17 candidates crowd ballot for Rideau-Rockcliffe byelection

Seventeen people arerunning to replace Tobi Nussbaum as city councillor for Rideau-Rockcliffe.

Rideau-Rockliffe's second municipal race in less than six months was triggered when Nussbaum, fresh off his re-election in late October, was named the new CEO of the National Capital Commission in December.

• Tobi Nussbaum named new CEO of National Capital Commission
• Rideau-Rockcliffe going back to the polls April 15

Nussbaumtook 80 per cent of the vote in the last election, topping his only rival, Peter Heyck,7,334 votes to 1,774.

This urban wardis one of the more diverse areas in the city, with about 40,000 residents living in about 20,000 homes.

Issues include affordable housing, programs for at-risk youth, preserving and creating green spacein an era of infill development, and improved transit service.

An increase in shooting incidents over the last few years has also raised concerns about gang violence.

The first day election signs can go up on public property is March 16, and advance voting starts April 5.

Now that the deadline to register has passed, here's who will be on the ballot for the April 15 vote:

• Kasia Adamiec
• Idris Ben-Tahir
• Marc Dorgeville
• Bruce Faulkner
• JohanHamels
• PeterHeyck
• MiklosHorvath
• PeterKarwacki
• RawlsonKing
• Jerry Kovacs
• JamieKwong
• MauriceLamirande
• PatrickMayangi
• OrianaNgabirano
• ChrisPenton
• Sheila Perry
• Penny Thompson

KasiaAdamiec

Adamiechas sat on Ottawa police and Crime Stoppers boards and committees and works at the Parole Board of Canada.

She says she'll tackle crime by funding a return to community policing; alsousing landscaping and better lighting as ways to prevent crime, along with encouraging economic development.

She wants to extend local library hours on Sundays and says she won't accept the city's annual car allowance.

IdrisBen-Tahir

Ben-Tahirregistered on Friday and has notposted a campaignwebsite.

Ben-Tahir is a veteran ofthe Royal Canadian Air Force and a member of both the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Instituteand the Royal Aeronautical Society.

He ran to become mayor in Ottawa in 2010.

In a statement, he said he wants to improve the quality of living for the diverse community of Rideau-Rockcliffe.

Marc Dorgeville

The climatescientist has a PhD from a French university and has worked in Australia, Toronto and Ottawa. Hesettled in New Edinburgh in 2011 and switched to a job in accounting, according to his website.

Dorgeville has been a budget counsellor for people in vulnerable situations, and has provided financial advice to the New EdinburghNews. He hasalso volunteered with local francophone schools.

Dorgeville says he wants to build more social housing, make transit more affordable and help residents who want to rely less on their vehicles, which would help the cityreach its climate goals.

Bruce Faulkner

Faulkner's campaignwebsitehas no biographical information.

A Bruce Faulkner ran for the Libertarian Party in Ottawa Centre in the last provincial election, and in KanataSouth in the 2014 municipal election.

We've reached out to Faulkner's campaign to ask for more information about themand will update the story if and when we hear back.

Johan Hamels

Hamelhas beenexecutive director of both the Canadian and Belgian Green parties before becoming a climate change and renewable energy consultant.

The Manor Park resident has also held roles on parentgroups with schools and school boards.

Hamelsis calling for fewer exceptions to the city's officialplans, making more affordable housing available and making roads safer.

Peter Heyck

Heyckwas Nussbaum'sonly challenger in October, whenhe promised to dedicate more money to policing, economic development and keeping roads and sidewalks maintained.

He told CBC News in an email that he wantsOttawa to be a leader on issues such as the environment, affordable housing, community policing, and access to public transit.

Heyck has not yet posted a campaignwebsite.

Miklos Horvath

According to Horvath, he spent his "formative years" in the U.K. and France before coming back to Canada to get bachelors and masters degrees from Carleton.

He's worked as an auditor for several government departments and volunteers with his childrens' choir and school.

