2025 in review

As a journalist, I quickly learned that every year seems to become busier than the last. As the City of Ottawa grows, so does the number of stories that need to be told. From elections to zoning changes and controversial developments, 2026 was a drastic year of change for the Capital. 

Here is a look back at all that happened this year and a look ahead to what is in store for 2026. 

When 2026 began, there was widespread speculation that a rare snap federal election was imminent. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was tanking in the polls, with Conservative Party leader and Carleton MP Pierre Poilievre showing huge gains. 

After Trudeau stepped down as the Liberal Party leader, Nepean MP Chandra Arya announced he was running “to be Canada’s next prime minister.” The announcement was not taken seriously by most, as Arya was a backbencher MP despite being elected in 2025, and early polls hinted he could lose his riding to Conservative candidate Barbara Bal.

The Liberal party barred Arya from running, with the leadership position then going to former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney. While Arya had planned to still run as a Nepean Liberal candidate, he was then also disqualified from that, with Carney running for the Nepean seat. 

Carney won a minority government and handily took the Nepean seat. Elsewhere in Ottawa, the Liberals held onto Ottawa Centre, where Yasir Naqvi won a third term despite being up against NDP MPP for the area Joel Harden. 

The biggest change came to Carleton, where Liberal candidate Bruce Fanjoy beat longtime incumbent and party leader Pierre Poilievre in what was previously seen as a strong blue riding. 

Diana Fox Carney, wife of the prime minister, sat down with the Ottawa Lookout for an exclusive interview about her husband and how they were adapting to political life. 

During the provincial election, Nepean was up for grabs after longtime PC MPP Lisa MacLeod announced she would not seek re-election. The seat shifted to the Liberals with a victory by Tyler Watt. Kanata-Carleton remained Liberal with Karen McCrimmon receiving another mandate, despite polls suggesting the riding could go to the Progressive Conservatives. In Carleton, Osgoode city councillor George Darouze won the riding provincially for the PCs. Ottawa Centre stayed NDP, with former city councillor and mayoral candidate Catherine McKenney winning the seat.

Darouze becoming MPP for Carleton meant a byelection had to be held in Osgoode Ward. There was strong feeling that former councillor Doug Thompson would win the race – especially since he was only a few hundred votes shy of beating Darouze in the last municipal race – but a split vote handed it to Isabelle Skalski. 

There was much debate when 2025 started over whether Lansdowne 2.0 would pass or fail. Communities in the Glebe area strongly opposed the plans. So did most of the urban city councillors. 

Those in support argued a new arena and north side stands were needed because the current facilities were built in the 1960s and not up to modern building day code. Those against the plans agreed, but said the current sporting facilities could be modernized and still had decades of life left. 

There were also concerns over the costs. Plans were scaled down to include two residential towers instead of three, and a green roof was removed from the arena. Capital Ward Coun. Shawn Menard vowed for a referendum to be held over the file, but Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said that was a bad idea, noting that it was not done for other big projects like light rail and the new downtown central library. 

A poll showed that most residents also opposed the plans. Even the auditor general raised concerns. 

In the end, the file passed 15-10 and construction fencing already surrounds the site. The event centre is expected to be completed by 2028. Work will then shift to the north side stands and then residential development. 

In April, ‘New Ways to Bus’ was launched, marking one of the largest overhauls to OC Transpo in its history. Over 100 routes were changed or altered. It put an emphasis on localized routes to better connect people to services and amenities in their communities. 

The move was widely criticized for its wins and losses. Rush hour commutes became longer for Barrhaven residents. Some rural residents had their service fully eliminated. The popular route 111 in Nepean meant Chesterton Drive would be left without a bus route (though a connector was later added). The east end perhaps had the most success, with routes added to better connect the LRT.

On a lighter note, the Trillium line opened after a years-long delay connecting the train network from Bayview Station to Limebank Road in Riverside South and the Airport. Riders complained of how long it took to travel to the airport, though, so a 24 hour bus service was also launched in August. 

Parents of children in the Ottawa public board started the year off worried over cuts that could have seen the elimination of 39 programs – many of which cater to students with learning disabilities and special needs. 

In the end, the elementary program review saw many changes walked back with boundary and grade refigurations not as drastic as first expected. But it was announced that alternative schools would still be phased out. 

Despite being able to balance the budget, the province announced an investigation would be done into the OCDSB’s finances. Education Paul Collandra later announced the province was taking control of the board with trustees locked out of their emails and phone numbers. 

Robert Plamondon, the supervisor appointed, later axed the elementary review and said a new approach will be implemented that “doesn’t disrupt students and is reflective of community feedback.”

