Jeff Leiper, 56, spent three terms on Ottawa council changing his mind about housing
CBC News profiled the Kitchissippi councillor on October 14. He chairs the city committee that approves development, and says the committee has approved tens of thousands of units during his tenure.
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Jeff Leiper, 56, has served three terms as Kitchissippi ward councillor and chairs Ottawa's planning and housing committee. CBC News profiled him on October 14, one of a series of profiles of candidates running for mayor.
Leiper says his committee has approved tens of thousands of housing units during his tenure. That record is central to his case for the mayor's office. When he first ran for council in 2014, he challenged incumbent councillor Katherine Hobbs on concerns about the pace of development in the neighbourhood, and won by a wide margin. He says his position evolved as he chaired the committee, citing the city's official plan and Ontario's housing legislation as factors.
Leiper told CBC his goal is community building. "What I'm interested in is community building. Being able to focus on that is a real joy," he said. He calls his childhood neighbourhood, the Ideal Village Co-op in Orléans, a "15-minute community" where people looked out for each other, and says that image stays with him as a politician.
Cheryl Parrott, who served with Leiper on the Hintonburg Community Association board before his council career, told CBC he was able to lead the association through difficult discussions. The association dealt with street prostitution and intravenous drug use in the neighbourhood during those years.
Before council
Leiper worked in journalism in the 1990s, covering Ottawa's technology sector for a newspaper called Silicon Valley North and later writing about telecommunications policy for trade publications. That reporting led to a position at the federal Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission around 2007, he told CBC.
He served multiple terms as president of the Hintonburg Community Association and helped launch the Hintonburg 5K run. He bought a house in Hintonburg with his wife Natalie; they raised their son Nick there.
His first run for elected office was for Cumberland Township council at age 24, where he placed last with 70 votes. He did not try again for another two decades.
A heart attack and what followed
On February 13, 2019, Leiper suffered a heart attack while shovelling snow. He told CBC it forced him to reconsider what mattered. He quit smoking afterward. He has a tattoo marking the date.
"Taking care of First Things First," he described to CBC as the lesson he took from it. He says he reads 70 to 75 books a year and is a regular at the Spaniel's Tale bookstore in Hintonburg. His favourite author is John Steinbeck.
Leiper is one of four candidates taking part in a CBC Ottawa mayoral debate on October 21, alongside Alex Lawson, Neil Saravanamuttoo and Mark Sutcliffe. You can see all four on the Ottawa 2026 candidates page. Advance voting day is Friday, October 16, from 10 am to 8 pm. Voting day is Monday, October 26.
Questions this story answers
Who is Jeff Leiper?
Jeff Leiper is 56 years old and is running for mayor of Ottawa in the October 26, 2026 municipal election. He has served three terms as city councillor for Kitchissippi ward and chairs the city's planning and housing committee, according to CBC News, which profiled him on October 14, 2026. He has been a city councillor since winning his seat in 2014.
What is Jeff Leiper's background before city council?
Leiper worked in journalism in the 1990s at a technology newspaper called Silicon Valley North and later at trade newsletters covering the telecommunications sector. He joined the federal Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission around 2007. Before running for council, he served multiple terms as president of the Hintonburg Community Association, according to the CBC profile published October 14, 2026.
What committee does Jeff Leiper chair on Ottawa City Council?
Leiper chairs Ottawa's planning and housing committee, the council body that approves development applications in the city. In the CBC profile published October 14, 2026, he said the committee has approved tens of thousands of housing units during his tenure. He is presenting that record as part of his case for the mayor's office.
How did Jeff Leiper first win a seat on Ottawa City Council?
Leiper won the Kitchissippi ward council seat in 2014 by challenging the incumbent councillor Katherine Hobbs. He ran on concerns about the pace of development in the neighbourhood, framing Hobbs as too close to developers. He won by a wide margin, according to CBC News. He has since served three terms.
Has Jeff Leiper's position on housing development changed?
Leiper told CBC News that his position evolved during his time on council. He ran in 2014 with concerns about development intensity in Kitchissippi. As chair of the planning and housing committee, he says the committee has approved tens of thousands of units to address Ottawa's housing needs, citing the city's official plan and provincial housing policy as factors that shaped his approach.
Did Jeff Leiper have a health problem during his time on council?
Leiper told CBC News he suffered a heart attack on February 13, 2019, while shovelling snow during a snowstorm. He says the experience made him reconsider priorities in his life. He quit smoking afterward, according to the CBC profile published October 14, 2026. He has a tattoo on his forearm marking the date.
What independent sources speak about Jeff Leiper?
Cheryl Parrott, a fellow Hintonburg Community Association board member, is quoted by CBC News in the October 14 profile. She said Leiper was able to guide the association through difficult discussions when the neighbourhood was dealing with street prostitution and intravenous drug use in the years before he won his council seat.
When is voting day in the Ottawa 2026 municipal election?
Voting day in Ottawa is Monday, October 26, 2026. Voting places open at 10 am and close at 8 pm. Advance voting day is Friday, October 16, with the same hours. You can find all candidates running in your ward at the Ottawa 2026 candidates page on voche.me.
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