Four Ottawa mayoral candidates will debate on CBC on October 21
CBC Ottawa will host a live mayoral debate from 7 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, October 21, with Alex Lawson, Jeff Leiper, Neil Saravanamuttoo and Mark Sutcliffe taking part.
Reported. A news outlet found this. voche.me names the outlet and links its report. Read the original report on cbc.ca.
CBC Ottawa will host a live one-hour mayoral debate on Wednesday, October 21, from 7 to 8 p.m. Eastern time, CBC News reported on October 15. Four candidates will take part: Alex Lawson, Jeff Leiper, Neil Saravanamuttoo and Mark Sutcliffe.
CBC News Ottawa at 6 host Omar Dabaghi-Pacheco and CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning host Rebecca Zandbergen will lead the discussion, according to the CBC. The debate will focus on transit, affordability, infrastructure and public safety, the CBC says. A recap from CBC Ottawa's municipal team will follow the broadcast.
Where to watch and listen
The debate will air live on CBC TV in Ottawa. CBC Ottawa will stream it in several places at the same time: CBC.ca/Ottawa, CBC Gem and the CBC Ottawa YouTube channel. Those who prefer audio can listen live on CBC Radio at 91.5 FM in Ottawa or through the CBC Listen app on a phone or tablet. Roku and Samsung TV Plus carry it through CBC Ottawa's FAST channels.
The CBC News app will also carry the debate. Turning on Ottawa push notifications in the app's settings will send a reminder when the debate begins, the CBC says.
The four candidates on stage
The four candidates taking part are among the 14 people running for mayor in Ottawa in the 2026 election. CBC describes them as the four leading candidates for the race. The one-hour format gives each candidate time to address questions on topics that the CBC says will include transit, affordability, infrastructure and public safety.
Voters who want to read about each candidate before watching can find profiles of all four at this site: Alex Lawson, Jeff Leiper, Neil Saravanamuttoo and Mark Sutcliffe. Profiles of the other 10 mayoral candidates are also available at /on/ottawa-2026/candidates#mayor.
Voting dates
The debate falls five days before election day. Voting in Ottawa is on Monday, October 26, 2026, with polls open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. There is one more advance voting day on Friday, October 16, also open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Fourteen candidates are running for mayor. See all candidates, city council candidates for all 24 wards, and school board trustee candidates on this site.
Questions this story answers
When is the CBC Ottawa mayoral debate?
The debate is on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, from 7 to 8 p.m. Eastern time. CBC News Ottawa host Omar Dabaghi-Pacheco and CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning host Rebecca Zandbergen will lead the discussion. The debate runs for one hour, ahead of election day on October 26.
Which candidates will take part in the CBC debate?
Four candidates will take part: Alex Lawson, Jeff Leiper, Neil Saravanamuttoo and Mark Sutcliffe. These are described by CBC as the four leading candidates for Ottawa mayor. You can read profiles of all four on the Ottawa 2026 candidates page at /on/ottawa-2026/candidates#mayor.
How can I watch the CBC Ottawa mayoral debate?
You can watch the debate live on CBC TV in Ottawa. It will also be available online at CBC.ca/Ottawa, on CBC Gem, and on CBC Ottawa's YouTube channel. It will be broadcast on CBC Radio at 91.5 FM in Ottawa and on the CBC Listen app. Roku and Samsung TV Plus will carry it through CBC Ottawa FAST channels.
Can I listen to the debate on the radio?
Yes. CBC Radio in Ottawa broadcasts on 91.5 FM and will carry the debate live. You can also listen through the CBC Listen app, which works on phones and tablets. The debate starts at 7 p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, October 21.
What topics will the debate cover?
CBC News says the debate will cover transit, affordability, infrastructure and public safety. After the debate, CBC Ottawa's municipal team will publish a recap. Election day in Ottawa is Monday, October 26, with polls open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
When is election day in Ottawa in 2026?
Election day is Monday, October 26, 2026. Advance voting runs from October 1 to 4 and on October 16. Polls are open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on both advance voting days and on election day. For more information, see the City of Ottawa's voting information.
Who are the hosts of the CBC Ottawa mayoral debate?
CBC News Ottawa at 6 host Omar Dabaghi-Pacheco and CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning host Rebecca Zandbergen will co-host the debate. They will lead the discussion between the four mayoral candidates on Wednesday, October 21, from 7 to 8 p.m.
Where can I find information about all Ottawa 2026 election candidates?
Profiles of the Ottawa 2026 candidates are available at /on/ottawa-2026/candidates. The page lists all candidates for mayor, city council in each of the 24 wards, and school board trustees across four boards. Election day is October 26, 2026.
Sources
The pages this story draws on. Open one to check a claim yourself.
Found an error? Tell the editors with the corrections form. A correction is noted on the story it changes. Read our standards.
