Winning Ottawa. Governing Differently.
A City Hall that puts residents first.
I’m recruiting 1,000 people ready to work together to win back our city. Follow here for my values, priorities and thoughts on how we get Ottawa back on track.
1,000 People Can Take Back Ottawa
We Need a Candidate Who Can Win the Mayor’s Race
Who Really Runs Ottawa?
Three Priorities for Restoring Ottawa
Our shot
For the past two decades, major decisions in Ottawa have lined up with the priorities of a handful of powerful developers. They steer where the City spends its discretionary money, which regulations are stretched and how our transportation and infrastructure plans are prioritized.
It’s crony capitalism, where business flourishes through preferential treatment by government authorities.
It’s why we’re spending $500 million to redo Lansdowne. $600 million on Tewin. $95 million on land for a dump.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
How The Thousand win
There are three steps to victory.
1. Define a better tomorrow
The first step is to define a better tomorrow. A future that makes people want to show up and get involved.
In Three Priorities for Restoring Ottawa, I laid out some high-level thoughts on a better tomorrow, namely, a city that:
Lowers your costs, where only the City can act — like not having to buy a second car because transit is unreliable
Returns control to the people — restoring local control over the local issues that directly affect those communities
Lives up to its potential as a truly great place to build a life.
What does your better tomorrow look like?
2. Unite behind good candidates
We need to win the 2026 Ottawa elections — Mayor and a majority on Council. We can’t afford to waste another four years.
Incumbents have a large advantage. To beat them, we need one strong challenger in each race — not a divided opposition.
This early in the race, we want as many good people as possible to come forward. Let’s see who has the right stuff, and who doesn’t. Have the candidates debate and let democracy decide who is best placed to win.
For the Mayoral race, this is shaping up to be a change election between the incumbent and one main alternative — with other candidates relegated to the sidelines.
My plan is to be that alternative. And I’ll spend the next few months making my case.
But let me be clear: this election isn’t about me. It’s about change.
If I don’t emerge as the main alternative, I’ll put the city first. I expect every serious candidate who’s committed to change to hold themselves to that same standard.
3. Deploy our people power
The third step is to organize people power to take back the city.
The establishment’s power is built on money. It looks strong, but it’s shallow.
Our power is people. It’s deep, resilient, and built on hope. Each of us has resources — our time, our voice, our contacts, our vote, maybe even a little spare cash. Alone, those resources may not seem like much. Together, they’re unstoppable.
Those resources allow us to win both the ground game and the air game. In a city of a million people, 1,000 committed individuals are a critical mass that can reach into all corners and communities of Ottawa, and build the momentum that creates an unstoppable force.
We are already on-boarding volunteers and getting people productive in roles that suit their interests. Donations and door knocking are important, but there are many other ways you can contribute as part of the winning team. Join The Thousand to find out how else you can be a part of making change happen in Ottawa.
How we’ll govern
1. An open book
All politicians like to throw around buzzwords like transparency.
But transparency has to be the foundation for how this city runs. Opening up City Hall — warts and all — is the only way we can move forward.
City Hall shies away from openness, because more sunshine generally means more embarrassment.
We shouldn’t be worried about getting embarrassed. Residents’ expectations are so low that we have nothing left to hide.
The only way we’ll fix our problems is by first admitting to them, and by holding to account those who are responsible for solving them.
It’s time for full transparency at City Hall. Truth in the state of the city, how we spend your tax dollars, and how decisions are made. We’ll protect privacy and other privileged information — but City Hall will be open by default.
Being open is the only way to stop repeating the mistakes of the past. Getting this city back on track requires dozens of concerned community members watching over every step and scrutinizing every decision we take.
2. On-ramps for real engagement
Civic engagement is historically low in Ottawa. It’s not apathy — most people care deeply about their local community. Instead, the problem is that the City gives people so few meaningful ways to get involved in improving their community.
We might ask people to volunteer to clean up parks in the spring, but don’t give them any real say in the issues they care deeply about — like improving road safety or fixing aging facilities. When people try to engage with City Hall and are ignored, too often they leave angrier than when they arrived.
It’s time for a City Hall that genuinely provides the people of Ottawa — for those who have the time and interest — with on-ramps for meaningfully being a part of addressing the challenges ahead of us. We need to take full advantage of the passion, expertise and willingness in our community to help realize Ottawa’s full potential.
There are new tools that Ottawa City Hall has never tried, from participatory budgeting to citizens’ assemblies, that can put people at the centre of decision-making. As Mayor, I will put people-first approaches at the core of how we make decisions in this city.
This is our moment
Ottawa is ready for change — and with the right approach, we can take back our city.
The future of this city won’t be written by the establishment — it will be written by us, together.
If you believe Ottawa can do better, this is your chance.
If 1,000 committed individuals step up, we can take back Ottawa.
Will you be one of The Thousand?
Next Up: Transit Is Broken. Here’s How We Rebuild It.