Ontario election – Ottawa Centre candidates

Ontario election – the basics 

 

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has called an early election for Thursday, February 27. 

The Glebe is in Ottawa Centre riding. Our current Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Ottawa Centre is New Democtrat Joel Harding. He is not running again provincially, as he will be running for the NDP in the next federal election. 

 

Ottawa Centre candidates for MPP

  • Catherine McKenney – New Democratic Party
  • Thomas Simpson – Liberal Party of Ontario
  • Simon Beckett – Green Party of Ontario
  • Scott Healey – Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario

 

 

Voting 

Elections Ontario administers the Ontario election. Information on voting is available at www.elections.on.ca. 

To be eligible to vote, you must be 18 years or older, a Canadian citizen and a resident of Ontario.  

Registered voters should receive a Voter Information Card in the mail, with the location of the poll.  

You may vote on election day, or vote early, or vote by mail. Advance voting days are not yet known at press time. 

To vote by mail, you need to complete a Vote by Mail application (available online at elections.on.ca) and send it with a copy of one government-issued ID showing name and home address. The application must be received by Elections Ontario by 6 p.m. on February 21. If approved, you will be sent by mail a voting kit with ballot. 

The Elections Ontario website has further information on voting by home visit, voting in hospital, voting if you have no permanent address and other circumstances. 


Ottawa Centre candidates 

 

Scott Healey, Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario 

Hi Glebe neighbours,  

As your Progressive Conservative candidate for Ottawa Centre, I am honoured to be a participant in this democratic process for a second time, and I salute my fellow candidates for their engagement in this important election.   

Ontario residents, like you, are going to the polls in 2025 to ensure that Ontario has a coherent, effective and strong response to the tariff and economic threats from the Trump Administration led by a majority Doug Ford government for the next four years.   

To put it quite simply, to paraphrase James Carville, it’s about the tariffs.” Ontario will have four years of economic anxiety and potentially devastating impacts on our communities and families if these tariffs are actioned. In this election the only qualified team equipped to meet this challenge is a Doug Ford led government; here to defend our great province.  

As Ontario moves on from the pandemic, the Ford Government has been laser focused on investing in you. 

To help all Ontarians with their cost of living, the government reduced personal taxes, cut the gas tax by 10 cents per litre and scrapped licence plate fees, saving $240 for the average family.  

By cutting red tape and taxes, Ontario has created 850,000 jobs since 2018 and has attracted more than $45 billion in new auto and electric vehicle investments.  

The Ford Government has increased health care spending by $25 billion since 2018 and will invest $190 billion in infrastructure for schools, transit, long-term care homes, highways and hospitals. 

The Ford Government has tackled violence against women through Bill 173, launched Ontario STANDS with $1.4 billion in funding to prevent gender-based violence, provided $120 million to the City of Ottawa over three years for shelter and homelessness support, $378 million for Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hubs of which Ottawa just received one and twice increased ODSP payments by its largest amounts in history, 17 per cent since July 2022.  

All the infrastructure projects and social programs that are being built here in Ontario will be in jeopardy if tariffs are imposed.  

A Doug Ford led Progressive Conservative majority government will have the mandate to work with the federal government to mitigate the U.S. tariffs and expend taxpayers’ money in the eventuality that support to Ontarian’s is required. 

I want to represent you in this existential threat to Ontario, and thus I seek your support in this fight.  


Catherine McKenney, New Democratic Party 

My name is Catherine McKenney, and I’m your Ontario NDP candidate in this month’s provincial election. You may know me as the former City Councillor for Somerset Ward, where I served for eight years, or as the founder of CitySHAPES, a non-profit dedicated to building better cities. 

For decades, I’ve been fighting to make Ottawa the best city in Canada. 

As City Councillor, I successfully led the charge to declare a housing and homelessness emergency—because everyone deserves a safe, affordable place to call home. At Queen’s Park, I’ll bring that same energy to ensure Ontario gets back in the business of building homes. The Ontario NDP has a clear plan: real rent control and build more affordable housing, so people aren’t priced out of their own communities. 

I also fought for accountability in our transit system—demanding a public inquiry into the LRT debacle and pushing back against unfair fare hikes. As your MPP, I’ll continue this fight by advocating for increased public transit funding and transparency. Ottawa deserves a transit system that works. 

I stood up against the trucker convoy’s occupation of downtown Ottawa when Doug Ford was out of touch. As your MPP, I will always stand up for you. 

I love this community, and I’m running because I want to keep fighting for Ottawa at Queen’s Park. 

We need real investment in health care and education—to fix the chronic shortages and improve conditions for everyone, including workers. We need evidence-based harm reduction policies that save lives. And we need to protect Ottawa’s independence from Doug Ford’s overreach. 

These are the issues I have advocated for and will fight for as your MPP. 

If you believe the Glebe needs more affordable housing, to protect its greenspaces, that our transit system needs urgent provincial support, and that our health care and education systems must be fixed, I ask for your vote on February 27. It would be an honour to represent you, and I promise—I won’t let you down. 


Simon Beckett, Green Party of Ontario 

Simon Beckett is a proud resident of downtown Ottawa with a passion for building a stronger, more vibrant future for the community. 

As a small business owner working in the housing industry, he understands the challenges local families, workers and entrepreneurs face. From creating jobs to addressing housing needs, Simon brings firsthand knowledge and practical solutions to the table. He has also worked closely with youth in schools and other community organizations to support arts programs and inspire today’s young people. 

Simon believes that leadership means listening, engaging and acting on behalf of the residents in the riding. His priorities include affordable housing, better healthcare and investing in mental and addictions services. With a clear vision for Ottawa Centre, he is ready to work hard to bring positive change to the heart of the city. 

Above all, Simon is committed to ensuring every voice is heard and every opportunity is seized. He is committed to making Ottawa Centre a place where every resident thrives and asking for your support to help build a brighter future for Ottawa Centre, together. 


Thomas Simpson, Liberal Party of Ontario 

I’m Thomas Simpson, and I’m running to be your MPP in Ottawa Centre. I’m running because I believe in a government that puts people first. As a community leader and disability advocate, I’ve spent over a decade working to help shape legislation like the Accessible Canada Act and securing funding to create jobs for people with disabilities. I know how to get results, and I’m ready to bring that same energy to Queen’s Park. 

We need a leader who will fight for better healthcare, stronger schools, more affordable housing, and a reliable transit system that actually works for us. 

Doug Ford has left Ottawa behind, and the NDP has failed to deliver after representing our community for seven years. 

 

 

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