Despite the snowy start to spring, renovation season is right around the corner. Visitors took to the Ottawa Home and Garden show this weekend to look for new construction and design trends. The 45th annual show took over the EY Centre with 430 exhibitors featuring all the latest landscape gardens, pools, flooring, doors, windows, bathroom renos, interior, roofing and sheds. “Consumers are really looking more to be energy efficient, wanting to obviously save some money on a lot of their heating bills and a lot of other costs,” says Chris Cigos, show manager of the Ottawa Home & Garden Show. “You’re seeing a lot of solar roofing as some real environmental trends that are coming up in 2026.” Organizers say the event is a great place for consumers to get more educated on what to buy and build a relationship with contractors or companies in person. “Looking to see what’s new and interesting this season. Swimming pools are a prime reason for coming,” says attendee Laurie Billeneuve. Vendors say outdoor living and having a backyard oasis is also very popular right now. Suncoast Enclosures builds custom screen enclosures for outdoor living spaces. The 35-year-old Canadian company provides products across Canada selling, louvered roofs and retractable screens. “They want more living space that they can work outside, play outside or cook outside. It’s a whole lot of staying home, not going on vacation. They want to spend their money locally and they want to spend it on their place because that’s where they spend the most time,” says Suncoast Enclosures sales manager Scott Byrne. Paul Dawson recently purchased a new house and is attending the show for the first time to get ideas. “Looking for interior design for walls also, for something outside like a gazebo. We’re looking to do a backyard oasis type of thing. We want to make the garage a little nicer. The outside, inside. Just looking to make it personalized,” says Dawson. Aberdeen Development Group provides landscaping services. “People are looking at how can I enjoy my backyard or better enjoying my cottage and adding things to those pleasurable places that they may not have been doing in the past, but with the price of everything airlines and just cost of living going up, people are now looking to stay at home,” says Ken Farquhar, president of Aberdeen Development Group. The Ottawa Home and Garden Show is on until 5 p.m. Sunday at the EY Centre.
