Before major new data centres are approved, Ottawa should make sure the electricity, water, roads, utilities, and other infrastructure needed to support them are already available or properly planned.

Starting or expanding a business should not mean getting lost in paperwork or waiting without knowing where an application stands.

As Mayor, I would work to make Ottawa’s permitting and approval processes clearer, more predictable and better coordinated. Businesses should know what documents are required, which department is responsible, what stage their application has reached, and approximately how long each step should take.

I would also push for better coordination between City departments so applicants are not repeatedly sent from one office to another or asked for the same information multiple times.

Streamlining the process does not mean eliminating important protections. Safety, accessibility, environmental requirements, building standards and consideration for surrounding communities must continue to be respected.

The goal is simple: keep the standards that protect Ottawa while removing unnecessary bureaucracy and delays that make it harder for responsible businesses to invest, expand and create jobs.

As Mayor, I would work with the federal and provincial governments, Invest Ottawa, labour, industry and local partners to make Ottawa a serious destination for next-generation vehicle manufacturing, EV technology, batteries and other clean industries.

Ottawa has the talent, available employment lands and technology sector needed to compete for major investments. Instead of watching new factories and thousands of good-paying jobs go somewhere else, I want our city actively at the table when companies are deciding where to build their next Canadian facility.

Any major industrial development must also meet strong environmental standards. Economic growth should not come at the expense of our air, water, neighbourhoods or climate goals. I want to attract modern manufacturing that uses cleaner technology, creates long-term employment and builds industries that will still be growing decades from now.

My administration would work to make appropriate employment lands development-ready, improve infrastructure and servicing, streamline municipal approvals without weakening environmental or safety standards, and pursue partnerships with other levels of government.

For me, economic development means more than simply increasing GDP. It means good-paying jobs, stronger local businesses, opportunities for young people, increased municipal revenue and a more resilient Ottawa economy.

Canada’s capital should not only be a centre of government. Ottawa should also be a place where the technologies and products of the future are designed and built.

Ottawa is Canada’s capital, and our city should look and function like a capital we can all be proud of.

Tourism is an important part of our economy. When visitors come to Ottawa, they support our restaurants, hotels, shops, markets, festivals, attractions and local businesses. But attracting visitors is not only about advertising our city. We also need to make sure the city itself works.

That means reliable public transit, well-maintained roads and sidewalks, clean and welcoming public spaces, dependable infrastructure and a downtown that feels alive and accessible.

As a democratic socialist Mayor, my approach is simple: when we invest in a city that works for the people who live here, we also create a city that people from around the world want to visit.

Ottawa also has an incredible history that deserves to be celebrated and protected.

Ottawa is built on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation, whose people have lived on and cared for this territory for millennia. We must also recognize and respect the contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples who continue to enrich our city.

Ottawa has a proud Francophone and Franco-Ontarian history, including communities such as Vanier and Orléans, alongside its Anglophone heritage and the histories of the many immigrant, cultural and ethnocultural communities that have helped build our city.

And there is so much more to Ottawa than the communities and neighbourhoods I can name here. Mentioning some does not make anyone else less important. Every community, every culture and every part of our city matters and deserves respect and recognition.

From Parliament Hill, the Rideau Canal and the Ottawa River to the ByWard Market, our museums, historic neighbourhoods, rural communities, festivals, arts, food, languages and cultures, Ottawa has an enormous amount to offer.

We should protect our heritage while continuing to build a modern, welcoming and accessible capital.

When Ottawa does well, everyone benefits. Residents have a better city to call home, local businesses have more opportunities, workers have more good-paying jobs, and visitors have more reasons to come to Ottawa and return again.

My goal is to make Ottawa a capital that reflects its history, celebrates its diversity and gives residents and visitors alike a city they can be proud of.

Transit is not Ottawa’s only challenge, and I would never suggest that the other issues facing our city are less important. But transit is one of the major problems affecting residents across Ottawa every single day, and it is an area where I bring approximately 12 years of firsthand experience working within Ottawa’s transit system.

I have worked in operations and instruction, trained employees, worked with frontline staff, and seen how decisions made at the top affect service on the road.

