Photo: Harleyd613 · CC BY 4.0Council seats in Ottawa are spread thin, 47,520 residents each, more than in 99% of Ontario municipalities
Parts of Ottawa vote in 8 different ridings for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario: Orléans, Nepean, Carleton, Ottawa Centre, Ottawa South, Ottawa—Vanier, Kanata—Carleton and Ottawa West—Nepean. Who sits as MPP for Ottawa isn’t on an open record; the Legislative Assembly of Ontario has the current list. Ottawa sends one MP to Ottawa from Ottawa South, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP): David McGuinty (Liberal Party of Canada). Ottawa’s council of 25 was elected in October 2022, with Mark Sutcliffe as mayor. These names are from the 2022–26 term: Ontario’s municipalities voted on 26 October 2026, but the province’s open list of the results isn’t out.
What stands out in how Ottawa is governed
Many residents per seat
Ottawa council spreads its seats over a big population; the typical municipality in Ontario has one seat per 1,540 residents. Council size ↓
Turnout above the norm
In Ontario’s 2022 municipal elections, the middle municipality saw 35% of electors vote; Ottawa council did better. How Ottawa voted ↓
Split between ridings
Ottawa South takes in 13% of Ottawa, and Ottawa West—Nepean the bulk of the remaining 87%. Member of Parliament ↓
High spending per resident
Ottawa council spent more per resident in 2024 than 65% of Ontario’s single-tier municipalities. Council money ↓
Compared with the province’s municipalities of 1,000+ residents (2021 Census; MAMH, MMAH and Statistics Canada).
Three governments, and who does what
Ottawa, a city in Ontario, shares the work with the province and Ottawa.
Local services, by-laws and property tax.
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 Ottawa, from the most recent elections.
- 1Ottawa councilelected October 2022Mark Sutcliffe
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioOrléans · Nepean · Carleton
- 3House of CommonsOttawa South · 13%
- 4House of CommonsOttawa West—Nepean · 13%
- 5House of CommonsOttawa—Vanier—Gloucester · 12%
- 6House of CommonsOrléans · 12%
- 7House of CommonsOttawa Centre · 12%
- 8House of CommonsKanata · 12%
- 9House of CommonsNepean · 12%
- 10House of CommonsCarleton · 12%
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 |
Voters pick a mayor for the whole municipality and the rest of Ottawa council ward by ward. For mayor, Mark Sutcliffe drew 51% of the votes.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Ottawa 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 Ottawa voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Ottawa 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 latest vote shown is 2021: the 2025 counts carry Elections Canada’s non-commercial terms. 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.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Ottawa spans 8 ridings 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 ↗MPP: see the legislature’s list
ola.org ↗MPP: see the legislature’s list
ola.org ↗MPP: see the legislature’s list
ola.org ↗MPP: see the legislature’s list
ola.org ↗MPP: see the legislature’s list
ola.org ↗MPP: see the legislature’s list
ola.org ↗MPP: see the legislature’s list
ola.org ↗Every one of them sends a separate MPP to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and each covers part of Ottawa. Southern Ontario’s ridings are the 2013 federal ones by statute, which is how this page places the town.
Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada
Ottawa has 8 MPs
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Ottawa South · Liberal Party of Canada · first elected 2004 · 13%
en.wikipedia.org ↗Ottawa West—Nepean · Liberal Party of Canada · 13%
en.wikipedia.org ↗Ottawa—Vanier—Gloucester · Liberal Party of Canada · 12%
en.wikipedia.org ↗Orléans · Liberal Party of Canada · 12%
en.wikipedia.org ↗Ottawa Centre · Liberal Party of Canada · 12%
en.wikipedia.org ↗Kanata · Liberal Party of Canada · 12%
en.wikipedia.org ↗Nepean · Liberal Party of Canada · 12%
en.wikipedia.org ↗Carleton · Liberal Party of Canada · 12%
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
The Liberal Party of Canada holds 71 of 122 seats from Ontario, including David McGuinty’s.
