OTTAWA – The holiday season is almost here, and the City of Ottawa wants you to be aware of schedule changes.

The City of Ottawa reminds residents of the following schedule changes for the holiday season, between Thursday, Dec. 24 and Saturday, Jan. 2, 2021.

 Client services

Client service centres, including the Government Service Centre at 110 Laurier Avenue West and the service centre at Ben Franklin Place, will be closed on Friday, Dec. 25 and Friday, Jan. 1, 2021.

All other client service centres and the city’s Provincial Offences Court remain closed due to COVID-19.

The city’s 311 Contact Centre will be open for urgent matters that require the city’s immediate attention. Call 3-1-1 or 613-580-2400 (TTY: 613-580-2401) to speak to a customer service representative.

 Green bin, recycling and garbage collection

There will be no curbside or multi-residential green bin, recycling, garbage or bulky item collection on Friday, Dec. 25 and Friday, Jan. 1, 2021. Friday collections will take place on Saturday (Boxing Day), Dec. 26 and Saturday, Jan. 2.

The Trail Waste Facility will be closed on Friday, Dec. 25 and Friday, Jan. 1. It will be open to the public on Saturday, Dec. 26 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Christmas trees will be picked up on your regular garbage day. Please remove all decorations. Christmas trees in plastic bags or frozen into a snowbank will not be collected.

Parking

Free parking will be available at City Hall, 110 Laurier Ave. West, from Thursday, Dec. 24 at 4 pm until Saturday, Dec. 26 at 7 a.m., and from Thursday, Dec. 31 at 4 p.m. until Saturday, Jan. 2 at 7 a.m. 

The ByWard Market Garage at 70 Clarence St. and the Dalhousie Garage at 141 Clarence St. will offer free parking from Thursday, Dec. 24 at 4 p.m. until Saturday, Dec. 26 at 7 a.m., and from Thursday, Dec. 31 at 4 p.m. until Saturday, Jan. 2 at 7 a.m.

All other City of Ottawa parking regulations and restrictions will apply.

Transit service

OC Transpo

OC Transpo bus and O-Train service will operate on a reduced schedule from Monday, Dec. 21 through Friday, Dec. 25, and from Monday, Dec. 28 through Friday, Jan. 1.

In partnership with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Ottawa and the city’s Safer Roads Ottawa Program, OC Transpo is offering no-charge service on Para Transpo and OC Transpo after 8 p.m. on New Year’s Eve.

Schedules are available at octranspo.com. Call 613-560-1000 or text 560560 plus your four-digit bus stop number, or the first three letters of the station name, for real-time schedule information or use the OC Transpo app.

STO users can plan their trip using Plani-bus.

OC Transpo Customer Service (613-741-4390) will be open throughout the holidays to help customers with schedules and trip planning:

• Thursday, Dec. 24, 7 am to 9 p.m.
• Friday, Dec. 25, 9 am to 5 p.m.
• Saturday, Dec. 26, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Thursday, Dec. 31, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Friday, Jan. 1, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The OC Transpo Customer Service Centre in the Rideau Centre will be closed on Friday, Dec. 25 and Friday, Jan. 1. All other OC Transpo Customer Service Centres continue to be closed until further notice.

Para Transpo

Para Transpo will operate a holiday service on Friday, Dec. 25, Saturday, Dec. 26, and Friday, Jan. 1. Regularly scheduled trips on these days will be automatically cancelled, but customers may book trips for these days online on octranspo.com or by calling 613-244‑7272 on or after:

Friday, Dec. 18, for Christmas bookings

Saturday, Dec. 19, for Boxing Day bookings

Friday, Dec. 25, for New Year’s Day bookings

The taxi coupons line (613-842-3670) will be closed on Friday, Dec. 25, Saturday, Dec. 26, and Friday, Jan. 1. The reservations line (613-244-7272) will be open for regular hours.