I understand that fixing transit also means understanding the people who actually deliver the service. A Mayor needs to be able to work constructively with employees, management, unions and other levels of government, understand collective agreements and workplace realities, and bring everyone to the same table.

As an instructor, I like to explain complicated issues with simple analogies.

If you have a problem with your car, you go to a mechanic. If you have a serious problem with your heart, you go to a heart surgeon.

Transit is one of the hearts of our city.

When that heart is not working properly, the effects are felt everywhere. Workers are late getting to their jobs. Students struggle to get to school. Businesses lose customers. Families lose valuable time. Residents lose confidence in a public service they depend on.

Transit is the area where I bring the experience of someone who has spent years working directly with that heart.

I understand how the system works from the inside, where some of its challenges are, and how important it is to listen to the operators, instructors, maintenance employees, riders, unions, management and communities who experience it every day.

That is experience I would bring to the Mayor’s office.

But Ottawa is much bigger than transit.

I am not going to pretend that one person can walk into City Hall knowing every problem in every neighbourhood or having every answer on day one. A good Mayor also needs to listen, learn, surround themselves with knowledgeable people and work directly with residents and experts across the city.

My transit experience gives me specialized knowledge in one of Ottawa’s biggest municipal services. I would bring that knowledge to the table while continuing to learn about and work on the many other challenges facing Ottawa, including housing, infrastructure, affordability, public safety, economic development, environmental protection and municipal services.

I know transit because I have worked inside its heart. As Mayor, I would bring that experience to City Hall while listening, learning and working with the people of Ottawa to strengthen the entire city.

Public transit needs to be both affordable and reliable.

The regular adult monthly OC Transpo pass currently costs $138.50. My proposal is to reduce it to $90 per month, saving a regular monthly-pass user up to $582 a year.

With the cost of everyday life continuing to put pressure on households, making transit more affordable is one way the City can help residents keep more money in their pockets while making public transportation a more practical option.

But lowering the fare is only part of the solution.

We also have to rebuild a transit system people can depend on. That means working toward realistic schedules, better service reliability, proper maintenance, stronger workforce planning and greater accountability when service is not delivered as promised.

Ottawa also needs to rebuild public trust in OC Transpo. People are more likely to choose public transit when they believe their bus or train will arrive and get them where they need to go.

My goal is straightforward: make transit more affordable, make the service more reliable, and give Ottawa residents a reason to trust and use their public transit system again.

Before major new data centres are approved, Ottawa should make sure the electricity, water, roads, utilities, and other infrastructure needed to support them are already available or properly planned.

When we build new homes, apartments, offices and commercial buildings, we should be thinking about energy efficiency before construction begins, not trying to correct problems years later.

I want the City to work with developers to encourage better insulation, efficient heating and cooling systems, high-quality windows, improved building design and other measures that reduce unnecessary energy use.

Ottawa already has High Performance Development Standards that provide guidance for more energy-efficient and climate-resilient development. I would work to strengthen the use of these standards wherever municipal authority allows and advocate to the Province when Ottawa needs greater authority to establish higher local standards.

This is not about creating unnecessary delays or making housing harder to build. It is about planning properly from the beginning.

A building that is designed efficiently from day one can use less energy, cost less to operate over its lifetime and be more comfortable for the people who live or work inside it.

My goal is to work with developers, builders, residents and other levels of government so that as Ottawa grows, we are building communities that are affordable, efficient and prepared for the future.

Ottawa is growing, but growth should not automatically mean removing the green spaces, forests and natural areas that make our city such a great place to live.

Before expanding into valuable green space, we should look first at infill development, underused properties and land within areas that already have infrastructure and municipal services. We can build more housing and support population growth while making smarter use of the land we already have.

At the same time, protecting what exists is only part of the solution. I want Ottawa to grow our green spaces and urban tree canopy, especially in neighbourhoods that currently have fewer trees.

