Suraj Harish. Photo courtesy of surajharishformayor.ca
The following are 5 questions that we sent out to every Ottawa Mayoral candidate in hopes of getting to know them better. We publish the responses exactly as we receive them, in the order that they were sent to us. Here are the responses from Mayoral candidate Suraj Harish.
1. Who are you? Where are you from? What relevant experience do you have for the job?
Suraj Harish P. Eng.retired Senior Project Manager has 36 years of experience working with the City of Ottawa
2. Do you support the current Mayor’s ‘Lansdowne 2.0’ plans? If so, would you amend the plans in any way as mayor?
No comment, I have very little knowledge of Lansdowne of his project.
3. The city spends nearly $1B/y on OC Transpo, though many constituents remain dissatisfied with the state of Ottawa’s public transportation. What would you do as Mayor to improve the city’s transportation system?
Road network is in poor condition with lots of potholes, broken pavement and too many cracks in the vicinity of the intersection. My first priority will be to fix the potholes and fill cracks. Make sure that buses are on time.
4. In a December 2025 poll from Abacus Data, 37% of respondents said that cost of living was the most important issue facing the city; another 19% responded ‘housing affordability.’ What would you do as Mayor to make the city of Ottawa more affordable?
Housing is the first priority. The City of Ottawa will lower their taxes where there is room to lower.
5. Why are you running to be Mayor? What do you think is the biggest issue facing Ottawa today?
I am running because I care deeply about Ottawa. have lots of experience working with the city. I know how their system works.I noticed things are not happnin the way I had expected. I want to continue serving the residents in a new role.
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