Re-elected Rideau-Vanier councillor Stéphanie Plante calls for Inuit-led housing in Ottawa
Stéphanie Plante won Ward 12 with 6,194 votes on October 26 and told Nunatsiaq News that any housing built for Inuit residents must be led and staffed by Inuit people.
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Stéphanie Plante won a second term as Ward 12 (Rideau-Vanier) councillor in Ottawa's October 26 election, and she told Nunatsiaq News on October 28 that any housing built for the city's Inuit residents must be led by Inuit people.
Plante took 6,194 votes, 53.7 percent of all ballots cast in Ward 12, according to the City of Ottawa's unofficial results. She defeated five other candidates, including Lyra Evans who finished second with 3,791 votes.
What she said
"If there's housing for Inuit, it has to be led by Inuit," Plante told Nunatsiaq News. "The workers on site have to be Inuit or trained in the relevant cultural practices."
She said the City should move away from large emergency shelters and toward permanent housing with services spread across the city, rather than grouped downtown. Ward 12 sits east of Ottawa's downtown core and has a large number of residents experiencing homelessness, as well as a large population of Inuit people who travel to Ottawa for medical care.
The Larga Baffin project
Plante pointed to the planned Larga Baffin facility at 1470 Hunt Club Rd. as an example of work that needs to move forward. The facility is planned as a six-storey, 220-room boarding home for Nunavummiut. Nunatsiaq News reported that construction has stalled because the project is waiting for a long-term service contract from the Government of Nunavut.
Plante said she intends to support culturally appropriate services for Inuit medical travellers and their families, including possible transit assistance, culturally relevant childcare, and community programming.
Her campaign promises
Her campaign page lists safer streets, better transit, more housing, and removing trucks from King Edward Avenue as priorities for the new term. She also called for limits on large data centres that she says take up electricity and water resources needed for housing.
Plante first won Ward 12 in 2022. Her new four-year term begins November 15, 2026, when the newly elected Ottawa City Council takes office.
Residents of Ward 12 can follow her campaign commitments and how she votes on them at her promise tracker page.
Questions this story answers
Who won Ward 12 Rideau-Vanier in the Ottawa 2026 election?
Stéphanie Plante won Ward 12 (Rideau-Vanier) with 6,194 votes, which was 53.7 percent of all ballots cast in that ward, according to the City of Ottawa's unofficial results. She defeated five other candidates, including Lyra Evans who finished second with 3,791 votes. Plante was first elected in 2022 and this was her first re-election. The new term begins November 15, 2026.
What did Stéphanie Plante say about Inuit housing?
Plante told Nunatsiaq News on October 28, 2026 that housing built for Inuit residents in Ottawa must be led by Inuit people. She said: 'If there's housing for Inuit, it has to be led by Inuit. The workers on site have to be Inuit or trained in the relevant cultural practices.' She also said the City should move away from large emergency shelters toward permanent housing with services spread across the city rather than concentrated downtown.
What is the Larga Baffin facility Plante mentioned?
The Larga Baffin facility is a planned six-storey, 220-room boarding home for Nunavummiut at 1470 Hunt Club Rd. in Ottawa, about five kilometres northeast of the Ottawa airport. According to Nunatsiaq News, construction has stalled because the project is waiting for a long-term service contract from the Government of Nunavut. Plante cited the project as an example of work that needs to move forward to support Inuit medical travellers and their families in Ottawa.
What are Plante's other priorities for Ward 12?
Nunatsiaq News reported that Plante intends to support culturally appropriate services for Inuit medical travellers, including possible transit pass help, culturally relevant childcare, and community programming. She also called for equitable distribution of social services across all wards to address homelessness, mental health, and addiction, rather than concentrating those services in the downtown core. Her campaign page lists safer streets, better transit, more housing, and removing trucks from King Edward Avenue as priorities.
What is Ward 12 Rideau-Vanier?
Rideau-Vanier is Ward 12 in Ottawa. It sits east of the downtown core and includes neighbourhoods with a significant number of residents experiencing homelessness and a large Inuit population, many of whom come to Ottawa for medical care. The ward has been a focus for debates about shelter services, supportive housing, and social services distribution. Stéphanie Plante has represented it since 2022.
When does Plante's new term start?
Plante's second term as Ward 12 councillor begins November 15, 2026, when the newly elected Ottawa City Council takes office. That date is set by section 6 (1) of Ontario's Municipal Elections Act, 1996. The Council's first meeting is due no later than December 16, 2026 under section 230 of the Municipal Act, 2001.
Where can I follow Stéphanie Plante's promises?
You can follow Stéphanie Plante's campaign commitments and how she votes on them at her candidate page and promise tracker at /on/ottawa-2026/candidates/stephanie-plante. The tracker records each pledge she made and will be updated as Council votes during the new term.
Where can I read the full Nunatsiaq News article?
The full article, 'Re-elected Ottawa councillor wants Inuit-led housing projects in city,' was published by Nunatsiaq News on October 28, 2026. It is available at nunatsiaq.com. Nunatsiaq News covers news from Nunavut, Nunavik, and Inuit communities across Canada.
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