Ottawa West—Nepean

Ottawa West—Nepean is a large suburban riding in the western portion of the City of Ottawa, encompassing much of the former City of Nepean and extending to the Ottawa River. The riding includes the neighbourhoods of Centrepointe, Britannia, Lincoln Heights, Bayshore, Crestview, Carleton Heights, Crystal Beach, Qualicum, Parkwood Hills, and portions of the Queensway Terrace communities. It stretches from the established inner suburbs near the Queensway southward and westward through newer residential developments.

Candidates

John Baird (Conservative) — Baird was the incumbent MP for Ottawa West—Nepean, first elected federally in 2006 and re-elected in 2008. Born in Nepean, he had entered politics at the provincial level in 1995 when he was elected to the Ontario legislature, defeating Liberal incumbent Hans Daigeler. He served as a cabinet minister in the Ontario Progressive Conservative governments of Mike Harris and Ernie Eves, holding the portfolios of Community and Social Services, Energy, and Francophone Affairs, while also serving as Government Chief Whip. After moving to federal politics, Baird served in multiple senior cabinet roles under Prime Minister Stephen Harper, including President of the Treasury Board, Minister of the Environment, and Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities. Heading into the 2011 election, he was serving as Leader of the Government in the House of Commons.

Anita Vandenbeld (Liberal) — Vandenbeld was an international democracy and governance specialist who won the Liberal nomination for the riding in November 2010. Raised in Calgary, she held a bachelor's degree in history and political science from the University of Calgary and a master's degree in constitutional and political history from York University. Before her candidacy, she had spent more than a decade working in international democratic development across over twenty countries, including postings as a parliamentary advisor with the United Nations Development Programme in Bangladesh, a senior advisor with the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, and the resident director of the National Democratic Institute's office in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She was a recipient of the Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal for her work in Kosovo.

Marlene Rivier (NDP) — Rivier was a community and social justice activist and a member of the College of Psychologists of Ontario with a career in healthcare. She was a veteran candidate in the riding, having run for the NDP multiple times in Ottawa West—Nepean.

Mark MacKenzie (Green Party) — MacKenzie stood as the Green Party candidate for the riding.

About the Riding

Ottawa West—Nepean is a sprawling suburban riding whose character ranges from older inner-suburban neighbourhoods near the Queensway to rapidly growing residential developments on the city's western fringe. The former City of Nepean, which amalgamated with Ottawa in 2001, forms the riding's core, and its population grew significantly through the 2000s as new housing subdivisions expanded into previously rural land.

The federal public service is the largest single employer of the riding's residents, with many commuting to government offices in downtown Ottawa and across the National Capital Region. The riding is also home to a significant number of technology sector workers, benefiting from proximity to the Kanata technology corridor to the northwest. Algonquin College's main campus sits within the riding, serving as a major post-secondary institution and employer. The Queensway Carleton Hospital provides healthcare services to the western suburbs.

The riding's population is ethnically diverse, with significant South Asian, Chinese, and Arab communities alongside established anglophone and francophone populations. Centrepointe, in the riding's centre, features a mix of single-family homes and apartment complexes, while the Bayshore area includes large retail centres and higher-density housing. Key local issues heading into the 2011 election included the expansion of rapid transit to the western suburbs, traffic congestion along the Queensway, the impact of federal spending restraint on public service employment, and the pace of infrastructure development to keep up with suburban growth.