In this 2026 Ottawa municipal election (voting day October 26, 2026) in Ward 13 Rideau-Rockcliffe, and Peter Karwacki is running for city councillor. Here are the practical alternatives if one association president won't do one-on-one candidate meetings:
Other Community Associations in the Ward The ward has several associations — Cardinal Glen, Lindenlea, Manor Park, New Edinburgh, Overbrook, Rockcliffe Park, and Wateridge Village. In the 2019 byelection, the presidents from several of those associations collectively interviewed declared candidates, and as recently as April 2025, those same associations jointly organized a federal "Meet the Candidates" event at Manor Park Community Centre. Reaching out directly to the presidents of other associations, or proposing a multi-association joint forum (which has precedent), is a strong avenue. RockcliffeparkRideau-rockcliffe
A Full Candidate Forum In 2019, a candidate forum at Rockcliffe Park Public School was organized by local community associations, and organizers allowed breakout sessions for people to speak directly with candidates. Proposing or pushing for a similar open public forum — rather than one-on-one meetings — sidesteps the issue entirely. CBC News
Media Questionnaires CBC Ottawa sent a detailed questionnaire to candidates in each ward in the 2022 election, and they'll likely do the same this cycle. Ottawa Citizen and Ottawa Matters also cover local races. Getting responses on the record through media is a credible alternative to association-mediated access. cbc
The City's Own Candidate Tools Ottawa.ca has a "Who is running in my ward?" tool that lists all candidates with their information, updated throughout the nomination period. This at least ensures public visibility. City of Ottawa
Candidate's Own Events Running door-to-door canvasses, hosting a community coffee chat, or organizing a public town hall doesn't require association permission. That kind of direct outreach can actually be more effective than a filtered association interview.
Direct Contact Peter Karwacki's blog lists his email as peterkarwacki.overbrook@gmail.com — voters (or other organizations wanting to host him) can reach out directly without going through an association gatekeeper.
The key leverage point is that no single association president controls all public access in the ward. A coalition of the other associations, or a media-organized event, would be harder to BLOCK
Association | Key Contact(s) | Email | Phone / Address | Notes / Best Way In |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Carson Grove Community Association | President: Allen Nelson | Via Facebook group (message admin or board) | Facebook: facebook.com/groups/1889395631318004 | Active group; board listed publicly. Message the group directly. |
Crichton Community Council (New Edinburgh) | President: Chris Straka | CrichtonCommunityCouncil@gmail.com (mailto:CrichtonCommunityCouncil@gmail.com) | Field House, 203 Stanley Ave | Board meets 2nd Monday of every month. Email is very responsive. |
Lindenlea Community Association | General inquiries | info@lindenlea.ca (mailto:info@lindenlea.ca) (or contact form on site) | lindenlea.ca | Check site for current board/volunteer email; very event-focused. |
Manor Park Community Association | President | president@manorparkcommunity.ca (mailto:president@manorparkcommunity.ca) | manorparkcommunity.ca | Direct to president — perfect for formal requests. |
Manor Park Community Council | General / Centre | mpcc@manorpark.ca (mailto:mpcc@manorpark.ca) | 613-741-4776 ext 4 100 Braemar St / 1805 Gaspé Ave | Runs the community centre — very operational. |
New Edinburgh Community Alliance | General | info@newedinburgh.ca (mailto:info@newedinburgh.ca) | newedinburgh.ca | Shared site with Crichton; handles broader neighbourhood news. |
Overbrook Community Association | General / Board | info@overbrook.ca (mailto:info@overbrook.ca) | overbrook.ca | Very active; recent 2026 priorities survey posted. |
Rockcliffe Park Residents Association | Secretary | secretary@rockcliffepark.ca (mailto:secretary@rockcliffepark.ca) | rockcliffepark.ca 380-A Springfield Rd | Formal and heritage-focused; great for structured meetings. |
For municipal elections, despite the various unique concerns, the boards often decide that they would not do one on ones but rather as a gathering of communities to pose questions together.
ReplyDeleteWe will be back to you.