articles in the Echo, addressing demolition by neglect, advocating for a new Heritage Conservation District near Macdonald Gardens, and working on a website devoted to historic buildings in Lowertown

Equity across Lowertown East and West

• Reinforcing that Lowertown is one community, divided by King Edward Avenue but sharing the same challenges and strengths.
• Partnering and collaborating with organizations, including with the Lowertown Community Resource Centre and other partners, on festivals, programming, and community initiatives across both sides of Lowertown.

Supporting families, businesses and livability

• Advocating for walkability, beautification, and child- and family-friendly spaces.
• Advocating for progress on the ByWard Market Public Realm rejuvenation project.
• Supporting local businesses while addressing issues that impact foot traffic and economic vitality.
• Ensuring public spaces are safe for residents, workers, tourists, and families.

Transportation

• Advocating for safer, calmer streets that prioritize residents, pedestrians, cyclists, and local businesses, with a continued focus on King Edward Avenue, speeding, truck traffic, and equity impacts on Lowertown.
• Pushing for both immediate safety improvements and long-term solutions, while calling for better coordination between the city, NCC, and other agencies to address long-standing transportation challenges.
• Supporting immediate improvements to the Rideau/Sussex underpass to address safety, lighting, cleanliness, and usability.
• Improving bus services for Lowertown residents including students.

Other news

The Centretown Community Association with the support of the LCA organized a follow-up Community Conversation on Homelessness on February 5, 2026, at Knox Presbyterian Church. The first conversation was devoted to identifying the problem of homelessness. The second discussed ways to address the issue. The keynote speaker was Keith Hambly, Executive Director the Fred Victor Centre in Toronto, which operates support services / housing in partnership with the University Health Network. Other participants in this conversation included Ron Boyd of Ottawa Inner City Health and local political leaders.