--- title: "Catherine Kitts: candidate for Councillor in Ward 19 Orléans South-Navan, Ottawa 2026 | voche.me" canonical_url: "https://voche.me/on/ottawa-2026/candidates/catherine-kitts" last_updated: "2026-10-10T04:05:39.691Z" meta: description: "Catherine Kitts is the sitting Councillor for Ward 19 Orléans South-Navan, according to the City’s list of elected officials, and is on the City’s list of..." "og:description": "Catherine Kitts is the sitting Councillor for Ward 19 Orléans South-Navan, according to the City’s list of elected officials, and is on the City’s list of..." "og:title": "Catherine Kitts: candidate for Councillor in Ward 19 Orléans South-Navan, Ottawa 2026" "twitter:description": "Catherine Kitts is the sitting Councillor for Ward 19 Orléans South-Navan, according to the City’s list of elected officials, and is on the City’s list of..." "twitter:title": "Catherine Kitts: candidate for Councillor in Ward 19 Orléans South-Navan, Ottawa 2026" --- ** Councillor in Ward 19 Orléans South-Navan · Ottawa 2026 # Catherine Kitts Sitting Councillor for Ward 19 Orléans South-Navan since 2020, seeking re-election. Catherine Kitts is the sitting Councillor for Ward 19 Orléans South-Navan, according to the City’s list of elected officials, and is on the City’s list of certified candidates for the same ward, with a nomination dated June 29, 2026. The City’s results give her 9,466 of the 12,378 votes cast in Ward 19 in 2022, which is 76.5 percent, in a race of 3 candidates. The Council minutes record her voting for the 2026 Ottawa Police Service budget, against the matching $5.4 million for ANCHOR and community hubs, for the Safe Access to Social Infrastructure By-law, and for the Development Charge Reduction Program with a recorded dissent on its first recommendation. Her campaign says its priorities are building the Brian Coburn Boulevard, Renaud Road and Innes Road projects, low tax increases, growth that pays for its own roads and services, public safety and rural Ottawa. Her only challenger is Jason Wing. Explore priorities Campaign links Researched by voche.me · Not a campaign-authored page Candidate space2026 ![Catherine Kitts, from Catherine Kitts campaign (catherinekitts.com).](https://voche.me/on/ottawa-2026/images/candidates/catherine-kitts-640.webp) *Catherine KittsCouncillorv.* [Image: Catherine Kitts campaign (catherinekitts.com)](https://www.catherinekitts.com/) 01 / Introduction ## About Catherine Kitts The City of Ottawa’s list of elected officials for 2022 to 2026 shows Catherine Kitts as Councillor for Ward 19 Orléans South-Navan. The City’s list of certified candidates shows her nomination for the same ward dated June 29, 2026, with the same date for her registration in the Contribution Rebate Program. The City’s page for her says she was first elected in 2020 to represent the ward when it was called Cumberland Ward. Global News reported that she won the Cumberland Ward byelection on October 5, 2020, to replace Stephen Blais, who had become a member of the Ontario legislature, and CTV News Ottawa reported that she won 54 per cent of the vote. The City’s published results for the October 24, 2022 election give her 9,466 of the 12,378 votes cast in Ward 19, which is 76.5 percent, the most votes in a race of 3 candidates (Yvette Ashiri received 2,716 and Shamsa Sheikh Ahmed 196). Her campaign website says she was re-elected in 2022 “with close to 80% of the vote”. The City’s figure is 76.5 percent. Jason Wing is the other candidate on the 2026 ballot. The City’s page for her, CBC News and CTV News Ottawa describe her as a graduate of Carleton University’s journalism program and a former editor of the Orléans Star newspaper. In the CTV News Ottawa questionnaire she adds that she later worked in communications and strategic planning at Carleton and then started her own business. Global News reported in 2020 that she had run in Orléans Ward in the 2018 election and finished a few hundred votes behind Matthew Luloff. In the CTV News Ottawa questionnaire she lists her roles on Council as Chair of the Ottawa Board of Health and Vice-Chair of the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee. Her campaign website says she served on nine committees and boards this term, also as Vice-Chair of Finance and Corporate Services and of the South Nation Conservation Authority. voche.me did not check these roles against committee minutes. The Council minutes of four meetings record her votes by name. On December 10, 2025 she voted for the 2026 Ottawa Police Service budget (carried 20 to 5, with Councillors King, Menard, Johnson, Bradley and Troster against). She voted against a motion by Councillor King that would have matched a $5.4 million police reserve allocation with $5.4 million for ANCHOR (a program that sends non-police