The trip cancellation and general inquiries line (613-244-4636) will be open from 6 a.m. to midnight.

Customers are reminded to suspend any other regular bookings if they will be on vacation during the holiday season.

For more information, holiday schedules and travel planning, call 613-741-4390 or visit octranspo.com.

Recreation services

Pools, arenas and fitness centres will operate drop-in programs on modified schedules during the holiday season. Please check the recreation drop-in activities section for public swimming, fitness and public skating schedules.

Some holiday-themed registered programs will be offered at community centres, arenas and swimming pools. Browse JoinOttawa or check with your facility to register.

Refrigerated outdoor rinks will be open over the holiday season. Check the alert status to confirm that the rink is open.

Ottawa Public Health

Assessment Centre and Care Clinics:

• The Moodie Care Clinic will be closed: Dec. 25 to 27, and Jan. 2 to 3.
• The Heron Care Clinic will be closed: Dec. 23 to 27, and Jan. 1 to 3.
• The Ray Friel Care Clinic will be closed on Dec. 25.

The Brewer TOH/CHEO Assessment Centre:

• Closed: Dec. 25 and Jan. 1
• Shortened days (8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.) both Brewer TOH & CHEO on Dec. 24, 26, 27, 31, and Jan. 2 and 3
• Shortened days (8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.) Brewer TOH only – Dec. 28 to 31

COVID-19 Drive-thru Assessment Centre at the National Arts Centre (NAC):

• Closed: Dec. 25 and Jan. 1
• Shortened Day (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) Dec. 24 and 31

COVID-19 Assessment Centre at McNabb Community Centre:

• Closed: Dec. 25 to 27, and Jan. 1 to 3
• Shortened days (10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.) Dec. 24 and Dec. 31

 Other OPH Services

The Site program office and supervised consumption services at 179 Clarence Street will be closed Friday Dec. 25 to Monday Dec. 28 and Friday Jan. 1 to Sunday Jan. 3. The Site mobile van will be closed on Thursday Dec. 24 but will operate from 5 pm until 11:30 pm from Dec. 25 to Jan. 3.

The Sexual Health Clinic and satellite clinics will be closed Thursday Dec. 24 to Monday Dec. 28 and Thursday Dec. 31 to Sunday Jan. 3. The clinic will be open for appointments on Dec. 29 and 30.

The Ottawa Public Health Information Centre will be closed for general calls on Dec. 25, 28 and Jan. 1.

Ottawa Public Health’s COVID-19 phone line at 613-580-6744 will be open from 8:30 a..m until 3:30 p..m on Dec. 24, closed Dec. 25 and 26, open from 9 a..m to 4 p..m on Dec. 27, open from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Dec. 28 to 30, open from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m Dec. 31 and closed Jan. 1.

The St. Laurent dental clinic  will be closed on Dec. 25, 28 and Jan. 1.

The baby help line is closed on Dec. 25, 26 and 28 and on Jan. 1.

Cultural services

The Karsh-Masson Gallery, Barbara Ann Scott Gallery, City Hall Art Gallery and Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame at City Hall will be closed. 

The City of Ottawa Archives and Gallery 112 will be closed.

All other City arts centres, galleries, theatres and museums will be closed.

Municipal child-care services

All Municipal child-care centres will be closed on Friday, Dec. 25, Monday, Dec. 28 and Friday, Jan. 1.

Parents are advised to check operating hours with their childcare centres during the holiday season.

Library services

The Ottawa Public Library will be closed on Friday, Dec. 25, Saturday, Dec. 26 and Friday, Jan. 1.

Branches and services will operate on a regular schedule from Monday, Dec. 28 through Wednesday, Dec. 30.

On Thursday, Dec. 24, and Thursday, Dec. 31, open branches will close early at 3 p.m.

Visit the OPL website for further information and to access library services online.

For more information on City programs and services, visit ottawa.ca or call 311 (TTY: 613-580-2401).