Ottawa city council votes to waive monthly patio fees this summer

People dine on the patio of a pub in the ByWard Market in Ottawa, on Friday, June 23, 2023. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)

Restaurateurs in Ottawa will not have to pay monthly patio fees this summer as the city celebrates its 200th birthday.

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe introduced a motion at Wednesday’s council meeting to cut the summer monthly patio permit rental rate from $16.49 per square metre to $0. Council approved the motion unanimously.

Any businesses that have already paid their summer patio fees will be reimbursed, according to the motion.

The 2026 budget increased the patio fee by 58 cents per square metre compared to 2025, but Sutcliffe said waiving the fee over the summer would help local businesses at a time when costs are rising.

“This is a challenging time for many small businesses. We want to support our local hospitality industry, our local restaurants and small businesses. We want them to have a great season, especially with Ottawa 200 celebrations. We don’t want to add to their financial burden,” Sutcliffe said after introducing the motion.

“I think this is something we can do to support our local business community and make the city more vibrant during our Ottawa 200 celebrations.”

The motion also addresses the ByWard Market District Authority and the Sparks Street Mall Authority, whose patio fees cover operating expenses. The motion says the city will provide funding to offset the lost revenue, covered through staff vacancies and professional services budgets within the Planning, Development and Building Services department.

“This is Ottawa’s 200th birthday; we want to have a great summer season, we want lots of patios open, lots of people enjoying their time on the patios, residents and visitors alike,” Sutcliffe told reporters after the council meeting. “And so, if we can support small businesses, reduce their costs, reduce their financial pressures, make it easier for them to open their patios for this season in particular, we want to do everything we can.”

The city had removed the fees in 2020 through 2022 because of the COVID-19 pandemic before gradually reintroducing them at 50 per cent of the usual fee in 2023, 75 per cent in 2024 and 100 per cent in 2025.

Sutcliffe’s motion says roughly $460,000 was collected in patio fees citywide last year.

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