crisis teams) and community hubs (lost 9 to 16), and for the second part of that motion, which carried 17 to 8 and asks staff to report on how to fund ANCHOR and the hubs in the long term. She voted for the motion that adopted the 2026 budgets (carried 21 to 4), and against the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee part of the budget (carried as amended 23 to 2, with Councillor Luloff also against). That day she moved two motions that carried: one extends the Innes Road traffic study to cover Orléans South more widely, and one asks Public Works staff to work out maintenance costs road by road. On April 22, 2026 she voted for the Safe Access to Social Infrastructure By-law (carried 20 to 4, with Councillors Menard, Devine, Bradley and Troster against), against an amendment that would have removed the by-law’s ban on demonstrations inside safe access zones (lost 6 to 18), and against an amendment that would have limited the by-law to times when a facility is used for its main purpose (lost 10 to 14). She seconded Councillor Carr’s motion on a municipal food strategy and Councillor Kelly’s motion on response times for councillors’ requests to City staff, and both carried. On July 15, 2026 she voted for the Development Charge Reduction Program report (carried 23 to 1, with Councillor Menard against) and the minutes record her dissent on its first recommendation. She voted against Councillor Menard’s motion to refer that report to a special meeting of Council (lost 11 to 14), and for the Rental Renovation Licence By-law review (carried 20 to 5), with a recorded dissent on its third recommendation. On September 9, 2026 she voted for a motion by Councillor King that asks the federal government to extend its consultation on the Eastern Bridge Project (carried 23 to 2). Her campaign website says that in the next term she will push to turn plans into construction on Brian Coburn Boulevard, the Renaud Road Realignment and Innes Road transit priority measures, keep tax increases as low as responsibly possible, make growth pay its fair share, expand frontline and community policing, and keep investing in rural roads and ditches. She says she opposes any Alto high-speed rail corridor that sacrifices the Prescott-Russell Recreational Trail or farmland, and Capital Current reports that she has spoken out against the Alto plan. In the CBC News questionnaire she says the most tax increase she could support in 2027 would match inflation, gives no answer on how to cover OC Transpo deficits, and supports more frontline police officers together with more transparency from the Ottawa Police Service. In the CTV News Ottawa questionnaire she says she is wary of a new infrastructure levy. These are her own statements, and voche.me checked only the votes, motions and election results described above. The sources read hold no complaint against her. Read the sources 02 / The issues ## Priorities & positions Campaign-source summary Summarized from the campaign’s published profile. These are stated positions, not an assessment of results or a complete platform. 01 ### Roads and infrastructure Her campaign page says the next term should turn plans into construction on the widening of Brian Coburn Boulevard, the Renaud Road Realignment and the Innes Road transit priority measures, deliver the planned intersection safety work at Tenth Line and Wall Road, and choose road repairs using maintenance records.
Read the full position The Council minutes of December 10, 2025 record her motion asking Public Works staff to work out the operating cost of each road from work orders and service requests, which carried. In the CBC News questionnaire she names the Brian Coburn widening and extension as the top infrastructure need in the ward.
[Catherine Kitts campaign · Platform ](https://www.catherinekitts.ca/platform) 02 ### Taxes and affordability Her campaign page says she will keep property tax increases as low as responsibly possible, look for savings before asking residents to pay more, and make growth pay its fair share of infrastructure costs.
Read the full position In the CBC News questionnaire she says the highest 2027 tax increase she could support would match inflation. Her page says the Agile Government Efficiency Review Working Group and the Service Review Working Group, on which she sat, found more than $200 million in savings last term. voche.me did not check that figure.
[Catherine Kitts campaign · Platform ](https://www.catherinekitts.ca/platform) 03 ### Growth and development Her campaign page says major growth areas should have a public plan showing which roads, transit, parks and facilities are needed, how they will be paid for and when they will be built, and that traffic studies for new housing should use realistic transit and traffic conditions.