The City’s Official Plan has a goal of reaching 40% urban tree-canopy cover, and I want us to keep moving toward that goal. (Ottawa⁠)

Planting trees is one of the practical investments we can make in our communities, but we need to plant the right trees in the right places. That means choosing diverse, locally appropriate and climate-resilient species that have a better chance of surviving Ottawa’s changing climate, extreme heat, pests and severe weather.

Trees provide shade, help cool neighbourhoods, improve air quality, support biodiversity and make our streets and public spaces more enjoyable.

This is especially important as we experience the effects of climate change.

My goal is simple: protect the green spaces we already have, build intelligently before expanding outward, and plant more trees so future generations inherit a greener Ottawa than the one we have today.

Many residents still rely on their vehicles for certain trips, including people travelling from suburban and rural communities, families, seniors, tradespeople and those making quick stops downtown.

My proposal is to make the first 30 minutes of City on-street parking downtown free.

The goal is to make it easier for someone to stop downtown to pick up an order, visit a local business, attend a quick appointment or run an errand without immediately paying for parking.

This would complement, not replace, investment in better public transit, walking and cycling. Ottawa needs to recognize that residents use different forms of transportation depending on where they live, where they are going and what they need to do.

The City would also need to maintain appropriate time limits and parking enforcement so that short-term parking continues to turn over rather than being occupied all day.

My approach is to give residents practical transportation choices while helping make Ottawa’s downtown more accessible to customers and visitors.

Ottawa should be willing to learn from innovative solutions being tested and used in cities around the world.

Research in cities such as Guangzhou, China has shown that properly designed water-spray and misting systems can significantly cool roof surfaces and provide localized relief from extreme summer heat.

As Mayor, I would explore pilot projects in Ottawa to determine where technologies such as smart rooftop cooling, misting systems, reflective roofs, green roofs and shaded public spaces can work effectively in our climate.

For new developments, I want us thinking about extreme heat before buildings are constructed, not trying to correct the problem decades later.

But Ottawa is not Guangzhou. We have hot and increasingly humid summers, but we also have freezing temperatures, snow and repeated freeze-thaw cycles. Any technology we introduce must therefore be designed for Ottawa’s complete climate, use water responsibly, be properly maintained and remain safe during our winters.

This is not about copying another country blindly. It is about looking around the world for ideas that work, testing them here, and adapting the best solutions to Ottawa.

As our summers become hotter, Ottawa should be preparing now by combining innovation with trees, green space, shade, reflective surfaces and smarter building design to keep our neighbourhoods cooler and safer.

Ottawa has streets and intersections that were not designed as well as they could be for everyone who needs to use them.

My approach would be to look at the entire road, not treat pedestrians, cyclists, transit users and drivers as separate problems.

We need clearer and safer pedestrian crossings, better-connected cycling routes, safer intersections, appropriate separation between different road users and street designs that make everyone’s movements more predictable.

But improving safety does not always mean spending millions of dollars rebuilding an entire road.

Where appropriate, relatively simple measures such as better pavement markings, signage, signal timing, protected turning phases, barriers and improvements made when a road is already being resurfaced can make a meaningful difference without unnecessary additional construction.

For larger projects, I want Ottawa to design them properly from the beginning so we are not repeatedly returning years later to correct problems that could have been addressed during the original construction.

The goal is not to create a competition between cyclists, pedestrians and drivers.

A properly designed transportation system should make it safer and easier for everyone to get where they need to go, regardless of how they choose to travel.

Explanation

Ottawa needs more housing, but growth should be planned carefully.

Before expanding farther into green space, I want the City to focus first on underused land, infill opportunities and areas that already have roads, transit, water, sewers and other municipal services.

Building within existing communities can help us use infrastructure more efficiently, support public transit and local businesses, and reduce unnecessary pressure to keep expanding outward.

At the same time, new development must fit responsibly into the communities around it. That means planning for roads, transit, schools, parks, emergency services and other infrastructure as neighbourhoods grow.

My goal is not simply to build more housing. It is to build the right housing in the right places, while protecting Ottawa’s green spaces and making sure growth improves communities rather than overwhelming them.

Ottawa is Canada’s capital and home to communities with histories, languages, traditions and cultures from around the world. Our festivals and events give residents an opportunity to celebrate that diversity while also bringing visitors into our city and supporting local businesses.

