Photo: Mike Kalasnik from Charlotte, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0One councillor per 47,520 residents: Ottawa is more thinly represented than 99% of Ontario municipalities
City council runs Iris; in October 2022, Ottawa chose Mark Sutcliffe as mayor. The council shown is the one elected in 2022, since Ontario voted again on 26 October 2026 and no open file of the new councils exists yet. Iris sends one MP to Ottawa from Ottawa West—Nepean, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP): Anita Vandenbeld (Liberal Party of Canada). For the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Iris votes in Ottawa West—Nepean; open data doesn’t yet say who its MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) is.
What stands out in how Iris is governed
Many residents per seat
Across Ontario the median is one seat per 1,540 residents, well under the ratio on Ottawa council. Council size ↓
Turnout above the norm
The 2022 vote for Ottawa council pulled in more electors than Ontario’s median of 35%. How Iris voted ↓
High spending per resident
Per resident, Ottawa council’s 2024 spending tops 65% of Ontario’s single-tier municipalities. Council money ↓
High federal turnout
Fewer electors stayed home in Ottawa West—Nepean than in 87% of Canada’s ridings at the 2021 election. The 2021 turnout ↓
Compared with the province’s municipalities of 1,000+ residents (2021 Census; MAMH, MMAH and Statistics Canada).
Three governments, and who does what
Iris is governed by Ottawa, with Ontario and Ottawa.
The city council decides local matters.
Schools, health care, highways, municipal law.
ola.org ↗Passports, pensions, EI, defence, immigration.
ourcommons.ca ↗Who to ask
Green: municipal. Gold: provincial. Grey: federal.
No county or regional council sits above Ottawa’s: it is a single-tier city.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Iris, from the most recent elections.
- 1Ottawa councilelected October 2022Mark Sutcliffe
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioOttawa West—Nepean
- 3House of CommonsOttawa West—Nepean
Party colours are neutral on purpose: they tell parties apart and aren’t the parties’ own. MPs: Wikidata (CC0), 45th Parliament statements, read 7 November 2026; ridings: 2023 Representation Order, Statistics Canada
Who was elected to Ottawa council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Mark Sutcliffe
- Catherine Kitts
- Cathy Curry
- Rawlson King
- Riley Brockington
- George Darouze
- Laura Dudas
- Glen Gower
- Allan Hubley
- Theresa Kavanagh
- Jeff Leiper
- Matthew Luloff
- Shawn Menard
- Tim Tierney
- David Hill
- Clarke Kelly
- Laine Johnson
- Sean Devine
- Jessica Bradley
- Stéphanie Plante
- Ariel Troster
- Marty Carr
- David Brown
- Steve Desroches
- Wilson Lo
25 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Sutcliffe | Mayor | 161,677 | 51% | No |
| Catherine Kitts | Councillor | 9,466 | 77% | Yes |
| Cathy Curry | Councillor | 8,827 | 77% | Yes |
| Rawlson King | Councillor | 8,491 | 80% | Yes |
| Riley Brockington | Councillor | 9,595 | 73% | Yes |
| George Darouze | Councillor | 4,353 | 41% | Yes |
| Laura Dudas | Councillor | 11,821 | 71% | Yes |
| Glen Gower | Councillor | 7,758 | 59% | Yes |
| Allan Hubley | Councillor | 5,334 | 34% | Yes |
| Theresa Kavanagh | Councillor | 12,398 | 83% | Yes |
| Jeff Leiper | Councillor | 11,045 | 72% | Yes |
| Matthew Luloff | Councillor | 11,918 | 74% | Yes |
| Shawn Menard | Councillor | 11,358 | 79% | Yes |
| Tim Tierney | Councillor | 7,617 | 82% | Yes |
| David Hill | Councillor | 6,230 | 44% | No |
| Clarke Kelly | Councillor | 2,549 | 27% | No |
| Laine Johnson | Councillor | 8,899 | 53% | No |
| Sean Devine | Councillor | 4,812 | 39% | No |
| Jessica Bradley | Councillor | 4,927 | 42% | No |
| Stéphanie Plante | Councillor | 4,621 | 37% | No |
| Ariel Troster | Councillor | 8,663 | 61% | No |
| Marty Carr | Councillor | 6,088 | 47% | No |
| David Brown | Councillor | 6,898 | 67% | No |
| Steve Desroches | Councillor | 5,684 | 68% | No |
| Wilson Lo | Councillor | 4,403 | 37% | No |
For mayor, Mark Sutcliffe drew 51% of the votes. Voters pick a mayor for the whole municipality and the rest of Ottawa council ward by ward.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Iris voted more than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
Ottawa council was elected on 24 October 2022 with 44% of electors voting, above the provincial middle.
How Iris voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Iris votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Ottawa council | 26 October 2026 | 28 October 2030 |
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | 27 February 2025 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
The last general elections came on 27 February 2025 for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and on 28 April 2025 for Parliament. Under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, Ottawa’s next municipal vote is on 28 October 2030, the fourth Monday in October every four years. The latest vote shown is 2021: the 2025 counts carry Elections Canada’s non-commercial terms.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Iris votes in Ottawa West—Nepean for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Provinces and territories run schools, health care and municipal law; each riding elects one MPP.
MPP: see the legislature’s list
ola.org ↗Ontario’s southern ridings copy the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), and the town is placed by them. The riding is Ottawa West—Nepean: it sends one MPP to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and Iris votes in it.
Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada
Anita Vandenbeld represents Ottawa West—Nepean in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Ottawa West—Nepean · Liberal Party of Canada · first elected 2015
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
In Ontario, 71 of 122 ridings are held by the Liberal Party of Canada, the party Anita Vandenbeld sits with.
