Brian Innes. Photo courtesy of the Brian Innes campaign
The following are 5 questions that we sent out to every Ottawa City Council 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 Kitchissippi (Ward 15) Council candidate Brian Innes.
1. Who are you? Where are you from? What relevant experience do you have for the job?
I am Brian Innes, and I am running to be the voice of Kitchissippi at City Hall. Our family loves living in Kitchissippi. My experience working alongside municipal, provincial, national and international governments has taught me how to bring people to the table, keep them focused, and push for results residents can actually see. As a leader of non-profit associations, I’ve helped small, medium and multinational businesses come together under a common purpose and get results. And as a board chair and board member, I’ve led diverse people to a common goal while ensuring accountability.
2. 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 a councillor to improve the city’s transportation system?
We need a plan for our major roads and practical traffic solutions. We’re fortunate to have the LRT and many bus options available in our community, but we also know that there will be more cars in our community as we grow. We deserve to have reliable transit. A city the size of Ottawa must have reliable transit. For our ward, this means that buses must show up on schedule so that riders can get to work, pick up their kids or get to an appointment on time. As your councillor:
- I’ll advocate for a transparent study on how our major roads will handle projected growth and seek community engagement on potential options.
- I’ll listen to resident concerns and seek practical traffic solutions that keep cars, bikes and people moving safely.
- I’ll track performance of key local bus routes and work alongside other councillors and the mayor to restore reliability to our transit system.
3. 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 a councillor to make the city of Ottawa more affordable?
In discussions with residents, three initiatives that have been raised that deserve thorough review as potential options to make life more affordable: free youth transit fares at select times, free recreation access for children and youth at select times and expanded property tax deferral options for seniors.
4. Certain city services like OC Transpo and the OPS have run significant deficits in recent years. Is there anything that you would do as a councillor to try to balance the city’s budget?
As councillor, I would support a motion for all general managers to review their operations and programs to identify how needs match against allocated resources.
5. Why are you running for Council? What do you think is the biggest issue facing your ward today?
I am running because we deserve a councillor who will make development work for people that live here and make sure services and infrastructure keep up. We love living in Kitchissippi and I want to make sure that development works for us. Right now, growth is putting real pressure on our daily life. Roads are more congested. Transit is unreliable. Parks and recreation are not keeping up. We’re asked to accept more density without seeing the services and infrastructure that should come with it. I’m a leader with a proven ability to collaborate and get results. I’m excited to get to make growth work for people who live here so that we keep the character of our neighbourhoods, have recreation for our population and have transportation that keeps us moving.
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