Read the full position The Council minutes of December 10, 2025 record her motion extending the Innes Road traffic study to look more widely at Orléans South, which carried. Her page also says she will work to protect the ward from urban boundary expansion.
[Catherine Kitts campaign · Platform ](https://www.catherinekitts.ca/platform) 04 ### Transit Her campaign page says she will push for more reliable and more frequent bus routes in Orléans South, more direct connections to LRT stations, and funding for the Cumberland Bus Rapid Transit corridor.
Read the full position In the CBC News questionnaire she lists transit priority measures such as HOV lanes and queue-jump lanes, and gives no answer on whether fares, a levy or service cuts should cover OC Transpo deficits.
[Catherine Kitts campaign · Platform ](https://www.catherinekitts.ca/platform) 05 ### Public safety Her campaign page says she supports community-based policing, more frontline officers tied to demonstrated need, better police response times, traffic calming and stricter rules on e-scooters on sidewalks and paths.
Read the full position In the CBC News questionnaire she says future police increases need strong accountability for how existing money is used, and she supports ANCHOR and wants it expanded where it can improve outcomes. The Council minutes record her vote for the 2026 police budget and against the motion to match the police reserve with $5.4 million for ANCHOR and community hubs.
[Catherine Kitts campaign · Platform ](https://www.catherinekitts.ca/platform) 06 ### Rural Ottawa Her campaign page says she will invest in rural roads and ditches, protect farmland, support farm businesses that add other uses, hold another Rural Summit, and oppose any Alto high-speed rail corridor that sacrifices the Prescott-Russell Recreational Trail, farmland or private property.
Read the full position Capital Current reports that she has spoken out against the Alto plan and that her challenger Jason Wing has not.
[Catherine Kitts campaign · Platform ](https://www.catherinekitts.ca/platform) 07 ### Parks, community and city services Her campaign page lists finishing the François Dupuis District Park, a site and plan for a multi-purpose community centre and library west of Mer Bleue Road, more programs for youth and seniors, better 3-1-1 tracking, and better winter maintenance and emergency response. [Catherine Kitts campaign · Platform ](https://www.catherinekitts.ca/platform) Research status ## What voche.me has checked Evidence reviewed on October 7, 2026: the City’s list of certified candidates for Ward 19 (an Internet Archive copy), its open data file of nominations, its list of elected officials and its 2022 results, the City’s page for her (an Internet Archive copy of July 31, 2025), her campaign website (home, About and Platform), her Councillor website, CBC News of August 25, 2026 and its questionnaire, CTV News Ottawa of September 2026, Capital Current, Global News and CTV News Ottawa of October 2020, and the Council minutes of December 10, 2025, April 22, July 15 and September 9, 2026. Gaps. The Facebook and Instagram addresses she gave the City do not open her pages, and her public Facebook and Instagram profiles showed no posts to a visitor who is not logged in. The Volunteer, Lawn Sign and Endorse pages of her campaign site were not read. Committee minutes were not searched, so her committee roles rest on her own statements and on the City’s page of July 31, 2025. Her statements about projects she moved forward, her savings figure and her earlier jobs were not checked with the bodies named, and her votes on matters outside the four Council meetings above were not searched. The voche.me questionnaire has not been sent. 03 / Background ## Experience & community 2020 to present ### City Councillor, Ward 19 Orléans South-Navan (called Cumberland Ward until 2022) The City’s list of elected officials 2022 to 2026 shows her as the Ward 19 Councillor, and the City’s 2022 results give her 9,466 of 12,378 votes. The City’s page for her, Global News and CTV News Ottawa say she first won the seat in the byelection of October 2020. [City of Ottawa open data · Elected Officials 2022-2026 (Ward 19 row)](https://services.arcgis.com/G6F8XLCl5KtAlZ2G/arcgis/rest/services/_Elected_Officials_2022_2026/FeatureServer/0) Dates not given, as she describes it ### Chair of the Ottawa Board of Health and committee