All four leading Ottawa mayoral candidates have flooding plans, as voters head to the polls

On July 1, 2026, a storm dropped as much as 167 millimetres of rain in a matter of hours on the southwest corner of Ottawa, according to The Narwhal. More than 7,000 people reported that their basements had flooded. City staff told The Narwhal the sudden amount of rain overwhelmed neighbourhood drainage systems. Environment and Climate Change Canada did not record the storm in its national climate monitoring system because it only tracks rainfall across broader regions, a spokesperson confirmed to The Narwhal.

Jeff Leiper, a three-term city councillor running for mayor, has announced a $50-million plan to fix sewers and other infrastructure in the three Ottawa wards hardest hit by the July 1, 2026 storm, The Narwhal reported. His plan would also increase grants to those affected by flooding, create a new team to help residents with insurance claims and relief programs, waive permit fees for flood repairs, and increase municipal staff responding to 3-1-1 calls during major storm events, according to The Narwhal.

Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, who is running for a second term, plans to prioritize $500 million in funding for infrastructure designed to handle extreme weather, including heavy rains that cause flooding, The Narwhal reported. His campaign told The Narwhal his plan includes upgraded storm sewers and ditches, with priority given to flood-prone communities. His campaign also told The Narwhal it disagrees with Leiper's position that climate infrastructure has not been funded, pointing to $94 million in capital contributions in Ottawa's 2026 budget applying a climate lens to projects.

Neil Saravanamuttoo, an economist running for mayor, plans to replace sewers, prioritize infrastructure in existing neighbourhoods, and carry out flood mitigation measures such as creating stormwater ponds and planting trees, The Narwhal reported. He is also promising city-run neighbourhood retrofits in which the city arranges bulk buying and financing, and helps residents apply for federal rebates. His platform, quoted by The Narwhal, describes the Canada Day flooding as a wake-up call and notes that once-in-a-century weather events are now happening every few years.

Alex Lawson, a business owner running for mayor, said he would review the city's process for responding to disasters and produce a report examining maintenance records for sewers, street by street, The Narwhal reported. His campaign spokesperson told The Narwhal that Lawson has experience with disaster response from his time on the board of West Carleton Disaster Relief, and that he believes the city's emergency response plan puts too much pressure on volunteer organizations.

Environment and Climate Change Canada told The Narwhal that its system for monitoring climate-driven extreme weather only looks at rainfall across broader regions. The July 1, 2026 storm was so localized to the southwest corner of Ottawa that the system did not record the same rainfall levels that fell in the affected neighbourhoods.

Jeff Leiper told The Narwhal he felt the city's response to the flooding was far too slow and that as mayor he would have visited the flooded sites earlier and more frequently. Mark Sutcliffe's campaign disputed this characterization, telling The Narwhal that Sutcliffe and his office spoke with city staff and emergency officials on the day of the storm, and that he visited affected residents and directed city officials to provide immediate solutions in the following days.

You can read the profiles of all four leading candidates at /on/ottawa-2026/candidates/jeff-leiper, /on/ottawa-2026/candidates/mark-sutcliffe, /on/ottawa-2026/candidates/neil-saravanamuttoo, and /on/ottawa-2026/candidates/alex-lawson. Voting is open today until 8 p.m. at 369 locations across the city.