City of Ottawa Refreshing Public Engagement Strategy

The City of Ottawa is seeking public feedback on a proposed refresh of its Corporate Public Engagement Strategy, and Island Park residents are encouraged to participate.

In 2025, City staff undertook a review of the Corporate Public Engagement Strategy, which has not been formally updated since it was first approved in 2013. This work also responds to direction provided through a City Council motion in June 2025.

What’s being proposed

The draft refreshed strategy builds on the existing framework and reflects:

• Lessons learned over the past decade

• Changing expectations from residents and City staff

• New and emerging engagement tools and technologies

• A stronger focus on accessibility, equity, and inclusion

The updated documents are currently in draft form to allow residents, community groups, and partners the opportunity to review them and provide feedback.

Review the draft strategy and complete the survey on Engage Ottawa: https://engage.ottawa.ca

The survey is open until the end of February, after which feedback will be reviewed and considered before the documents are finalized.

What happens after the survey closes

Once feedback has been reviewed:

• The refreshed documents will become official addendums to the existing strategy

• The original engagement strategy will remain in place, strengthened by these updates

• A “What We Learned” report will be published, summarizing how public input was used

Why this matters to Island Park residents

How and when the City engages residents directly affects local planning, development, transportation, greenspace protection, and neighbourhood change—all issues that regularly impact Island Park.

A stronger public engagement strategy can help ensure:

• Earlier and more transparent notice of projects affecting our neighbourhood

• Clearer opportunities for residents to provide meaningful input

• More inclusive engagement for seniors, renters, families, and underrepresented voices

• Better accountability around how public feedback influences City decisions

Participating in this survey is one way residents can help shape how the City consults with communities like Island Park in the years ahead.

How you can help

IPCA encourages residents to take a few minutes to complete the survey and to share the link with neighbours and community groups to help ensure broad participation.

Thank you for your continued engagement and support in strengthening public consultation in our community.