Michelle McElligott
Senior Specialist, Events Management Unit - City of Ottawa

As the Senior Specialist for the City of Ottawa’s new Events Management Unit, I am responsible for a team of eight (8) employees and to spearhead the implementation of complex traffic management solutions for all planned & unplanned events that occur within City boundaries.

I have previously held positions as both the Special Events Management Coordinator and the Incident Management Coordinator. In 2023, both groups were merged to create the Events Management Unit. This unit is responsible for reviewing and recommending designs and/or installations pertaining to Hostile Vehicle Mitigation.

I began developing the technical assessments of Hostile Vehicle Mitigation in 2017. It was initially based on anecdotal observations and results stemming from high volume and impacting events that took place over the year. I created Ottawa’s risk assessment matrix that provided a variety of overviews to provincial professionals on the municipality’s strategies pertaining to La Machine, Freedom Convoy, Pop-Up Patios & Special Spaces, alongside many other events over the last decade.

I have partnered with the Ontario Traffic Council in assisting with the development of OTC’s Hostile Vehicle Mitigation guidelines and continue to provide subject matter expertise provincially. I am now focused on developing tailored HVM recommendations that consider small community limitations such as geographic location, funding, and road characteristics that would affect the overall strategic recommendation.