Four candidates compete for the open Kitchissippi Ward 15 seat
Joanne Chianello, Brian Innes, Subhir Uppal and Xavier Commerford are on the ballot today in Ward 15, which is getting a new councillor for the first time since 2014.
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Ward 15 Kitchissippi is choosing a city councillor for the first time since 2014, with four candidates on the ballot on October 26. Jeff Leiper, who held the seat for three terms, is running for mayor instead. Capital Current reported on October 26 that the four competing to replace him are former journalist Joanne Chianello, tech entrepreneur Subhir Uppal, former Hintonburg Community Association president Brian Innes, and entrepreneur Xavier Commerford.
Polls are open until 8 p.m. Candidate profiles for all four are at /on/ottawa-2026/candidates.
Joanne Chianello
Chianello covered Ottawa city hall for CBC and the Ottawa Citizen for more than 10 years before moving into consulting work. She told the CBC that recreation infrastructure in Kitchissippi has not kept pace with the ward's growth. On transit she opposes fare increases and would work to improve reliability. Her plan includes year-round free transit for youth and affordable passes for federal public workers. She has received endorsements from Ottawa Centre Liberal MP Yasir Naqvi, NDP MPP Catherine McKenney, and outgoing councillor Jeff Leiper, according to Capital Current.
Brian Innes
Innes has sat on the City's environment stewardship advisory committee and is a reserve member of the Ottawa transit committee. He has led several non-profit organizations including the Hintonburg Community Association and a food security organization. He supports free transit for youth, free recreation access at certain times for youth and children, and expanded property tax deferrals for seniors. He says the ward's one recreation centre is beyond capacity and wants to build more. He also wants to increase police funding.
Subhir Uppal
Uppal founded a real estate technology startup in the ward and teaches ethics at the Real Estate Institute of Canada. He serves on the boards of the Ottawa Safety Council and the Ottawa Real Estate Board. He told the CBC that targeted reforms are needed to make it easier to build affordable housing. His top infrastructure priority for Kitchissippi is a new multi-use recreation and wellness centre in the Tunney's Pasture and Bayview area. He received endorsements from former Kitchissippi councillor Katherine Hobbs and former Orleans councillor Bob Monette.
Xavier Commerford
Commerford is a former entrepreneur and community activist. He would prioritize affordable housing and make light-rail transit free. He says he would raise taxes by the amount needed to maintain infrastructure. He also says that one in four Ottawa residents uses a food bank, and he would increase support for food banks and non-profit organizations. He says the city needs to build stronger infrastructure to handle heavy rain events of the kind that have damaged homes in nearby wards.
Polls close at 8 p.m. tonight. Unofficial results for Ward 15 will be posted at the City of Ottawa's results page as they are declared this evening.
Questions this story answers
Who is running for city councillor in Kitchissippi Ward 15?
Four candidates are on the ballot: Joanne Chianello, a former CBC and Ottawa Citizen journalist who later worked in municipal consulting; Brian Innes, a community association leader who has sat on the City's environment stewardship committee and transit committee; Subhir Uppal, a real estate technology startup founder and ethics instructor for the Real Estate Institute of Canada; and Xavier Commerford, a former entrepreneur and community activist. You can read each candidate's profile at /on/ottawa-2026/candidates.
Why is the Kitchissippi Ward 15 seat open in 2026?
Three-term incumbent Jeff Leiper, who held the seat since 2014, chose to run for mayor instead of seeking re-election as ward councillor. Capital Current reported this on October 26, 2026. Jeff Leiper's candidate page is at /on/ottawa-2026/candidates/jeff-leiper.
What does Joanne Chianello say about transit in Kitchissippi?
According to Capital Current, Chianello says transit is the biggest challenge facing Ottawa and opposes fare increases. Her plan includes year-round free transit for youth and affordable passes for federal public workers. She also says that in Kitchissippi, recreation infrastructure has not kept pace with the ward's population growth. Chianello received endorsements from Ottawa Centre MP Yasir Naqvi, NDP MPP Catherine McKenney and outgoing councillor Jeff Leiper.
What are Brian Innes's main commitments if elected?
Capital Current reported that Innes supports free transit for youth, free recreation access at certain times for youth and children, and expanded property tax deferrals for seniors. He says the ward's one recreation centre is full beyond capacity and building more is part of his plan. He also wants to increase police funding and has led several non-profit associations including a food security organization and the Hintonburg Community Association.
What is Subhir Uppal's background and main priorities?
Uppal is the founder of a real estate technology startup in Kitchissippi and teaches ethics at the Real Estate Institute of Canada. He serves on the boards of the Ottawa Safety Council and the Ottawa Real Estate Board. His priorities include reforms to make it easier to build affordable housing, a new multi-use recreation and wellness centre in the Tunney's Pasture and Bayview area, and using live traffic data to reduce gridlock on Carling Avenue. He received endorsements from former Kitchissippi councillor Katherine Hobbs and former Orleans councillor Bob Monette.
What does Xavier Commerford say about housing and transit?
Capital Current reported that Commerford would prioritize affordable housing and make light-rail transit free. He would increase taxes by the amount needed to maintain infrastructure and transit. He also says that one in four Ottawa residents uses a food bank, making support for food banks and non-profits a priority. He believes the city needs stronger infrastructure to handle severe rain events like those that damaged homes in nearby wards.
When do polls close in Kitchissippi on election day?
Voting stations across Ottawa, including those in Ward 15 Kitchissippi, are open until 8 p.m. on October 26, 2026. The City of Ottawa's candidate page for Ward 15 lists all certified candidates. You can find your polling station through the City of Ottawa's election website.
Where can I find the full candidate profiles for Ward 15 Kitchissippi?
You can read each candidate's full profile on this site: Joanne Chianello at /on/ottawa-2026/candidates/joanne-chianello, Brian Innes at /on/ottawa-2026/candidates/brian-innes, Subhir Uppal at /on/ottawa-2026/candidates/subhir-uppal and Xavier Commerford at /on/ottawa-2026/candidates/xavier-commerford.
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