Here’s what you need to know about new ‘enhanced security measures’ at Ottawa City Hall

Starting next week, visitors to Ottawa City Hall will have to go through metal detectors and bag checks. CTV’s Kimberley Fowler reports.

People visiting Ottawa City Hall to renew a driver’s licence and health card, pay a water bill, watch a council meeting or meet with elected officials will soon have to pass through a metal detector to enter the building.

The City of Ottawa will introduce “enhanced security measures” at City Hall on Laurier Avenue West, starting on Monday.

• Ottawa introducing ‘enhanced security measures’ at City Hall on May 26

The city says all visitors will “have their bags screened” and will be required to go through a metal detector, similar to security at professional sports venues, before entering the building.

Ottawa City Hall is home to a ServiceOntario centre and an Ottawa Client Service Centre, meaning visitors to the two service counters will be required to pass through security before entering.

CTV News Ottawa looks at what you need to know about the new security measures at Ottawa City Hall.

Mayor explains security protocol

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe says the new security measures are being introduced to ensure City Hall is “keeping up with what’s going on in the world.”

“All across the country, we’re seeing civic buildings being targeted, and we want to make sure that City Hall is a safe place for our employees, first and foremost, and for members of the public who are coming to City Hall for events,” Sutcliffe told Newstalk 580 CFRA’s The Morning Rush with Bill Carroll Monday morning.

“The security team at City Hall advised us that we were one of the only buildings in downtown Ottawa that didn’t have any type of security measures. If you go into a federal government building downtown, you’re going to go through security.”

Sutcliffe notes there was an incident at Edmonton City Hall in January 2024. Police in Edmonton said shots were fired and a Molotov cocktail was thrown at City Hall.

“You’ll still be able to come to City Hall, we will still welcome you,” Sutcliffe said. “It will still be a place that people will gather, there will just be, as there is in so many other places in our community now, there will be a level of security that you go through when you come in.”

Why is the city introducing “enhanced security measures” at City Hall?

“Over the years, security risks and incidents have evolved, resulting in various levels of government updating their security procedures for entry into their administrative and legislative centres,” the city said in a media release last Friday.

“As a result, the city will be adopting security screening measures, which is a best practice model that it is currently in place in other public-facing government buildings in the national capital region, as well as at City Hall buildings in Toronto, Edmonton and Montreal.”

“I wouldn’t say that’s a bad idea,” said Chantale Simoneau, who was at City Hall Thursday to get a marriage licence. “There are a lot of other buildings where you have to go through metal detectors, and there are a lot of important meeting going on in here, and we are downtown.”

CTV News public safety analyist Chris Lewis says the changes are an unfortunate “sign of the times.”

“Concerts have been attacked, sporting events, all sorts of situations, even crowds walking down the sidewalk, as we’ve seen recently, have been attacked. It makes sense that any government institutions have to take a higher security posture,” he said. “It makes it difficult for people to go in and do simple things, but that’s the sign of the times.”

Residents opposed to the measures, like Horizon Ottawa coordinator Tom Ledgely, say the added screening is too much.

“Any time I’ve gone into that Service Ontario there is a really big line and that’s supposed to be a public service that’s available for folks. I don’t think it really makes sense to be putting a bag check and metal detectors and that whole slow process in front of that. That’s not to mention just public washrooms,” he said.

“I really don’t think the preventative ‘try to stop anything that may happen’ strategy really makes sense. If you want to have that philosophy, you would need a police officer on every corner of every street to catch anything that could happen. Not only would that be an incredibly hostile world to live in but it’s just not feasible in any way.”

Entering Ottawa City Hall

Ottawa City Hall will be open to the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week.

The city says all visitors will be asked to use the Laurier Avenue West or Lisgar Street entrances, where security screening will be set up.

On weekends, you will only be able to enter Ottawa City Hall through the Laurier Avenue entrance.

Security screening

When you arrive at Ottawa City Hall, you will be required to have your bag screened and to pass through a metal detector.

The city says during the security screening process, visitors will be required to:

• Place coats, cellphones, laptops, purses, bags and anything in your pocket onto a tray for X-ray screening.
• Visitors will then be asked to walk through a metal detector.

Prohibited items

The City of Ottawa says to avoid any delays at the entrances, visitors should not carry any of these prohibited items:

• Sharp objects, blades or tools
• Compressed gas cylinders, aerosol cans, or powders
• Explosive or flammable items
• Weapons, including toy replicas
• Noisemakers, megaphones or air horns
• Large placards or signs (that are not made of cardboard or cloth)

Current security measures

In 2020, the city introduced security measures to enter Jean Pigott Place at Ottawa City Hall for committee and council meetings.

Security access gates were installed at the two entrances, and security started inspecting purses, bags and coats before visitors passed through the gates.

Entering through the parking garage

The City of Ottawa says the parking garage at City Hall will continue to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

On weekends, visitors entering City Hall from the parking garage by elevator are required to use the elevators on the Laurier Avenue West side of the building.

LISTEN: Horizon Ottawa coordinator Tom Ledgley joins CFRA’s Ottawa Now with Kristy Cameron on May 22, 2025

With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Kimberley Fowler