All four Kitchissippi candidates face off in final ward debate
The four candidates running for Kitchissippi ward (ward 15) held their second and final debate on October 14 at Invest Ottawa headquarters, with transit the main topic.
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All four candidates running for Kitchissippi ward councillor held their second and final debate on Wednesday, October 14, at Invest Ottawa headquarters, CBC Ottawa reported. Transit fares and reliability were the dominant topic of the evening.
The candidates at the debate were Joanne Chianello, community activist Xavier Commerford, former community association president Brian Innes, and Subhir Uppal, a real estate manager and AI startup entrepreneur. Dozens of people attended in person, and the debate was also streamed online, according to CBC.
Transit fares and reliability
Each candidate described a different approach to improving OC Transpo in Kitchissippi ward.
Xavier Commerford warned that Ottawa risks a cycle where fewer people take transit, which reduces revenue, which leads to service cuts, which drives away more riders. Joanne Chianello said the city should act on affordability quickly: she told the debate she would like to see youth fares made permanently free and senior fares kept affordable. Subhir Uppal proposed switching to distance-based fares, where the cost of a trip depends on how far the passenger travels, similar to systems in London and Singapore. Brian Innes said the priority should be reliability, particularly for the ward's main bus routes, and that progress should be tracked carefully.
Public safety
On safety, Brian Innes said he would expand community policing. Subhir Uppal said more police could help but argued that the ANCHOR mental health crisis response program and housing are also central. Joanne Chianello pointed to a set of options: helping residents find and keep their homes, expanding the ANCHOR program, and bringing in more local police resources. ANCHOR is Ottawa's program that sends mental health and social service workers to certain crisis calls.
The open seat
Kitchissippi ward (ward 15) has an open seat because the current councillor, Jeff Leiper, vacated it to run for mayor of Ottawa. Jeff Leiper's candidate page is on this site. Profiles for the four ward candidates are at /on/ottawa-2026/races/councillor/ward-15-kitchissippi.
Advance voting day is Friday, October 16, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Kitchissippi ward residents must vote at their assigned voting place. Election day is Monday, October 26.
Questions this story answers
Who is running for Kitchissippi ward (ward 15) in 2026?
Four candidates are running for the Kitchissippi ward councillor seat in the October 26, 2026 Ottawa municipal election: Joanne Chianello, Xavier Commerford, Brian Innes and Subhir Uppal. The seat is open because the current councillor, Jeff Leiper, is running for mayor. You can read their profiles at the links below.
What did the Kitchissippi candidates say about OC Transpo fares?
According to CBC's report on the October 14 debate, Joanne Chianello said she would like to make youth fares permanently free and keep senior fares affordable. Subhir Uppal proposed switching to distance-based fares, where the cost of a trip depends on how far the passenger travels, similar to how transit works in London and Singapore. Brian Innes said reliability should come first. Xavier Commerford said the city risks losing riders by cutting services, which leads to lower revenue and further cuts.
What did candidates say about transit reliability in Kitchissippi?
Brian Innes told the debate he would focus on reliability, particularly for the main bus routes serving Kitchissippi ward, and said progress would need to be carefully tracked. Subhir Uppal also supported improving reliability. CBC Ottawa reported that transit emerged as the top issue of the evening.
What did the Kitchissippi candidates say about public safety?
CBC reported that Brian Innes said he would expand community policing. Subhir Uppal said more police could help, alongside the ANCHOR mental health crisis response program, but added that housing is also central to safety. Joanne Chianello pointed to a range of options: helping people find and keep their homes, expanding the ANCHOR program, and bringing in more local police resources. All four candidates addressed safety at the debate.
Where was the Kitchissippi debate held, and when?
The debate took place on Wednesday, October 14, 2026 at Invest Ottawa headquarters. It was the second and final debate for Kitchissippi ward candidates before election day. CBC Ottawa reported that dozens of people attended in person, and the debate was also streamed online.
Why is the Kitchissippi ward seat open in 2026?
The current ward 15 councillor, Jeff Leiper, left the seat to run for mayor of Ottawa in the 2026 municipal election. The ward will elect a new councillor on October 26. You can read Jeff Leiper's candidate profile at his page on this site.
What is the ANCHOR program that came up at the debate?
ANCHOR is Ottawa's alternative crisis response program. It sends mental health and social service workers to certain crisis calls instead of, or alongside, police. CBC reported that multiple Kitchissippi candidates mentioned it during the public safety part of the debate on October 14.
When and where can Kitchissippi ward residents vote?
Advance voting day is Friday, October 16, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Election day is Monday, October 26. Voters in Kitchissippi ward must cast their ballot at their assigned voting place within the ward. The Elections Ottawa website has a search tool to find your voting place.
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