Liberal Anita Vandenbeld was delighted to win her fourth term in Ottawa West-Nepean on Monday after campaigning against a slate of first-time candidates.
“We chose our neighbours over hate,” she said to a few dozen supporters who were gathered to eat pizza and watch the election results on a big screen at Colonnade Pizza’s Fairlawn Plaza location.
“We chose to be united, not divided, and we chose to keep our country, Canada, united and strong,” she continued, adding a plug for her new boss, “and with Prime Minister Mark Carney, Canada is united and strong, and we are ready for anything.”
Vandenbeld thanked the volunteers, her husband and gave a special shout-out to her mother, Maria, who was instrumental in helping Vandenbeld secure her first victory a decade ago by diligently working the phones.
A lively crowd of volunteers and supporters filled the well-lit restaurant, enjoying the pizza and watching the results with eyes glued to the live feed on a TV screen. Cheers erupted with every Liberal seat notched on the scoreboard, while a chant of “Anita, Anita” broke out as she took the lead. Large red-and-white campaign signs decorated the room, and every other person sported a red Team Anita T-shirt.
When the win was confirmed, the crowd leaped to their feet and Vandenbeld was ushered to the small stage to express her gratitude.
“I have this incredible privilege of representing what I believe is the best riding in the country,” she declared. “It’s a beautiful riding … it’s got the river, nature, diversity. It is the face of Canada.”
She also voiced her belief in power of democracy and promised to keep fighting for constituents.
With 250 of 251 polls reporting, Vandenbeld had 63 per cent of the vote, with a lead of 42,5056 to 18,236 over the Conservatives’ Ryan Telford in second.
Over at the Conservative watch party, about 15 people gathered in Telford’s campaign office as the results rolled in.
Silent but focused, Telford’s supporters watched as news networks called the federal election for the Liberals and Carney. Supporters cycled in and out of the building, with minimal chatter except the occasional expression of disappointment with the results.
The supporters, some donning “Canada First” and Pierre Poilievre branded clothing, sat among large campaign signs displaying Telford’s name and two large Canadian flags. Telford arrived around 10:30 p.m. and was greeted with a quiet warmth before he proceeded to a private area upstairs in the event building.
A Citizen reporter at the event was told the candidate and the campaign would be providing no interviews to the media that night.
It was the fourth victory for Vandenbeld, an expert on democracy and human rights who worked in more than 20 countries during her international development career. She coasted to her first victory in 2015 with more than 55 per cent of the vote, repeated the feat in 2019 with 45.6 per cent and again in 2021, though she lost about 1,700 (0.5 per cent) votes in that election.
This time around, she was quick to align herself with Liberal Leader Mark Carney, describing him as a “world-renowned economist who knows how to talk to world leaders,” and holding him up as the best person to fight Donald Trump’s unjustified tariffs.
Vandenbeld leaned on her “experience and compassion”
during the campaign, noting that she has continued to host a weekly coffee hour with constituents, which now takes place on Zoom. She also makes time for 10-minute phone calls with any constituent on Friday afternoons, and pledged to continue to keep both channels of communication open to residents.
Other issues underscored by Vandenbeld, 55, included housing, jobs and protecting the local environment.
“I tend to pick one big project and then focus solely on that until it’s done,” she said in an interview.
This time, the main project she promised to pursue is a housing development on a plot of federal land across from the Queensway Carleton Hospital. She pledged to bring partners together to construct something that would combine long-term care, transitional housing for those leaving the hospital and housing for front-line health-care workers.
She also promised to develop and protect good jobs, minimize public-service cuts and help young people get into the federal workforce.
In a riding that hugs the Ottawa River, roughly from Shirley’s Bay to the Kichi Zībī LRT station, the local environment was another top concern. Vandenbeld vowed to continue to work to protect green spaces, including Mud Lake and the greenbelt. She called for more consultation and conservation with the National Capital Commission, the Crown corporation that manages the urban shoreline and its parks, multi-use paths and scenic parkways.
Vandenbeld’s rivals included Telford, a single father of a teenage daughter whose career in the public service focused on national security. He
did not participate in debates
during the campaign, but promised to deal with the affordability crisis and stand up for the riding’s Jewish population in combating antisemitism.
The NDP was represented by Josh Bizjak, a father of one and an NGO management professional who’s knowledgeable on labour issues, public policy and trade relations. He pledged to better represent constituents while fighting for improved public services, affordability and economic measures to strengthen the country.
Computer scientist Prashanta Dhakal, a father of one who’s married to a nurse, ran for the Green Party of Canada with a platform based on a broad view of sustainability that encompassed the economy, immigration and taxation systems, as well as the environment.
His greatest moment during the campaign was a patient explanation
of the impact of carbon dioxide to a climate skeptic during a candidates’ forum.
The other two candidates were Sean Mulligan of the Christian Heritage Party and People’s Party of Canada contender Glen Armstrong.
SEE MORE OTTAWA-AREA RESULTS
Please check back as we update results live.
Carleton
Nepean
Ottawa West-Nepean
Kanata
Ottawa South
Ottawa—Vanier—Gloucester
Orléans
Ottawa Centre
Outaouais roundup:
Gatineau, Hull-Aylmer, Pontiac-Kitigan Zibi
Rural Ottawa roundup: Lanark-Frontenac, Algonquin-Renfrew-Pembroke, and Prescott-Russell-Cumberland
