Council candidates from three of Ottawa's most central wards laid out competing visions for reviving the downtown core at a roundtable this week, with less than two weeks to go before the municipal election on Oct. 26.
Candidates from Rideau-Vanier, Somerset and Kitchissippi spoke at a morning event hosted by the Ottawa Board of Trade, Ottawa Life Magazine reported. The series was designed to ask candidates not only what they support, but how they would deliver results and measure progress through 2030.
Somerset: homelessness and street safety
Somerset incumbent Ariel Troster tied the area's economic prospects directly to addressing chronic homelessness, saying the city cannot revitalize downtown without solving it. She called for social services to be spread more widely and for the provincial and federal governments to take on larger roles.
"If you're not taking care of your core, then you are not taking care of your city," Troster said at the roundtable.
Challenger Robert Dekker pointed to residents who told him they now choose events outside Centretown because they no longer see downtown as an attractive destination, arguing that concerns about crime and homelessness are hurting local businesses. Candidate Dillon Anderson also called for safer streets, but said the response must include front-line support for people without housing, arguing resources on the ground matter more than simply adding funding. Michael Tay framed his approach to public safety as compassion coupled with accountability.
Troster also highlighted a practical barrier for evening activity in the core.
"I'm hearing from people that they don't come downtown at night because they don't know if they can reliably get home," she said.
Dekker suggested watching the city's planned 2027 Glebe bus pilot program to see whether similar changes could extend into Centretown, and argued Bank Street is underused as a transit corridor where more reliable, frequent service could improve access.
Rideau-Vanier: investment versus culture
In Rideau-Vanier, Brian Paquette described a downtown that should be accessible and inviting seven days a week, making the case that gains in the core can benefit wards across the city.
"A rising tide raises all ships," Paquette said, calling for encouragement of private investment and new ventures.
Contender Julie Fiala Chartrand took a different emphasis, pointing to outdoor seating, colour, music and public art in neighbouring Somerset as ways to generate tourism and community life. She also raised concerns about public safety near bus shelters, and stressed collaboration among councillors as well as stronger cooperation between Ottawa and Gatineau.
Kitchissippi: delays at City Hall
In Kitchissippi, candidates focused on how the city approves projects and delivers services. Brian Innes said residents and builders need more predictable permitting decisions, proposing clearer approval timelines and greater transparency, arguing avoidable delays slow the delivery of new housing, including affordable homes.
Subhir Uppal pointed to the potential of artificial intelligence to improve city operations over the next council term, and called for integrating more recreation and public amenities into high-rise developments, citing heavy demand at facilities such as Dovercourt. Candidate Nicholas Gollé also echoed the case for clearer application requirements and suggested artificial intelligence could help cut administrative delays.
Joanne Chianello advocated a city-wide service-delivery review of how programs perform, how long projects take and where accountability may be lacking. She warned that funding an initiative does not guarantee it can proceed when the city lacks the staff to deliver it.
"There is money in our ward to build a much-needed pedestrian crossing, but there is not the staff available to do that," Chianello said, arguing the same gap exists across the city.
The roundtable exposed a broader choice for voters on Oct. 26: downtown recovery pursued through stronger social support, confidence in public safety, cultural investment or better transit, with quicker city services arriving through technology, improved staffing or clearer development rules.
