Ottawa’s Business Improvement Areas had a standout showing at the 2026 Ontario BIA Association (OBIAA) Awards, with four recognitions across three local BIAs — and a deeply deserved Lifetime Achievement Award for one of the city’s most dedicated BIA leaders.
With a record-breaking 66 submissions province-wide, this year’s awards honoured BIAs that demonstrated excellence across OBIAA’s key pillars: Advocacy & Governance, Operations, Business Retention, Recruitment & Expansion, Economic Resilience & Community Building, Special Events, Marketing, Communications, and Streetscaping & Public Realm Improvements.
Ottawa’s winners are:
Vanier BIA received an Award of Excellence in Marketing for Merchant Mondays, and an Award of Merit in Communications for their Member Hub and Information Kit.
Manotick BIA took home an Award of Excellence in Special Events for Taste of Manotick 2025.
Downtown BIA earned an Award of Merit in Economic Resilience & Community Building for the Metcalfe Plaza project.
OCOBIA also extends its congratulations to Andrea Steenbakkers of the Barrhaven BIA, recipient of the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award. Andrea’s contributions to the BIA community — through her service on both the OCOBIA Board and the OBIAA Board and Committees — have had a lasting impact on BIAs across Ottawa and across Ontario. This recognition is incredibly well deserved.
These awards reflect the strength, creativity, and community commitment that define Ottawa’s mainstreets. Congratulations to all the winners.