Vice-Chair In the CTV News Ottawa questionnaire she lists herself as Chair of the Ottawa Board of Health and Vice-Chair of the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee. voche.me has not checked these roles against committee minutes. [CTV News Ottawa · Meet the candidates for councillor in Ward 19 Orléans South-Navan, September 2026](https://www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/article/meet-the-candidates-for-councillor-in-ward-19-orleans-south-navan/) Dates not given, as she describes it ### Editor, Orléans Star The City’s page for her, CBC News, Global News and CTV News Ottawa describe her as a former editor of the Orléans Star. voche.me has not checked the dates with the newspaper. [CBC News · Orléans South-Navan: Here’s who’s running to be your Ottawa city councillor, August 25, 2026 (updated October 1)](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/orleans-south-navan-cumberland-ward-election-city-ottawa-2026-9.7314137) Dates not given, as she describes it ### Communications and strategic planning, Carleton University, then her own business In the CTV News Ottawa questionnaire she says she worked in communications and strategic planning at Carleton University and then started her own business. voche.me has not checked this with Carleton. [CTV News Ottawa · Meet the candidates for councillor in Ward 19 Orléans South-Navan, September 2026](https://www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/article/meet-the-candidates-for-councillor-in-ward-19-orleans-south-navan/) 2018 ### Candidate for Councillor, Orléans Ward Global News reported in 2020 that she ran in Orléans Ward in the 2018 election and finished a few hundred votes behind Matthew Luloff. voche.me did not read the 2018 results. [Global News · Catherine Kitts gets to work as the new Cumberland councillor, October 2020](https://globalnews.ca/news/7387059/catherine-kitts-ottawa-cumberland-councillor) 04 / Questions & answers ## Questions for the candidate Proposed 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. ### Have your own question? Ask Catherine Kitts directly. We send it to the campaign, and publish the reply here if we get one. 05 / About this page ## Questions about this page Facts voche.me can state about Catherine Kitts's page itself, answered directly rather than left blank.
Is this an official page for Catherine Kitts? No. This page is researched by voche.me from public sources, listed below, and is separate from Catherine Kitts's own campaign.
Does Catherine Kitts currently hold public office? Not according to this profile. voche.me has not listed a current public office for Catherine Kitts.
How many sources does this Catherine Kitts profile cite? This profile lists 20 sourced references, each with the date voche.me checked it, in the Sources section below.
Why do some questions on Catherine Kitts's page show no answer? The "Questions & answers" section on this page lists questions voche.me would put to Catherine Kitts 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.
When is the election Catherine Kitts is running in? The 2026 Ottawa municipal election, including the Councillor race, is decided on October 26, 2026.
06 / Candidate contributions ## Space for campaign updates ### No campaign updates yet Announcements, event details and messages can be added here, with their source and publication date. No campaign submission has been added. ## Sources & transparency - [City of Ottawa · certified candidates, Councillor ](https://ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/elections/candidates/certified-and-acclaimed-candidates)Checked October 7, 2026 - [City of Ottawa · certified candidates, Ward 19 Orléans South-Navan (list last updated September 23, 2026; Internet Archive copy) ](https://ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/elections/candidates/certified-and-acclaimed-candidates/certified-and-acclaimed-candidates-city-councillor/certified-candidates-ward-19-orleans-south-navan)Checked October 7, 2026 - [City of Ottawa open data · 2026 Municipal Elections, nominated candidates ](https://open.ottawa.ca/datasets/5b79177ae7524c9fa68f79e852527604)Checked October 7, 2026 - [City of Ottawa open data · Elected Officials 2022-2026 (Ward 19 row) ](https://services.arcgis.com/G6F8XLCl5KtAlZ2G/arcgis/rest/services/_Elected_Officials_2022_2026/FeatureServer/0)Checked October 7, 2026 - [City of Ottawa open data · 