The MP’s record
First elected in 2004, David McGuinty is serving the 8th term of a Commons career. Had the 2021 ballots been cast in today’s Ottawa South, the Liberal Party of Canada would have led with 49%; David McGuinty held it for them in 2025. David McGuinty has served as Minister of National Defence (since 2025) and Minister of Public Safety (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
Marie-France Lalonde kept Orléans for the Liberal Party of Canada in 2021
Results in Orléans, the riding Ottawa belonged to on the 2013 map used in 2019 and 2021; since 2025 it votes in Ottawa South. It held 14% of Ottawa’s residents.
Turnout in Orléans reached 71% in 2021, against 63% nationally. Marie-France Lalonde was the sitting MP, elected there in 2019 with 54%. In 2021, Orléans went to Marie-France Lalonde (Liberal Party of Canada) on 52%; Mary-Elsie Wolfe (Conservative Party of Canada) finished 17,401 votes behind.
All 6 candidates in Orléans, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marie-France Lalonde | Liberal Party of Canada | 39,101 | 51.9% |
| Mary-Elsie Wolfe | Conservative Party of Canada | 21,700 | 28.8% |
| Jessica Joanis | New Democratic Party | 10,983 | 14.6% |
| Spencer Oklobdzija | People's Party of Canada | 2,046 | 2.7% |
| Michael Hartnett | Green Party of Canada | 1,233 | 1.6% |
| André Junior Cléroux | Free Party Canada | 220 | 0.3% |
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.
At 42%, property taxes count for more of the revenue than the 37% seen across the province. Ottawa council’s borrowing is on the heavy side: $4.2 billion long term, $3,809 a resident where the median is $971. Spending by Ottawa council reached $4,324 a resident in 2024, well over the $3,796 median of Ontario’s single-tier municipalities. Full-time staff number 15,793, about 14.4 to every thousand residents. At 28% of spending ($1,219 a resident), roads and transit leads the budget.
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.
How Ottawa council compares is at the top of the page; here it stands beside its neighbours.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Ottawa 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
- Who holds each seat. Who holds each seat is read from Wikidata, so a very recent change in the Commons may not appear yet.
- Not on this page. Party control (most Canadian councils sit without parties, and the open lists record none) and band councils.
- Election results. Ridings changed in 2023: the 2019 and 2021 results are on the old map, and the 2021 vote on today’s map is Elections Canada’s own estimate from polling divisions.
- Which riding. The 2021 Census homes of a place’s residents fix its ridings, and one is shown once it holds 5% of them.
- Council size. The council size includes the head of council; the population is the 2021 Census, the whole city’s for a neighbourhood.
- Council money. The 2024 Financial Information Return, totals after adjustments by service, per resident with the return’s own population. A lower tier’s figures leave out its county’s or region’s spending, so lower tiers are compared only with lower tiers.
Questions about how Ottawa is run
Who is the MP for Ottawa?
Ottawa has more than one: David McGuinty (Liberal Party of Canada) for Ottawa South, and Anita Vandenbeld for Ottawa West—Nepean.
Which party won Ottawa in the 2021 federal election?
The Liberal Party of Canada, with Marie-France Lalonde in Orléans; since 2025 David McGuinty represents Ottawa South.
Who is the MPP for Ottawa?
Each of Orléans, Nepean, Carleton, Ottawa Centre, Ottawa South, Ottawa—Vanier, Kanata—Carleton and Ottawa West—Nepean elects its own MPP to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and Ottawa lies across them.
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?
In 2024, Ottawa council spent $4.7 billion in all, for some 1,097,760 residents, of which $1.3 billion went on roads and transit, the biggest line.
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 Ottawa?
In October 2022, turnout for Ottawa council was 43.8%, against 35.5% for the typical Ontario municipality.
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).