The Ottawa Mission

10/22/2026

A new October 2026 polling conducted by Nanos Research for the Ottawa Mission shows that residents are feeling the squeeze of a housing market out of reach:

🔴 56% of Ottawa residents believe someone they care about is at risk of becoming homeless—a 10-point increase since 2019 (46%).

🔴 1 in 3 residents (34%) report they personally face at least a small risk of homelessness, with young adults aged 18–34 (35%) more than three times as likely as seniors (11%) to report a small personal risk.

🔴 23% of residents now rank the lack of affordable housing as the #1 contributor to homelessness (up from 17% in 2019), while 54% point to physical/mental health conditions and addictions—pressures that have only worsened on our frontlines with a record number of overdoses following the provincial closure of local supervised consumption sites.

Even though the Ottawa Mission’s Housing Department successfully housed 165 clients last year, sadly, we are seeing former clients forced right back into our shelter due to renovictions and demovictions. Still today, almost 7 years after city council declared a homelessness emergency, our shelter is operating at over 100% capacity, with guests sleeping on mats in our chapel and chairs in our lounge before winter even begins.

We need strengthened tenant protections against renovictions and immediate investments in deeply affordable and supportive housing across all levels of government.

Click here to ask municipal election candidates about their priorities: https://win.newmode.net/theottawamission/ottawamunicipalelection2026

10/21/2026

Learning is for everyone - thanks to Université Saint-Paul / Saint Paul University, Carleton University (Official), and your support of our Discovery University program!

The Ottawa Mission applauds SPU and Carleton, whose faculty and campuses help deliver
university-level courses at no cost to those who may never otherwise be able to access it. 📝

Learn more about Discovery University and hear about its impact on Saint Paul's campus:

Learning is For Everyone: Discovery University Comes to Saint Paul University 9 October 2026News Empowering individuals through education is central to Saint Paul University’s values. For this reason, the University is proud to continue its partnership with the Ottawa Mission to host Discovery Uni...

10/19/2026

In a new survey released by Nanos Research, Ottawa residents rank housing and homelessness as the top priority for the municipal government. 📝

Other key findings from the survey include:

⚫ - 42% of respondents believed all levels of government should be first responsible for dealing with homelessness, while only 1% ranked charitable organizations first;

⚫ - 54% of Ottawa residents rank physical or mental health conditions or addictions as the biggest contributor to homelessness, which is down from 62% in 2019, while;

⚫ - 23% rank a lack of affordable housing as the primary driver for homelessness, an increase from 17% in 2019.

We know that Ottawa is a compassionate city that supports our most vulnerable citizens, but, unless governments at all levels step up their efforts to work together to find solutions to the housing and homelessness crisis, things will get even worse.

We commend city council for passing its renoviction bylaw earlier this spring. But we need to do much more, including strengthening this bylaw and returning the municipal budget allocation for new affordable and supportive housing to $30 million per year.

We invite you to read more about the findings of Nanos' survey:
https://ottawamission.com/stories/housing-and-homelessness-lead-ottawa-residents-municipal-priorities-nanos-survey/

10/15/2026

This , we’re celebrating the incredible generosity that helped make Thanksgiving special for our community.

🦃 Elmwood School – thank you for continuing your annual Turkey Trot tradition, raising funds to donate 37 turkeys for our Thanksgiving meals.

🦃 Bracebridge Farms – thank you for generously donating 18 turkeys to help feed our community over Thanksgiving weekend.

Thanks to our turkey donors, regular donors, volunteers, and everyone who played a part, The Ottawa Mission served more than 19,000 Thanksgiving meals through our shelter kitchen and Mobile Mission Meals food trucks over the past week.

We couldn’t have done it without you! 💙

10/14/2026

🔊 Tell your municipal candidates where you stand on housing and poverty before you vote on October 26.

Nearly 3,000 neighbours are unhoused, encampments have tripled, and 1 in 4 households struggle to afford food. City Hall has the tools to move from crisis management to prevention.

