Five candidates are on the ballot for councillor in Barrhaven East in the 2026 municipal election. Incumbent Wilson Lo is seeking a second term in office. Lo, a former OC Transpo employee, won the 2022 election with 36.8 per cent of the vote. The other candidates are healthcare professional Zahy A Adam. Ahmed Alsabaawi, real estate agent Yoosaf Melparamba and Jules Ruhinda. Barrhaven East Barrhaven East is Ottawa’s newest ward, added to the city map for the 2022 election. The ward stretches from Greenbank Road in the west to the Rideau River in the east, and Fallowfield in the north. Meet the candidates CTV News Ottawa invited all registered candidates to answer a questionnaire and submit a video introducing themselves to voters. Zahy A Adam Age: 54 Political experience: I have been actively involved in politics and community affairs since I was young. Over the years, I have participated in and followed Canadian federal, provincial, and municipal elections closely. In addition, my background as an amateur journalist writing political commentary allowed me to analyze key policy issues and listen to diverse public perspectives. Professional experience: Professionally, I work in healthcare as a Certified Medical Device Reprocessing Technician (MDRT) across major Ottawa clinical and hospital settings, including CHEO, Queensway Carleton Hospital, and Provis Endoscopy Clinic. In this field, I focus heavily on infection control, quality assurance, and adherence to regulatory standards. I also serve as Vice-President of the MDRAO Gamma Chapter. My prior experience includes administrative management at the Hall of Peace, where I oversaw venue operations, budget procedures, and health and safety compliance, giving me a strong foundation in public service, systems management, and community relations How long have you lived in Ottawa? 10 Favourite Ottawa location/landmark: Chapman Mills Conservation Area. Located right along the Rideau River in Ward 24, it is my favourite What was the last book you read? The Power of Community: How Ordinary People Can Achieve Extraordinary Things. It focuses on how local grassroots efforts, strong public policy, and active citizenship drive meaningful change in local What is the top song in your playlist? “Taking Care of Business” by Bachman-Turner Overdrive. It is a classic Canadian anthem with a great energy that keeps me motivated. It reflects the work ethic and dedicated approach I plan to bring How often do you use OC Transpo? I use OC Transpo occasionally for trips across Ottawa Would you work to increase or decrease transit fares as part of a plan to improve OC Transpo? I am committed to decreasing transit fares, and as City Councillor, my goal is to work toward a C$1 per day rate for OC Transpo. Raising fares on commuters who are already experiencing service gaps is counterproductive. By pushing for increased provincial operating support, reallocating city resources, and prioritizing affordability, we can drive up ridership, ease traffic congestion in Barrhaven East, and make public transit a dependable, low-cost option for every resident. Would you support increasing the police budget to boost officer presence in your ward? Yes, I support increasing the police budget to keep pace with Ottawa’s rapid population growth and ensure the safety of Barrhaven East families. Funding must prioritize strengthening frontline presence, improving response times for local incidents, and enhancing community policing initiatives while maintaining strict fiscal accountability. Do you support an infrastructure levy to improve road and sewer infrastructure? No, I do not support adding a new infrastructure levy. Families in Ward 24 are already facing a rising cost of living and property tax pressures. Instead of adding a new tax line item, Ottawa must prioritize road and sewer maintenance within the existing municipal budget by auditing city spending, reallocating unspent capital funds, and ensuring developers pay their fair share of growth-related infrastructure costs. Protecting basic infrastructure is a core municipal duty that should be funded through disciplined fiscal management. Describe in 250 words or less what the biggest issues are in your ward in this election: Barrhaven East is a thriving, growing suburban community, but our municipal services have struggled to keep up with our expansion. In this election, the primary issues facing Ward 24 come down to transit, infrastructure, public safety, and fiscal responsibility. Residents are frustrated with unreliable OC Transpo schedules and high fares; we need a dependable local transit system and bold affordability goals like a C$1 per day fare model to make public transit practical again. Traffic congestion, road maintenance, and sewer capacity also demand urgent attention to prevent localized flooding and reduce daily bottlenecks. Furthermore, community safety—combating auto thefts, dangerous driving, and property crime through a strong police presence and preventative youth programming—remains top-of-mind for families. Addressing these issues