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Elections are pivotal moments for meaningful change: the outcomes of elections dictate who makes decisions for an entire term. Elections are also important moments to define agendas and raise awareness on key issues.
The City of Ottawa’s 2026 municipal election is no exception. The councillors and mayor elected this October 26 will make key decisions about Ottawa’s future and its ecology.
That this is a municipal election is particularly significant. Since last year’s provincial and federal elections, our leaders have largely walked back climate commitments and replaced them with policies and investments that will only hasten climate change and make us less prepared. To take one example, both Prime Minister Carney and Premier Ford recently announced plans for oil pipelines paid for with taxpayers’ money. As our federal and provincial leaders abandon climate action, it's critical that our municipal leaders push back and limit the destruction.
This is why Ecology Ottawa, like advocacy organizations across the city, is mobilizing to ensure the best outcome of this election. In our election campaign, we seek to raise public awareness of ecology and climate change issues in Ottawa, encourage candidates’ adoption of ecological stances, and empower Ottawans to engage in this critical civic process.
Our 2026 municipal election campaign is composed of several key elements:
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Ecological plank generation: Solicit ecological plank suggestions from our community, both via social media and via an online brainstorming session.
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Ecological plank list: Share around suggested ecological planks we encourage candidates will adopt.
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Candidate survey: Send candidates across wards questions on key ecological issues and post their responses online.
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Mayoral eco-debates: Collaborate with other Peoples Official Plan members to hold eco-debates.
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Basic voting information: Share basic information on our website and social media on how to vote
This is in addition to general awareness-raising through social media, newsletters, and our other channels.
There are many ways to get involved with this election and join our work. We encourage you to follow us on social media (@EcologyOttawa) or subscribe to our newsletter for our latest election news and opportunities.
If you have any questions, or if you’d like to help out with our campaign, please email us at [email protected]. And if you’d like to support our work with a donation, please visit this page.