Councillor Troster and I are hosting an early consultation tonight on the 2026 City budget. I’ve been thinking more urgently as we prepare this last budget of this term of Council about where this city is headed, and how far we’ve drifted from what we used to be.
Kitchissippi residents have allowed me to represent them at City Hall for three terms now. I’ve worked with neighbours, City staff and community groups in every corner of Ottawa. I’ve seen firsthand the deep care people have for this place, and the growing frustration that things just aren’t working the way they should.
Transit was once a point of pride in Ottawa. We had a system so reliable that other cities studied it. Parks and rinks were well-kept. Sidewalks were repaired, and snow was removed in a timely way. Our infrastructure, like roads and arenas, was maintained. The city wasn’t perfect, but it was fair, reliable, and functional.
That wasn’t some bold vision. It was just what a well-run city looked like.
But we’ve stopped building. Instead of reinforcing the things that make a city livable: transit, housing and social services, public spaces, day-to-day services, we’ve allowed them to wear down. Each year, we ask city staff to do more with less. We’ve chipped away at core services. And now, we’re seeing the consequences: crowded buses that don’t show up, snow that piles up, playgrounds fall into disrepair, and more congestion.
This isn’t about pointing fingers. It’s about acknowledging that neglect isn’t neutral; it adds up. You can’t build a city by avoiding hard choices.
And people feel it, whether they live downtown, in Barrhaven, Kanata, Orléans, or in the rural areas of our city. The slow breakdown of the basics. The sense that the city isn’t showing up like it used to.
Ottawa didn’t get here overnight, and we won’t fix it overnight either. But we can start by being honest about what’s not working, what it will take to rebuild, and what kind of city we want to hand to the next generation.
And I believe we can choose better. Because I’ve seen what’s possible here. I’ve seen neighbourhoods come together, staff go above and beyond, and residents step up to care for one another when the system falls short. That tells me Ottawa hasn’t lost its way; we’ve just lost our focus.
This goes beyond budgets. It’s about whether we believe in building something, not something idealistic, but something dependable. A city people can count on.
The good news is we’ve done it before. We’ve had a city where transit was reliable, where parks were cared for, where people felt heard. That Ottawa was possible because we made it so.
I still believe in that version of Ottawa. And I believe we can get back there with clearer priorities, leadership, and a steady commitment to building something that lasts.
As I think about the years ahead and where I might be most useful in shaping the kind of city we all deserve, that’s what I’ll be focused on: listening, showing up, and doing the steady work of helping Ottawa work better for everyone.