With less than two weeks before election day, voters in Orléans are preparing to vote and candidates are busy canvassing.
Orléans is a fast-growing suburb of Ottawa’s east end, with many public servants living in the riding.
The boundary for Orléans has been redrawn for the 2025 federal election, with sections of the riding shifting to the ridings of Ottawa-Vanier-Gloucester, Carleton and Prescott-Russell-Cumberland.
According to Elections Canada, there are 101,322 electors on the list. The population, based on 2021 census data, is 126,918.
Liberal Party MP Marie-France Lalonde has represented the riding since the 2019 election. Lalonde won the riding with 52 per cent of the vote in 2021.
Former Liberal MP and cabinet minister Andrew Leslie represented the riding of Orléans between 2015 and 2019. Conservative MP Royal Galipeau represented it between 2006 and 2015, winning three elections.
Voters in the riding share similar concerns as other parts of Canada and Ottawa-area ridings.
For resident Jim Short, health care and the economy are his main issues.
“We need somebody who can lead this country in the right direction and somebody who has experience in exactly that,” he said.
Canada’s tense relationship with the United States and tariffs was echoed by other voters.
“I want someone to be able to handle Trump effectively and I really don’t know which is the best for that,” said resident Heather Dudzinski.
Others pointed to a lack of affordable housing as their main issue at the ballot box.
“I think it’s the most expensive it’s been in many generations. The rent prices, the housing prices. Just seem like there is a generational divide that is causing problems across the board in this country,” said Kieran House.
CTV News spoke with several candidates for the area.
Liberal Party candidate Marie-France Lalonde says the main issue she is focused on coming into this election is the U.S.- Canada relationship.
“I want to reassure voters that our Prime Minister, our leader, Mr. Carney, and myself as your candidate, will be strong voices to help mitigate the issues of the south, but at the same time, build the Canadian economy right here. Interprovincial barriers are huge things for us,” she said.
Lalonde cited her business experience and track record as an MP as among her qualifications.
“I’m running because I believe that I can still deliver for our community. I believe that my track record has proven that I am pragmatic, optimistic, practical and I know how to make things work,” she said.
“I was a business person, I built stuff. So, let’s continue on that to continue to grow our economy right here in my community of Orléans.”
Green party candidate Jaycob Jacques points at affordability as a key issue.
“Canadians are really feeling the crunch of affordability right now. So, the key planks for myself and the party are going to be accessible public transport so people can get to and from their jobs. People are also feeling the crunch of tariffs right now.”
Jacques says he brings with him years of environmental and community advocacy.
“I’ve always been an advocate for affordability and environmental sustainability since I was very young. I’ve always done food drives, environmental initiatives through my school,” he said.
“It’s always kind of been my area to kind of try to help people. So, I want to move into the next steps of that, which is politics. Really putting people first and not the profits of large corporations.”
NDP candidate Oulai B. Goué says he’s focused on tariffs and the economy.
“My main priority is the one that all Orléanans are very concerned about, which is the economy. We are facing both a chaotic and also a very decisive moment of our history,” he said.
He says he is looking to support residents with financial support to deal with the consequences of the tariff war and to lift interprovincial barriers.
Goué adds that he is “disappointed” with the plans brought forward by the Liberals and the Conservatives.
“I think all of Orléans needs an MP who is one of action. I would fight for my constituents, and they can count on me to be an MP who really cares and who is ready to deliver,” he said.
Conservative Party candidate Steve Mansour told CTV News Ottawa on Thursday the Conservative Party has put forward a plan to boost the economy.
“It’s about time Orléans had a bit better representation on Parliament Hill,” Mansour said.
“The fact of the matter is all the demographics of people in Orléans are struggling more than ever after the last 10 years.”
Mansour also has a message for the public servants living in the riding, saying the Conservative Party will “revitalize” the public service.
“We want to make it clear that we are fully OK with fully remote work. This is something that people are so disappointed by. I speak with people at the door and they’re telling me now, ‘We have to go to the office two-three times a week, many cases three times a week, for what reason. When the work that we do can be done just as well from home,’” Mansour said. “People are wasting two hours. It’s not better for work.”
Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre has said a Conservative government could cut the size of the public service through attrition.
Orléans riding candidates:
- People’s Party of Canada: Tafiqul Abu Mohammad
- Libertarian Party of Canada: Ario Arrowsmith
- Independent: Mazhar Choudhry
- NDP: Oulai B. Goué
- Green Party: Jaycob Jacques
- Liberal Party: Marie-France Lalonde (incumbent)
- Conservative Party: Steve Mansour
- Independent: Arabella Vida
