Residents in Ottawa’s east end are rallying after a woman was allegedly sexually assaulted on a neighbourhood pathway, prompting concerns about safety and a united effort to support one another. The incident happened around 11:50 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 8, on a pathway near Ogilvie Road and Quincy Avenue, close to the Sir George-Étienne Cartier Parkway. Ottawa police say the woman was assaulted by an unknown man who fled toward the neighbourhood south of the parkway. She was taken to hospital in stable condition. No arrests have been made. Community advocate Brook-Lynn Quinlan and Ottawa Coun. Tim Tierney organized a community safety walk Friday evening, bringing together residents, along with local community groups. Quinlan, who lives within walking distance of the pathway and uses it regularly, says the incident has been particularly concerning for families in the area. “My daughter walks to and from school alone, so it’s been extremely concerning,” she says. “Tons of parents have been reaching out to me personally, concerned and fearful.” Quinlan says the walk is intended to show solidarity and reinforce that residents are looking out for one another. “We really want to show that our community is united,” she says, “and to also raise awareness about this incident and the ongoing police investigation.” Personal safety items are also being distributed, including reflective armbands, lights and alarms that can be attached to a keychain or backpack. The alarms activate when pulled and can sound for up to 60 minutes. “It’s really important for people to be able to quickly get help,” Quinlan says. “To pull out a phone is not quick enough in some circumstances.” Tierney also says the gathering is an opportunity to raise awareness about the Ottawa Police Service’s CAMSafe program, which allows residents and businesses to register the locations of their security cameras. The registry helps investigators identify nearby cameras that may have captured footage of an incident. Police can then contact camera owners to request recordings. “I want to be clear that no one can see what is on the live footage. but it will tell police in a situation like this, which houses to go to first to be able to collect that footage and to be able to quickly deal with,” he says. “The faster you can get the images and get them out to the public, the faster we can apprehend these kinds of individuals.” Llew NcWana, who lives near the pathway, says the assault happened close to behind his home. “It is a very disturbing incident,” he says. “I immediately went to check the cameras around my house to see if they had captured anything. Unfortunately, they didn’t. But the police were very responsive in canvassing the area and checking with their neighbours, and the neighbours were checking with one another to see if they could provide help or if there’s anybody that they knew that had camera footage as well.” NcWana says one of his neighbours was able to share a snapshot of the alleged suspect with police. Police have described the suspect as a Black male between 20 and 30 years old, approximately five-foot-eight to five-foot-11 and weighing about 200 pounds, with a medium to muscular build. He is described as having a wide nose, dark hair possibly tied back and facial hair on his chin. He speaks English with a slight accent and was last seen wearing dark clothing. “We don’t ever want to see this happen in our community again,” says Tierney. “And thanks to the police service, they’ve been very responsive. I have been speaking directly with the police chief, and they’re very engaged. Tonight will be about getting together as a community, and we’re also going to do future events to make sure people are informed about what’s happening, and I’ll be following this very closely as we continue to get more information on the case.” Ottawa police continue to investigate and are asking anyone with information to contact the Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Section at 613-236-1222, extension 5944, or by email at saca@ottawapolice.ca.
