---
title: "Sutcliffe, Lawson and Leiper each announce new pledges on Tuesday"
description: "Three Ottawa mayoral candidates released separate campaign plans on Tuesday: Mark Sutcliffe on combating hate, Jeff Leiper on a Kanata recreation centre, and Alex Lawson on youth drug prevention."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/on/ottawa-2026/news/mayoral-candidates-three-pledges-2026-10-13"
last_updated: "2026-10-17T18:36:42.332Z"
---

Three Ottawa mayoral candidates each released new campaign pledges on Tuesday, October 13, as reported by CTV News Ottawa: [Mark Sutcliffe](/on/ottawa-2026/candidates/mark-sutcliffe) on combating hate and extremist recruitment, [Jeff Leiper](/on/ottawa-2026/candidates/jeff-leiper) on building community infrastructure in Kanata, and [Alex Lawson](/on/ottawa-2026/candidates/alex-lawson) on reducing youth substance use.

## Sutcliffe commits to doubling hate and bias crime unit

Sutcliffe's campaign said it would work with the Ottawa Police Service Board to double the size of the hate and bias crime unit. The campaign cited reports of white nationalist recruitment posters appearing on postsecondary campuses and in communities across Ottawa, as well as hateful messages sent to Muslim schools and increased police patrols at Jewish institutions following an attack at a synagogue in Belleville, Ontario.

Sutcliffe said he would convene a faith leaders council within 60 days of a new term, bringing together community leaders to identify practical ways to confront hate and support affected residents. He also said he would launch a city-wide campaign to help residents recognize and report extremist recruitment, working with local MPs, the Ottawa Police Service, and community groups including Ottawa Stops Hate.

"There is no place for hate in Ottawa," Sutcliffe's campaign said. "Residents should be able to go to school, work, worship and raise their families without being targeted because of who they are or where they come from."

## Leiper pledges recreation centre with medical space in Kanata

Leiper said he would build a new recreation centre in Kanata that includes dedicated medical space, if elected mayor. He said the neighbourhood is growing and its infrastructure has not kept up. "A city that works builds the facilities residents need to stay healthy and active," Leiper said, as reported by CTV News Ottawa.

Further details on the Kanata plan were expected Tuesday afternoon, after the CTV News Ottawa article was published.

## Lawson proposes Planet Youth drug prevention program

Lawson said he would bring the Planet Youth organization to Ottawa to reduce youth substance use. The plan, as he described it to CTV News Ottawa, would include annual surveys of students in grades 7 through 12 across all four Ottawa school boards, covering topics such as time with family, sports, arts and clubs, sleep, screen use, and early substance use. Responses would be anonymous, and parents or guardians could choose to opt their children out of the questionnaire.

Lawson said survey results would guide decisions on community programs, and he would offer vacant rooms and idle hours at city facilities to community groups such as the Boys' and Girls' Club or the YMCA. He said he would work to keep community centres, libraries and other city-run facilities open longer. Lawson said he would also seek federal and provincial funding to help expand programs.

Election day is October 26, 2026. Ottawa has one advance voting day on October 16, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Profiles of all three candidates are on [this site's Ottawa candidates page](/on/ottawa-2026/candidates#mayor).

## Sitemap

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