Kate Porter

Reporter

Kate Porter does explanatory and analysis pieces about local issues for CBC Ottawa. She covered Ottawa City Hall daily for eight years, doing deep dives into development decisions, covering the LRT public inquiry and analyzing multiple elections and budgets. In her more than 20 years at CBC, she has also read the radio news and covered the arts beat.

Latest from Kate Porter

Councillor calls for referendum on Lansdowne 2.0, but mayor opposed

Coun. Shawn Menard points to a petition with 5,000 signatures calling for a citywide referendum on Lansdowne 2.0, but the mayor says it's not needed and would create uncertainty for a process that's already underway.

Developers seek to expand Ottawa suburbs after Ontario rules rewritten

After the Ontario government changed its planning rules, Ottawa housing developers have been making one-off requests to expand the urban boundary and challenged the City of Ottawa at the Ontario Land Tribunal.

OCDSB approves French immersion and English in most schools

Trustees voted 9-3 to streamline the board's programs down to English and French immersion starting September 2026 in one of the biggest changes to the OCDSB in decades.

What you need to know ahead of the OCDSB's final vote on its elementary review

Trustees on the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) will take a final vote Tuesday evening on a controversial overhaul of elementary programs that has been years in the making.

Ottawa city councillor wants debate, reversal of Tewin development

An Ottawa city councillor wants to reverse a council decision made four years ago and prevent the 445-hectare Tewin development in the city's rural southeast from being built.

Algonquin College board approves budget with $34.8M deficit

The eastern Ontario college will dip deep into its reserves to balance its budget.

Demand for child care in Ottawa soars 300 per cent, new report finds

As the cost of child care in Ontario has fallen to a maximum of $22 a day for children under the age of six, demand in Ottawa has soared, according to the city.

'High-stakes' list sets out Ottawa's road and transit projects for 20 years

Transportation planners at the City of Ottawa have finally released which transit and road projects it will focus on over the next two decades, with several councillors feeling it's their one chance to get their community's needs in the queue.

Parents on guard as OCDSB shifts supports for special needs

As the OCDSB considers shifting some specialized classes to the mainstream and cutting educational assistants, parents worry children with complex needs will be even worse off.

OCDSB looking to cut 150 full-time jobs

Ottawa's largest school board plans to cut staffing by 150 full-time positions by the next school year as it faces both a drop in kindergarten enrolment and a projected $20-million budget shortfall.