Even if I were a betting man, I wouldn't be making any predictions in Stittsville Ward.
The seat is being left vacant after two terms as a councillor. Glen Gower decided to step aside from municipal politics. To take his place, there are nine names on the ballot.
Chelsea Walton is a mother of five and a community volunteer with municipal experience. She is campaigning to improve infrastructure and ensure city services keep pace with Stittsville's growth. Her priorities include advancing the long-delayed Carp Road widening project, improving bus reliability and providing residents with clearer information about transit performance. Watson has the endorsement of outgoing Coun. Gower.
Mani Sharma has built his campaign around four priorities: traffic, transit, trust and infrastructure. He wants improvements to busy roads and intersections, expanded peak-hour bus service and additional park-and-ride opportunities.
Sheetal Narwal is a cybersecurity executive and former CEO of a Canadian security company. Narwal is focusing on transportation and municipal accountability. She wants more dependable bus service, improved commuter connections and safer roads.
Tanya Hein, a former president of the Stittsville Village Association, has lived in the community since 2005. A licensed paralegal with experience in journalism and federal politics, she is campaigning on reliable transit, responsible development and fiscal accountability. Hein wants infrastructure to keep pace with growth and says municipal spending decisions should be driven by evidence.
Theresa Qadri's name might look familiar. Her husband, Shad Qadri, was the former city councillor for Stittsville before losing to Gower in 2018. Theresa Qadri is chair of the Stittsville Food Bank and a recipient of the Governor General's Sovereign Medal for Volunteers. Her platform focuses on balanced growth, transportation improvements and community engagement. She is proposing an online dashboard to help residents track development applications and infrastructure projects.
Raised in Stittsville, Kevin Hua previously ran for city council in 2022 and represented the NDP federally in Carleton in 2019 and 2021. He has a background in public policy and is proposing a dedicated Stittsville bus station, a community design plan for Hazeldean Road and a Vision Zero road-safety strategy.
Marie-Ange Yindaki Ahinful is the founder of the non-profit Leading Ladies Canada and has a background in finance and public administration. She is advocating for infrastructure improvements, including extending Robert Grant Avenue to Palladium Drive, as well as better transit and pedestrian connections.
Paul Meek is co-founder of Kichesippi Beer Co. His campaign focuses on affordability, neighbourhood safety and improved municipal services. He wants better transit, traffic-calming measures and additional recreational opportunities for young people, particularly those between 11 and 15 years old.
Devin Michael Fitzgerald O'Brien is a former owner of a local Pokémon and anime store who served on the Stittsville Village Board. If elected, he is pledging to serve only one term. His platform includes protecting the community's character from inappropriate development, improving roads, advocating for a west-end health hub and extending transit toward Palladium Drive.