requires focused, accountable leadership at City Hall. Ahmed Alsabaawi Age: 56 Political experience: I was a student union member at the University of Regina during my grad studies. I was also a member of federal political parties. I am an activist who has engaged deeply in the community for the last twenty or so years. Professional experience: I have my grad in sociology and social studies. I’ve worked with communities on different levels ranging from family support, to addiction and employment. I understand the issues facing our people very well. How long have you lived in Ottawa? I’ve lived in Ottawa for the last eleven years. Favourite Ottawa location/landmark: My favorite landmark in Ottawa is the Terry Fox statue. What was the last book you read? What is the top song in your playlist? The top song in my playlist is Have you ever seen the rain. How often do you use OC Transpo? I rarely use OC Transpo, however, my kids use it every day. Would you work to increase or decrease transit fares as part of a plan to improve OC Transpo? I would freeze the transit fares so that I could analyze the current situation and see what the best course of action is. Would you support increasing the police budget? No, I wouldn’t increase the police budget until understanding where that increase will go, and whether it will benefit the community or not. Do you support an infrastructure levy to improve road and sewer infrastructure? No, I do not support an infrastructure levy as of right now. The people I represent can’t pay anymore in these difficult times. We are paying too much for gas, groceries and other necessities. Balancing our budget would be a much better idea, while also taking care of the vulnerable. Describe in 250 words or less what the biggest issues are in your ward in this election: The number one issue right now is the transit. Fixing it and bringing the LRT to Barrhaven are number one. The second biggest issue is affordability and property tax. The third biggest issue is the lack of youth community centers in Barrhaven, and the safety of our community. Wilson Lo Age: 34 Political experience: Incumbent City Councillor for Barrhaven East (first term), but also managed councillor inquiries at in my previous role at OC Transpo. Professional experience: 2014 to 2020 - bus operator at OC Transpo, 2020 to 2022 - customer communications officer at OC Transpo How long have you lived in Ottawa? Seventeen years Favourite Ottawa location/landmark: Airport runway viewing area on Alert Road What was the last book you read? SPAM: A Global History by Dr. Kelly A. Spring (seriously) What is the top song in your playlist? Weezer - The Good Life How often do you use OC Transpo? Average twice to three times a week (more some weeks, less some others) Would you work to increase or decrease transit fares as part of a plan to improve OC Transpo? The costs of the transit system should not be borne solely by the property tax levy. If fares need to rise, they will need to rise. However, the city has not been creative in opening new revenue opportunities for transit, so until that happens, we’ll be stuck with only fares and taxes (and the generosity of senior levels of government) to fund transit. Would you support increasing the police budget to boost officer presence in your ward? Yes, but results must be visible. Do you support an infrastructure levy to improve road and sewer infrastructure? Only if other areas of spending, particularly non-core services, are reviewed to offset that levy. Describe in 250 words or less what the biggest issues are in your ward in this election: Transportation, both public and private. All roads but one leading in/out are two lanes, while the 416 is too far west to help Barrhaven East, all while growth in Half Moon Bay, Riverside South, and Manotick continues. Transit service has declined significantly, while the LRT lines nearby don’t serve the community directly. The Line 1 extension to Algonquin should help, but only if OC Transpo upholds their plan to extend all local routes from Fallowfield northward. Yoosaf Melparamba Age: 30 Political experience: Been part of two provincial campaigns and last federal campaign. I am also director at the local provincial riding association. Professional experience: Licensed Realtor with Royal LePage, with prior experience as an administrator at the same office; also community leader with the Malayali Association and organizer of local cultural events and fundraisers. How long have you lived in Ottawa? Almost five years, working in Barrhaven East every day, with community and extended family based in Barrhaven. Favourite Ottawa location/landmark: The Hog’s Back Falls What was the last book you read? “From Third World to First” by Lee Kuan Yew What is the top song in your playlist? Dark Knight Rises OST by Hans Zimmer How often do you use OC Transpo? Once a week, from Nepean Woods park & ride to Downtown Would you work to increase or decrease transit fares as part of a plan to improve OC Transpo? Hold steady — my focus is on growing fare revenue through reliability and higher