6 things that cost more in Ottawa starting in April

Canadian currency can be seen in this file photo. (David Prisciak/CTV News)

Ottawa residents will be paying more on their water bills, to fill up the gas tank and to get a passport in April, as prices increase on several items.

CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at six things that cost more in Ottawa this spring.

Water bills

It will cost you more to turn on the taps at home in Ottawa, starting on April 1.

The 2026 City of Ottawa budget includes a 4.5 per cent increase in water and wastewater bills.

The city says the increase will add about $3.94 a month to the average household water bill.

On-street parking permits

Drivers picking up their summer residential parking permits will be paying starting this month.

The summer residential parking permits for on-street parking is in effect from April 1 until the end of November.

The 2026 City of Ottawa budget increased the cost of the parking permit by $1 to $36 a month.

The visitor parking permit for summer increases $0.25 to $9.25 a week.

While the 2026 City of Ottawa budget hiked the fees of January 1, the summer residential parking permit begins on April 1.

First-aid courses

The cost of first-aid training through the City of Ottawa increases 3.3 per cent, as of April 1.

The two-day standard first aid course now costs $155.40, up from $150.50 in 2025.

The one-day standard first aid recertification course will increase from $99.30 to $102.55.

Passport

The federal government has increased the cost of getting a new passport, as of March 31.

For applications made within Canada, the cost of the five-year regular adult passport will increase $2.50 to $122.50, while the price of the 10-year regular adult passport will jump $3.50 to $163.50.

A five-year regular child passport will cost $58.50, up $1.50.

The government says this is the first increase in passport fees since 2013, and fees will now be “adjusted” each year moving forward.

For Canadians living outside of Canada, the passport application fee for a 10-year adult passport will jump $6.25 to $266.25, while the five-year adult passport fee will increase $4.25 to $194.25.

The government is also increasing the fees for urgent pickup, weekend or statutory holiday service, a temporary passport or an interim passport.

Gas prices

It costs more to fill up the gas tank on Wednesday, and prices are expected to go even higher in two weeks as refineries switch to summer-grade blends.

The cost of gasoline jumped five cents a litre at Ottawa stations on Wednesday to around $1.83 a litre. Canadians for Affordable Energy president Dan McTeague says prices are expected to increase two cents a litre on Thursday.

McTeague told CP24 on March 19 that prices will likely increase 10 cents a litre when refineries switch from winter to summer-grade blends in mid-April.

Alcohol tax

Alcohol taxes increase on April 1.

The excise taxes on alcohol increases two per cent.

The federal government increases excise taxes on beer, wine and spirits each year on April 1 under an automatic “escalator tax.”

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