Ottawa’s next mayor will be expected to tackle transit, housing, property taxes and a host of other issues . But the job also comes with a responsibility unique to leading the capital of a country with two official languages.
The mayor regularly speaks at public events, represents Ottawa outside the city and faces questions from local reporters in both English and French. Nearly 15 per cent of the city’s population uses French as their first official language.
So, should the mayor have to speak French?
Fabien Hébert, president of the Assemblée de la francophonie de l’Ontario, said the ability to communicate with francophone residents matters for anyone seeking the job.
“They are the level of government closest to residents and the one responsible for many of the services people rely on every day,” Hébert said. “Municipal leadership sends a strong message about the place of French in public life.”
He said that responsibility carries even greater weight in Ottawa as it will be at the centre of major international francophone events in the coming years.
“We believe that anyone seeking to lead the city should be able to understand the realities of francophones and engage with them in French,” Hébert said.
French fluency has not always been a prerequisite for the mayor’s office. Former mayor Larry O’Brien did not speak French, while his successor, Jim Watson, regularly worked in both official languages.
The Ottawa Citizen reached out to the four leading candidates for mayor about their ability to speak French, their experience with the language and how they would use it if elected.
Mark Sutcliffe
When Mark Sutcliffe first ran for mayor in 2022, he described his French as “not perfect,” but said he considered himself bilingual. Nearly four years into his term, his campaign now describes him simply as bilingual.
“Mayor Mark Sutcliffe is bilingual,” campaign spokesperson Liam Roche said. “He communicates in French and English at all public events, in all of his speeches and remarks, and in all of his social media posts.”
Sutcliffe said in 2022 that his parents were bilingual and that he spoke French growing up. He studied French throughout his schooling and was working with a tutor during his first mayoral campaign after acknowledging he had lost some of the language through lack of use.
His campaign said French is now a regular part of his work as mayor, including at meetings with francophone leaders and community events.
Roche also pointed to Ottawa’s successful bid to host the 2028 Sommet de la Francophonie and increased French-language recreation programming. Sutcliffe’s campaign said it plans to release a francophone plan during the campaign.
Jeff Leiper
City councillor Jeff Leiper said he is comfortable having conversations in French after getting back into practice.
“I was out of practice, but I’ve knocked on thousands of doors, and I am speaking French comfortably in conversations with Ottawa families,” Leiper said.
Leiper said he attended French immersion until Grade 5 and later completed about six weeks of intensive one-on-one training before taking a language exam with the federal public service.
He said he speaks French a few times a week, including with constituents and while canvassing. He said his wife and her family are francophone, and Leiper said they are also speaking more French at home.
Despite this, his French has faced some public tests during the campaign.
At a press conference last week announcing his transit platform, Leiper answered questions posed to him in French by responding in French, though he apologized multiple times in English as he struggled to work through his answers.
Earlier this year, Leiper’s French campaign signage also drew attention after two incorrect versions appeared in campaign videos. The first translated “For Mayor” as “Pour le maire.” It was then changed to “À la maire,” which was also incorrect, before the French wording was corrected on the third attempt.
If elected, Leiper said he expects press conferences and official communications to be delivered in both languages. He has also committed to taking French-language training offered by the city.
Alex Lawson
Homebuilder Alex Lawson said he is not fluent in French.
“My education in French is the same as most anglophones in Ottawa, and high-school only,” Lawson said.
He said he regrets not becoming fluent when he was younger, while noting that his three daughters are fully bilingual.
If elected, Lawson said learning French would be a priority.
“I commit to focusing on learning French, with hopes of being conversational within the first year,” he said.
Lawson has also pledged “no cuts, and wider availability” for French-language city services, saying they are lacking in some parts of Ottawa, including Kanata.
Neil Saravanamuttoo
Economist Neil Saravanamuttoo said he can speak spontaneously in French and has recently conducted media interviews in the language.
“My French is pretty good,” Saravanamuttoo said. “I would say it is comparable to the proficiency of Prime Minister Mark Carney.”
He said most of his French education came in elementary and high school, with additional language training while working at the federal Department of Finance.
If elected, Saravanamuttoo said he expects to use French regularly for public speeches, news conferences and conversations with residents.
He has not yet released a platform specifically for Ottawa’s francophone community, saying his policies so far have been universal in scope and that the rest of his platform is still to come.
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