One example is Franco-Ontarian Day on September 25, which recognizes the history, culture and contributions of Ontario’s Francophone community. Ottawa has a particularly rich Francophone and Franco-Ontarian heritage, and that history deserves to continue being recognized and celebrated.

But this is only one example. Ottawa is home to Indigenous peoples and communities with cultural roots throughout Canada and around the world. Naming one community does not make another less important. Every community contributes to the character of Ottawa and deserves respect and an opportunity to celebrate its heritage.

As Mayor, I would work with community organizations, event organizers, tourism partners and local businesses to make Ottawa a welcoming place for festivals and events of different sizes.

That also means making sure the fundamentals of our city work: reliable public transit, well-maintained roads and public spaces, accessible facilities, good infrastructure and a downtown that people want to visit.

When the City provides strong basic services and works constructively with event organizers, Ottawa is better positioned to host cultural celebrations, festivals and major events while attracting additional visitors.

The goal is to strengthen Ottawa as a place where culture, history and community can be celebrated throughout the year, while supporting tourism and the local economy.

Public art should reflect the people who make Ottawa what it is.

Instead of concentrating public-art investment in only a few large and expensive projects, I want the City to explore opportunities for more smaller-scale installations, murals and community art projects throughout Ottawa.

This approach could give more local artists opportunities to participate and allow public art to reach more neighbourhoods.

Ottawa is home to Indigenous, Francophone, Anglophone and multicultural communities with histories and traditions from around the world. Our public spaces should provide opportunities to recognize that diversity while also celebrating the artists who live and work here.

Not every piece of public art needs to be enormous or expensive to have meaning. A smaller mural, sculpture or community-created installation can still tell an important story and bring character to a neighbourhood.

My goal is to make public art more accessible across Ottawa, give more artists a chance to contribute, and help more communities see themselves represented in our public spaces.

Ottawa is Canada’s capital, and our city should look and function like a capital we can all be proud of.

Tourism is an important part of our economy. When visitors come to Ottawa, they support our restaurants, hotels, shops, markets, festivals, attractions and local businesses. But attracting visitors is not only about advertising our city. We also need to make sure the city itself works.

That means reliable public transit, well-maintained roads and sidewalks, clean and welcoming public spaces, dependable infrastructure and a downtown that feels alive and accessible.

As a democratic socialist Mayor, my approach is simple: when we invest in a city that works for the people who live here, we also create a city that people from around the world want to visit.

Ottawa also has an incredible history that deserves to be celebrated and protected.

Ottawa is built on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation, whose people have lived on and cared for this territory for millennia. We must also recognize and respect the contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples who continue to enrich our city.

Ottawa has a proud Francophone and Franco-Ontarian history, including communities such as Vanier and Orléans, alongside its Anglophone heritage and the histories of the many immigrant, cultural and ethnocultural communities that have helped build our city.

And there is so much more to Ottawa than the communities and neighbourhoods I can name here. Mentioning some does not make anyone else less important. Every community, every culture and every part of our city matters and deserves respect and recognition.

From Parliament Hill, the Rideau Canal and the Ottawa River to the ByWard Market, our museums, historic neighbourhoods, rural communities, festivals, arts, food, languages and cultures, Ottawa has an enormous amount to offer.

We should protect our heritage while continuing to build a modern, welcoming and accessible capital.

When Ottawa does well, everyone benefits. Residents have a better city to call home, local businesses have more opportunities, workers have more good-paying jobs, and visitors have more reasons to come to Ottawa and return again.

My goal is to make Ottawa a capital that reflects its history, celebrates its diversity and gives residents and visitors alike a city they can be proud of.

Housing labelled “affordable” needs to be actually affordable for the people who need it, not simply affordable on paper.

As Mayor, I would use every municipal tool available to increase the number of genuinely affordable homes included in new residential developments. Where inclusionary zoning applies, I would work toward increasing affordable-housing requirements as market conditions and provincial legislation allow, while regularly reviewing whether those homes are truly affordable.

