Ward Debate Views in Rideau Rockcliffe and across the city

Rogers TV ward debates: how each view count was built (to 20261016)

Each bar is a ward's total YouTube views on Oct. 16, 2026, split by when the views arrived. Gray is the first reading; the colours are views added in each later period. Wards are sorted by total. Ward 13 (Rideau-Rockcliffe) is highlighted.

Wards 16 and 21 were acclaimed and have no debate. Wards 18–24 were first checked 9/14–15, so their gray segment is small. Periods are uneven in length (1 day to 2 weeks), so compare colours within a ward cautiously. Views are totals, not unique viewers. Source: Rogers TV debate videos on YouTube; counts recorded by Peter Karwacki.

Ottawa 2026 municipal election: all 24 wards (current to 20261016)

Candidate platforms plus Rogers TV debate links and YouTube view counts. Voting day is Monday, Oct. 26, 2026. Platforms are short public summaries from campaign sites and news questionnaires (CTV, CBC, Ottawa Citizen), not endorsements. Wards 16 and 21 are acclaimed, so there is no contested debate. View counts below were last checked Friday, Oct. 16, 2026.

Ward	Candidate	Platform (short)	Rogers TV debate	Views 10/16
1 Orléans East-Cumberland	Matt Luloff (inc.)	Finish east LRT links; cut Innes / Hwy 174 congestion; keep fares down; fund roads inside the existing budget, not a new levy.	Watch	6,273
	Barbara Daniela Gandolfo	Restore lost bus service (95-style route); traffic calming; bilingual childcare; stormwater, trees, heat-resistant streets; east-end “fair share.”
	Sherif Rizk	Accessible city services; anticipate problems instead of reacting; bilingual administration.
	Bob Bell	Infrastructure transparency; questioned capital cuts; business-friendly process.
	Tammie Trellert	Accountability and service delivery; limited published policy paper.
	Mazhar Choudhry	Tech-enabled services; protect local heritage during growth.
	Yvette Ashiri	Community-centred voice; inclusion; growth that includes families and newcomers.
2 Orléans West-Innes	Laura Dudas (inc.)	Continue current representation; east-end roads, services and community facilities.	Watch	2,091
	Jenna Jessop	Clearer City Hall communication; stakeholder engagement from a public-service background.
	David Purchase	Service-oriented challenge; limited published platform.
3 Barrhaven West	David Hill (inc.)	Finish first-term files; suburban growth, roads and community infrastructure.	Watch	1,552
	Donna Blackburn	Social services, housing supports, school-community links from 16 years as an OCDSB trustee.
	Jeff Balys	Independent business lens; “fresh perspective” rather than a long policy paper.
4 Kanata North	Cathy Curry (inc.)	Continuity on Kanata North growth, the tech park and local services.	Watch	1,817
	Rob Millan	“Build smart. Spend smart.” Lock in Stage 3 LRT; better west-end buses and March Road rapid transit; grow the tech park with housing and amenities; keep taxes in check.
	James Murchison	Change in representation; thinner published platform than Millan.
5 West Carleton-March	Clarke Kelly (inc.)	Rural roads, village services and a rural voice at council.	Watch	1,391
	Christine Harrison	Community well-being and practical rural service.
	Dylan Nose	Rural accountability; limited additional published detail.
6 Stittsville (open seat)	Marie-Ange Yindaki Ahinful	Grow Stittsville responsibly; keep community character; women, youth and family services.	Watch	6,382
	Tanya Hein	Resident advocacy; second run after 2022.
	Kevin Hua	Resident service under growth pressure.
	Paul Meek	Local business and employment lens on growth.
	Sheetal Narwal	Community safety and responsible growth.
	Devin Michael Fitzgerald O’Brien	Limited published platform.
	Mani Sharma	Balance growth with village / rural identity.
	Theresa Qadri	Local business and village character.
	Chelsea Walton	City employee; operations knowledge and growth management.
7 Bay	Theresa Kavanagh (inc.)	Inflation-capped taxes worsened the infrastructure deficit; open to higher taxes if needed for stormwater.	Watch	871
	Spencer Radford	Aging stormwater needs upgrades; would support a “reasonable” tax increase, but not load every cost onto property tax.
	Butch Moore	No tax hike or stormwater levy. Cut other spending first.
8 College	Laine Johnson (inc.)	Stormwater capacity for climate extremes; better transit; road safety; keep pools and community centres maintained.	Watch	1,014
	Abakar Malloum	Did not answer the CTV questionnaire; no detailed public platform located.
9 Knoxdale-Merivale	Sean Devine (inc.)	Finish first-term files; infrastructure and neighbourhood planning on a high-traffic west-end corridor.	Watch	1,925
	Cole Fraser Jones	Infrastructure first; accountability to residents “not to a party.”
	Anna Ielo-Tal	Community-building and resident engagement.
	Brandon Ly	Limited published municipal platform beyond biography.
