9 things that will cost you more in the 2025 City of Ottawa budget
Ottawa residents will be paying more to board the bus and the O-Train, have the garbage picked up, park on city streets and to use recreation facilities in 2025.
The 2025 City of Ottawa draft budget includes a 3.9 per cent property tax hike for most homeowners. The budget also includes increases in user fees for a variety of city services next year.
- Sign up now for daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at nine things that will cost you more in Ottawa in 2025.
OC Transpo fares
Transit riders are facing an average five-per-cent hike in transit fares next year.
Here is a look at the proposed transit fares for 2025:
- Adult monthly pass: $135 ($128.75 in 2024)
- Senior monthly pass: $108 ($49 in 2024)
- Adult single-ride fare (paid by card): $4 ($3.80 in 2024)
- Adult single-ride fare (paid by cash): $4.05 (3.85 in 2024)
- Senior single-ride fare (paid by e-purse): $3.20 ($2.90 in 2024)
- 11-12 year-old single-ride fare (paid by e-purse): $2 (free in 2024)
- U-Pass: $240.52 per semester ($229.07 in 2024)
The fares for the Community monthly pass, the Access monthly pass and EquiPass remain unchanged in 2025.
An OC Transpo user paying for a transit fare. (Dave Charbonneau/CTV News Ottawa)
Solid Waste Services
You will be paying more for household garbage and recycling collection in 2024.
The 2025 budget increases the solid waste user fees from $145 to $243 for a single-family household. The $243 fee will include the waste diversion tax, which was a separate line in 2024 ($56), as the city shifts to a single-fee system.
The solid waste user fees increase from $91 to $167 for multi-residential households.
Tipping fees for the landfill will increase 10.6 per cent.
A worker rides on the back of a waste collection vehicle in Ottawa. (CTV News Ottawa)
Recreation fees
The 2025 budget increases rental and membership fees for arenas and recreation.
Here is a look at the increases:
- Arena rental - Adult: $341.67 ($331.88 in 2024)
- Arena rental – Minor: $204.81 ($198.94 in 2024)
- Artificial turf – Adult: $142.94 ($138.84 in 2024)
- Artificial turf – Minor: $84.15 ($81.74 in 2024)
- Sports fields/ball diamonds: Increasing 3 per cent to $20.45 to $50.11
Memberships:
- Aquafitness: $54.13-$904.43 ($52.58-$878.41 in 2024)
- Fitness: $24.85 to $1,011 ($24.14-$982.35 in 2024)
- Museum: $39.15 ($38.38 in 2024)
- Personal training: up 3 per cent to $23.23-$67.15
- Swim: Up 3 per cent to $24.16-$651.29
Hourly programming
- Aquatics – Learn to Swim: up 2.9 per cent to $5.28-$32.91
- Day camps: up 2.7 per cent to 3 per cent to $1.84 to $17.82
- Fitness: up 2.9 per cent to $0.16 to $16.76
- Learn to Skate: up 3 per cent to $13.80 to $30.62
People ice skate on the Rink of Dreams at City Hall in Ottawa, on Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2021. (Justin Tang/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
On-street parking rates
The 2025 budget proposes increasing the maximum on-street parking rate.
The maximum on-street parking rate will increase from $4.50 to $5. Staff will have the delegated authority to increase parking rates during the year.
The cost of on-street residential parking permits will increase approximately 2.5 to 2.9 per cent. Here is a look at the proposed rates:
- Residential parking permit: $770 a year ($750 in 2024)
- Residential parking permit – summer: $36 a month ($35 in 2024)
- Residential parking permit – winter: $167 ($163 in 2024)
Business licensing
Business licensing fees will increase in 2025.
The proposed 2025 Emergency Preparedness and Protective Services Committee budget outlines increases of up to seven per cent for business licensing. Here are some of the fee increases:
- Application Processing Fee: up 3.4 per cent to $60
- Food premises: up 2.3 per cent to $226
- All Night Dance Events: up 2.4 per cent to $340
- Kennel-Boarding: up 2.5 per cent to $124
- Rickshaw operators: up 1.0 per cent to $55
- Snow plow vehicles: up 52 per cent to $58
Mobile refreshment vendors will see licenses increase 2.5 per cent.
Short-term rentals
The cost for a short-term rental permit will increase in 2025.
The cost of an application/renewal processing fee will increase $3 to $60. A host permit fee for two-years will increase 3.7 per cent to $56, according to the draft budget.
I Do
It will cost you more to say 'I Do' in Ottawa in 2025.
The cost of a marriage licence will increase two per cent to $186.55.
Civil marriages will cost more at Ottawa City Hall next year. The Option 1: Monday to Friday during business hours will now cost $163.18, up from $159.20 in 2024.
The Option 2: Friday evening and Saturday afternoons will cost $163.18, up from $159.20 in 2024.
Death
Death registration fees will increase $1.28 to $52.28.
Ottawa Police Service reports
The 2025 Ottawa Police Service's budget includes an increase in the cost of police record checks.
- Police Record Checks – Vulnerable Sector Employment: $72 (up from $71 in 2024)
- Police Record Checks – Adoption: $118 (up from $115 in 2024)
- Police Record Checks – Pardon Applications: $72 (up from $71 in 2024)
- Criminal Records Check: $72 (up from $71 in 2024)
- Occurrence Report: $64 (up from $62 in 2024)
- False Alarm Fee: $176 (up from $172 in 2024)
- Impound Recovery Fee: $200 (up from $195 in 2024)
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's 'most wanted terrorist' arrested on gun charges in Canada
One of India's most wanted terrorists has been arrested and charged in connection with a recent alleged shooting in Ontario.
Donald Trump picks Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz to serve as attorney general
President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday said he will nominate Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida to serve as his attorney general, putting a loyalist in the role of the nation's top prosecutor.
Dave Coulier, 'Full House' star, has cancer
Dave Coulier, an actor and comedian who found fame as Uncle Joey on "Full House," has revealed he has been diagnosed with stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a blood cancer.
The Canadian border is an 'extreme vulnerability,' says Trump's pick; Miller predicts 'tough' talks
Immigration Minister Marc Miller says he agrees with the incoming American border czar that there will be 'tough conversations' ahead.
What makes walking so great for your health and what else you need to do
Medical experts agree that walking is an easy way to improve physical and mental health, bolster fitness and prevent disease. While it’s not the only sort of exercise people should do, it’s a great first step toward a healthy life.
This Canadian airline will adopt Apple's new AirTag feature to help recover lost baggage. Here's how
Apple announced that a new feature, 'Share Item Location,' will help users locate and recover misplaced items by sharing an AirTag location with third parties including airlines.
Oldest stone tablet inscribed with Bible's Ten Commandments to be sold at auction
The oldest known tablet inscribed with the Ten Commandments from the Old Testament is expected to fetch up to US$2 million when it goes up for auction next month.
Overwhelmed families surrendering custody of their children to CAS
Overwhelmed families in Ontario are having to surrender their children to the Children's Aid Society, and according to the society, the residential crisis is part of the problem.
Via Rail seeks judicial review of CN's speed restrictions
Via Rail is asking for a judicial review of the reasons why Canadian National Railway Co. has imposed speed restrictions that affect its new passenger trains.