Affordable units should also be integrated throughout a building, rather than separated onto particular floors, and should meet the same quality standards as other homes.

I would also work to expand partnerships with co-operative and non-profit housing providers so that more Ottawa residents have access to housing models that are focused on long-term affordability rather than only short-term market returns.

Where appropriate, I also support mixed-use development. New apartment buildings can include stores, restaurants, services and other businesses at street level, creating jobs, supporting local entrepreneurs and giving residents more services within walking distance.

Developers should still be able to build financially viable projects, but growth should provide something back to the community as well.

My goal is mixed-income, mixed-use communities where market housing, affordable housing, co-operative housing, businesses and community services can exist together rather than separating people by income.

Having a roof over your head is not enough. People deserve to live in homes that are safe, healthy and properly maintained.

As a democratic socialist, I believe government needs to work for the people, and that also means government needs to listen before making decisions.

Once elected Mayor, one of my first steps would be to sit down with the people who understand these issues firsthand, including City property-standards and by-law staff, public-health professionals, tenants, housing organizations, responsible landlords and other experts.

I want to hear directly from them about what is working, what is not working, where the gaps are and what the City can realistically do better.

I am not going to pretend during an election campaign that I already know every answer. Good leadership means bringing the right people to the table, listening to their experience and then taking action based on what we learn.

When residents report serious problems such as mould, pests, broken heating, water damage or unsafe living conditions, the system should respond effectively and property owners who repeatedly ignore their responsibilities should be held accountable.

At the same time, responsible property owners who maintain their buildings and respond properly to tenants should be treated fairly.

My goal is to listen first, understand the real problems, and then make the City work better for the people who depend on it.

Homelessness does not have one cause, and it will not have one solution.

People can lose their housing for many different reasons, including the rising cost of housing, loss of employment, family breakdown, mental-health challenges, addiction, violence, illness and other circumstances. Sometimes several things go wrong one after another until someone who once had stability suddenly has nowhere safe to go.

We need to remember the humanity behind those circumstances. These are people, not statistics.

I would explore bringing small transitional-home communities to Ottawa as one part of the solution. These would provide people with a safe, private and temporary place to live instead of leaving them on the street while they try to rebuild their lives.

But I recognize that a tiny home by itself is only a bandage, not a cure.

These communities should be connected to the supports people actually need, including mental-health and addiction services, housing assistance, employment supports, healthcare and help obtaining identification or other essential services. That requires working with community organizations and the provincial and federal governments.

Most importantly, there must be a clear pathway from transitional housing into stable, permanent and affordable housing.

As a democratic socialist, I believe government should work for people, especially when they are going through some of the hardest moments of their lives.

Give people a safe place to stand, the support to get back on their feet, and a real pathway toward a permanent home.

Ottawa should be a city that works for everyone, including people with disabilities, seniors and residents with changing mobility needs.

As our city builds new housing and renews aging infrastructure, we have an opportunity to make accessibility part of the original design instead of trying to add it years later.

I want the City to reevaluate how we plan, build and contract work, including whether some work can be done more effectively in-house where it makes operational and financial sense. If the City develops stronger internal capacity and uses our existing workforce and resources effectively, those skills can support more than roads and basic infrastructure. They can also help us improve accessibility throughout our communities.

I would also work with people with disabilities, accessibility experts, City employees, housing providers and developers to identify where the biggest barriers remain and what changes will make the greatest difference.

Accessibility can mean step-free entrances, wider doorways, accessible washrooms, elevators, appropriate counters and layouts, and homes that allow people to live independently and age in place.

This is not simply about meeting the minimum requirement.

Government should work for the people, and that means building a city where everyone has the opportunity to participate, live independently and feel that Ottawa was designed with them in mind.

My goal is to bring Ottawa toward a higher level of accessibility, one project and one community at a time.

Ottawa needs more affordable housing, and Indigenous communities should have a meaningful role in deciding what that housing looks like and how it is delivered.

As Mayor, I would work with Indigenous organizations, housing providers, co-operatives, non-profits and responsible developers to increase the supply of affordable and mixed-income housing.

