Meet the candidates in Ward 8 - College

College

There are five candidates running for councillor in the Ottawa ward of College. Incumbent Rick Chiarelli is not seeking re-election in the election. The ward of College includes Bells Corners, the Queensway Carleton Hospital, and Centrepointe.

• 2018 municipal election voter turnout: 44.8 per cent
• Projected 2022 population: 53,520
• Projected 2026 population: 53,966

CTV News Ottawa invited all registered candidates to answer a questionnaire and submit a video introducing themselves to voters. (Some candidates submitted the requested 280 characters to describe their platform,while others submitted 280 words – CTVNewsOttawa.ca accepted both).

Wendy Davidson 

Political experience:

Professional experience: 

20 years of sales experience

How long have you lived in Ottawa?

19 years

Favourite Ottawa location/landmark?

Parliament Hill

Describe your platform in 280 words or fewer: 

My name is Wendy Davidson, and I am running for City Councillor for College Ward. I have an honours degree in political science from Western, and I have been President or, an Executive on various councils. I have lived in College Ward for 15 years. I have a genuine love for this community and I’m not here just to help, I’m here to make things happen. This is our opportunity to GROW TOGETHER. I promise to have open communication with my neighbours with an open-door policy including neighbourhood walk & talks, coffee chats, community meetings, and more.

I will advocate for "reasonable" intensification and "responsible" development and will ensure that the proposed Secondary Plans for Baseline Road, Merivale Road are completed and implemented. I will work with each community to improve safety on our roads, including further traffic calming and lowering speed limits. I will work to expand our network of pathways to promote active transportation and connectivity. I will work to retain underused facilities, such as the J.H. Putnam School, and reopen it as community space for childcare and recreational programming.

As a city, we cannot continue as we always have, we must challenge the norm, we must question bureaucracy. We as councillors must work with city staff. They have been running this city day in and day out, they have cared for and loved this city for years. We need to break down the walls, silos, and Clubs. Let us use this vote to give the voice back to the people. I am not backed by a coalition attempting to bring partisan politics to municipal government. I will advocate to review our Transit System ensuring it is affordable, accessible, and efficient.

Vilteau Delvas

Political experience: Most recently, in the June 2022 provincial election I was seeking office under the Ontario Party as a Member of Provincial Parliament.

Professional experience:

I am a former police officer and I graduated with a degree in public administration from the University of Ottawa.  I have also been a federal government employee at Transport Canada in the human resources department. I also had the opportunity to provide "cultural approach" seminars to RCMP officers that were traveling to Haiti. I have worked for the city of Ottawa as a personal support worker, which gave me the opportunity to work closely with the seniors. I am now an entrepreneur and running my own business called Bumblebee Motors Ltd.

How long have you lived in Ottawa?

I have lived in Ottawa 12 years.

Favourite Ottawa location/landmark?

I love the city equality (the city for me is like the Senators team, they win, they lose, I just enjoy seeing the players play).

Describe your platform in 280 words or fewer:

I am running because I believe that taxpayers deserve to know where, how and what their money is being used for.

I am running because the cost of living keeps rising while the wages remain the same

I am running because Ottawa, being the capital, should be an example for having better quality services for: Seniors, the homeless, and the health care industry.

I am running for better infrastructure, better road conditions, and more speed limit signs in key areas.

I am running to ensure our farmers are able to continue to produce locally grown food.

I am running for better communities and to take a stand against gun violence.

I am running for our police officers to be more pro-active on the streets than reactive.

I am running because I believe that parents should be able to have more say over their children's education

I am running because I want the government to be more transparent about their spending.

I am running because I am seeking to be your voice of choice.

Laine Johnson 

Political experience:

This is my first time as a candidate and I am not, and have never been a member of a political party.

Professional experience:

I’m an executive with Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation, an affordable housing corporation managing over 50 Ottawa properties. I’ve led community consultations on municipal issues in collaboration with city officials.  As a civic educator, I taught "City Hall 101" to help people understand the machinery of the city so they could get things done in their community. These experiences have made me a collaborative, results-focussed leader and helped me to develop strong relationships with city staff, officials, and many communities

How long have you lived in Ottawa?

Since I was a child.

Favourite Ottawa location/landmark? 

I’m currently enjoying the Experimental Farm. I was married at the Fletcher Wildlife Garden across the way, and my children love visiting the cows. It has a fabulous play structure and feels very peaceful in the middle of the city.

Describe your platform in 280 words or fewer:

Accountability: People in College Ward want a Councillor who keeps them informed about what’s happening at City Hall and partners with the community on local priorities. As Councillor, I will work collaboratively with Council and City Staff to get results, while conducting myself ethically. I will fight for the city to be more transparent about how money is spent and how decisions are made.

Safe Streets: As a resident of College Ward, I see firsthand the dangerous intersections, lack of sidewalks, unconnected cycling and walking paths, and road maintenance needs. People of College Ward want safe, more people-centered neighbourhoods that preserve the accessibility to schools, businesses and recreation spaces. 

Smart Development: Ottawa’s new Official Plan will require all of us in Ottawa to do our part to support intensification. This gives College Ward an opportunity to harness investments for community priorities, such as infrastructure, amenities and greenspaces, and to curb urban sprawl.