ridership, not through fare hikes on residents who are already dealing with unreliable service. And want to possibly bring the lower fares but it all starts with gaining back the trust in the system. Would you support increasing the police budget? Yes, but we need a visible change compared to the current police presence in and around Barrhaven. In essence, it needs to yield direct results for our community. Do you support an infrastructure levy to improve road and sewer infrastructure? After watching and reading the council meetings and minutes, I think it is inevitable. But, I want to see the case made transparently before committing — residents in Barrhaven East are already absorbing tax increases without seeing proportional results, so any new levy needs a clear, published plan showing exactly what it fixes and by when, not an open-ended ask. Describe in 250 words or less what the biggest issues are in your ward in this election: Barrhaven East has a councillor who communicates well but hasn’t delivered results to match. When I knock on doors, residents tell me the same thing: clerical requests and city-staff issues get forwarded along, but four years in, there’s no landmark motion, no visible win for this ward, especially on transit, where our councillor sat on the Transit Committee itself and came in as an OC Transpo insider. That’s not a lack of access. That’s a lack of results. Transit reliability is the issue I hear most. New Ways to Bus was built on outdated data and prioritized $10 million in savings over rider needs, according to the City’s own Auditor General, and ridership has dropped by nearly a million trips since. I’m pushing for a public on-time performance tracker within my first 60 days on council, so residents see real numbers, not press releases. People I meet on doors want change, not more of the same communication with no delivery. I’m running because Barrhaven East deserves a councillor who turns access into results. Jules Ruhinda Political experience: I came to Canada from Burundi as a refugee 23 years ago. My political journey began during the Quebec separation debate, when I joined my Member of Parliament in Montreal to campaign for a strong “No” vote and keep Canada united. Since then, i have participated in many election campaigns as a volunteer. I also ran for City Council in 2018. Professional experience: I am an entrepreneur, community leader, and fully bilingual professional in English and French. I founded Umugenzi for Refugees in 1995, an organization supporting refugees and newcomers with settlement service. I also operated an offshore call centre and in 2025, founded Final Touch, a post-construction cleaning company. My professional experience had strengthened my leadership, business management, communication, and community-building skills. How long have you lived in Ottawa? Since 2006 Favourite Ottawa location/landmark: Chapman Mills Conservation Area What was the last book you read? Finding the Way What is the top song in your playlist? Africa by Salif Keita How often do you use OC Transpo? I use OC Transpo occasionally, especially when travelling to meetings. Would you work to increase or decrease transit fares as part of a plan to improve OC Transpo? The issues isn’t simply whether transit should increase or decrease. the bigger question is how do we improve the service we have today? Before increasing transit fares, the city should focus om making OC Transpo more liable, efficient and convenient for residents. Riders deserve better service and better value for their money. Would you support increasing the police budget to boost officer presence in your ward? I support a strong police presence in our community, but simply increasing the police budget is not the solution. We need to make sure existing resources are used effectively, improve community policing and ensure officers are present where residents need them most. Do you support an infrastructure levy to improve road and sewer infrastructure? I support investing in infrastructure because it is essential for a growing city like Ottawa. Our aging roads, water and sewer systems need to be maintained and replaced. However, we need to be smarter and more responsible about how we pay for it. For years, taxpayers have carried too much of the cost of growth. Developers who benefit from new development should contribute their fair share toward the infrastructure needed to support it. The City off Ottawa cannot do this alone. We need to work with the provincial and federal government, developers, business and communities to find sustainable solutions Describe in 250 words or less what the biggest issues are in your ward in this election: Barrhaven East is growing, and our services and infrastructure must keep pace. My priorities are reliable OC Transpo, better traffic flow and road, community safety, infrastructure, affordable housing and protecting parks and green spaces. We need responsible spending and better values for taxpayers. Developers should contribute their fair share toward the infrastructure required by growth.