10 Gloucester-Southgate	Jessica Bradley (inc.)	Continuity; 14 years of community and political work in the ward.	Watch	676
	Donna Dickson	Youth safety and community supports from a former trustee and youth-nonprofit founder.
	John Redins	Accessible transit and disability inclusion.
	Ayub Omar	Limited published platform.
	Ahmed Rashid	Limited published platform.
11 Beacon Hill-Cyrville	Tim Tierney (inc.)	Continuity; opposed an infrastructure levy in council debate; local roads and services.	Watch	1,238
	Cathryne Milburn	Resident service from former city staff and a former OCDSB trustee.
	Coreen Corcoran	Smaller-government / civil-liberties frame; limited municipal policy paper.
12 Rideau-Vanier	Stéphanie Plante (inc.)	Safety, housing and bilingual downtown services in ByWard Market, Lowertown, Sandy Hill and Vanier.	Watch	2,247
	Lyra Evans	Housing, inclusion and downtown livability from two terms as an OCDSB trustee.
	Julie Fiala Chartrand	Limited published platform.
	Brian Paquette	Limited published platform.
	Michael Karl Sewanaku	Limited published platform.
	Eric Smith	Limited published platform.
13 Rideau-Rockcliffe	Rawlson King (inc.)	Housing, equity and ward services; seek a third term on that record.	Watch	1,186
	Peter J. Karwacki	Lead on the next interprovincial bridge rather than “sit on the sidelines”; project-management lens.
14 Somerset	Ariel Troster (inc.)	Affordable housing, funded social services, safer walking / cycling / transit; “leave no one behind.”	Watch	2,700
	Robert Dekker	Centretown livability; community-association critique of current council direction.
	Dillon Anderson	First-time council bid; limited standalone municipal paper.
	Michael Tay	Newcomer settlement, youth and downtown services.
	Nicholas Gollé	Limited published platform beyond biography.
15 Kitchissippi (open seat)	Joanne Chianello	City Hall literacy; housing and urban-ward service expected to be central.	Watch	2,334
	Brian Innes	Neighbourhood-association record; housing and main-street balance.
	Subhir Uppal	Small-business and housing-approval lens.
	Xavier Commerford	Limited published platform.
16 River	Riley Brockington (acclaimed)	Reliable buses; road and sidewalk renewal; protect the McCarthy corridor; finish Alexander Community Centre; open River’s first library. A levy “will need to be debated.”	No debate (acclaimed)	—
17 Capital	Shawn Menard (inc.)	Housing, climate and intensification with consultation; opposed treating an infrastructure levy as a “bogeyman.”	Watch	933
	Farah Gulzar	“Leadership that delivers, not just promises”; families, seniors, youth and disability access.
	Jaac Doduck	Youth engagement and neighbourhood services from the Glebe Community Centre.
18 Alta Vista	Marty Carr (inc.)	Continue first-term service around hospitals, schools and established neighbourhoods.	Watch	1,223
	Tressy El-Hawi	Stronger community centres; bilingual recreation for families, seniors and newcomers.
	Muhyadin Omar Barkhat	Supports an infrastructure levy; seniors programming and more PSWs; more affordable housing.
	Derek McSweeney	Public-service delivery focus; less published detail than others.
	Elsa Niyongabo	Limited published platform beyond biography.
19 Orléans South-Navan	Catherine Kitts (inc.)	Affordability, community safety and access to services in a suburban-plus-rural ward.	Watch	1,212
	Jason Wing	Small-business / affordability pitch; not a career politician.
20 Osgoode	Isabelle Skalski (inc.)	Modernize operations, cut red tape; rural roads and village services.	Watch	484
	Bruce Anthony Faulkner	No CTV questionnaire on file; limited public platform.
21 Rideau-Jock	David Brown (acclaimed)	No 2026 comparative platform. Record is rural roads, agriculture and village services.	No debate (acclaimed)	—
22 Riverside South-Findlay Creek	Steve Desroches (inc.)	Experience managing fast-growing south-end communities; infrastructure catching growth.	Watch	519
	Muyiwa Ojo	Financial-accountability challenge; detailed public platform still thin.
23 Kanata South	Allan Hubley (inc.)	Continuity on west-end roads, recreation and the Kanata South business park.	Watch	887
	Erin Coffin	Resident-first challenge after finishing second in 2022; Bridlewood Community Association president.
	Sam Bhalesar	Political-organizing experience applied to ward service.
	Megan Strazds-Esenbergs	Policy-analyst challenge; limited standalone campaign paper.
24 Barrhaven East	Wilson Lo (inc.)	Transit-knowledge incumbent; south Barrhaven growth and local service.	Watch	1,116
	Zahy A Adam	Accountable leadership on growth and services.
	Ahmed Alsabaawi	Affordability and property tax; youth community centres; community safety.
	Yoosaf Melparamba	Housing-market / growth lens; thinner published municipal platform.
	Jules Ruhinda	Limited published platform in available questionnaires.

