Last week on the trail: What you might have missed in the campaign

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeNewsLocal News Last week on the trail: What you might have missed in the campaign With election campaigns in full swing, keeping up with the municipal election can be hard. Here’s what you might have missed last week. Author of the article: By Abyssinia Abebe Published Sep 21, 2026 5 minute read Join the conversation Mayoral candidates, left to right: Neil Saravanamuttoo, Mark Sutcliffe, Jeff Leiper and Alex Lawson.  PHOTO BY JEAN LEVAC, TONY CALDWELL /Postmedia Article content Ottawa’s mayoral hopefuls have been gradually rolling out their platforms, knocking on doors and placing their election signs across the city as we get ever closer to election day on Oct. 26. Article content It can be hard to keep up with campaign promises for all candidates. The Ottawa Citizen wants to help readers make an informed decision on voting day. Here is a roundup of the promises made in the past week by the four leading mayoral candidates: Neil Saravanamuttoo, Mark Sutcliffe, Jeff Leiper and Alex Lawson. Article content Article content Article content Neil Saravanamuttoo Article content The Evening Citizen The Ottawa Citizen’s best journalism, delivered directly to your inbox by 7 p.m. on weekdays. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content RTO congestion plan, unveiled Sept. 11: Article content Saravanamuttoo says he “strongly” opposes the federal return to office (RTO) mandate, arguing the capital lacks a road network capable of managing an inflow of additional commuters. He promises to ask the federal government to re-evaluate the mandate and establish park-and-shuttle facilities at locations with underused parking near locations like Confederation Heights. Article content As part of his RTO traffic congestion plan, Saravanamuttoo pledges to create a People’s Office for Better Construction, which he envisions as being a small team at city hall that would be laser focused on co-ordinating construction and minimizing the effect on residents. Article content “Before construction season begins, this team will co-ordinate projects involving the city, the National Capital Commission, the province, utility companies, developers and contractors to avoid unnecessary overlap and road closures.” Article content Saravanamuttoo says the…