Two candidates for OCDSB Zone 4 trustee disagree on how to handle board's financial problems
Emily Quaile and Benoit Massé are running for the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board in the zone covering Kitchissippi and Bay wards, with the board still under a provincial supervisor appointed in June 2025.
Reported. A news outlet found this. voche.me names the outlet and links its report. Read the original report on kitchissippi.com.
Two candidates running for Ottawa-Carleton District School Board trustee in Zone 4 told the Kitchissippi Times they are stepping into a job that looks different from what it was four years ago. The board has been under a provincial supervisor since June 2025.
Education Minister Paul Calandra removed the board's elected trustees from their decision-making authority that month and appointed Robert Plamondon as supervisor, the Kitchissippi Times reported. The reason: a financial investigation found the OCDSB had reported in-year deficits every year since 2021-22 and exhausted its reserves. The board's accumulated deficit stood at $5.9 million at the end of the 2023-24 school year.
Emily Quaile and Benoit Massé are running for the Zone 4 seat, which covers Kitchissippi and Bay wards. Quaile described the race to the Kitchissippi Times as applying for two different jobs: one while the supervisor remains and another if local governance is restored. She said she decided to run partly because of that uncertainty, and said one of her top priorities is pushing for an end to provincial supervision.
Quaile, who has a background in political economy and more than 20 years working in the service industry, told the outlet she has heard from parents struggling to get proper support for students with individual education plans. She argued that the board's problems are rooted in provincial underfunding, a problem she said needs to be named clearly rather than worked around.
Massé came to the race from his experience on a school council, which he told the Kitchissippi Times helped him understand the issues affecting students. His priorities are restoring financial sustainability, student safety, addressing bullying and harassment, and improving communication between trustees, parents, and educators. He said the next group of trustees must stay closely focused on the budget to prevent the board from sliding back into its earlier financial position.
The board's finances have improved. The OCDSB's 2026-27 budget projects a $3.5-million operating deficit after the identification of $15 million in savings, the Kitchissippi Times reported.
Ottawa school trustee elections take place on October 26, 2026, the same day as the mayor and city council votes. Kitchissippi and Bay ward voters can read about Emily Quaile and Benoit Massé on voche.me.
Questions this story answers
Why is the OCDSB under provincial supervision?
Education Minister Paul Calandra removed the board's elected trustees from their decision-making authority in June 2025 and appointed Robert Plamondon as supervisor, according to the Kitchissippi Times. The reason given was a financial investigation that found the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board had reported in-year deficits every year since 2021-22 and had exhausted its reserves. The board's accumulated deficit stood at $5.9 million at the end of the 2023-24 school year.
What powers does the provincial supervisor hold?
Robert Plamondon currently exercises the powers normally held by the elected school board, including authority over finances, policies and governance, according to the Kitchissippi Times. Anyone elected as trustee this October will take office without knowing when, or how fully, those powers will be returned to the elected board. Candidate Emily Quaile described it as applying for two different jobs at once.
What does Emily Quaile say she would do as trustee?
Quaile told the Kitchissippi Times that one of her top priorities would be pushing for an end to provincial supervision and restoring a stronger role for locally elected trustees. She also said she has heard from parents struggling to get support for students with individual education plans and other specialized needs. She argued the board's problems are rooted in provincial underfunding, a problem that needs to be named and addressed rather than worked around. She has a background in political economy and more than 20 years working in the service industry.
What does Benoit Massé say he would prioritize as trustee?
Massé told the Kitchissippi Times his priorities are restoring financial sustainability, student safety, addressing bullying and harassment, and improving communication between trustees, parents and educators. He came to the race from his experience on a school council, which he said helped him understand the issues affecting students. He said the next group of trustees must keep a close focus on the budget to make sure the board does not return to its previous financial position.
Has the OCDSB's financial situation improved?
The Kitchissippi Times reported that the board's financial position has improved since the province stepped in. The OCDSB's 2026-27 budget projects a $3.5-million operating deficit, following the identification of $15 million in savings. That compares to the accumulated deficit of $5.9 million at the end of 2023-24 and years of in-year deficits going back to 2021-22.
What is OCDSB Zone 4?
Zone 4 is the school board electoral zone covering the Kitchissippi and Bay wards in Ottawa, according to the Kitchissippi Times. Two candidates are on the ballot: Emily Quaile and Benoit Massé. Whoever wins will represent families in that part of Ottawa at the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, Ottawa's largest English public school board.
Where can I read more about the OCDSB trustee candidates?
You can read about Emily Quaile and Benoit Massé, both running for OCDSB Zone 4 trustee, on voche.me. Ottawa's municipal voting day is October 26, 2026. Trustees for all four Ottawa school boards are elected on the same day as the mayor and city councillors.
What is the source for this reporting?
The Kitchissippi Times published its profile of both candidates on October 19, 2026. The outlet is a community newspaper covering the Kitchissippi ward and nearby Ottawa neighbourhoods including Westboro, Wellington Village, Hintonburg, and Britannia.
Sources
The pages this story draws on. Open one to check a claim yourself.
Found an error? Tell the editors with the corrections form. A correction is noted on the story it changes. Read our standards.
Topics
More from voche.me
Somerset Ward's OCDSB Zone 10 trustee race centres on inclusion and academic focus
