Ottawa Centre

Ottawa Centre encompasses the urban core of Canada’s capital, including the downtown area around Parliament Hill, the neighbourhoods of Centretown, the Glebe, Old Ottawa South, and parts of Little Italy and Hintonburg. It is one of Ontario’s most politically progressive ridings, home to a mix of federal public servants, university students, and urban professionals. Joel Harden of the NDP won the seat in 2018, defeating the incumbent Liberal, and entered the 2022 campaign with strong name recognition and community ties built through years of constituency work.

The riding’s political landscape in 2022 was shaped by the January–February Freedom Convoy occupation, which had a direct and disruptive impact on residents and businesses in Ottawa Centre’s downtown core. The three-week protest against COVID-19 mandates paralyzed the neighbourhood and became a defining local experience ahead of the June vote.

Candidates

Joel Harden (NDP) — Raised in Vankleek Hill, Ontario, Harden worked as a researcher with the Canadian Federation of Students and later as Director of Education for the Canadian Labour Congress, where he helped design the campaign to expand the Canada Pension Plan. He taught at Carleton University’s Department of Law and Legal Studies and authored the book “Quiet No More: New Political Activism in Canada and Around the Globe.” He was first elected in Ottawa Centre in 2018.

Katie Gibbs (Liberal) — A scientist who completed a PhD in conservation biology at the University of Ottawa, Gibbs was one of the lead organizers of the 2012 “Death of Evidence” rally, one of the largest science rallies in Canadian history. She co-founded Evidence for Democracy, a national non-partisan organization promoting the use of evidence in government decision-making.

Scott Healey (Progressive Conservative) — A 40-year veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces who served two command tours at sea and a deployment in Afghanistan, Healey holds a degree in history from York University. He is a director of the Friends of the Canadian War Museum and president of HMCS Bytown.

Shelby Bertrand (Green Party) — A political activist and former public servant who was pursuing a master’s degree in philosophy at the University of Ottawa, Bertrand’s work at Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada included processing cases involving residential school survivors.

Glen Armstrong ran for the New Blue Party, Marc Adornato for the None of the Above Direct Democracy Party, Stuart Ryan for the Communist Party, and Thomas Borcsok and Josh Rachlis as independents.

Local Issues

The Freedom Convoy occupation of downtown Ottawa in January and February 2022 was the most immediate local issue. For approximately three weeks, trucks and protesters occupied Centretown streets, causing economic damages estimated between $44 million and $200 million. Downtown businesses were forced to close, low-wage workers lost income, and residents reported an atmosphere of fear that kept many confined to their homes. Homeless shelters reported harassment from demonstrators seeking meals. The occupation raised urgent questions about policing, public safety, and the vulnerability of the capital’s downtown core to extended disruptions.

Homelessness and housing affordability were persistent concerns. Family homelessness in Ottawa rose sharply, and the downtown core experienced a growing visible crisis of rough sleeping and encampments. Advocates called for more supportive housing, mental health services, and a provincial strategy that matched the scale of the problem.

Ottawa’s LRT system had experienced significant operational issues since its launch in 2019, including derailments and recurring mechanical failures that disrupted service on the Confederation Line. For Ottawa Centre residents who relied on the line for daily commuting, the unreliable service compounded frustration with the transit system’s rollout.