The MP’s record
First elected in 2015, Anita Vandenbeld is serving the 4th term of a Commons career. On today’s boundaries, the 2021 vote in Ottawa West—Nepean would have gone to the Liberal Party of Canada with 45%, and Anita Vandenbeld kept it for them in 2025.
MPs: Wikidata (CC0), 45th Parliament statements, read 7 November 2026; ridings: 2023 Representation Order, Statistics Canada · MPs’ records: Wikidata (CC0), positions held and party memberships, read 8 November 2026
Ottawa West—Nepean returned Anita Vandenbeld (Liberal Party of Canada) in 2021
These are the 2019 and 2021 results on the 2013 map of Ottawa West—Nepean; its boundaries changed for the 2025 election.
Anita Vandenbeld won the 2021 race in Ottawa West—Nepean for the Liberal Party of Canada, polling 45% and beating Jennifer Jennekens (Conservative Party of Canada) by 9,416 votes. Anita Vandenbeld was the sitting MP, elected there in 2019 with 46%.
All 6 candidates in Ottawa West—Nepean, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anita Vandenbeld | Liberal Party of Canada | 25,889 | 45.1% |
| Jennifer Jennekens | Conservative Party of Canada | 16,473 | 28.7% |
| Yavar Hameed | New Democratic Party | 11,163 | 19.5% |
| David Yeo | People's Party of Canada | 1,908 | 3.3% |
| David Stibbe | Green Party of Canada | 1,642 | 2.9% |
| Sean Mulligan | Christian Heritage Party of Canada | 327 | 0.6% |
Federal results: Elections Canada, 43rd and 44th general elections and the 44th’s transposition to the 2023 ridings, via open.canada.ca. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Ottawa council spends more per resident than most
The 2024 financial return: spending by service and revenue by source, per resident, compared only with Ontario’s single-tier municipalities.
Spending per resident by service, 2024
What pays for it
Shares of revenue, town and province.
More goes to roads and transit than to anything else: $1,219 a resident, 28% of all spending. 15,793 full-time positions are funded, 14.4 per thousand residents. Ottawa council spent $4,324 per resident in 2024, against a median of $3,796 among Ontario’s single-tier municipalities. At $3,809 per resident, Ottawa council’s $4.2 billion of long-term debt is more than the $971 median. At 42%, property taxes count for more of the revenue than the 37% seen across the province.
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roads and transit | $1.3 billion | $1,219 | 28% |
| Police, fire and protection | $751.3M | $684 | 16% |
| Social services and child care | $715.4M | $652 | 15% |
| Water, sewers and waste | $544.5M | $496 | 11% |
| Social housing | $497.1M | $453 | 10% |
| Recreation and culture | $423.6M | $386 | 9% |
| Public health and paramedics | $239.3M | $218 | 5% |
| General government | $125.6M | $114 | 3% |
| Planning and development | $111.8M | $102 | 2% |
Money: Financial Information Return 2024, Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
Ottawa council beside its neighbours
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
The bars put the headline’s figure for Ottawa council next to nearby councils, the tick marking the provincial median.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Iris is run
Check or update the federal list.
elections.ca ↗Every MP lists an office.
ourcommons.ca ↗Ridings, registration and voting dates.
elections.on.ca ↗What this data can and can’t tell you
- Council money. Figures are the 2024 Financial Information Return’s totals after adjustments, per resident on the return’s population. Lower tiers stand beside lower tiers only: their county or region spends on top.
- Council size. Every seat counts, the head of council’s too, against the population of the 2021 Census.
- Which riding. A place belongs to the riding where most of its 2021 Census residents live, plus any other with 5% or more.
- Election results. Where the page says “today’s boundaries”, it means Elections Canada’s estimate of the 2021 vote on the 2023 ridings; every other count is official and on the 2013 map.
- Not on this page. No party tally for the council, which the open lists don’t record, and no band councils.
- Who holds each seat. Who holds each seat is read from Wikidata, so a very recent change in the Commons may not appear yet.
Questions about how Iris is run
Who is the MP for Iris?
Ottawa West—Nepean’s MP, Anita Vandenbeld of the Liberal Party of Canada, represents Iris.
Which party won Iris in the 2021 federal election?
Anita Vandenbeld (Liberal Party of Canada) took Ottawa West—Nepean in 2021 and is its MP today.
Who is the MPP for Iris?
Look up Ottawa West—Nepean on the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s site: that riding, which takes in Iris, has one MPP.
Who heads the council in Ottawa?
Mark Sutcliffe was elected mayor in October 2022, for the 2022–26 term of Ottawa council.
How much does Ottawa council spend?
Ottawa council spent $4.7 billion in 2024 for about 1,097,760 residents; its largest service line was roads and transit, at $1.3 billion.
How is Ottawa council elected?
Ottawa council: the mayor is chosen by the whole municipality, the councillors ward by ward.
What was the turnout in Iris?
It was 43.8% for Ottawa council in 2022, with Ontario’s municipalities at a median of 35.5%.
Sources: MPs: Wikidata (CC0), 45th Parliament statements, read 7 November 2026; ridings: 2023 Representation Order, Statistics Canada · Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada · Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario) · Money: Financial Information Return 2024, Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · Next municipal election: the province’s municipal election act · Municipality types: Statistics Canada census subdivisions · Federal results: Elections Canada, 43rd and 44th general elections and the 44th’s transposition to the 2023 ridings, via open.canada.ca. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada · MPs’ records: Wikidata (CC0), positions held and party memberships, read 8 November 2026. Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).