Nepean

Nepean, centred on the fast-growing community of Barrhaven in Ottawa's south end, entered the 2025 election as an open seat for the first time in nearly two decades. Lisa MacLeod had represented the riding since winning a 2006 by-election and served in several cabinet portfolios under Doug Ford, but announced in September 2024 that she would not seek re-election after what she described as a summer of reflection. Her departure opened the door for a competitive race in a riding that had never elected a non-Conservative MPP since its creation in 1998. Barrhaven's population had grown from roughly 42,000 in 2001 to well over 100,000, and the strain on schools, roads, and services made local infrastructure the defining concern.

Candidates

Tyler Watt (Liberal) — Watt is a registered nurse born and raised in Nepean who studied biology at Trent University before completing his nursing degree in Kingston. He worked as a full-time nurse at a hospital in Nepean and volunteered to administer COVID-19 vaccines with the City of Ottawa during the pandemic. He had previously run in Nepean in 2022, losing narrowly to MacLeod.

Alex Lewis (Progressive Conservative) — Lewis is a police officer with the Ottawa Police Service and a community volunteer with roots in the Nepean area. He was described during the campaign as a dedicated advocate for public safety and local services.

Max Blair (NDP) — Blair is a Carleton University graduate who worked as a legislative assistant in the House of Commons and as a junior policy analyst at Natural Resources Canada.

Minor candidates included Sheilagh McLean (Green Party), John Kovach (New Blue Party), Carmen Charbonneau (Ontario Party), and Peter Westaway (Independent).

Local Issues

Barrhaven's explosive residential growth placed enormous pressure on school capacity during the 2022 to 2025 term. The province committed 77.7 million dollars for a new secondary school on Cambrian Road to serve the Half Moon Bay area, addressing overcrowding in a community where enrolment continued to climb year over year. Additional francophone school construction was also announced.

Transportation infrastructure remained a persistent frustration. The long-sought Highway 416 interchange at Barnsdale Road advanced through environmental assessment during the term, receiving dedicated provincial funding in the 2024 budget, but residents south of the Jock River continued to describe daily commuting as a significant challenge. The absence of rapid transit connections to downtown Ottawa compounded the problem for a population that had grown far faster than its transportation network.

Health care staffing shortages resonated strongly in a riding where Watt's background as a frontline nurse gave him a platform to speak to overcrowded emergency departments and burnout among hospital workers. The broader debate about provincial health care funding and the availability of family physicians in Ottawa's suburban communities featured prominently across all campaigns.