Vanier Speaks: Mapping Climate Equity in Vanier 

What Vanier Residents Told Us About Climate, Transit & Community — Ecology Ottawa and CAWI's Participatory Mapping Workshop, April 2026

In April 2026, Ecology Ottawa and CAWI hosted a community mapping workshop in Vanier, inviting residents to share where they feel connected, where they feel unsafe, where they see climate impacts, and where they'd like to see change. Participants marked their reflections directly on a neighbourhood map using sticky notes, sharing memories, frustrations, and hopes tied to specific places across Vanier.

This story map presents what we heard: 70 community-sourced points of feedback, organized by theme, plus a set of reflections that speak to feeling and experience rather than a fixed location. This is resident-generated data, not an official City of Ottawa dataset, and reflects the lived perspective of the people who showed up that day.

Explore the Map

Each point represents a community member's voice, colour-coded by theme. Click any point to read what a resident shared and see which theme their feedback belongs to. Use the legend to filter by theme. Zoom in to explore spatial patterns. 

Prepared by Prosper Ocheme & Powered by Esri — Vanier Climate Equity Mapping, Ecology Ottawa & CAWI

What the Community Told Us

The geocoded points reveal clear spatial patterns across 9 themes:

🟢 Greenspaces (17 mentions)

• Parks, trees, and green space came up more than any other topic, both as a source of real joy and a point of frustration.
• Residents pointed to spots like Richelieu Park and Janeville Park as places of calm, while raising concerns about maintenance and equity in city investment.

🔵 Transit, Biking & Rolling (11 mentions)

• Getting around Vanier by bus, bike, LRT, or scooter was a recurring theme, with both practical frustrations and small wins.

🟠 Community Safety (8 mentions)

• Several residents raised concerns around encampments and safety near Montreal Road, particularly close to the LCBO and along the Myra Street shelter area.

🟠 Accessibility (8 mentions)

• Winter conditions, wait times, and infrastructure gaps came up repeatedly, especially for seniors and residents using mobility aids.

🟢 Third Spaces (7 mentions)

• Community gathering spots, libraries, schools, and cafés were named as anchors, alongside a sense that more are needed.

🟢 Connection (7 mentions)

• Vanier's diversity and community ties came through strongly, with residents drawing on personal and cultural connections to place.

🔴 Climate Change (3 mentions)

• Direct climate impacts were felt close to home, from summer heat to wildfire smoke.

⚫ Harm Reduction (3 mentions)

• Residents flagged concerns around substance use and safer supply gaps in the neighbourhood.

🟢 Peaceful (2 mentions) & Other (4 mentions)

• A smaller set of reflections spoke to calm, water, and the pressures of change facing the neighbourhood.

In Their Own Words

🟢 On greenspaces:

• "Richelieu Park — smell of leaves, freshness, birds."

🔵 On transit, biking & rolling:

• "June 7 Bike Festival, giving away 120 helmets this year, increase."

🟠 On community safety:

• "Mtl Rd, mega-shelter, negative impact on community."

🟠 On accessibility:

• "Not the snow but the amount of ice, especially dangerous for seniors. Sidewalks are not a priority, people needing to walk on roads."

🟢 On third spaces:

• "No young adult rec or life in this neighborhood."
• "Anina's Café, a community-building space."

🟢 On connection:

• "McArthur Ave, reminds me of Costa Rica / El Salvador."
• "Rideau Winter Trail has opened up so much, we see the same people and connect, leaving a community feeling."

🔴 On climate change:

• "Hanging out in stores for relief from heat."

⚫ On harm reduction:

• "High number of used needles & pipes."

🟢 On peaceful spaces and other reflections:

• "Being close to the water creates a sense of calm & peace."
• "Intensification/gentrification will have a huge impact on the neighbourhood."

What Residents Felt, Even Without a Fixed Location

Not every piece of feedback pointed to a specific place. During an emotion-wheel exercise, participants shared feelings and associations tied to Vanier more broadly. These reflections don't appear on the map above, but they carry real weight in understanding how residents experience the neighbourhood, spanning climate change, third spaces, greenspaces, transit, accessibility, harm reduction, peacefulness, and safety.

What This Means for Climate Equity

It reveals what residents value and where the gaps are. Greenspace, transit, and accessibility topped the list of both hopes and frustrations, showing where investment could have the most impact. It surfaces experience that doesn't fit neatly on a map. The emotion-wheel reflections capture a fuller picture of how residents feel about their neighbourhood, beyond the fixed points a spatial tool alone can show.

What's Next

This map isn't the end. This spatial mapping data will inform Ecology Ottawa and CAWI's ongoing climate equity work in Vanier and will be used to advocate for for equitable climate adaptation policies, identify priority neighbourhoods for green infrastructure investment, and ensure community voices inform Ottawa's Official Plan and climate strategies. 

To learn more about Ecology Ottawa's climate equity work, visit ecologyottawa.ca.