Barrhaven Civic Centre and Ottawa Public Library Branch
On Monday, members of the BBIA team were excited to attend the Project Kickoff for the upcoming Barrhaven Civic Centre and Ottawa Library Branch. Despite the weather, it was amazing to see so many community members in attendance to find out more and join the discussion.
This new community hub will be located at 180 Riocan Avenue and is the centre of what will become Barrhaven’s Downtown. It will bring together a district-level OPL branch, a cultural centre, a dedicated seniors’ space, and a new urban park and plaza in a single destination designed to serve Barrhaven’s growing population.
The facility will include approximately ~5,000 m2 of indoor space, featuring flexible cultural, performance and event spaces, library collections and technology services, meeting and program rooms, creative spaces and dedicated areas for seniors’ programming. This will also create opportunities and space for youth programming and engagement.
The project will also feature an outdoor civic square and urban park including gathering, event and performance space, pathways and shaded sitting areas.
Together, these spaces will create an accessible, welcoming and dynamic destination that strengthens Barrhaven’s community connections.
BBIA Executive Director on CBC Ottawa Your Morning to Discuss Barrhaven Civic Centre
On Tuesday morning, Andrea Steenbakkers, Executive Director of the Barrhaven BIA, appeared on CBC Ottawa Your Morning to discuss the latest plans for a new civic centre and library branch in Barrhaven’s Downtown.
Provide Your Feedback
If you missed the event, it’s not too late to find out more and have your say. There is an online survey available until the end of August on Engage Ottawa.
Barrhaven is growing, and so is the need for welcoming, accessible spaces where residents can gather, learn and participate in local programs. To support this expanding community, the City of Ottawa is planning the development of a new Civic Centre and Ottawa Public Library (OPL) branch, designed to bring people together and strengthen neighbourhood connections.
To ensure this facility reflects the needs and priorities of the community, we invite you to share your input using the survey below. Your feedback will help guide the planning and design of this future community facility.
A more robust services survey will be shared publicly in the future once designs are further developed.
The survey will be open until Monday, August 31, 2026. Additionally, you can email your feedback to RCFS-PublicEngagement@ottawa.ca.
