The CTV News Ottawa mayoral debate is Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 10 a.m. Watch on CTVNewsOttawa.ca, listen on Newstalk 580 CFRA and watch on the Newstalk 580 CFRA YouTube Channel. Mayoral campaigns in Ottawa have made announcements on Tuesday. With 13 days left in the municipal election campaign, incumbent mayor Mark Sutcliffe and candidates Alex Lawson and Jeff Leiper made new promises on topics including stopping hateful rhetoric in the city, preventing youth from becoming addicted to drugs, and building more community services in Kanata. Here is a breakdown of what the candidates had to say on Tuesday. Mark Sutcliffe The incumbent mayor says he will work to double the size of the Ottawa Police Service’s hate and bias crime unit and help residents recognize and report extremist recruitment by working with schools and faith leaders. “Reports of white nationalist recruitment posters and stickers appearing on postsecondary campuses and in communities across Ottawa are deeply disturbing,” Sutcliffe’s campaign said. “Mark Sutcliffe is committing to a stronger, coordinated response to extremist recruitment, with practical measures to help residents recognize hate, protect young people and keep communities safe.” Sutcliffe said he would work with the Ottawa Police Service Board to strengthen the police service’s hate and bias crime unit, with the goal of doubling the number of officers. He would also convene a faith leaders’ council within 60 days of the new term to bring together community leaders involved in Ottawa’s City of Kindness Summit to identify practical ways to confront hate, support affected residents and strengthen understanding across communities. Sutcliffe says he would also launch a city-wide campaign to denounce hate and stop extremist recruitment by working with local MPs, the Ottawa Police Service, Ottawa Stops Hate and community partners to help residents recognize white nationalist and other extremist tactics. White supremacist posters have been spotted in Ottawa in recent weeks. Ottawa police have also responded to hateful messages sent to Muslim schools and have stepped up patrols at Jewish institutions following an attack at a synagogue in Belleville, Ont., last month. There is no place for hate in Ottawa,” said Sutcliffe. “Residents should be able to go to school, work, worship and raise their families without being targeted because of who they are or where they come from. We need to make sure people know how to recognize and report extremist recruitment, that young people are protected, and that our police have the resources to respond.” Jeff Leiper Coun. Jeff Leiper, who is running for mayor, will be making an announcement on Tuesday regarding community infrastructure in Kanata. Leiper says he would build a new recreation centre with dedicated medical space in Kanata if elected. “Kanata is growing, but its infrastructure isn’t keeping up,” he said. “A city that works builds the facilities residents need to stay healthy and active.” “In Ottawa, finding a family doctor shouldn’t feel like winning a lottery,” said Leiper in a news release. “Families in Kanata deserve access to the recreation facilities their growing communities need and healthcare services closer to home. As mayor, I’ll build a new recreation centre for Kanata families, and include dedicated space for a health hub.” Leiper said city data shows an esimated 165,000 Ottawa residents were without a family doctor or primary care provider in 2022, and said it took years for the city to move forward with a plan. “In 2022, Mark Sutcliffe promised a doctor recruitment strategy and said Ottawa needed to act ‘right away.’ Council did not vote to develop the strategy until 2025, and the City hired a Primary Care Ambassador in 2026,” he said. Alex Lawson Mayoral candidate Alex Lawson says he will adopt an Icelandic model aimed at keeping children and teens active in the community and away from substances such as alcohol and drugs. Lawson said his plan involves bringing the Planet Youth organization to Ottawa to help build a roadmap toward local changes that would reduce youth substance use. The plan includes annual surveys of students in grades 7 through 12 in all four school boards about topics including time with family, sports, arts and clubs, friends, school, sleep, screens, feeling safe and early substance use. The results would be anonymous, and parents or guardians would be able to opt their children out of the questionnaire if they choose. The survey results would guide decisions on community programs across the city. Lawson says he would offer vacant rooms and idle hours at city facilities to community groups like the Boys’ and Girls’ Club or the YMCA first, and would work to keep places like community centres, libraries, and other city-run facilities open longer, to give young people safe places to go, free of use. Each site would be staffed by adults from partner organizations, and teens could earn community service hours through volunteering. He would also seek federal and provincial funding to help expand programs. Fourteen candidates are running to be mayor of Ottawa. In alphabetical order, they are: Queen Divine Priya Amber Bakshi, Zed Chebib, Bernard Couchman, Suraj Harish, Alex Lawson, Jeff Leiper, Geoff Nicholas, Josh Rachlis, Neil Saravanamuttoo, Ali Shayvard, Jacob Solomon, Mark Sutcliffe (incumbent), Amjad Ali Syed, and Peter Westaway Election Day is Oct. 26. One day of advance voting will be held on Friday, Oct. 16, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