Rogers TV hub: youtube.com/@ROGERStvofficial · Official list: ottawa.ca, who is running in my ward. Bars are scaled to the highest ward. Views are YouTube totals for each ward debate, not unique viewers. This page is a voter aid, not an endorsement.

Debate views over time

Ward	9/12	9/13	9/14–15	9/18	9/24	10/3	10/9	10/16	Growth
1 Orléans East-Cumberland	2,588	2,988	3,341	4,231	4,858	5,565	5,882	6,273	×2.4
2 Orléans West-Innes	1,078	1,203	—	1,551	1,689	1,875	1,976	2,091	×1.9
3 Barrhaven West	358	447	—	788	1,025	1,296	1,437	1,552	×4.3
4 Kanata North	830	998	—	1,327	1,451	1,638	1,721	1,817	×2.2
5 West Carleton-March	474	579	—	828	973	1,132	1,267	1,391	×2.9
6 Stittsville	2,831	3,131	—	4,388	5,131	5,811	6,088	6,382	×2.3
7 Bay	451	481	—	616	668	742	788	871	×1.9
8 College	479	538	—	699	794	894	953	1,014	×2.1
9 Knoxdale-Merivale	743	890	—	1,273	1,524	1,713	1,785	1,925	×2.6
10 Gloucester-Southgate	314	340	—	463	511	594	650	676	×2.2
11 Beacon Hill-Cyrville	147	373	—	791	911	1,067	1,147	1,238	×8.4
12 Rideau-Vanier	674	873	—	1,478	1,715	1,998	2,117	2,247	×3.3
13 Rideau-Rockcliffe	238	325	452	633	776	935	1,033	1,186	×5.0
14 Somerset	426	720	—	1,405	1,858	2,341	2,467	2,700	×6.3
15 Kitchissippi	338	531	—	1,141	1,418	1,894	2,025	2,334	×6.9
17 Capital	130	292	—	578	708	813	857	933	×7.2
18 Alta Vista	—	—	78	737	917	1,108	1,151	1,223	×15.7
19 Orléans South-Navan	—	—	28	772	918	1,093	1,152	1,212	×43.3
20 Osgoode	—	—	28	210	293	412	439	484	×17.3
22 Riverside South-Findlay Creek	—	—	8	363	411	474	488	519	×64.9
23 Kanata South	—	—	481	533	587	759	801	887	×1.8
24 Barrhaven East	—	—	51	652	746	980	1,038	1,116	×21.9

Growth is the 10/16 count divided by the first reading. Wards 18–24 were first checked 9/14–15, so their growth multiples are not comparable with wards checked 9/12. Ward 4 on 9/18 was recorded as “>1327”.

#569 No..You Cannot See Everything!

#569 You Can’t See Everything: The Irony of Rideau-Rockcliffe

A new documentary about Elizabeth Holmes, You Can See Everything, explores corporate deceit and the struggle to manage public perception under scrutiny. In Rideau-Rockcliffe (Ward 13), the dynamic is inverted: the defining feature is not transparency, but massive institutional blind spots including local media, designed to obscure local realities.

Physical and Institutional Obstacles

From the private hedges and security protocols of Rockcliffe Park to City Hall's policy priorities, the landscape often conceals structural issues from public view. Key areas of concern include the Eastern Bridge—where ignoring regional transportation keeps heavy trucks on King Edward—and the financial risks surrounding Lansdowne 2.0. Additionally, local projects like the Bathgate Park basketball court's planned removal and pedestrian infrastructure debates highlight a disconnect in neighborhood planning.

Engagement and Democracy

Low voter turnout and minimal engagement allow the status quo to persist. However, rising views on local debates and increased readership suggest growing community interest in examining municipal records beyond official narratives. Residents are encouraged to review candidate platforms and participate actively in the electoral process.

Posted by Peter Karwacki

You Can’t See Everything: Breaking Through the Rideau-Rockcliffe Blind Spots

There is a lot of buzz right now about the new Elizabeth Holmes film, You Can See Everything. Everyone is talking about total surveillance, exposure, and public scrutiny. But here in Rideau-Rockcliffe (Ward 13), our reality is the exact opposite.

The real irony of our ward is that you cannot see everything.

While official City Hall narratives paint a picture of balanced progress, the truth is obscured behind massive institutional, media, and physical blind spots. If you rely only on glossy campaign pamphlets and name recognition, you miss the structural challenges facing our communities every single day.

What is Being Kept Out of Sight?

• The Infrastructure Gaps: We see pristine suburban expansions, but we miss the looming $10.8 billion city-wide infrastructure deficit that threatens basic services like our storm sewers and local sidewalks right here in Manor Park.
• The Transit Disconnect: While decision-makers focus on mega-projects, 52% of east-end residents rank reliable, everyday bus and LRT service as the number one priority in need of rescue.
• The Local Planning Decisions: Decisions like the planned removal of the Bathgate Park basketball court or the refusal to build an Eastern Bridge to pull heavy trucks off downtown streets happen quietly, away from the public gaze, until it is too late.

Civic Blindness by Choice

The status quo depends entirely on you staying in the dark. When 60% of our neighbors choose not to vote, and only a tiny fraction watch the actual ward debates, the institutional blind spots win.

This election is your chance to change the lens. You don't need to see a Hollywood documentary to know that Rideau-Rockcliffe needs transparency, accountability, and a councillor who will bring these hidden issues directly into the light.

Don't let them keep you in the dark. Look at the record, watch the ward debate, and make your voice count on October 26.

Posted by Peter Karwacki

Taking the intense, claustrophobic premise of You Can See Everything—where cameras pry into the deepest corners of a highly scrutinized life—and flipping it on its head for Rideau-Rockcliffe (Ward 13) is not a big leap.

You Can’t See Everything, a profound irony: despite being home to some of the country’s most powerful institutions, highest-profile residents, and heavily secured properties, the ward contains massive blind spots. It is a landscape defined by extreme socio-economic divides, literal visual barriers, and hidden community struggles.

A Fielder-Oppenheim meta-documentary could explore:

1. The Literal and Figurative Walls of Rockcliffe Park
• The Irony:Rockcliffe Park is home to ambassadors, CEOs, and the Prime Minister’s official residence at 24 Sussex Drive. It is arguably one of the most surveilled, secure neighborhoods in Canada. Yet, the physical environment is deliberately designed so you cannot see.

