Councillors to decide how to replace newly elected MPP George Darouze at City Hall

With Osgoode Ward Coun. George Darouze bound for Queen’s Park as the newly elected Progressive Conservative MPP for Carleton, there is an empty chair at Ottawa City Council that will need to be filled.

A decision on whether a new councillor will be appointed or whether Osgoode residents will go back to the polls for a byelection will come in the next few days, said  Mayor Mark Sutcliffe.

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“We’ll get to work on that right away. We want to make sure that residents of Osgoode Ward are represented at city council,” Sutcliffe said Friday as he met with the media to discuss Thursday’s provincial election.

“It’s a decision of council. I’m open to whatever council decides on that. I think the most likely scenario will be a byelection, but we’ll wait and see what information we get back from the clerk’s office.”

Darouze took Carleton for the Conservatives, garnering nearly 50 per cent of the vote and besting his closest challenger, Liberal Brandon Bay, by more than 5,800 votes. Darouze, 60, has spent more than a decade on city council since his first election win in 2014. The provincial riding had been held by former Tory Goldie Ghamari, who sat as an Independent after being tossed from caucus by Premier Doug Ford last June.

Orléans South-Navan Coun. Catherine Kitts and Rideau-Jock Coun. David Brown will share duties for Osgoode residents until a new councillor is selected, Sutcliffe said.

The mayor congratulated Ford on his third majority election and said he is confident he will work well with the province, especially with Darouze in government.

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“Over the last two years we’ve had a very strong relationship with the provincial government,” Sutcliffe said. “Things have always got done. And now we have a very strong voice with George Darouze. He has lots of municipal experience that will serve him well in this new role. He will be a champion for Ottawa.”

Sutcliffe’s own Ottawa Centre riding will be represented at Queen’s Park by Catherine McKenney, the former city councillor whom Sutcliffe bested in the 2022 race for mayor.

“I’m happy to work with Catherine. I’ve always had a very good relationship with Catherine, I always did — before the election, during the election, after the election — so I’m happy to work together on priorities for Ottawa.”

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