---
title: "Council candidates from Somerset, Rideau-Vanier and Kitchissippi outline downtown plans at Ottawa Board of Trade roundtable"
description: "Nine candidates from three wards discussed homelessness, business attraction, transit access and city permits at a morning roundtable hosted by the Ottawa Board of Trade on October 14."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/on/ottawa-2026/news/downtown-council-roundtable-2026-10-14"
last_updated: "2026-10-17T18:36:41.965Z"
---

Nine council candidates from three downtown Ottawa wards laid out competing plans for revitalizing the core at a morning roundtable hosted by the Ottawa Board of Trade on October 14, according to Ottawa Life.

Candidates from [Ward 14, Somerset](/on/ottawa-2026/races/councillor/ward-14-somerset), [Ward 12, Rideau-Vanier](/on/ottawa-2026/races/councillor/ward-12-rideau-vanier) and [Ward 15, Kitchissippi](/on/ottawa-2026/races/councillor/ward-15-kitchissippi) discussed homelessness, business attraction, transit access and the speed of city approvals. Ottawa Life reported the event was hosted by the Ottawa Board of Trade and covered positions from each candidate.

## Somerset: homelessness and street safety

Somerset incumbent [Ariel Troster](/on/ottawa-2026/candidates/ariel-troster) said downtown revitalization starts with the people who already live there and that the city cannot revitalize downtown unless it solves chronic homelessness, according to Ottawa Life.

[Robert Dekker](/on/ottawa-2026/candidates/robert-dekker) said residents had told him they are choosing events outside Centretown because they no longer regard downtown as an attractive destination. He said concerns about crime and homelessness are making it harder for local businesses to draw people back.

[Dillon Anderson](/on/ottawa-2026/candidates/dillon-anderson) also called for safer streets but said the response must include front-line support for people without housing.

[Michael Tay](/on/ottawa-2026/candidates/michael-tay) said he would approach public safety with both compassion and accountability, Ottawa Life reports.

## Rideau-Vanier: investment and public spaces

In Rideau-Vanier, [Brian Paquette](/on/ottawa-2026/candidates/brian-paquette) said downtown should be accessible and inviting seven days a week and made the case for encouraging private investment and new business in the core, according to Ottawa Life.

[Julie Fiala Chartrand](/on/ottawa-2026/candidates/julie-fiala-chartrand) pointed to outdoor seating, colour, music and public art as ways to bring tourism and community life to the area. She also raised concerns about public safety near bus shelters, Ottawa Life reports.

## Kitchissippi: permits and city operations

In Kitchissippi, [Brian Innes](/on/ottawa-2026/candidates/brian-innes) said residents and builders need more predictable permitting decisions and proposed clearer approval timelines, arguing that avoidable delays slow the delivery of new housing, according to Ottawa Life.

[Subhir Uppal](/on/ottawa-2026/candidates/subhir-uppal) said he would look at artificial intelligence to improve how the city runs over the next council term and called for integrating recreation and public amenities into high-rise developments, pointing to high demand at facilities such as Dovercourt, Ottawa Life reports.

[Joanne Chianello](/on/ottawa-2026/candidates/joanne-chianello) said she would order a city-wide service-delivery review to look at how programs perform, how long projects take and where accountability is lacking. She warned that funding an initiative does not guarantee it can be delivered if the city lacks staff to carry it out, according to Ottawa Life.

Voters in all three wards cast a ballot on October 26, 2026. Advance voting day is Friday, October 16, with voting places open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Candidate profiles for all three wards are at [/on/ottawa-2026/candidates](/on/ottawa-2026/candidates).

## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](/on/ottawa-2026/sitemap.md) for all pages.