2022 Elections Official Results (Statement of Votes Cast) ](https://open.ottawa.ca/datasets/ec1423ac43254bff8692fabd5d47772b)Checked October 7, 2026 - [City of Ottawa · Catherine Kitts, Councillor, Ward 19 Orléans South-Navan (Internet Archive copy of July 31, 2025) ](https://ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/mayor-and-city-councillors/catherine-kitts-councillor-ward-19-orleans-south-navan)Checked October 7, 2026 - [CBC News · Orléans South-Navan: Here’s who’s running to be your Ottawa city councillor, August 25, 2026 (updated October 1) ](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/orleans-south-navan-cumberland-ward-election-city-ottawa-2026-9.7314137)Checked October 7, 2026 - [CTV News Ottawa · Meet the candidates for councillor in Ward 19 Orléans South-Navan, September 2026 ](https://www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/article/meet-the-candidates-for-councillor-in-ward-19-orleans-south-navan/)Checked October 7, 2026 - [CBC News · Candidate questionnaire: Catherine Kitts, Ward 19 Orléans South-Navan ](https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/28698466/catherine-kitts-ward-19-orleans-south-navan.pdf)Checked October 7, 2026 - [Catherine Kitts campaign · Re-elect Catherine (home page) ](https://www.catherinekitts.ca/)Checked October 7, 2026 - [Catherine Kitts campaign · About ](https://www.catherinekitts.ca/about)Checked October 7, 2026 - [Catherine Kitts campaign · Platform ](https://www.catherinekitts.ca/platform)Checked October 7, 2026 - [Catherine Kitts · Councillor website, Orléans South-Navan ](https://www.catherinekitts.com/)Checked October 7, 2026 - [Capital Current · Election Ottawa 2026: Orléans South-Navan residents say current plans for high-speed train off track ](https://capitalcurrent.ca/election-ottawa-2026-orleans-south-navan-residents-say-current-plans-for-high-speed-train-off-track/)Checked October 7, 2026 - [Global News · Catherine Kitts gets to work as the new Cumberland councillor, October 2020 ](https://globalnews.ca/news/7387059/catherine-kitts-ottawa-cumberland-councillor)Checked October 7, 2026 - [CTV News Ottawa · Meet Ottawa’s newest city councillor, Catherine Kitts, October 2020 ](https://www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/article/meet-ottawas-newest-city-councillor-catherine-kitts/)Checked October 7, 2026 - [City of Ottawa · City Council minutes, December 10, 2025 (2026 budget meeting) ](https://pub-ottawa.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx?Id=4d914219-00c6-48c4-bcc6-b82ca579c430&Agenda=PostMinutes&lang=English)Checked October 7, 2026 - [City of Ottawa · City Council minutes, April 22, 2026 (Minutes 78) ](https://pub-ottawa.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx?Id=b8f046ed-1ad8-41a3-9c20-c177b0dde00a&Agenda=PostMinutes&lang=English)Checked October 7, 2026 - [City of Ottawa · City Council minutes, July 15, 2026 (Minutes 83) ](https://pub-ottawa.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx?Id=ba9d583c-b16d-4f97-9e87-a7b16b5825f4&Agenda=PostMinutes&lang=English)Checked October 7, 2026 - [City of Ottawa · City Council minutes, September 9, 2026 (Minutes 85) ](https://pub-ottawa.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx?Id=0576ac9f-74e8-4986-b8f8-9c96b26f6e67&Agenda=PostMinutes&lang=English)Checked October 7, 2026 Missing information does not imply a candidate’s position. [Read our editorial standards.](https://voche.me/on/ottawa-2026/about) Campaign contact ## Campaign links & contact. Find the candidate’s website, social accounts and contact information. [Catherine Kitts campaign website](https://www.catherinekitts.ca/) [Catherine Kitts, Councillor website for Orléans South-Navan](https://www.catherinekitts.com/) [Catherine Kitts on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/catherinekitts) [Catherine Kitts on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/catherine.kitts) ## View more candidates. [All candidate spaces ](https://voche.me/on/ottawa-2026/candidates) [Councillor**Ahmed Alsabaawi**](https://voche.me/on/ottawa-2026/candidates/ahmed-alsabaawi) [Councillor**Ahmed Rashid**](https://voche.me/on/ottawa-2026/candidates/ahmed-rashid) Candidate Q&A ## Ask Catherine Kitts a question. Give your name, email and question. We send it to the campaign, and publish their answer here if we get one. ## Sitemap See the full [sitemap](/on/ottawa-2026/sitemap.md) for all pages.