• Massive privacy hedges, winding roads without sidewalks, and hidden driveways obscure the lives of the elite.
• The Fielder Approach:  Trying to navigate the neighborhood entirely from the sidewalk-less streets, interviewing private security guards or tracking the automated "Smile, You're on Camera" signs, highlighting how the public is watched while the private remains completely unseen.
2. The Socio-Economic Blind Spot (The Overbrook Divide)
• The Irony: Just a short distance south of the affluent estates lies Overbrook, a neighborhood with deep working-class roots, community housing complexes, and grass-roots resilience.
• The Cinematic Contrast: While the city's gaze focuses on the heritage prestige of the northern half of the ward, the daily realities, systemic underinvestments, and community triumphs of Overbrook remain invisible to the average tourist or policymaker.
• Frame the physical boundary lines—like the stark transition across Beechwood Avenue or the Montreal Road corridor—showing how two completely different worlds exist in each other's peripheral vision.
3. The Aviation Parkway and Vacant Spaces
• The Irony: The Aviation Parkway cuts a massive, scenic swath through the ward, designed for pristine, manicured views. Yet, right beside it sits the former CFB Rockcliffe lands and areas of rapid redevelopment.

• The Meta-Narrative:  focus on the physical gaps—empty fields, construction fencing, and bureaucratic dead-zones. You could interview long-time residents about what used to be there versus the gentrification they see happening now, framing the rapid changes as a disappearing act where local history is actively being erased from view.
Visual and Narrative Tone
To capture that distinct psychological thriller energy, lean into:
• The Hyper-Close Surveillance Aesthetic: Long, unblinking zooms on security cameras outside embassies, contrasted immediately with tight, handheld footage of community organizers at the Rideau-Rockcliffe Community Resource Centre.
• The Synth-Drone Contrast: A low, unsettling drone playing over seemingly mundane, beautiful shots of the Rideau River or the Rockcliffe Pavilion, hinting at the underlying tension of municipal politics, housing crises, and gentrification. i

Bridging the Gap

On Retourne à Parc de Rockcliffe

Sometimes (usually) the dogs show more interest in me than the owner!

That's the way it goes in RideauRockcliffe where 60% who can, simply will not vote, and of the 40% who do, barely 10% will have bothered to watch the ward debate between myself and the King.

Here is the link. A 30 minute ask for your civic responsibility!

#568 Crichton and Stanley

 

Canvasing on Crichton and Stanley. Most are not at home. And beautiful homes they are too..a far cry from the often unwelcoming thresholds just across the ward.

That's the way it goes in RideauRockcliffe where 60% who can, simply will not vote, and of the 40% who do, barely 10% will have bothered to watch the ward debate between myself and the King.

Here is the link. A 30 minute ask for your civic responsibility!

Sometimes my powers scare me. My card is smaller than Neil's card.

#567 Change is in the air

 

A clear uptick: roughly 1,100 debate views versus the ~840 in 2022 - about a 31 % increase.

In absolute terms it’s still a modest number for a city-wide platform, but in the context of Ward 13 municipal races it continues the pattern I've noted—higher relative engagement than the last cycle, even if the overall field of candidates is smaller.

In 2022 the Meet the Candidate Night was a bellwether: almost no one showed up except the candidates. The Rogers debate for the ward was viewed only about 840 times. Turnout sat near 40 %. Incumbents were largely given a pass. I finished well back and concluded that running was still worthwhile—because informed voters, when they have information, will choose the best available candidate, and a better council produces a better city.

Four years later 

the race is smaller and the information environment is different. There are only two candidates. 

The Ward 13 debate video has already passed 1,100 views—roughly 30 % higher than the 2022 figure. Campaign materials and individual blog posts are drawing hundreds of readers each instead of 10 or 20, with overall campaign-page traffic above 5,700.

 A handful of residents have sent unsolicited letters of support. 

None of this guarantees a different result on October 26. It does suggest that at least some voters are looking past simple name recognition and the usual low-engagement pattern.

The new east end crossing, a defining issue is on the table I support it, the incumbent does not.

The same reasoning still applies: if residents have access to the record and the differences between the candidates, they can decide whether continuity or a change better serves the ward. That was the point of my running in 2022 - and now in 2026 voters have a real alternative. 

It remains the main question voters must ask themselves.

So..watch the debate...and decide!  Link

#566 Lansdowne Revisited.."always saving money spending money we ain't got"

October 15, 2026 · Peter Karwacki, candidate for Ward 13 (Rideau-Rockcliffe)

At yesterday's CTV mayoral debate, Mayor Sutcliffe was asked about Lansdowne 2.0 and, as CTV reported it, called it a "good deal for taxpayers" [1]. He also said the Ottawa Charge were always going to leave. Those are claims, not answers. So here is how to test them.

Disclosure. I am not running for mayor. I endorse Neil Saravanamuttoo, who asked the question that prompted the mayor's answer, and I cite some of his published analysis. I label it where I do. Several numbers below are contested; I say which.

The shopper test

A family sees a $300 item marked down by $200. They buy it and tell their friends they saved $200. They also spent $300 on something they didn't need. "I got a discount" and "it was worth buying" are two different statements.

The mayor's usual argument is about the discount. He says taxpayers cover less than a third of the price tag [12]. A summary of the project puts the city's net cost at about $130 million on $418.8 million [11]. I haven't verified how that net figure is built, and it's the first thing I'd want an independent check on. But even if it's right, a share tells you what you pay, not whether the purchase made sense.

Three questions decide whether a deal is good: did the city need it, what will it really cost, and who carries the risk if the number is wrong?

What the $419 million buys

Almost all of it is two things: a new event centre and a rebuilt north-side stand. Both got more expensive between the 2022 estimate and the November 2023 report [2].

Two items make up the whole project

City estimates, $ millions. Event centre + north stands = $419.1M.

