Veteran Coun. El-Chantiry not seeking re-election

Eli El-Chantiry is saying goodbye to municipal politics after 19 years as an Ottawa city councillor.

In a letter to constituents Thursday morning, the councillor for West Carleton-March announced he will not be seeking re-election in October.

"It is with a heavy heart that I have decided I will not be seeking re-election in the 2022 city of Ottawa municipal election," El-Chantiry said.

The decision means there will be at least nine new councillors around the council table after October's municipal election, with eight councillors not seeking re-election and Coun. Catherine McKenney running for mayor.

El-Chantiry was first elected councillor in 2003. He has served two stints as chair of the Ottawa Police Services Board, and was a deputy mayor of the city during the 2010-2014 term.

"This has not been an easy decision to make,” he said. “It is difficult to let go of something I love so much. You have welcomed me into your homes, and to your businesses, farms and communities, invited me to your events, community meetings and family functions, and trusted me and relied on me in the aftermath of the 2018 tornado, during the 2017 and 2019 floods, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and most recently, in the wake of the severe storm on May 21.”

In an interview on Newstalk 580 CFRA's Ottawa Now with Kristy Cameron, El-Chantiry said it was a tough decision to not seek re-election.

"If I can be truthful with you, the last five years they were very hard," El-Chantiry said.

"From the two major floods in 2017-2019, tornadoes in 2018 took out 56 homes in a small community like Dunrobin, to the major storm, pandemic – all that, you add them together in the last five years. The one really, if I can say this, sucked the life out of this term of council is the loss of in-person communication, in-person meetings."

El-Chantiry joins Couns. Jean Cloutier, Diane Deans, Keith Egli, Jan Harder, Mathieu Fleury, Carol Anne Meehan and Scott Moffatt in not seeking re-election this fall, along with Mayor Jim Watson.

"Every single day I have loved going to work at City Hall and my Ward 5 Office at the West Carleton Community Complex," El-Chantiry said.

"I am very proud of the work I have done with and on behalf of the residents of West Carleton-March Ward 5. Thank you for allowing me to serve you all these years."

Mayor Jim Watson paid tribute to El-Chantiry on social media.

"Eli you will be missed as a strong voice for not just rural Ottawa but the whole city. Councillor, (agriculture and rural affairs committee) chair; longest serving police board chair ; Deputy Mayor : provincial and federal leader on police boards and a really nice guy!," Watson said on Twitter. "Your presence around the table will be missed."