Where is it?
College Ward is housed between Highway 417 to the north, Eagleson Road to the west, parts of Highway 416 and the rail corridor to the south and Merivale and Clyde Roads to the east.
Who’s running?
Ward 8’s veteran councillor, Rick Chiarelli, was mired in controversy during the last term of council and is not running for re-election. Hoping to succeed him are five candidates: Wendy Davidson, Vilteau Delvas, Laine Johnson, Granda Kopytko and Pat McGarry. Election day is Oct. 24. For more information about where and how to vote, visit the city’s election page.
Demographics
College Ward has a population of roughly 52,000. Twenty-seven per cent are between 15 and 34. About 21 per cent of the ward’s residents identify as having immigrated to Canada. (Of that population, 42 per cent report coming from an Asian country.)
One key issue:
Chiarelli, the long-time incumbent, was the subject of several complaints about misconduct from women who had worked in his office. The investigation that followed left the councillor facing sanctions and shut out of some council business. That overshadowed other ward issues, leaving many constituents feeling unrepresented at city hall. As a result, leadership and acting as an effective voice for residents is the top concern of many of those running for the council seat.
One local landmark:
College Ward, true to its name, is home to Algonquin College, which serves more than 20,000 post-secondary students in Ottawa and around the Ottawa Valley.