Event centre, 2022

183.5

Event centre, Nov. 2023

249.6

North stands, 2022

139.0

North stands, Nov. 2023

169.5

Source: CTV News Ottawa [2]; combined increase about $96.5M per CBC [3]. Bar lengths are scaled to $300M.

Accessibility is a real need and the city lists it as a reason for the rebuild [6]. I'm not dismissing it. But no one has shown me a price tag that makes accessibility a $419 million need. The city's own consultant, Morrison Hershfield, estimated that keeping the existing facilities running for 40 years, then demolishing them, would take on the order of $40 million. That figure comes from the October 2023 staff report, page 79, as quoted in advocacy commentary [9]. I have not found a costed accessibility-only retrofit in the public material I could review. If one exists, publish it next to the $419 million.

About 3,500
Bathgate Parks. The Bathgate Park restoration in Carson Grove is budgeted at roughly $120,000. $419 million is about 3,490 of those.

Did the city need it?

The city says the arena and north stands are nearly 60 years old, near the end of their useful life, and costly to keep running [6]. The record on the structures themselves is less dramatic. CBC reported in 2021 that engineering reports confirmed the north-side stands were structurally sound but had a long list of problems [7]. Councillor Shawn Menard says the 2014 engineering reports put their life at 2067 [8]. That is a councillor's reading of the reports, so check the documents.

These claims don't contradict each other. "Structurally sound" is about whether the building stands. "Functionally obsolete" is about whether it does the job. The honest debate is which of those justifies spending $419 million. The numbers for the cost of doing nothing also differ widely:

Same question, very different annual numbers

$ millions per year. These measure different things; do not read them as a like-for-like ranking.

Upkeep of existing buildings (consultant: ~$40M over 40 yrs)

1.0

City's net debt cost, Nov. 2023 framing

5.0

City's "cost of doing nothing" (upper end)

12.5

Gross payments on Lansdowne debt, per year for 40 years

17.4

Sources: $1.0M = $40M ÷ 40 years (staff report figure via [9]); $5M from the city's project page [6]; "cost of doing nothing" $8.5M, up to $12.5M, from Ernst & Young figures cited in [13]; $17.4M a year for 40 years, plus about $50M from reserves, from the Glebe Report's reading of the final report [10]. Bars scaled to $17.4M.

If the true cost of doing nothing is closer to $1 million a year than $12 million, the "need" case gets much weaker. If it's closer to $12 million, it gets stronger. Voters can't tell which, because the alternatives haven't been shown side by side.

What will it really cost?

The Auditor General reviewed the plan in 2024. She found the construction estimates could be understated by about $74 million and put the construction cost at $493.4 million, with a parking structure at $18.6 million on top [4][5]. She also warned that the waterfall payments to the city could fall by $10 million to $30 million over the partnership's life [4]. The mayor's response was that every figure at that stage was an estimate, the AG's included [14].

One project, three numbers

$ millions

City estimate, Nov. 2023

419.1

Auditor General, construction

493.4

AG construction + parking

512.0

Sources: [4][5]. $512.0M is the sum of the AG's two figures. Council approved the project in November 2025 at $418.8M [11][12]; I have not found an updated cost audit since.

Who carries the risk?

This is the part "good deal" skips. The AG's bottom line was that the city is responsible for construction costs and any overruns [4]. Before this deal, that risk sat with OSEG. CBC reported that most of the cost comes from new debt and that the city takes over the overrun risk [3]. The mayor has said himself that delays and overruns happen on every major infrastructure project. If so, the risk is the likely scenario, not a footnote.

The Charge

The new arena cuts hockey capacity from 8,268 to 5,500. According to a summary of the project, the PWHL has said the Ottawa Charge will play at the Canadian Tire Centre in 2026–27 [11]. At the debate, the mayor said the team was always going to leave and had outgrown the building [1]. That may be true. But a good deal that loses the tenant the city most wanted to keep is hard to sell as a good deal, and "always going to leave" is a claim about what would have happened. The PWHL's own stated reasons would settle it, and I'd like to see them.

Outputs and outcomes

Council can point to an output: a new arena and stands, built. What voters need is the outcome: whether Ottawa gets more value than it gives up, including the housing, parks, transit and sidewalks that $419 million, or $512 million, can't also buy. Opportunity cost is the one number no one at City Hall presents.

What I'd ask for

These are structural fixes, not blame:

1. Publish a costed alternatives table, using the same assumptions: maintain, accessibility-only retrofit, phased rebuild, and the full project.
2. Have the Auditor General confirm the "net cost to the city" figure the mayor uses, and what it includes.
3. Report construction cost against budget publicly every quarter, with contingency drawdown shown.
4. Publish the PWHL's reasons for leaving, so the "always going to leave" claim can be checked.

"Good deal" is how a deal is sold. Whether it was good depends on need, cost, and who pays when the number moves. On the public record I can find, the city hasn't shown all three. Three questions decide whether a deal is good: did the city need it, what will it really cost, and who carries the risk if the number is wrong?

References

Accessed October 15, 2026. Wikipedia and advocacy commentary are secondary sources; check the primary reports where you can.