That means looking at opportunities for City land, partnerships with developers, affordable units within new developments, co-operative housing and other models that can provide long-term housing people can actually afford.

The City should help bring the right partners together, remove unnecessary barriers and support projects that are designed with the people who will actually live in them.

For people who are currently experiencing homelessness, I would also explore Indigenous-led transitional tiny-home communities as a temporary bridge to permanent housing. These would include appropriate supports and a clear pathway into stable housing, rather than becoming a permanent substitute for a real home.

Community partnerships could also help through voluntary donations, donated materials, skilled labour and other forms of support, while maintaining proper building, safety and accessibility standards.

But the long-term goal must always be permanent, affordable housing.

My approach is to listen first, work in partnership, build more affordable homes and make sure Indigenous communities have a leading voice in housing created for their communities.

Before asking Ottawa residents to pay more, I believe City Hall needs to demonstrate clearly where existing tax dollars are going and whether those dollars are being used as effectively as possible.

As Mayor, I would seek a comprehensive value-for-money review of City spending, revenues, contracts, programs and administrative costs, working with the appropriate independent financial and audit professionals.

Ottawa is growing. New homes and businesses add new property-tax revenue, but growth also creates additional costs for roads, transit, water, emergency services, parks and other municipal infrastructure. I want residents to be able to see both sides of that equation clearly.

Only after reviewing the numbers would I determine what tax increase, if any, is actually necessary to maintain essential services and infrastructure.

My goal would be to keep any necessary annual property-tax increase below the rate of inflation wherever the City’s finances allow, rather than automatically assuming residents should pay more every year.

I am not interested in making promises about taxes before examining the complete financial picture. I want decisions to be based on evidence, transparency and value for taxpayers.

Other cities have also demonstrated that governments can review spending, pursue new revenues and protect services at the same time. For example, New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani’s 2027 executive budget was balanced without increasing property taxes, using a combination of savings, additional revenues and state support.

Government needs to work for the people. Before asking people for more money, City Hall should be able to show exactly what it receives, where it goes and why any increase is necessary.

Ottawa already owns valuable land around parts of our transit system. Where it is technically and financially feasible, I want the City to examine opportunities to build on, above or beside transit stations and other City-owned properties instead of leaving valuable land underused.

Other cities have shown that transit-oriented development can put housing where people already have access to transportation, and Ottawa’s own planning policies support higher-density housing near rapid-transit stations.

As Mayor, I would work with Ottawa Community Housing, non-profit and co-operative housing providers, responsible developers, and the federal and provincial governments to determine which publicly owned sites could support new rental housing.

These developments could include a mix of affordable, deeply affordable and regular rental homes, allowing people with different incomes to live in the same communities.

Where appropriate, I would also explore models where the City keeps ownership of the land or housing assets rather than permanently selling them. Rental revenue could then help pay for the operation, maintenance and long-term renewal of the housing, with any sustainable surplus reinvested into public services or additional housing.

This is not guaranteed profit. Buildings cost money to construct, finance, operate and maintain. The goal is to create long-term public assets that continue serving Ottawa residents instead of receiving a one-time payment from selling valuable public land.

We should also pursue available federal and provincial housing investment so Ottawa taxpayers are not expected to carry the entire construction cost themselves.

If the public already owns suitable land beside transit, we should examine how that land can provide more homes, more affordable rentals and lasting value for future generations.

Explanation

Ottawa needs more housing, but growth should be planned carefully.

Before expanding farther into green space, I want the City to focus first on underused land, infill opportunities and areas that already have roads, transit, water, sewers and other municipal services.

Building within existing communities can help us use infrastructure more efficiently, support public transit and local businesses, and reduce unnecessary pressure to keep expanding outward.

At the same time, new development must fit responsibly into the communities around it. That means planning for roads, transit, schools, parks, emergency services and other infrastructure as neighbourhoods grow.

My goal is not simply to build more housing. It is to build the right housing in the right places, while protecting Ottawa’s green spaces and making sure growth improves communities rather than overwhelming them.

Human rights should not depend on who you are, where you were born, what you believe or which side of a conflict you are on.

