Meet the 11 candidates vying to succeed George Darouze in Osgoode
Voters head to the polls on June 16.
Better roads. More police. Giving rural wards like Osgoode a stronger voice at city council. These are some of the goals of the 11 people vying to be Ottawa's next Ward 20 councillor.
The seat became vacant after George Darouze was elected as Carleton's MPP. Residents will vote on his replacement on June 16 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m, or in advance on June 6.
To help electors understand who the candidates are and what they stand for, we asked all 11 to complete a questionnaire, and most of them responded.
You can learn more about the candidates and what they had to say by reading their questionnaire responses below. You can also skip directly to the candidate you want to hear from by following these links:
- Guy Boone
- Bobby Gulati
- Dalton Holloway
- Colette Lacroix-Velthuis
- Dan O'Brien
- Isabelle Skalski
- Doug Thompson
- Gregory Vail
- Jennifer van Koughnett
- Arnold Vaughan
- Peter Westaway
The election comes over a year before the city's next general election on Oct. 26, 2026.
For more information about where and how to vote, visit the city's election page.
Candidates
CBC Ottawa sent a detailed questionnaire to Osgoode candidates and all but one responded. Candidates were also asked to submit photos of themselves. Where candidates have websites or campaign pages on social media, those links can be accessed by clicking on the candidate's name.
Guy Boone
Road maintenance, plus policing and emergency presence are among Boone's top priorities for the ward.
Read his questionnaire answers in full here.
Bobby Gulati
Gulati cites the creation a local business association as one of his top priorities, and also wants to make the Tewin development a "win-win situation" for residents and developers.
Read his questionnaire answers in full here.
Dalton Holloway
Holloway says it's important that Osgoode has the right infrastructure. He also wants to make sure the rural voice is "amplified."
Read his questionnaire answers in full here.
Colette Lacroix-Velthuis
Ensuring the city executes on the area's core services, community safety, and emergency services "that we deserve" are among Lacroix-Velthuis's priorities.
Read her questionnaire answers in full here.
Dan O'Brien
O'Brien says he wants improved road conditions in the ward — and more police to discourage speeding and other illegal activity.
Read his questionnaire answers in full here.
Isabelle Skalski
Priorities for Skalski start with roads: better maintenance, addressing a lack of paved shoulders and expanding key routes.
Read her questionnaire answers in full here.
Doug Thompson
Thompson also counts a lack of sufficient policing as a concern, and he's also advocating for road upgrades.
Read his questionnaire answers in full here.
Gregory Vail
Vail is intent on joining forces with Ottawa's four other rural councillors to strength their collective voice, and working closely with community groups.
Read his questionnaire answers in full here.
Jennifer van Koughnett
"My platform is what I like to call the Ts; traffic: trails, and transparency," van Koughnett writes.
Read her questionnaire answers in full here.
Arnold Vaughan
Peter Westaway
Westaway is intensely focused on rethinking Ottawa's Greenbelt, and believes the ward should concern itself more with what is going on in the city as a whole.
Read his questionnaire answers in full here.