Housing: The City of Ottawa can and must do more to use the levers at its disposal like inclusionary zoning and the Ottawa Community Land Trust. College Ward needs more diverse housing options that are affordable, especially for seniors looking to downsize in their area. We must work with Algonquin College to address pressures caused by student housing in surrounding neighbourhoods.

Welcoming Neighbourhoods: With some thoughtful investment and collaboration, College Ward could attract tourism from surrounding communities. With a community animation strategy, a Bells Corners Mainstreet Plan, and a Baseline Small Business Row, we can energize local neighbourhoods and nurture local economies. We must also take action to educate our residents and support communities who are targets of hate and oppression to ensure our neighbourhoods are more inclusive.

Granda Kopytko

Political experience:

I am serving my 5th year as a National Executive Director for the Canadian Association of Professional Employees, the Federal Government’s third largest union with 20,000 members. I am keen to support woman’s rights, and am co-chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion subcommittee. 

In 2017 as the Parent Representative for JH Putman Middle School, I led the fight against, the OCDSB decision to close the school, hosting parent information sessions, holding media interview and leading a rally. After meeting with me twice I negotiated the OCDSB into building a $1.5 million addition onto Agincourt school to hold Putman’s 350 students, instead of forcing them all into portables. 

Professional experience:

I work as an Evaluator and Data Analyst for Agriculture Canada. (I actually work just down the road from my house, so I live and work in College Ward.)  I hold a M. Sc. specializing in Agriculture. Recently I decided to go back to University and got a Graduate Diploma in Evaluation from Carleton University.  Thanks to COVID I had to wait 2 years for my graduation ceremony. I am skilled in communication and have written several articles for the Ottawa Citizen including a recent one on the Solid Waste Master Plan. 

How long have you lived in Ottawa?

I moved to Ottawa 23 years ago and I have spent 22 years living in College Ward, all in the same little brown brick bungalow. 

Favourite Ottawa location/landmark?

Ah well I play a lot of soccer, so I am happy anywhere there is some open green grass. The Oz dome has amazing turf, but I also have some friends who gather together outside near the Kars RA Centre every Friday. It is beautiful playing out there. 

Describe your platform in 280 words or fewer:  

• Protect and improve green spaces: Greenspace is needed for our physical and mental health. 
• Ensure transportation is both effective and efficient: We deserve dependable buses.  
• Maintain basic core services: Let’s resource the police and fix potholes. 
• Promote thoughtful development: Let’s be mindful of our neighbours.  

Pat McGarry 

Political experience:

None

Professional experience:

• Chief Operating Officer (2008) and Co-owner, Hulse, Playfair & McGarry Funeral Homes (1991 to present)
• Executive MBA, Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa (2020)
• Member and Past Director, Kiwanis Club of Ottawa (1999 to Present)
• Volunteer Committee Member, 100 Men Who Care Ottawa (2014 to Present)
• Past Board Member, Kind Canada (2016 to Present)
• Past Chair and Board Member, Guaranteed Funeral Deposits of Ontario (2012-2019)
• Past Board Member, Council on Aging, Ottawa Chapter (2016-2018)
• Fundraising Campaign Team Member, Bruyère Foundation (2015-2017)
• Past Member, CAFÉ (Canadian Association of Family Enterprise) (1999-2013)
• Past Member, Building on Our Strengths Campaign Cabinet, Irving Greenberg Family Cancer Centre at the Queensway Carleton Hospital (2009-2010)
• Past First Vice Chair and Board Member, Ottawa Chamber of Commerce (2007-2008)
• Past Professional Member and Chair, Ontario Board of Funeral Services, (2000-2007)
• Professional Hockey Player (1992-1995)

How long have you lived in Ottawa?

51 years.  I attended Dalhousie University in Halifax and played professional hockey in the United States for a few years, but Ottawa has always been my home base.

Favourite Ottawa location/landmark? 

Barbara Ann Scott Arena in College Ward.  I learned to play hockey there with the Ottawa-West Golden Knights and had great times with my teammates and friends on and off the ice!  Several generations of my family also used the rink and other recreational services inside.  Wonderful memories!

Describe your platform in 280 words or fewer:

My priorities have been informed by the residents of College Ward and reflect their most pressing concerns:

Affordability

I will work to keep property tax increases as low as possible.  My commitment to fiscal responsibility means proper use of your tax dollars.  I will work to make life in College Ward and in our city more liveable and affordable:  for people trying to buy their first home, for seniors concerned about keeping their homes, and for those who employ so many others in businesses large and small.

Road Safety and Traffic Calming

I’ll use education and enforcement to reduce dangerous driving, especially in school zones.  If elected, I will divert the City Councillor’s approx. $7,000 annual car allowance for the next four years to support traffic-calming initiatives in College Ward to make our streets safer for all residents.

LRT and Transit

In addition to a focus on reliable LRT service, I will work with all levels of government to ensure the Baseline Road BRT project is prioritized for shared funding and that sensible, higher-density development is being planned in a socially, environmentally and fiscally responsible way in adjacent areas.

Development and Intensification

While I support development, I do not accept donations from developers or unions.  My votes within council will not be influenced by third political parties like Horizon Ottawa. I will work to promote smarter, resident-informed development and a balanced housing spectrum involving mixed use, walkable communities, affordable housing, manageable traffic and thoughtful private and public sector solutions.

My sole focus is to look out for the best interests of College Ward residents and I will be their strong, independent voice at Ottawa City Council.