2025–present · Riverside South, Ottawa
Director of Civic Engagement
Director of Civic Engagement, and former Director of Volunteers. Neighbourhood outreach, resident consultation, and connecting Riverside South to city planning decisions. And having some fun on Canada Day and in our holiday Toy Mountain Parade.
The Riverside South Community Association (RSCA) is a volunteer-run organization serving one of Ottawa's fastest-growing suburban communities. Developing community spirit, protecting quality of life, and keeping residents connected to what matters locally is what the RSCA is about.
I serve as Director of Civic Engagement, connecting neighbours to city planning and consultation, gathering and presenting community opinions, and engaging with city staff and councillors. Before this, I spent two years as Director of Volunteers, recruiting and coordinating the people who make events, outdoor rinks, and cleanups actually happen.
Community association work is where grassroots politics starts: listening to neighbours, solving practical problems, and building the trust that later shows up in housing advocacy, municipal campaigns, and provincial runs.
Riverside South sits in Ottawa's south end, across the Rideau River from Barrhaven. It's a growing community of families, new builds, small businesses, parks, and trails. The vast majority of Riverside South was built this millennium.
The Community Association is entirely volunteer-run. We have no paid staff, just residents who show up to organize Canada Day, maintain outdoor rinks in winter, run spring cleanups, and keep neighbours informed about development and city decisions that affect daily life.
Sat, Nov 28
Spratt Road, St. Jerome to École Bernard-Grandmaître
The RSCA's 10th annual holiday parade, collecting new, unwrapped toys for CTV and MOVE 100's Toy Mountain in support of The Salvation Army. Floats and walkers welcome. Participation is free.
Sat, Dec 5 – Sun, Dec 6
Rideauview Community Centre, 4310 Shoreline Drive
Hot chocolate, cookie decorating, and festive music, then a cozy horse-drawn wagon ride past the seasonal lights. Rides every 20 minutes; $4 per seat, kids on laps free. Tickets on sale Nov 1.
From Canada Day to keeping the outdoor rinks flooded all winter, everything the RSCA does is run by volunteers, with help from local partners.
Riverside South's largest annual community celebration. A flagship event that brings together families, local businesses, and volunteers for the neighbourhood's biggest day of the year.
Volunteer-maintained outdoor skating rinks that give Riverside South a winter gathering place, and keep families active and outdoors even through the coldest months of the year.
Events like park movie nights, our holiday sleigh rides and Toy Mountain parade, decoration displays at Hallowe'en and Christmas, and a spring garage sale keep things happening in the neighbourhood all year long.
Spring & fall cleanups where volunteers spread out to collect waste and litter across parks, pathways, and green spaces. A big source of community service hours for high school students that keeps Riverside South looking beautiful!
Surveys, Facebook chats, and general meetings to keep us up to date on how you're feeling. Relationships with councillors, city staff, and community partners so you don't have to take time out of your busy schedule.
Newsletters, social channels, and direct outreach so residents know about events, volunteer opportunities, and issues affecting Riverside South.
Knowing my neighbours and making my community brighter has always been important to me. My community association volunteering started when I lived in Bells Corners in 2009, with the Westcliffe Estates Community Association.
While typically volunteers with very limited power, neighbourhood associations are the closest political groups to real community life. Friends and neighbours helping each other and making small but really direct and meaningful impacts on our shared experience.
Rachel, Simon, and I live in Riverside South. Building the events, community, and institutions our son will grow up with is personal as much as it is good for our neighbourhood.
Riverside South is part of the Carleton riding. Volunteer connections here kept me grounded in the neighbourhoods my provincial campaign was built to serve.
The RSCA is always looking for volunteers! Sign up through the association's volunteer form or email volunteers@riversidesouth.org to help with events, rinks, cleanups, and committees. No experience required.
Sign up to volunteer