Horvath's platform focuses on making transit more reliable and safe, making more buildings accessible to people with disabilities and following the city's official plans more closely.

He's in favour of returning to the community policing model and getting OC Transpo driver shields installed quickly.

PeterKarwacki

Karwacki says he's been an administrator for three unspecified hospitals and sat on a school board for three years.

He's critical of the city's growing debt, says it could be better prepared for the effects of climate change and thinks Ottawa could use more community spaces inspired by the annual Burning Man festival.

Rawlson King

King ran in the last municipal election as a candidate for public school trustee in an area just to the east of the ward.

He's president of the Overbrook Community Association and is on the new Ottawa Police Service Community Equity Council.

His pledges include giving perks to small businesses in "economically challenged areas," making sure the city's official planning documents take climate change into account, build affordable housing and fund after-school programs, calm traffic and add bike lanes.

Jerry Kovacs

Kovacs registered onFriday and has notposted a campaignwebsite. A Jerry Kovacs ran in Somerset ward in last fall's election, when he placed second behind incumbent Catherine McKenneywith more than 14 per cent of the vote.

We've reached out to Kovacs's campaign to ask for more information about them and will update the story if and when we hear back.

Jamie Kwong

The former leader of theQuartier Vanier Business Improvement Area and the Orlans Chamber of Commerce has a criminology masters from the University of Ottawa and has been a support workers for women in violent situations.

She says as councillorshe would support francophone rights, multi-use mixed housing development that also respects the area's heritage and more funding for environmental initiatives.

Maurice Lamirande

The former French Catholic school board trustee and ex-president of theCentre Francophone de Vaniersays he's running a fully self-funded campaign without taking contributions.

He wants to restore weekly garbage pickup in the summer, lower OC Transpofares for students and seniors and improve snow removal on roads and sidewalks.

Patrick Mayangi

He's worked alongside the Catholic Centre for Immigrants Ottawa and the Multifaith Housing Initiative and has also done research in Germany, Spain and Belgium as part of his Carleton University masters degree inEuropean, Russian and Eurasian Studies.

The three pillars of his platform are affordable housing, youth and community wellbeing, including promises to waive building permit fees for developers that build affordable units and revitalizing the Montreal Road and St. Laurent Boulevard area.

He says he's fluent in English, French. German and Lingala, a language spoken by about 70 million people worldwide; many in Congo and the Republic of Congo.

Oriana Ngabirano

The communications consultant has worked with Refugee 613 and Rideau-Vanier councillor Mathieu Fleury's campaign teamduring the last city election.

She also sits on the board of directors of the Vanier Community Service Centre.

Her platform includes making OC Transpo cheaper for young people ages 13 to 19, more public healthresources for crime prevention and launching a new multicultural festival.

Chris Penton

Penton founded the Beechwood Market and works as a business development manager for people in the agricultural industry.

He says he also volunteers with his son's Scouts group.

He'd work to cut red tape and attract more businesses and services to the ward, make a new sustainable development plan and cutting down on "cut-through" traffic on New Edinburgh's side streets.

Sheila Perry

Perry has taught frompre-school to high school, university and adult education, and has been a community volunteer for years, according to her campaign website.

She ran for election in Rideau-Rockcliffe in 2014, when she placed third behind Nussbaum and incumbent Peter Clark. Last June, Perry was elected president of the Federation of Citizens' Associations of Ottawa. She was named "Volunteer of the Year" for 2018 by Crime Prevention Ottawa.

Perry wants to focus on improving neighbourhood safety by encouraging more activities for all ages and making communities more pedestrian and cyclist friendly, but she also advocates for increased police presence.

She also promises to vote for development that protects the heritage and character of the ward's neighbhourhoods.

Penny Thompson

Thompson has led community associations and served on the board of United Way committees.

She says she wants to make more services available for seniors, young people and families and create a safe, accessible and responsibly-developed downtown core.