At Algonquin College, cuts were approved for 41 courses. Algonquin president and CEO Claude Brulé said the college would face a budget deficit of at least $60 million in 2025-2026 and $93 million by 2026-2027 if nothing was done. He blamed the cuts on provincial tuition freezes and caps the federal government put on foreign students. 

The situation was not much better at Carleton University, where the deficit for 2025-2026 was expected to be “significantly higher” than the $26 million first expected. 

To address the influx of newcomers arriving in Ottawa, the city plans to construct two Sprung structures – one at Kanata Park and Ride and another near the Nepean Portsplex – to accommodate them. 

The idea faced fierce criticism from residents in those communities who worried about how it would change the character of their neighbourhoods. 

Ottawa builders also criticized the plan and demanded the procurement process be reopened after the contract was awarded to a firm in Toronto. 

In March, the city announced it would be cancelling the plans, citing a reduction in the number of newcomers. Instead, the city said it would do scattered housing around the city and said two floors at the YMCA would be converted for housing. 

Old Ottawa East residents applauded the news that People’s Park was saved from a possible freeway expansion. 

In Chinatown, there was a mixed reaction to the closure of Somerset West’s safe consumption site in March. In its place, a Homelessness Addictions Recovery Treatment Centre (HART Hub) opened. With no place for addicts to safely use drugs, overdose stats went up along with crime in the area. 

Glebe residents sounded the alarm after being frustrated with the constant hum coming from the air conditioning unit atop of the new Clemow Seniors apartment building. Despite noise readings being over the allowable limit, loopholes made it tough to enforce. The Clemow said it is still working on a solution.

Development continued to dominate the headlines in Barrhaven with a new Amazon warehouse underway in the South Merivale Business Park. Nearby residents shared worry over what the heavy truck traffic would mean for congestion and safety.

City View residents wanted a better solution for draining rather than their 1960s ditch system, which had stopped working due to development. But the city said installing sewers would cost too much money. A new park on Hydro Lands was also delayed due to leasing challenges. 

Manor Park residents won their debate to not have sidewalks installed as part of the Transportation Master Plan. They argued it would change the feel of the neighbourhood. 

Despite massive pushback, the Kanata Lakes Golf Course closed with plans in place to create a massive housing development on the large stretch of urban greenspace. The matter went before the Supreme Court, which denied an appeal. The city says it will do everything in its power not to grant any easements for work to be conducted. 

One of the biggest municipal stories in Ottawa this year will be the municipal election. 

Most city councillors have confirmed or are widely speculated to be running again, but some wards that had close results or unique races could see incumbents needing to work harder to seek another term. 

Kitchissippi Ward will have new representation after three-term-serving Coun. Jeff Leiper announced he would be leaving the council table and run for mayor instead. In his place, Joanne Chianello, a former CBC and Ottawa municipal affairs journalist, is planning to run. No other names have come forward. 

Leiper will have a fight on his hands as he goes up against incumbent Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, who has not been wasting any time with pre-campaigning. Over the last several months, there has been no shortage of announcements coming out of City Hall and campaign-style videos posted to social media, where Sutcliffe discusses the importance of building Lansdowne 2.0, hiring more police officers, and reducing ambulance wait times. 

With development, shovels will go in the ground on the highly controversial Lansdowne 2.0 development, with construction of the new event centre lasting until 2028. During that time, most of the great lawn will be closed, with music festivals like CityFolk needing to find new accommodation. 

It is also suspected that we will learn more about the future of the Ottawa Charge PWHL women’s hockey team and their plans in the Capital after they announced they will not play at the new TD Place arena. 

Big changes will also come to transit with the launch of the east-end extension of the Confederation Line out to Orleans. No opening date has been set, but city officials are confident it will happen in the first quarter of 2026. 

As for the western extension from Tunney’s Pasture to Algonquin College and Moodie Drive, OC Transpo is still hoping for "substantial completion” by the end of 2026. In reality, though, that would mean a launch date in early 2027. 

This should also be the year when more details are announced regarding the province taking over control of Ottawa’s light rail system. Ontario Premier Doug Ford made the commitment while campaigning in last year’s provincial election. The projected savings are $4 billion over 30 years. 

We should also learn more about whether the province intends to bring back public board trustees. Education Minister Paul Collandra said in December that they would not return to the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board “anytime soon.” 

“There is nothing so far that leads me to believe, that has changed my mind anyway, that a $43 billion Ministry of Education budget should be delivered by trustees across the province of Ontario,” he said in response to a reporter's question at a December announcement. “I don’t foresee a world, even if there were no changes coming forward, and there will be, where the trustees are returned to the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board anytime soon.”

It is still unclear what that would mean for the municipal election in October when trustees are also elected. Callandra has previously said he does not intend to remove trustees from the Catholic board. 

On the federal level, shovels are expected in the ground for Build Canada Homes. A former government campus off of Heron Road has been selected as the first site.