General

Ottawa’s mayoral candidates are making promises about transit, housing, roads, public safety, recreation, downtown revitalization and affordability. Many of those ideas may be worthwhile but they cannot all be the first priority. That may be one of the most useful ways to think about Ottawa’s 2026 municipal election. Instead of asking only what each candidate

Ottawa’s mayor doesn’t control federal workplace policy, immigration or high-speed rail. But decisions made by other governments can have enormous consequences for Ottawa. Here’s how to tell when a federal or provincial issue belongs in a municipal election.

Ottawa’s next mayor will inherit a city dealing with some complicated and often interconnected challenges. Public transit reliability affects where people can afford to live and work. Housing policy intersects with development, infrastructure and property taxes. Homelessness, addiction and public safety increasingly overlap in conversations about the downtown core. And major projects such as Alto

Municipal elections can feel overwhelming. Every campaign promises to improve transit, lower taxes, build more housing, make neighbourhoods safer and improve city services. Most candidates genuinely believe they have the best ideas – but figuring out how those ideas differ isn’t always easy. Unlike federal or provincial elections, there isn’t a single place where every