Campaigns are in full swing across the nation’s capital as federal election day — April 28 — is now just a few weeks away. The parties’ political machines are humming across Ottawa’s nine ridings. For many, that means signs in the ground, boots on the pavement and faces at the doorstep.
Some riding boundaries have been changed and few ridings have been renamed. But essentially there are six Liberal incumbents seeking re-election in the city, including Jenna Sudds in Kanata, Marie-France Lalonde in Orléans, Yasir Naqvi in Ottawa Centre, David McGuinty in Ottawa South, Mona Fortier in Ottawa-Vanier-Gloucester, Anita Vandenbeld in Ottawa West-Nepean.
In Nepean, Chandra Arya was elected as Liberal MP in 2015 and re-elected in 2019 and 2021, but was barred by the party from running in this election for undisclosed reasons (though it’s widely believed that he was ruled ineligible to run because of a 2024 meeting in India between Arya and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which was not approved by the Liberal government.)
The barring of Arya from running in Nepean cleared the way for Prime Minister Mark Carney to run for the Liberal-held seat.
In Prescott-Russell-Cumberland, which includes a rural eastern area of Ottawa, former Liberal MP Francis Drouin decided not to run for re-election.
Carleton, the only Conservative-held seat in Ottawa, is a mostly rural riding represented by longtime MP and national party leader Pierre Poilievre.
For two of Ottawa’s highest-profile ridings, hectic campaigns are under way as challengers look to unseat entrenched incumbents. In Carleton, where Poilievre won by more than 10,000 votes in the 2021 election, Liberal contender Bruce Fanjoy is hoping to close the gap and perhaps even steal the seat.
And in Ottawa Centre, a close race is expected between Naqvi — who won the seat by nearly 10,000 votes in 2021 — and former Ottawa Centre NDP provincial member Joel Harden, one of the city’s best-known politicians.
Harden defeated Naqvi in Ottawa Centre in the 2018 Ontario election and former city councillor Catherine McKenney won the seat for the NDP by nearly 20,000 votes over their Liberal rival in the Feb. 27 Ontario election.
Ottawa Centre
Along with Naqvi and Harden, the other main candidates in Ottawa Centre include Paul d’Orsonnens for the Conservatives and Amanda Rosenstock for the Greens.
Ottawa Centre stretches from Westboro to Centretown, and south to Riverside Park. The riding has historically voted for either the NDP or the Liberals, with the only Conservative winner elected in a 1978 by-election.
Sam Hersh — well known in municipal circles as coordinator of the Horizon Ottawa city hall watchdog group — is Harden’s campaign manager and has worked previously on his election battles in 2018 and 2022.
“It might be a short writ period, but we’ve been canvassing for several months already,” Hersh said. “We’ve been across almost the entire riding.”
Hersh said Harden’s team has already knocked on at least 25,000 doors.
“The issues at the door really depend a lot on where you go,” Hersh said. “In places where it’s more affluent, people are talking about tariffs and (U.S. President Donald) Trump. In other areas, it’s a lot about affordability, especially grocery prices.”
Hersh said the Liberals have “wrapped themselves in the flag this election,” and that Harden’s campaign team hopes to focus on more local issues at the door.
“We see a lot of people strategically voting, worried about a Poilievre government,” Hersh said. “We need someone who’s focusing on workers, public healthcare, and our public services. The answer to tariffs isn’t to prop up a corporate class here in Canada.”
Despite the campaign’s best efforts, Hersh acknowledged that the NDP’s national polling numbers are working against many local candidates.
“We have a very strong local campaign and I’m confident there’s a path to victory, but the obvious challenge is the party’s results nationally. The higher up in politics you go, the more the national campaign really matters.”
Hersh said it’s the people he works with that make it worthwhile.
“It’s a lot like any other job in many ways,” Hersh said. “It’s fun because the people you work with are also passionate, and you build up a good rapport with folks.”
Carleton
In Carleton, a rural riding composed of many of urban Ottawa’s surrounding communities —Manotick, Stittsville, Metcalfe, Carp and Richmond — Fanjoy has his work cut out for him to defeat Poilievre.
Poilievre has represented the riding for the Conservatives since its creation in 2015, and previously served as MP for the now-defunct riding of Nepean–Carleton from 2004 to 2015.
Fanjoy is a former businessman, stay-at-home parent and community volunteer.
Prior to politics, Fanjoy garnered attention for designing and building the climate-friendly “Millview House” in Manotick, which is known for its solar panels and overall net-zero design.
Fanjoy said it was that experience, among others, that pushed him into politics.
“I remember thinking: OK, this worked out well, but it’s not nearly enough to fight climate change,” Fanjoy said. “There’s not one point in time where I decided to run against Pierre Poilievre, but building that house was definitely one of those accumulating moments.”
Fanjoy said he’s spoken with an increasing number of voters in Carleton who are unhappy with Poilievre’s performance as MP.
“He obviously has his supporters in the riding, but there’s a lot of people who want him gone,” Fanjoy said. “Someone has to do it, but it takes time and exposes you to a lot of abuse. I was lucky to be in a position in my life where I could put in the time.”
Fanjoy said much of what he hears at the door echoes national concerns about Trump and tariffs.
“This election is overwhelmingly about the Canada-US relationship, and who’s best equipped to stand up to Donald Trump,” said Fanjoy. “There’s a lot of risk to women’s rights, to LGBTQ rights, basically the whole Charter of Rights and Freedoms.”
Manasa Agaram is a marketing manager from Stittsville and a first-time election volunteer for Fanjoy’s campaign.
“This time, I felt so strongly that the alternative to the Liberals isn’t what we needed right now,” Agaram said. “This riding is very Conservative and leans heavily towards Poilievre, but I think there’s a lot of people in this riding who think we need a better choice.”
Agaram said her experience as a new parent has influenced what issues are most important to her.
“I have a one-year-old, and daycare is so difficult to access here and we’re paying through the nose for it,” Agaram said. “It’s something that’s untenable for so many families. We’re having a second child soon and I just don’t think I’ve seen any plans from the Conservatives that will help those situations.”
Voters in both Carleton and Ottawa Centre, as well as across the country, head to the polls on April 28, with advanced voting set to begin on April 18.