1. CTV News Ottawa, "Ottawa mayoral candidates put each other on the spot during debate Q&A," Oct. 14, 2026. I relied on the article's excerpted text; check the debate video for exact wording. https://www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/article/ottawa-mayoral-candidates-put-each-other-on-the-spot-during-debate-qa/
2. CTV News Ottawa, "Council approves $419 million Lansdowne 2.0 plan" (2023 estimates). https://www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/article/council-approves-419-million-lansdowne-20-plan/
3. CBC News, "Lansdowne 2.0 gets city council's stamp of approval" (reposted by Heritage Ottawa). https://heritageottawa.org/en/node/1891
4. CTV News Ottawa, "Construction costs for Lansdowne 2.0 could be underestimated by $75 million, Ottawa's auditor concludes." https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/construction-costs-for-lansdowne-2-0-could-be-underestimated-by-75-million-ottawa-s-auditor-concludes-1.6934768
5. Link2Build, "Lansdowne 2.0 development costs underestimated: Ottawa AG report," June 2024. https://link2build.ca/news/articles/2024/june/lansdowne-2-0-development-costs-underestimated-ottawa-ag-report
6. City of Ottawa, Engage Ottawa, "Lansdowne 2.0." https://engage.ottawa.ca/lansdowne-2-0
7. CBC News, "North side sucks, and so does the arena at Lansdowne, report says," 2021. https://amp.cbc.ca/lite/story/1.6080375
8. Councillor Shawn Menard, press release, "The Enormous Waste that Comes with Lansdowne 2.0." https://www.shawnmenard.ca/press_release_councillor_menard_the_enormous_waste_that_comes_with_lansdowne_2_0
9. the613 (Substack), "Debunking the Lansdowne Spin and Councillor Misinformation" (advocacy commentary quoting the Oct. 2023 staff report, p. 79). https://the613.substack.com/p/debunking-the-lansdowne-spin-and
10. Glebe Report, "Lansdowne 2.0 Approved." https://glebereport.ca/articles/lansdowne-2-0-approved/
11. Wikipedia, "2026 Ottawa municipal election" (net cost and Charge summary; secondary source). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Ottawa_municipal_election
12. Capital Current, "Election Ottawa 2026: The debate over Lansdowne 2.0 is still echoing in the mayoral race." https://capitalcurrent.ca/election-ottawa-2026-the-debate-over-lansdowne-2-0-is-still-echoing-in-the-mayoral-race/
13. Bulldog Ottawa, "Here Is The Full Lansdowne Report," citing the Ernst & Young due-diligence report, Sept. 13, 2023 (advocacy commentary). https://bulldogottawa.com/?p=1029136
14. Yahoo News / CBC, "'How much is too much?' councillor asks of surging Lansdowne 2.0 estimate." https://ca.news.yahoo.com/much-too-much-councillor-asks-080000127.html

Power Needs

https://peterkarwacki.blogspot.com/2026/09/blair-road-undiscovered-project.html?m=1
Where is the power coming from. Who is paying for the infrsstructure upgrades?

#565 Alberta Referendum...Can plain language help you vote?

Alberta referendum, October 19, 2026

The official ballot wording sits on the left and a plain-language version on the right. The plain versions are an aid to understanding, not a legal substitute. Elections Alberta cannot interpret the questions; direct meaning questions to the Government of Alberta or your MLA.

Official wording

Plain-language version

Question 10: Alberta's place in Canada

Choose one option. Results are non-binding.

Official wording

10.Should Alberta remain a province of Canada, or should the Government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?

Option 1: Alberta should remain a province of Canada.

Option 2: The Government of Alberta should commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada.

Plain-language version

10.Which do you prefer?

A) Alberta stays a province of Canada.

B) Alberta's government starts the formal legal process needed to hold a later, binding vote on whether to separate.

Option B is not a vote to separate. It is a vote to begin the steps toward a future binding vote.

Questions 1 to 5: Immigration, services, and voting

Yes or no. Results are non-binding.

Official wording

1.Do you support the Government of Alberta taking increased control over immigration for the purposes of decreasing immigration to more sustainable levels, prioritizing economic migration and giving Albertans first priority on new employment opportunities?

Plain-language version

1.Should Alberta's government take more control over immigration, in order to reduce immigration, favour economic immigrants, and give Albertans first chance at new jobs?

Bundles three goals. "Increased control" is not defined.

Official wording

2.Do you support the Government of Alberta introducing a law mandating that only Canadian citizens, permanent residents and individuals with an Alberta-approved immigration status will be eligible for provincially-funded programs, such as health care, education and other social services?

Plain-language version

2.Should Alberta pass a law limiting provincially funded programs (health care, education, other social services) to citizens, permanent residents, and people with an immigration status approved by Alberta?

"Alberta-approved immigration status" is not defined.

Official wording

3.Assuming that all Canadian citizens and permanent residents continue to qualify for social support programs as they do now, do you support the Government of Alberta introducing a law requiring all individuals with a non-permanent legal immigration status to reside in Alberta for at least 12 months before qualifying for any provincially-funded social support programs?

Plain-language version

3.Citizens and permanent residents would keep their current access. Should people with temporary immigration status have to live in Alberta for at least 12 months before they can use provincial social support programs?

Official wording

4.Assuming that all Canadian citizens and permanent residents continue to qualify for public health care and education as they do now, do you support the Government of Alberta charging a reasonable fee or premium to individuals with a non-permanent immigration status living in Alberta for their and their family's use of the healthcare and education systems?

Plain-language version

4.Citizens and permanent residents would keep their current access. Should Alberta charge a fee or premium to people with temporary immigration status, and their families, for using health care and education?

The fee amount is not specified; "reasonable" was dropped as a judgment word.

Official wording

5.Do you support the Government of Alberta introducing a law requiring individuals to provide proof of citizenship, such as a passport, birth certificate or citizenship card, to vote in an Alberta provincial election?

