Ottawa—Vanier

Ottawa—Vanier is an urban riding in the eastern part of the City of Ottawa, stretching from the Ottawa River south through a mix of historic and diverse neighbourhoods. The riding encompasses Lowertown, Sandy Hill, New Edinburgh, Rockcliffe Park, Manor Park, Vanier, Overbrook, Beacon Hill, and Cyrville. It is bounded by the Rideau River and Rideau Canal to the west and extends eastward into the suburban communities of Carson Grove and Pineview.

Candidates

Mauril Bélanger (Liberal) — Bélanger was the incumbent MP for Ottawa—Vanier, first elected in a 1995 by-election and re-elected in every subsequent general election. Born in Mattawa, a small logging town in northeastern Ontario, he graduated from the University of Ottawa in 1977, where he served two terms as president of the student federation. He had served in the cabinet of Prime Minister Paul Martin as Minister responsible for Official Languages, Associate Minister of National Defence, Minister responsible for Democratic Reform, and Minister for Internal Trade. Bélanger was widely known for his advocacy on behalf of Franco-Ontarian communities, most notably his role in the successful campaign to keep Ottawa's Montfort Hospital open when the Ontario government threatened its closure in 1997. He also championed bilingual federal services and the rights of official language minorities.

Trevor Haché (NDP) — Haché was a community activist and co-founder of Ecology Ottawa, an environmental advocacy organization. He was also involved with the Healthy Transportation Coalition and Ottawa Transit Riders. Before his political involvement, he had worked as a journalist with The Simcoe Reformer newspaper. He had previously run as the NDP candidate in Ottawa—Vanier in the 2008 federal election.

Rem Westland (Conservative) — Westland stood as the Conservative Party candidate for the riding.

Caroline Rioux (Green Party) — Rioux ran as the Green Party candidate in Ottawa—Vanier.

Christian Legeais (Marxist-Leninist) also stood as a candidate.

About the Riding

Ottawa—Vanier is one of the most linguistically and culturally diverse ridings in Ontario. The community of Vanier, a former independent city amalgamated into Ottawa in 2001, has historically been one of Ottawa's principal francophone neighbourhoods, though its francophone population had been declining since the 1990s. Overbrook and Lowertown are home to significant immigrant communities, including residents of Somali, Lebanese, and Haitian origin, while Rockcliffe Park and New Edinburgh are among Ottawa's most affluent neighbourhoods, home to several diplomatic residences and Rideau Hall, the official residence of the Governor General.

The riding's economy is shaped by the federal public service, with many residents employed in government departments headquartered nearby. The ByWard Market, located in Lowertown at the riding's western edge, is a major commercial and tourism hub. The Montfort Hospital, a francophone teaching hospital, is a significant employer and a symbol of Franco-Ontarian identity following the campaign to prevent its closure. The University of Ottawa campus borders the riding, contributing a student population.

Key issues heading into the 2011 election included poverty and affordable housing in Vanier and Overbrook, protection of francophone services, transit improvements, and the needs of the riding's growing immigrant communities. The riding had one of the older population profiles in Ottawa, and concerns about seniors' services and healthcare access were prominent.