Canada’s First All-Season, Medium-Speed Autonomous Shuttle Launches in Canada’s Largest Technology Park

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, MP Jenna Sudds, Councillor Cathy Curry, Kelly Daize, and project partners for the Kanata North Smart Shuttle. The group stands, smiling, to cut the ribbon.

Ottawa, ON — October 9, 2025 – As the project recipient, the Kanata North Business Association (KNBA), in collaboration with a consortium of industry, academic, and municipal partners, is proud to announce the launch of Canada’s first all-season, medium- speed autonomous shuttle pilot in Canada’s Largest Technology Park located in Kanata North. 

This innovative project will test and deploy the Aurrigo Auto-Shuttle® Mk2, an eight-seater with one wheelchair, winter-ready, Level 4 electric autonomous vehicle. The shuttle will operate along a 4.5 km route with eight designated stops, linking businesses, restaurants, community spaces, and transit connections across Canada’s Largest Technology Park.

The project aims to advance road safety, accessibility, and sustainability, while positioning Kanata North as a national testbed for smart mobility solutions. 

The Kanata North Smart Shuttle takes a test trip through KRP Properties parking lot.

 Partner Contributions 

The shuttle pilot is made possible by the contributions and expertise of a strong coalition of partners: 

  • Aurrigo – Providing the Auto-Shuttle® Mk2 vehicle, safety case, and operational expertise. The winter-ready, medium-speed shuttle will undergo rigorous four- season testing at Area X.O before deployment on public roads. 
  • Area X.O / Invest Ottawa – Delivering dedicated testing and validation at the only all-weather smart mobility R&D facility of its kind in North America. Canada’s leading all- weather smart mobility R&D facility, including crash avoidance, pedestrian detection, and ISO-standard safety evaluations. 
  • CSA Group – Producing a standards and regulatory guidance report to help municipalities adopt autonomous shuttles safely, analyzing safety, regulatory, and operational frameworks. 
  • Zendelity – Integrating its Command Center platform to monitor and analyze shuttle safety inspections in real time, ensuring proactive risk management. 
  • EcoSafeSense – Installing environmental sensors to monitor cabin air quality, improving passenger comfort and generating insights for future AV standards. 
  • Deaf AI – Embedding real-time ASL/LSQ sign language avatars into the shuttle, creating one of the world’s most inclusive AV transit experiences for Deaf and hard- of-hearing passengers. 
  • Solink – Providing video surveillance technology at shuttle stops and parking areas to enhance safety and security for passengers and operators. 
  • Brookstreet Hotel – Serving as a key stop on the shuttle route, enhancing accessibility for guests, employees, and visitors. Connects riders with a 4-Diamond hotel with award-winning dining, spa facilities, golf, and more. 
  • University of Ottawa – Engaging students, researchers, and facilities at its Kanata North campus to support data collection, innovation, and experiential learning. 
  • City of Ottawa – Providing infrastructure expertise, regulatory support, and test environments, building on its leadership in smart intersections and prior autonomous vehicle trials. 
  • KRP Properties – Supporting the shuttle program by providing dedicated charging infrastructure. The shuttle will stop at multiple KRP Properties locations, improving connectivity between its campuses and offering convenient access for tenants, employees, and visitors. 

Ottawa community leaders and Smart Shuttle project partners gather for a team photo in front of the shuttle.

Quotes 

“This project represents a major milestone  — proving that autonomous vehicles can operate safely and inclusively in our four-season environment. We are proud to collaborate with this strong group of partners to make Kanata North a hub for the future of mobility.” 

  • — Kanata North Business Association, Kelly Daize 

“This pilot is an important step in demonstrating how autonomous shuttles can deliver safe, reliable, and inclusive transport in all seasons. The insights we gain here will carry forward into other complex environments where moving people efficiently and sustainably is essential.” 

  • — Aurrigo, Tenille Houston 

“At Area X.O, safety is our North Star,” said Sonya Shorey, President and CEO of Invest Ottawa. “Our R&D complex is dedicated to helping founders and companies commercialize emerging technologies and get to market faster, safely. We are honoured to serve as the private R&D test partner for this medium-speed shuttle project led by Kanata North Business Association and Aurrigo. We are facilitating eight weeks of rigorous shuttle testing at our all-season R&D complex. This work underscores our focus on safety, innovation, and collaboration as the shuttle is prepared for on-road deployment in Canada’s largest tech park. By providing engineering expertise and a secure environment for real-world testing, Area X.O is helping accelerate the safe commercialization and adoption of next-generation smart mobility solutions.” 

  • — Invest Ottawa, Sonya Shorey 

About the Project 

The Autonomous Shuttle Project will generate key insights into: 

  • Autonomous vehicle performance in four-season Canadian conditions 
  • Development of municipal safety frameworks for AV deployment 
  • Inclusive design features that support accessibility 
  • Policy recommendations for future AV regulations in Canada 

The project builds on earlier low-speed autonomous shuttle trials in Ottawa (2019, 2021), advancing to a commercial-grade vehicle with increased capacity, speed, and operational range. 

Terry Matthews, Yasir Naqvi, and Sonya Shorey take the inaugural trip on the Kanata North Smart Shuttle.

About KNBA 

The Kanata North Business Association (KNBA) is the voice of Canada’s Largest Technology Park, representing over 700 companies and 63,000 employees. KNBA fosters collaboration between industry, government, and academia to accelerate innovation, attract talent, and strengthen Canada’s technology leadership. 

About Invest Ottawa 

Invest Ottawa is the lead economic development agency for knowledge-based industries in Canada’s Capital Region, facilitating economic growth and job creation in Ottawa. Guided by a vision to help realize Ottawa’s full potential as a globally recognized, innovative, inclusive, and future-ready city, Invest Ottawa delivers venture development, global expansion and talent programs and services that catalyze the growth and success of entrepreneurs and firms. These include small business training, mentorship, acceleration for technology firms, foreign business and investment attraction, local business retention and expansion in targeted sectors, commercialization and marketing Ottawa’s diversified economy and high quality of life. Invest Ottawa is also the manager of Bayview Yards, Ottawa’s innovation hub and one-stop business acceleration shop, and founder and operator of Area X.O, the R&D complex for next-gen smart mobility, autonomy, and connectivity technologies. Since 2017, the economic impact of Invest Ottawa and the businesses it supports exceeds $3.7 billion in GDP, 29,343 jobs, and $622 million in government revenues. www.investottawa.ca 

Media Contact: 

Tracey Godin, Kanata North Business Association
Tracey Godin | 613-601-4386 

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