Plain-language version

5.Should voters have to show proof of citizenship (such as a passport, birth certificate, or citizenship card) to vote in Alberta elections?

Questions 6 to 9: Constitutional change

Yes or no. Each depends on other willing provinces agreeing and on the constitutional amendment process.

Official wording

6.Do you support the Government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to have provincial governments, and not the federal government, select the justices appointed to provincial King's Bench and Appeal courts?

Plain-language version

6.Should Alberta work with other willing provinces to amend the Constitution so provinces, not the federal government, choose judges for the provincial King's Bench and Court of Appeal?

Official wording

7.Do you support the Government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to abolish the unelected federal Senate?

Plain-language version

7.Should Alberta work with other willing provinces to amend the Constitution to abolish the Senate?

"Unelected" was dropped; it describes the Senate but is not needed to understand the question.

Official wording

8.Do you support the Government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to allow provinces to opt out of federal programs that intrude on provincial jurisdiction such as health care, education, and social services, without a province losing any of the associated federal funding for use in its social programs?

Plain-language version

8.Should Alberta work with other willing provinces to amend the Constitution so provinces can opt out of federal programs in areas like health care, education, and social services, and keep the federal funding that would have paid for them?

"Intrude on" was dropped as a judgment word.

Official wording

9.Do you support the Government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to better protect provincial rights from federal interference by giving a province's laws dealing with provincial or shared areas of constitutional jurisdiction priority over federal laws when the province's laws and federal laws conflict?

Plain-language version

9.Should Alberta work with other willing provinces to amend the Constitution so that, when provincial and federal laws conflict in areas of provincial or shared jurisdiction, the provincial law wins?

"Protect from federal interference" was dropped as a judgment phrase.

Official wording: Elections Alberta, Referendum page (Orders in Council 109/2026, 110/2026, 160/2026). Plain-language versions were written to keep each question's meaning and remove loaded terms. Where the official text leaves a term undefined, the plain version leaves it undefined too and says so.

Now try Ottawa mayor 2026: the four leading candidates, by issue in plain language

Election day is October 26, 2026. Names are left out on purpose, so each position stands on its own. Letters are labels, not a ranking.

? the current mayor, seeking a second term ? challenger, a city councillor ? challenger, a homebuilder ? challenger, an economist

Property taxes Affordability Transit Housing Infrastructure Public safety and drugs Other

Property taxes

Recent tax increases: 2.5% in 2023 and 2024, 3.9% in 2025, 3.75% in 2026.

A

• Keep yearly increases between 2% and 2.5% for the 2027 and 2028 budgets.
• Find another $250 million in savings at City Hall.

B

• Add a 1% charge to tax bills for infrastructure.
• No overall tax target. Decide what is needed first, then set the target.
• Start the budget process earlier.

C

• Freeze taxes in 2027, then 1% in 2028, then 2% or less in each of the next two years.
• Says this saves the average homeowner $759 over the term compared with A's pledge.

D

• No tax target.
• Review all city spending, cut programs that no longer serve residents, and open the city's books in the first 100 days.

Affordability and cost of living

Cost of living and housing costs were the top issues in a January 2026 poll of Ottawa voters.

A

• Cap tax increases and find savings (see Property taxes).
• Cut the monthly transit pass to $95 and cap daily fares at $10.
• Freeze city fees on new housing.
• Let residents and businesses defer property tax for one year after a job loss or death in the family.
• For seniors: freeze recreation fees and allow tax deferral when downsizing.
• Keep the small-business tax cut and end patio fees.

B

• Keep tax increases "affordable, reasonable and predictable," with no set number.
• Keep transit fares as low as possible.
• Never budget money that other levels of government haven't approved.
• The 1% infrastructure charge would cost the average homeowner about $28 a year.

C

• Tax freeze in 2027 (see Property taxes).
• Turn off all on-street parking meters.
• Raise the small-business property tax cut from 15% to 25%, at a cost of about $8.4 million a year.
• Create an online "red tape" reporting portal.
• Keep current transit fares and focus on reliability.

D

• A flat $1 transit fare, capped at $40 a month.
• Spending review to "keep taxes as low as possible," with no set number.
• Not-for-profit housing meant to cover its own costs through rents.

Transit

A

• Monthly pass cut to $95, daily fare cap of $10, two-hour transfers.
• Bulk passes for large employers.
• Count on a promised $4 billion provincial investment in light rail.
• More rapid bus projects, new buses, and express routes brought back.

B

• Reverse recent service cuts and restore frequent bus routes.
• A service guarantee for riders.
• Put a citizen seat back on the Transit Commission.
• Advance a bus rapid transit line on Baseline Road.

C

• Bring back rush-hour express buses and rebuild the schedule.
• More fare enforcement, a rider code of conduct, and cameras on every bus.
• A 90-day review of transit management.
• A training stream for bus mechanics at a local college.

D

• $1 a ride, capped at $40 a month, in a four-point plan.
• Leaves a yearly funding gap of $82.2 million, to be covered by light rail savings, other city savings, and a future real estate transit authority.

Rivals have questioned how the fare cuts would be paid for. B called A's plan financially reckless, and C criticized A's reliance on provincial money.

Housing

The number of people sleeping outside or in shelters has roughly doubled since 2022, according to B.

A

• Freeze city fees on new housing: permits, rezoning, variances and development charges.

B

• Build 1,500 non-profit homes a year on city-owned land.
• Create a fund to buy rental buildings at risk of being lost and hand them to non-profits.
• More housing-standards inspections, with escalating fines for repeat offenders.

