OC Transpo instructor running for Mayor as a democratic socialist, with a $90 monthly bus pass plan.
Ali Shayvard works for OC Transpo, according to CBC News, and his campaign website says he is a relief instructor there. The City's list shows his nomination for Mayor dated August 21, 2026, and CBC News reported that he filed on the last day because he had to take leave from his job. He describes himself as a democratic socialist. His campaign proposes a $90 monthly adult transit pass, free parking for the first 30 minutes downtown, and affordable homes required in large new developments.
Researched by voche.me · Not a campaign-authored page
Ottawa municipal electionThe City's list of certified candidates shows Ali Shayvard's nomination for Mayor dated August 21, 2026, and gives a website, a Facebook page, an Instagram account and a TikTok account for him. CBC News reported on August 21, 2026 that he was one of six candidates who filed on the last day, and quoted him as saying he waited because, as a City employee, he has to take a leave of absence when he starts to run. CBC News described him as an OC Transpo employee who calls himself a democratic socialist and was inspired by the election of Zohran Mamdani as mayor of New York City.
His campaign website says he came to Canada at a young age and that his career includes sales, management, adult education and public transit. It says he is a relief instructor with OC Transpo and has helped train new operators. In his answers to the CBC News questionnaire he wrote that he has more than 11 years in Ottawa transit and that he has lived in Ottawa for 28 years. These are his own statements, and voche.me has not checked them against OC Transpo or City records.
His campaign website lists five priorities: reliable transit, better roads and infrastructure, affordable housing, safer communities, and responsible use of tax money. It describes him as a social democratic candidate. Its separate plan pages propose a $90 monthly adult transit pass, free parking for the first 30 minutes at eligible City spots downtown, and a requirement that major new residential developments include affordable homes. The campaign says that Ontario rules now let a city require up to 5 percent affordable housing in eligible developments in protected major transit station areas and that he would push Ottawa to use that power. voche.me has not checked that statement of the law.
In his answers to the CBC News questionnaire he wrote that the next Council's biggest priority should be reliable transit, and he rated OC Transpo's reliability 1 out of 10. He chose a transit levy to deal with OC Transpo deficits and wrote that police funding should be increased, with a review of the police budget and a closer look at which calls could go to mental health and social service teams. He answered Maybe on using the mayor's strong powers, No to accepting donations from the development and construction industry, No to City funding for a new NHL arena at LeBreton Flats, and Yes to studying a ring road. He wrote that he would not commit to a maximum 2027 property tax increase, that any increase would be a last resort, and that he would bring more infrastructure work back from outside contractors to City staff.
Summarized from the campaign’s published profile. These are stated positions, not an assessment of results or a complete platform.
His campaign proposes a $90 monthly adult transit pass and a scheduled maintenance program meant to prevent breakdowns. His CBC News answers call reliable transit the next Council's biggest priority.
In his CBC News answers he wrote that he would review routes, frequency and connections and measure transit performance more strictly, and he chose a transit levy to deal with OC Transpo deficits.
He rated OC Transpo's reliability 1 out of 10.
His campaign says he would require the largest share of affordable homes that the law allows in major new developments, ask the Province for more authority, and support using suitable City-owned land for affordable housing.
The campaign says that, under current Ontario rules, a city can require up to 5 percent affordable housing in eligible developments in protected major transit station areas. voche.me has not checked this.
He says he is not owned by developers, and in his CBC News answers he said No to accepting donations from the development and construction industry.
In his CBC News answers he wrote that his top infrastructure priority is fixing and maintaining roads and core infrastructure, with more preventive maintenance, and with more work done by City staff instead of outside contractors where that gives better quality and value.
He wrote that he would review major contracts and hold contractors accountable for performance.
He answered Yes to studying a ring road as a long-term project that needs provincial and federal involvement.
His campaign proposes that the first 30 minutes of City parking downtown be free, to help short visits to small businesses while keeping spaces turning over.
The campaign says all-day free parking would reduce availability and does not support it.
His campaign website calls for community-focused policing and investment in youth programs. In his CBC News answers he chose to increase the police budget after a review, and chose more social supports for public drug use and encampments.
He wrote that he wants more visible community policing in the areas where safety concerns are highest.
In his CBC News answers he wrote that Ottawa should work with the provincial and federal governments to attract advanced manufacturing, automotive, clean technology and other large employers.
He chose that data centres should generally be opposed. He wrote that he is not against data centres and wants studies of their electricity, water and environmental effects before more are approved.
Evidence reviewed on October 5, 2026: the City of Ottawa's list of certified candidates, six pages of his campaign website (home, About, Issues, and the transit, parking and housing plans), CBC News's list of mayoral candidates of August 28, 2026 with his questionnaire answers, and CBC News's report of August 21, 2026 on the filing deadline. His plans come from his campaign and from his own answers, and each is written here as his statement.
Gaps. His Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube accounts showed only a profile line, and no posts could be read, so nothing from them is used. The debate videos on his Media page were not played, and voche.me did not check which debates he took part in. His blog posts of September 10, 2026 are not cited, and only the transit post was read. His transit plan page gives no cost for the $90 pass. His work history and his statement of the law on affordable housing were not checked against OC Transpo records or the law. The questionnaire has not been sent.
CBC News describes him as an OC Transpo employee. His campaign website says he is a relief instructor at OC Transpo, and in his CBC News answers he wrote that he has more than 11 years in Ottawa transit across operations, training and instruction. voche.me has not checked this against OC Transpo records.
CBC News · 2 Ottawa city councillors poised to keep seats because no one ran against them, August 21, 2026His campaign website says his career includes sales, management, adult education and coaching. In his CBC News answers he wrote that his background includes management, sales, training and auditing. No employers or dates are given.
Ali Shayvard campaign · AboutProposed questions for a future interview. They have not been sent to the candidate, and no answers have been supplied.
No questions and answers have been supplied.
Ask Ali Shayvard directly. We send it to the campaign, and publish the reply here if we get one.
Facts voche.me can state about Ali Shayvard's page itself, answered directly rather than left blank.
No. This page is researched by voche.me from public sources, listed below, and is separate from Ali Shayvard's own campaign.
Not according to this profile. voche.me has not listed a current public office for Ali Shayvard.
This profile lists 10 sourced references, each with the date voche.me checked it, in the Sources section below.
The "Questions & answers" section on this page lists questions voche.me would put to Ali Shayvard in a future interview. They have not been sent yet, so the page says plainly that no answer has been supplied instead of leaving the section blank.
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