Committee endorses next steps for new paramedic facility

The Finance and Corporate Services Committee today approved advancing a public‑private partnership (P3) procurement process to build a new Ottawa Paramedic Service West Deployment Facility that will support growth and evolving service demands.

The current headquarters was built in 2005 for a much smaller paramedic service and is now over capacity due to significant increases in staff, vehicles and specialized equipment. Since 2005, population growth, an expanded scope of practice, and changes to service delivery have required the service to adapt and expand its programs, significantly increasing space, logistical and operational needs. To accommodate this growth, Council has invested in more than 450 staff since 2005, including 141 this term alone. The service’s current operations also require climate‑controlled storage, expanded logistics space and dedicated training areas that the existing site cannot provide. These constraints create operational, health and safety challenges, and limit the service’s ability to meet the future needs of residents.

A second major facility in the west end would address these pressures by adding space for staff, vehicles and equipment, improving response times in the west and south of Ottawa, and providing infrastructure to support uninterrupted emergency services. It would also strengthen the service’s deployment model, helping paramedics reach residents more quickly and efficiently across the city.

Following a detailed analysis, the Design, Build, Finance, Maintain (DBFM) procurement model was identified as the preferred delivery approach, allowing project costs to be spread over 30 years and enabling the City to access additional provincial funding through the Land Ambulance Services Grant Agreement. The recommended site at 4061 Strandherd Drive meets operational, infrastructure and long‑term growth requirements.

In accordance with the P3 procurement policy, Staff would return to Council at key project milestones to seek approval of the procurement strategy, preferred partner and final agreements.

The Committee approved launching a new Affordable Housing Debt Funding Pilot that would help Ottawa Community Housing Corporation (OCHC) move forward more quickly with construction‑ready affordable housing projects.

The pilot would use the City’s strong credit rating and existing borrowing tools to issue debt on OCHC’s behalf at lower interest rates than OCHC could secure on its own. This modern financing model replaces large upfront municipal contributions with a more efficient long-term approach, allowing the City to stretch its housing dollars further without increasing property taxes or creating new budget pressures.

The City would provide up to $2 million per year for up to 10 years from the existing affordable housing budget to help cover early‑stage debt payments until projects become self‑sustaining. This approach could help deliver approximately 550 new affordable homes across three OCHC projects: Mosaiq Phase 2, Beausoleil and Geyser Place. All three projects are ready to build but face funding gaps due to rising construction costs and interest rates.

The pilot is designed to be budget‑neutral and aligns with Council’s housing targets as well as the Long Range Financial Plan for Housing. It also strengthens the City’s ability to align its contributions with provincial and federal funding programs, including Build Canada Homes and the CMHC Affordable Housing Fund. If upper-level government funding is delayed or reduced, the City retains flexibility to adjust its borrowing or equity contributions. Treasury oversight, annual reporting requirements and project‑specific approvals are built into the pilot’s framework to ensure effective risk management and safeguard the City’s credit rating.

City Council will consider the recommendations from today’s meeting on Wednesday, February 11.

• Agenda