C

• Cut development charges for one year.
• If builders don't deliver enough family-sized rentals, the city steps in directly.

D

• Create a not-for-profit, mixed-income "public option" through an existing affordable housing organization.
• Aim for 25,000 to 30,000 homes over two decades. D says rents, not taxpayers, would cover the cost.
• Low-cost shipping-container homes as transitional housing.

Infrastructure

The city's 2025 asset management plans found a $10.8 billion funding gap for infrastructure over the next 10 years.

A

• A $10 billion plan to fix and expand roads, sewers and city buildings. A says it closes the gap.
• Paid for with tax revenue, development charges, budget savings, and unused borrowing capacity.
• $500 million for climate resilience, including storm sewers in flood-prone areas.
• Supports a ring road.

B

• A 1% infrastructure charge on tax bills, raising about $25.5 million a year.
• Focus spending on roads, bridges, transit, housing programs and community centres.
• A rural service review setting standards for roads and other services.

C

• Push for a southern ring road.
• Assess rural roads every three years instead of every five.
• End the three-item curbside garbage limit and build a waste-to-energy plant.

D

• Open the books first, then develop a comprehensive infrastructure plan.
• Promises an "honest conversation" about the deficit, with no dollar figure yet.

Public safety and drugs

A

• Hire 350 police officers, paramedics and firefighters.
• Double funding for non-police crisis response.
• Appoint a downtown safety coordinator.
• Revoke business licences of shops accused of handing out drugs.

B

• Expand non-police crisis response.
• Strengthen by-law enforcement.
• Fewer details published than the others so far.

C

• Build residential addiction recovery programs: job training, housing and a year of aftercare.
• Keep naloxone widely available, but says reversing overdoses isn't enough.

D

• Review police spending for value before approving any increase.
• Expand crisis response and add detox and recovery beds.
• Appoint a downtown safety coordinator.

Other notable positions

A

• Create economic and development zones in rural and suburban areas.

B

• Five-point rural plan, including a rural village growth plan that protects farmland.

C

• Require a rural impact assessment for city-wide decisions.
• Publish a quarterly scoreboard of investment and jobs, and add a fair-wage rule for city contracts.

D

• Community road safety councils and regional planning panels.
• Redo the $200 million downtown market building plan and create a festival plaza.

Compiled October 14, 2026 from news coverage of each campaign's announcements (mainly CTV News Ottawa and CBC Ottawa). It may miss details on campaign websites, and platforms can change before October 26. Where a candidate had published little on a topic, this page says less rather than guess. Ask for the key to the letters if you want the names.

Rideau-Rockcliffe (Ward 13): the two councillor candidates, by issue

Election day is October 26, 2026. Names are left out on purpose, so each position stands on its own.

A the incumbent councillor, seeking a third term B the challenger

Eastern bridge Housing Transit Infrastructure and parks Local traffic and development How City Hall works Public safety

Eastern bridge

A

• Opposes it.
• Cites studies showing it would divert only 15% of truck traffic from King Edward Avenue, even by 2050.

B

• Supports it.
• Says it is needed to get trucks off downtown streets.
• Argues the ward should engage now to shape the design and the terms of protection, since council would likely override local opposition.

Housing

A

• Lists housing and transit affordability as his focus.
• Points to the 350 affordable units being built in Wateridge Village.
• Voted for the city's refreshed 10-year housing and homelessness plan.

B

• Lists housing and food security among his ward priorities.
• Named affordable housing as a priority in 2022.
• No detailed 2026 housing plan found in news coverage. Discourages concentration of ultra affordable housing in the ward and city.

Transit

A

• Lists transit affordability as a focus.
• Named better transit and cycling infrastructure in 2022.

B

• Wants OC Transpo made more reliable.
• Supports a self-driving bus pilot on St-Laurent.
• Named effective transit and more cycling infrastructure in 2022.

Infrastructure and parks

A

• Says the city cannot ignore its backlog of road and sewer repairs.
• Named rebuilding Beechwood and McArthur avenues as a priority in 2022.

B

• Called an infrastructure levy essential in the CTV questionnaire.
• Wants oversight of infrastructure spending.
• Wants action on combined storm and wastewater systems, and on sidewalks.
• Wants fairer access to parks, and a stronger look at the Bathgate Park and Jetform Park decisions.

Local traffic and development

A

• No public position found on opening the Hemlock Road connection in Wateridge or on the proposed traffic circles.

B

• Wants the Hemlock Road connection opened.
• Wants traffic circles at St-Laurent/Hemlock and Beechwood/Vanier Parkway.
• Raises a soccer stadium at 815 St-Laurent.

How City Hall works

A

• Has argued that cutting the number of wards would weaken democracy.

B

• Wants open city data and more use of AI in city operations.
• Commits to serving one term.
• Wants council cut from 24 wards to 12, for cost savings and better decisions.
• Points out that only about 40% of eligible voters vote.

Public safety

A

• When first elected, said he wanted police to keep improving relationships with racialized groups.
• Focused on the high-needs Overbrook neighbourhood.
• No detailed 2026 safety plan found.

B

• Lists policing and gang activity among his issues.
• Wants a public washroom policy.
• No detailed plan found in news coverage.

Compiled October 14, 2026. A's positions come from public statements and news coverage (CTV News Ottawa, CBC Ottawa, Capital Current, and A's newsletters). B's positions come mostly from his own campaign statements. Parts of the CTV candidate questionnaire were only partly available, so some written platform details may be missing. Each candidate's own website is the best source for specifics.