Our email advocacy campaign is asking every candidate for concrete plans to:
➡️ Restore and grow affordable & supportive housing investments.
➡️ Strengthen the Rental Renovation Licence By-law.
➡️ Support Indigenous-led housing and services.
➡️ Expand civilian crisis response teams (ANCHOR).
➡️ Fund food security within the Poverty Reduction Strategy.

Take action. It takes 1 minute to email your ward and mayoral candidates: https://win.newmode.net/theottawamission/ottawamunicipalelection2026

10/13/2026

The Ottawa Mission’s Thanksgiving tables were full! 🍂🍽️

Yesterday, so many of our neighbours in need gathered at The Ottawa Mission for a special Thanksgiving meal, sharing food, community, and hope. 🧡

In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, our food truck also delivered thousands of holiday meals across Ottawa, bringing warmth and kindness to people who needed it most.

Because of your incredible generosity, 19,684 Thanksgiving meals were served over the holiday. 🍽️🦃

Every plate served was a reminder that no one has to face hardship alone. Your compassion helped create moments of connection, dignity, and hope. And for many, it was the first step toward a brighter future.

From all of us at The Ottawa Mission, thank you for making Thanksgiving so meaningful for our neighbours. Together, we're more than a shelter, we're a community where hope grows, lives are transformed, and everyone has a place at the table. 💙

Read more: https://ottawamission.com/stories/ottawa-mission-serves-an-all-time-high-19684-thanksgiving-meals/

10/12/2026

Happy Thanksgiving! Our annual Thanksgiving meal is today and you still have time for your gift to have twice the impact towards helping those in need.

Until midnight tonight, your gift of $4.68, will DOUBLE and provide TWO meals, ensuring everyone will have a seat at our table today for Thanksgiving.

Please give today to bring hope, warmth, and community to those who need it most. 🧡

Donate today: https://donor.ottawamission.com/page/Thanksgiving2026?utm_source=social+media&utm_medium=social+media&utm_campaign=sm2601&utm_content=T26

10/11/2026

Please note our food trucks will not be on the road tomorrow on the Thanksgiving - Monday, October 12th.

If you’re looking for a warm meal on Monday, please join us in The Ottawa Mission dining room at 35 Waller.

We will be serving our special Thanksgiving meal between 11am-5pm. 💙

10/11/2026

Tomorrow is the big day! 🍂 Our annual Thanksgiving meal is almost here.

From 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. we’ll welcome anyone in need into our dining room for a special meal.

Our kitchen team is working tirelessly to prepare nourishing meals for our community’s most vulnerable, but there’s still time to help make it happen!

Until midnight tomorrow, your gift of $4.68, will DOUBLE and provide TWO meals, ensuring everyone will have a seat at our table this Thanksgiving.

Please give today to bring hope, warmth, and community to those who need it most. 🧡

Donate today: https://donor.ottawamission.com/page/Thanksgiving2026?utm_source=social+media&utm_medium=social+media&utm_campaign=sm2601&utm_content=T26

10/08/2026

🚣‍♂️ 800+ km | 40 days | One powerful purpose. 💙

Today marks the final day of Cory’s incredible solo canoe journey from Georgian Bay to downtown Ottawa, raising awareness and support for men’s mental health along the way.

For the past 40 days, Cory has paddled more than 800 km while raising funds for The Ottawa Mission and shining a light on the mental health challenges faced by boys and men.

As a monthly donor and weekly volunteer, Cory has seen firsthand the work of The Mission, including our mental health, addiction, and trauma support services.

When asked what inspired his journey, Cory shared: “I know the mental health challenges boys and men face very well. I've lost family, friends and colleagues, and seen many others struggle. I'll be paddling each day for those whose journey ended too early, to inspire those who might be struggling, and raise awareness of how we can support the boys and men in our lives and community.”

Cory has already raised $1,850 for The Ottawa Mission. 🎉

If you'd like to support his cause please visit: https://ow.ly/IU7k50ZW15b

Thank you, Cory, for every kilometer, every paddle, and every conversation you've sparked along the way. Congratulations on reaching the finish line! 💙👏