‘Good morning, Ottawa’: A look at Mayor Mark Sutcliffe’s daily, and sometimes curious, social media ritual

Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe posted this image to his social media feeds on March 22, 2026, prompting many residents to question why he chose such a dismal-looking image. (Mark Sutcliffe/X)

“Good morning, Ottawa. Bonjour Ottawa.”

Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe starts every day on social media with a simple post that is accompanied by a photo of something in the city. It could be a landmark, a city street, or a rural scene.

The photos reflect the changing seasons and have lately depicted things like piles of snow and ice-covered benches. Occasionally, there are people walking down city streets; other times, animals feature.

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The pictures are posted daily on Sutcliffe’s X and Bluesky accounts and as stories on his Instagram and Facebook pages.

Some ask how these photos are chosen for the mayor’s daily posts. Who takes them?

The mayor says he takes the pictures himself.

“I take all of the Good Morning Ottawa photos myself, usually during my morning runs and sometimes when I’m travelling around the city,” he told CTV News Ottawa.

One recent post depicting a melting ice rink and a fallen tree on a cloudy day, garnered significant attention, with more than 900,000 views on X alone.

Some commenters wondered why such a lugubrious scene would be chosen as emblematic of Ottawa.

“Welcome to Ottawa, where we put the barren in ‘barren wasteland,’” said one commenter on X.

“Please understand where I’m coming from when I ask how is that the best picture you could come up with?!” another asked.

Sutcliffe said he was taken by the moment showing the blurry line between winter and spring.

“This particular shot was taken and shared on a mild morning when there was a lot of melting taking place. I thought it was interesting to see the transition from winter to spring at one of our outdoor rinks,” he said.

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It was noted by some on social media that it indeed depicted a common reality in Ottawa.

“This is a beautiful picture, capturing a common scene of grey, muggy late March winter. The skating rinks melt away, boards are removed, detritus emerges from the snow. Standing on the precipice of Spring, time marches onward,” one person said on X.

“Actually it is a good photo for today! Most of the city looks like this, this morning as freezing rain falls,” said a user on Bluesky.

Speaking on Ottawa’s Pure Country 94, Sutcliffe told Ashley Greco and Gord St. Denis he has to work with what he has.

“Look, it’s March, it’s gray, even today it’s overcast. The weather’s been not so great lately,” he said. “This was a sign that spring is on its way. And look, I’m not taking pictures for a website to promote Ottawa. I’m not a professional photographer. I’m taking pictures every day and just putting them out there.”

Sutcliffe told CTV News Ottawa that his intention is to start every day off on a good footing.

“I post photos as a simple way to wish good morning to residents and start the day on a positive note, and they generate a lot of positive feedback from residents,” he said.

“They are each meant to be a quick snapshot that captures a moment in time in our city.”

On Thursday, he shared a photo of the whitewater course near the Fleet Street pumping station at LeBreton Flats.

“Better,” one reply simply said.