Canada has a long history of supporting international human rights and the rules-based international system. More than 45,000 Canadians gave their lives in uniform during the Second World War, and after that devastating conflict Canada helped build the international institutions and human-rights principles intended to prevent such suffering from happening again.

Honouring that history means being willing to speak about injustice consistently, regardless of who is responsible.

As Mayor, I would recognize that foreign policy and Canada’s international relations are primarily responsibilities of the federal government. But that does not mean municipal leaders need to remain silent when fundamental human rights are at stake.

When I speak about international human rights, I will apply the same principle to everyone: respect civilian life, respect human dignity and respect international law.

Ottawa is Canada’s capital and home to people whose families and communities come from every part of the world. Residents may be personally affected by conflicts and human-rights violations abroad. They deserve a Mayor who can listen to them with compassion and treat every community with equal respect.

The freedoms we enjoy in Canada came with enormous sacrifice. We honour that legacy by defending human rights consistently, peacefully and without double standards.

Before major new data centres are approved, Ottawa should make sure the electricity, water, roads, utilities, and other infrastructure needed to support them are already available or properly planned.

Ottawa is growing, but growth should not automatically mean removing the green spaces, forests and natural areas that make our city such a great place to live.

Before expanding into valuable green space, we should look first at infill development, underused properties and land within areas that already have infrastructure and municipal services. We can build more housing and support population growth while making smarter use of the land we already have.

At the same time, protecting what exists is only part of the solution. I want Ottawa to grow our green spaces and urban tree canopy, especially in neighbourhoods that currently have fewer trees.

The City’s Official Plan has a goal of reaching 40% urban tree-canopy cover, and I want us to keep moving toward that goal. (Ottawa⁠)

Planting trees is one of the practical investments we can make in our communities, but we need to plant the right trees in the right places. That means choosing diverse, locally appropriate and climate-resilient species that have a better chance of surviving Ottawa’s changing climate, extreme heat, pests and severe weather.

Trees provide shade, help cool neighbourhoods, improve air quality, support biodiversity and make our streets and public spaces more enjoyable.

This is especially important as we experience the effects of climate change.

My goal is simple: protect the green spaces we already have, build intelligently before expanding outward, and plant more trees so future generations inherit a greener Ottawa than the one we have today.

When Ottawa builds or redesigns a street, the goal should be to make it work safely for everyone who uses it.

I want the City to look more carefully at how sidewalks, bike lanes, intersections and roads are designed before construction begins, so we are not spending money later fixing problems that could have been prevented from the start.

That means safer crossings, clearer separation where needed, better visibility at intersections and designs that reflect how people actually move through a neighbourhood.

Supporting cycling and walking should not mean creating unnecessary conflict with drivers or transit. Good street design should make everyone’s movements safer and more predictable.

My goal is simple: build streets that work for people, keep pedestrians and cyclists safe, and make sure every road user is considered from the beginning.

Explanation

Ottawa needs more housing, but growth should be planned carefully.

Before expanding farther into green space, I want the City to focus first on underused land, infill opportunities and areas that already have roads, transit, water, sewers and other municipal services.

Building within existing communities can help us use infrastructure more efficiently, support public transit and local businesses, and reduce unnecessary pressure to keep expanding outward.

At the same time, new development must fit responsibly into the communities around it. That means planning for roads, transit, schools, parks, emergency services and other infrastructure as neighbourhoods grow.

My goal is not simply to build more housing. It is to build the right housing in the right places, while protecting Ottawa’s green spaces and making sure growth improves communities rather than overwhelming them.

Ottawa needs more affordable housing, and Indigenous communities should have a meaningful role in deciding what that housing looks like and how it is delivered.

As Mayor, I would work with Indigenous organizations, housing providers, co-operatives, non-profits and responsible developers to increase the supply of affordable and mixed-income housing.

That means looking at opportunities for City land, partnerships with developers, affordable units within new developments, co-operative housing and other models that can provide long-term housing people can actually afford.

The City should help bring the right partners together, remove unnecessary barriers and support projects that are designed with the people who will actually live in them.

