Transit, housing, revitalization and safety: Rideau-Vanier candidates state their cases

Encompassing neighbourhoods like Lower Town, Sandy Hill and Vanier and home to institutions like the ByWard Market and the University of Ottawa, Ward 12, Rideau–Vanier, has been the subject of major debate and change over the last term of city council.

The ward holds some of Ottawa's oldest neighbourhoods, boasting a rich history, francophone heritage, busy commercial district, diverse cultural institutions and high-density homes and businesses. Data from 2025 reported the ward was home to approximately 56,130 residents, all of whom live within 18.3 square kilometres. 

Josiah Frith, president of the Lowertown Community Association, told the Ottawa Lookout that heritage and history are top of mind for residents. Lowertown encompasses the community surrounding and including the ByWard Market, bordered by Sussex Drive, Rideau Street and the Rideau River and home to King Edward Avenue, the Market, and some of the oldest homes and institutions in the ward.

Nodding to the community's historic identity, Frith said the association supports any steps to convert and adapt historic buildings to suit the ward's modern-day needs. 

"We want heritage buildings repaired and adapted for new uses, heritage district rules enforced, and stronger action against owners who let protected properties deteriorate," Frith said. "The City should support preservation through grants and designations, and bring vacant homes back into use during a housing crisis."

This also means residents would like to see a better balance of housing across the city, including family homes in Ward 12, said Frith.

 In 2025, the ward reported the second-highest crime rate in Ottawa behind Somerset Ward, with 15,487 crimes per 100,000 people. 

According to the statistics, there was a 34 per cent increase in thefts over $5,000 and an eight per cent increase in assaults, for a total of 8,693 crimes reported last year.

A 2025 survey conducted by the Rideau Business Improvement Area found that 41 per cent of downtown residents reported feeling unsafe while walking downtown after dark. Another 65 per cent stated the area had worsened over two years, with open drug use in public and discarded needles as the primary concerns. 

Ward 12 is also a hub for social services and emergency shelters, where the city's mental health, housing and addiction crises intersect.

"People who are unhoused need safety and access to care, as do the people who live and work here," Frith said. "Ottawa needs to end the over-concentration of crisis services in our ward and provide housing, health care and support across the city."

He added that this includes safe routes and transportation for families and children, creating a balance of safety for residents and support for those facing homelessness, addiction and mental illness, and managing heavy truck traffic that often impacts King Edward Avenue.

"We support free OC Transpo for youth [aged] 18 and under, a funded Lowertown Transportation Safety and Mobility Study with near-term safety measures, and an end to King Edward Avenue's role as an interprovincial truck route," explained Frith.

At the same time, the ward is a tourism and commercial hotspot, home to the ByWard Market, one of Ottawa's top tourism attractions and contributors to the local economy.

In March 2026, city council approved a $200-million plan to revitalize the historic area, prioritizing pedestrian-friendly streets, new attractions and major infrastructure upgrades. 

According to city documents, the goal is to create a more pedestrian-focused environment while modernizing aging infrastructure and public spaces throughout the market area. Proposed improvements include redesigning York Street Plaza and ByWard Market Square, expanding pedestrian zones and redeveloping the aging Clarence Street parking garage into a community hub.

Frith agreed that Lowertown needs investment in streets and public spaces, and said the Market should serve residents in addition to tourists, "with meaningful, transparent input from residents, local businesses and vendors" in decision-making processes.

Across the ward, Frith said residents deserve a "timely, fair response" to 311 requests made to the city to address their concerns, "regardless of their neighbourhood or its perceived tax base."

These are the main concerns that the association is raising for the municipal election and hoping to hear addressed by candidates, but Frith said it is not an exhaustive list of the concerns all residents have.

The Ottawa Lookout also reached out to the Rideau Community Hub and Vanier Community Association but did not hear back in time for publication.

Regardless of the specific neighbourhood, there is change planned for Rideau–Vanier, and even more that residents are hoping to see in the coming years.

Incumbent city councillor Stephanie Plante was elected in 2022, and has spent this term of council advocating for priorities like housing, public safety, social services and supports, and revitalization of the ByWard Market, all issues that she plans to continue to address if re-elected. 

Five candidates are challenging her, hoping to be elected to the council seat on Oct. 26.

These are their promises.