The City of Ottawa’s list of elected officials for 2022 to 2026 shows Steve Desroches as Councillor for Ward 22 Riverside South-Findlay Creek. The City’s list of certified candidates shows his nomination for the same ward dated May 4, 2026, with the same date for his registration in the Contribution Rebate Program. The City’s published results for the October 24, 2022 election give him 5,684 of the 8,378 votes cast in Ward 22, which is 67.8 percent, the most votes in a race of 4 candidates (Zainab Alsalihiy received 1,537, Salah Elsaadi 902 and Em McLellan 255). CBC News reported in 2022 that he represented the Gloucester-South Nepean ward from 2006 to 2014, when he stepped down after saying he would serve only two terms, and that he won the redrawn Riverside South-Findlay Creek seat after Carol Anne Meehan chose not to run again. The City’s page for him, copied on August 11, 2025, gives the same dates and titles him Councillor and Deputy Mayor. In the CTV News Ottawa questionnaire he says he served three terms on Council, including four years as Deputy Mayor. CTV News Ottawa writes elsewhere in the same article that he served two terms between 2008 and 2014, which differs from the 2006 start in CBC News and on the City’s page. Muyiwa Ojo is the other candidate on the 2026 ballot.
The City’s page for him, the CTV News Ottawa questionnaire and the CBC News questionnaire describe a career as a federal public servant, with departments that include Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Privy Council Office, the Canada Border Services Agency, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Elections Canada. The City’s page also lists a Master of Arts in history from the University of Ottawa and a Master of Arts in public administration from Carleton University. These are his own statements and the City’s page was written by his office, and voche.me did not check them with the bodies named.
The Council minutes of four meetings record his votes by name. On December 10, 2025 he voted for the 2026 Ottawa Police Service budget (carried 20 to 5, with Councillors King, Menard, Johnson, Bradley and Troster against). He 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 against the second part of that motion, which carried 17 to 8. He voted for the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee part of the budget (carried as amended 23 to 2), for the motion that adopted the 2026 budgets (carried 21 to 4), which he seconded, and against Councillor Kelly’s motion on conditions for a battery energy storage system at Marchurst Road (lost 9 to 16). That day he moved four motions that carried. One made transit free for riders aged 18 and under on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from July 1, 2026, asked staff to study free rides after 5 p.m. for the same riders, gave Para Transpo riders aged 65 and over a monthly credit of four urban fares and extended weekday transfer times from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. to 105 minutes, with $510,000 a year paid from fuel hedging savings. One asked staff to keep reviewing the City’s fee for pre-authorized debit payments, one named Riverside South Park 11 Moncion’s Park, and one was the formal motion to receive the draft budgets. On April 22, 2026 he voted for the Safe Access to Social Infrastructure By-law (carried 20 to 4, with Councillors Menard, Devine, Bradley and Troster against), and against both amendments to it: one that would have removed its ban on demonstrations inside safe access zones (lost 6 to 18) and one that would have limited the by-law to times when a facility is used for its main purpose (lost 10 to 14). On July 15, 2026 he voted for the Development Charge Reduction Program report (carried 23 to 1, with Councillor Menard against), against Councillor Menard’s motion to refer that report to a special meeting of Council (lost 11 to 14), and against the Rental Renovation Licence By-law review (carried 20 to 5, with Councillors Hubley, Hill, Brown and Lo also against). That day he moved a motion asking staff to include, in the update of the Transportation System Management Strategy, recommendations on who is responsible for the City’s mobility network and who decides how it is run, which carried. On September 9, 2026 he 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).
His campaign website says that in this term he secured funding for the Southeast Ottawa Recreation Complex, advanced the ward’s first library, supported more police resources and a south Ottawa police station, and that the City has found more than $250 million in savings over four years. It lists a health hub in Findlay Creek, upgrades to the Bank Street and Leitrim Road intersection, a multi-use path to Leitrim station and low taxes as plans. CTV News Ottawa reported in June 2026 that the recreation complex would cost an estimated $175 million by his estimate, with about two years of design and two years of construction. In the CBC News questionnaire he says the police budget should be increased, gives no figure for the highest 2027 tax increase he would support, gives no answer on how to cover OC Transpo deficits, and answers no when asked whether the City should put climate resilience ahead of spending in other areas. In the CTV News Ottawa questionnaire he does not say whether he would raise or lower transit fares and says he would support a budget that invests in roads and is mindful of affordability. These are his own statements, and voche.me checked only the votes, motions and election results described above. The sources read hold no complaint against him.