For people who are currently experiencing homelessness, I would also explore Indigenous-led transitional tiny-home communities as a temporary bridge to permanent housing. These would include appropriate supports and a clear pathway into stable housing, rather than becoming a permanent substitute for a real home.

Community partnerships could also help through voluntary donations, donated materials, skilled labour and other forms of support, while maintaining proper building, safety and accessibility standards.

But the long-term goal must always be permanent, affordable housing.

My approach is to listen first, work in partnership, build more affordable homes and make sure Indigenous communities have a leading voice in housing created for their communities.

Many residents still rely on their vehicles for certain trips, including people travelling from suburban and rural communities, families, seniors, tradespeople and those making quick stops downtown.

My proposal is to make the first 30 minutes of City on-street parking downtown free.

The goal is to make it easier for someone to stop downtown to pick up an order, visit a local business, attend a quick appointment or run an errand without immediately paying for parking.

This would complement, not replace, investment in better public transit, walking and cycling. Ottawa needs to recognize that residents use different forms of transportation depending on where they live, where they are going and what they need to do.

The City would also need to maintain appropriate time limits and parking enforcement so that short-term parking continues to turn over rather than being occupied all day.

My approach is to give residents practical transportation choices while helping make Ottawa’s downtown more accessible to customers and visitors.

When Ottawa builds or redesigns a street, the goal should be to make it work safely for everyone who uses it.

I want the City to look more carefully at how sidewalks, bike lanes, intersections and roads are designed before construction begins, so we are not spending money later fixing problems that could have been prevented from the start.

That means safer crossings, clearer separation where needed, better visibility at intersections and designs that reflect how people actually move through a neighbourhood.

Supporting cycling and walking should not mean creating unnecessary conflict with drivers or transit. Good street design should make everyone’s movements safer and more predictable.

My goal is simple: build streets that work for people, keep pedestrians and cyclists safe, and make sure every road user is considered from the beginning.

Transit is one of Ottawa’s biggest challenges, and it is also an area where I bring approximately 12 years of firsthand experience working within our transit system.

My first priority is reliability. When a bus or train is scheduled to arrive, residents should be able to trust that it will show up. That means realistic schedules, proper maintenance, adequate staffing and accountability when service is not delivered.

Second, I will work to reduce the regular adult monthly pass to $90. With the cost of housing, food and everyday expenses continuing to put pressure on families, making transit more affordable is one practical way the City can help residents.

Third, I want to review routes and schedules based on how people actually travel. That includes looking at more direct and express-style service, better connections and faster ways for residents in different parts of Ottawa to reach downtown and other major destinations.

Fourth, improving transit requires listening to the people who operate it. I understand frontline operations, training and the importance of working constructively with employees, management and unions. Fixing OC Transpo cannot be done from behind a desk alone.

Finally, Ottawa should make better use of the valuable public land around our transit system. Where technically and financially appropriate, I would explore housing and mixed-use development on, above or beside transit properties, including affordable and rental housing. Keeping appropriate assets in public ownership could create long-term value and potential revenue that can be reinvested into transit, housing and City services.

My goal is straightforward: make transit reliable enough that people trust it, affordable enough that people can use it, and efficient enough that Ottawa residents want to choose it.

Ottawa has streets and intersections that were not designed as well as they could be for everyone who needs to use them.

My approach would be to look at the entire road, not treat pedestrians, cyclists, transit users and drivers as separate problems.

We need clearer and safer pedestrian crossings, better-connected cycling routes, safer intersections, appropriate separation between different road users and street designs that make everyone’s movements more predictable.

But improving safety does not always mean spending millions of dollars rebuilding an entire road.

Where appropriate, relatively simple measures such as better pavement markings, signage, signal timing, protected turning phases, barriers and improvements made when a road is already being resurfaced can make a meaningful difference without unnecessary additional construction.

For larger projects, I want Ottawa to design them properly from the beginning so we are not repeatedly returning years later to correct problems that could have been addressed during the original construction.

The goal is not to create a competition between cyclists, pedestrians and drivers.

A properly designed transportation system should make it safer and easier for everyone to get where they need to go, regardless of how they choose to travel.