Ottawa is growing, and the infrastructure decisions we make today will shape how well our city accommodates that growth, attracts investment, supports businesses, and delivers a high quality of life for decades to come.
On September 15, the Ottawa Board of Trade brought together leaders from business, government, development, transportation, housing, construction, and tourism for the Ottawa Infrastructure Forum 2026.
With Ottawa expected to welcome roughly half a million new residents over the next 25 years, our region will need the equivalent of another city’s worth of homes, transportation, schools, hospitals, utilities, and community infrastructure. The Forum explored what it will take to meet that demand while building a more connected, vibrant, and competitive National Capital Region.
Investing in Ottawa’s Next Chapter
The day began with a look at the investments and partnerships already shaping Ottawa’s future.
Caroline Desrochers, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure, and the Hon. Mona Fortier, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, highlighted major commitments to housing, public transit, and community infrastructure, including a $400 million partnership between Build Canada Homes and the City of Ottawa to accelerate up to 3,000 new homes, as well as $180 million over 10 years through the Canada Public Transit Fund to modernize OC Transpo infrastructure and its fleet.
Our Charity Partner Habitat for Humanity Greater Ottawa brought the housing challenge down to the household level. With more than 1,600 people on its waitlist for 35 available homes, the organization highlighted both the scale of demand and the importance of partnerships between government, business, and the non-profit sector to expand pathways to affordable homeownership.
These investments come at a transformational time for Ottawa. The new Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus, LRT expansions, the Parliamentary Precinct renewal, Ādisōke, the Alexandra Bridge replacement, airport expansion, major housing developments, and other projects represent billions of dollars in investment across the National Capital Region. The opportunity is to ensure these investments contribute to a more connected and competitive region.
Moving People and Goods More Effectively
The first panel focused on how Ottawa’s transportation network must evolve alongside the city.
Ottawa’s LRT system and its ongoing expansion are an important part of the city’s transportation network, but buses remain critical to moving people across the region. Approximately 70 per cent of OC Transpo’s 250,000 daily trips are made by bus, reinforcing the need to improve reliability and connectivity across the entire network.
Panelists also explored the relationship between population growth and mobility. Accommodating significant growth through additional car trips alone is not sustainable. Ottawa will need to maximize its investments in public transit while supporting walking, cycling, micromobility, and better connections between growing communities.
For businesses, mobility is also about moving goods. E-commerce has transformed how products travel through cities, with small businesses increasingly relying on last-mile delivery. Designated delivery zones, better coordination during road construction, and planning that recognizes modern logistics were highlighted as practical ways to reduce friction for businesses and delivery operators.
The discussion also examined opportunities to improve infrastructure delivery itself, including earlier project planning, more flexible construction schedules, and greater coordination between decision-makers, city staff, contractors, and businesses.
Building the Housing and Communities Growth Requires
Ottawa’s housing challenge extends beyond the number of units being built. The infrastructure, land, approvals, financing models, and workforce needed to support new housing are equally important.
The second panel examined recent measures aimed at improving affordability alongside the longer-term structural challenges facing the sector. Panelists pointed to permitting and approval timelines as a major opportunity for improvement, arguing that reducing delays could lower costs and bring housing to market faster.
The conversation also explored new approaches to funding and delivering growth-enabling infrastructure, including the City’s Agile Capital Budget model and alternative approaches to water and wastewater infrastructure.
As Ottawa grows, planning must reflect the scale of the city we are becoming. That means building complete communities with diverse housing options, reliable transportation, and access to the services and infrastructure residents and businesses need across the region.
Placemaking as Economic Infrastructure
The final panel turned to the role of placemaking in building a more vibrant and competitive capital.
Industry leaders explored how public spaces, entertainment, tourism, programming, and downtown revitalization contribute to Ottawa’s economic success.
Great destinations need more than individual attractions. They require a complete experience that gives residents and visitors reasons to arrive earlier, stay longer, explore, and return. That includes public spaces, transportation, cleanliness, restaurants, retail, entertainment, and year-round programming.
Live entertainment was highlighted as part of that infrastructure. New venues and cultural offerings can attract visitors, support surrounding businesses, create jobs, and strengthen Ottawa’s appeal as a place to live, work, and visit.
Panelists also discussed the potential of Ottawa’s defining public and natural assets. The NCC outlined opportunities for greater waterfront activation, winter programming, and new approaches to the Rideau Canal, while the discussion emphasized the importance of connecting Ottawa’s existing destinations more effectively.
That opportunity extends across the river. Ottawa and Gatineau form an interconnected economic region, and stronger collaboration on transportation, tourism, public spaces, housing, and economic development can help create a more seamless capital experience.
Building the Capital Our Future Requires
Ottawa has major projects underway, significant public and private investment, strong economic assets, and ambitious ideas for its future.
Turning that potential into progress will require faster execution, long-term planning, coordination across jurisdictions, earlier engagement with businesses, and an approach that connects housing, mobility, utilities, public spaces, and economic development.
Infrastructure has emerged as a top priority for Ottawa Board of Trade members heading into the 2026 municipal election. Through our Infrastructure Policy Council and our More Ottawa municipal election campaign, OBOT is advocating for the decisions and investments required to build for growth and strengthen Canada’s capital.
As Ottawa approaches its 200th anniversary, we have an opportunity to build a city that matches our ambition.
The Ottawa Board of Trade will continue working with our members, partners, and all levels of government to move from plans to projects and build a stronger, more connected, and more competitive National Capital Region.
The Ottawa Infrastructure Forum would not be possible without the organizations that share our commitment to building a stronger National Capital Region.
Thank you to our Anchor Sponsors Dentons and Syntax Strategic; our Builder Sponsors Borden Ladner Gervais LLP and Collège La Cité; our Cornerstone Sponsors Architects DCA, BDO, Taggart Group of Companies, and Urbandale Corporation; and our Photography and Videography Sponsor Mainspring Agency, for supporting this important conversation and helping bring together leaders from across sectors to advance Ottawa’s growth and competitiveness.