Candidate for CEPEO trustee in Zone 9 (Wards 14, 15, 17 and 18) against sitting trustee Joël Beddows; his campaign says he is a parent of children at CEPEO schools, trained in conflict resolution, and lists six commitments.
Zakaria Iltireh is on the City of Ottawa’s list of nominated candidates for trustee of the Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario (CEPEO, the French public school board) in Zone 9, which covers City Wards 14, 15, 17 and 18, with a nomination filed on August 21, 2026. The other candidate in the zone is Joël Beddows, whom the board’s page lists as its trustee for sector 9. His campaign website, which uses the name Zakaria Iltireh Waiss, and his VoteMate profile say that he is a parent of children at CEPEO schools, holds training in conflict resolution and paralegal work, and has worked with families and newcomers since 2023. His website lists six commitments for the schools of Zone 9, among them tutoring, action against bullying, regular meetings with parents and clear reports on the budget. These are the campaign’s statements, and voche.me could not check them with other sources.
Researched by voche.me · Not a campaign-authored page
Ottawa municipal electionThe City of Ottawa’s open data file of nominated candidates (workbook of August 29, 2026), sheet CEPEO, shows Zakaria Iltireh in Zone 9 with a nomination filed on August 21, 2026 and no withdrawal. The other nomination in the zone is Joël Beddows, filed on June 10, 2026. CTV News Ottawa’s guide to the school board races lists Zone 9 as Wards 14, 15, 17 and 18. The board’s Gouvernance page lists Joël Beddows as trustee for sector 9, and the City’s 2022 results sheet for CEPEO Zone 9 gives him 1,230 of the 2,540 votes counted. The name Zakaria Iltireh does not appear on that sheet.
His campaign website names him Zakaria Iltireh Waiss, a candidate for school trustee in Zone 9, and says that the zone covers Somerset, Kitchissippi, Capitale and Alta Vista, which the City calls Wards 14, 15, 17 and 18. It says he is a parent of children who all attend CEPEO schools and that the decisions made in schools shape the path, confidence, success and future of children. It lists a bachelor’s degree in conflict studies and resolution, a graduate diploma in organizational development and social innovation, and paralegal training, and says that since 2023 he has worked with families and newcomers to Canada. It gives no employer, school or date for any of this. His VoteMate profile, submitted by his team, repeats these points in English and French and adds that he is trained in conflict resolution and paralegal studies, and gives as his reason for running that parents and students should have a real voice in decisions that affect them.
The campaign website lists six commitments for the schools. They are help for every student, including tutoring, homework support and intensive French learning for newcomers; a calm school climate with mediation training and action against bullying; partnership with parents, with consultations each quarter in each ward; modern buildings and equal funding among schools; pride in the French language and culture; and clear budget reports. It also pledges that he will visit every school in Zone 9 each term and hold regular meetings with parents in the four wards. The site carries a guide for voters on how to name the CEPEO as the board they support for school taxes through the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation, with the statement that most taxpayers are listed by default as supporters of the English-language board and must change this to vote for him. It also has a poll of parents’ priorities, a form for ideas and forms for lawn signs and volunteers. voche.me did not check the claims about the default listing.
His VoteMate profile lists seven positions in English, which it labels as submitted by the candidate or his team. On police in schools it says student safety comes first, using dialogue, prevention and community-based approaches. It says students should learn Indigenous history and present-day realities with accuracy, respect and context; should learn to use artificial intelligence responsibly, protect their privacy and think critically about its output; and should learn to question what they see online and verify it. It lists stronger tools to prevent bullying, support and accommodations for neurodivergent students, and more chances for students to be heard in decisions that affect their education.
VoteMate shows a profile for him. The City’s list gives no website or social media account that voche.me could read. The sources read hold no record of a public office held by him and no complaint or allegation about him.
Summarized from the campaign’s published profile. These are stated positions, not an assessment of results or a complete platform.
His website says he wants stronger tutoring programs, individual homework support and intensive French learning so that each child can reach full potential.
It lists specialized support for students with special needs.
It lists individual support from early childhood.
His website says he would use his training in conflict resolution to build caring schools.
It lists mediation training for school teams, listening to students and zero tolerance for bullying.
It lists peer mediation workshops and more support for mental health and well-being.
His website says he wants parents to be leading partners in every decision.
It lists consultations with citizens each quarter in each ward and bilingual welcome guides for new parents.
It lists easier access to information for families who come from other countries, and active support for school councils.
His website says he would defend equal funding among all the board’s schools.
It lists renovation work, safer drop-off areas, universal accessibility and better ventilation.
It lists greened and safer playgrounds and technology that every student can use.
His website says he wants to value the plural and inclusive francophone community of Ottawa.
It lists more cultural outings, science clubs and artistic activities.
It lists partnerships with francophone cultural organizations and lasting high-level bilingualism.
His website says he would watch that every public dollar from the Ontario Ministry of Education is used with rigour and openness.
It lists clear, regular reports on his term and priority for resources that go straight to classrooms.
His website says he promises to visit every school in Zone 9 each term and to hold regular meetings with parents in the four wards.
Zakaria Iltireh Waiss · campaign website, home page (French)His VoteMate profile lists seven positions, submitted by the candidate or his team.
Police in schools: put student safety first, using dialogue, prevention and community-based approaches.
Indigenous schooling: students learn Indigenous history and present-day realities with accuracy, respect and context.
Artificial intelligence in schools: students learn to use it responsibly, protect their privacy and think critically about its output.
Bullying: stronger prevention, dialogue and conflict-resolution tools.
Media literacy: students learn to question what they see online and verify it.
Neurodivergent students: support and accommodations so that they can take part and learn.
Student involvement: more chances for students to be heard in decisions that affect their education.
Evidence reviewed on October 7, 2026: the City’s open data file of nominations, the City’s 2022 official results for CEPEO Zone 9, the home page of his campaign website (read in French; the page holds the whole campaign on one page), his VoteMate profile in English and French, and the board’s election page and Gouvernance page. CTV News Ottawa’s guide to school board candidates, published September 9, 2026 and updated October 5, 2026, was also read; it lists him by name under the CEPEO and quotes nothing.
Gaps. The City’s page for the CEPEO could not be read, so the accounts that he gave the City are unknown. Every statement about his training, work and plans comes from his own website and his VoteMate profile, and none of it was checked with the schools, employers or the MPAC. The website gives no social media account. The general web search tool refused because the session’s search allowance was used up, so statements that only a general search would find may exist. No public office is on record in the profile, so no minutes search applies. The voche.me questionnaire has not been sent.
His website and VoteMate profile say that he has supported families and newcomers since 2023. They name no employer, organization or role.
VoteMate · Zakaria Iltireh, CEPEO Zone 9 (profile submitted by the candidate or his team)His website lists these three studies and names no school or year. voche.me did not check them.
Zakaria Iltireh Waiss · campaign website, home page (French)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.
Ask Zakaria Iltireh directly. We send it to the campaign, and publish the reply here if we get one.
Facts voche.me can state about Zakaria Iltireh'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 Zakaria Iltireh's own campaign.
Not according to this profile. voche.me has not listed a current public office for Zakaria Iltireh.
This profile lists 8 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 Zakaria Iltireh 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.
The 2026 Ottawa municipal election, including the Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario race, is decided on October 26, 2026.
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