Four candidates competing for the next Ottawa mayor exchanged heated exchanges during the debate broadcast on CBC Ottawa channel on Tuesday evening. Among the 14 candidates trying to succeed Jim Watson, four were invited to attend and discuss: Mark Sutcliffe, Catherine McKenney, Bob Chiarelli, and Noor Qadri. The program host Omar Dabbagh Pacheco first urged Catherine McKenney to explain how her transit plan could attract people living in Navan, Kanata, and other rural neighborhoods as well as people living in downtown. She responded that her transit plan would allow people to escape traffic by encouraging more people to use public transportation. However, Mark Sutcliffe attacked Catherine McKenney’s plan to build bike paths which would be funded with $250 million. With the benefits, it will cost $450 million, nearly a billion dollars, according to Mr. Sutcliffe. Also, Mark Sutcliffe continued his attacks on Catherine McKenney and added that the public transit discussion must respect rural residents. The candidate continued, saying many citizens he spoke with criticize the condition of city roads, finding them miserable, and that it is necessary to also address public transit and light rail issues, not just create bike lanes. On his part, Noor Qadri mentioned that he will review public transportation schedules to improve routes, and he also wants to improve driver and mechanic retention to enhance reliability and increase users. Finally, Bob Chiarelli talked about the need for a new mayor and new city council to conduct a system review. Also, in one of the clearest exchanges, Bob Chiarelli raised concerns about the Ottawa Police Services Board goal of appointing a new chief before the end of the current city council term, as Mark Sutcliffe is the only one among the four supporting this approach. Additionally, Mr. Chiarelli and Catherine McKenney sent a joint letter on Tuesday to the Civilian Police Oversight Body to investigate a potential conflict caused by Eli El-Chantiry, who is the outgoing city council member but also the chair of the Ottawa Police Services Board and the honorary co-chair of Mark Sutcliffe’s campaign. During the discussion, Bob Chiarelli spoke about the need for a new mayor and new city council to conduct a system review. Bob Chiarelli, who is trying to become Ottawa’s mayor again after serving in the early 2000s, argued that Mr. El-Chantiry is pushing to hire a new leader before the new mayor and council are appointed. While the convoy was in full swing in downtown Ottawa last winter, Catherine McKenney did not hesitate to take to the streets to defend residents. Similarly, on Tuesday evening, Catherine McKenney confronted Mark Sutcliffe about a column he wrote in an Ottawa daily newspaper on February 14 about the need to understand the protesters, although the exact quote was not in the text. In addition, host Omar Dabbagh Pacheco asked each candidate to choose a municipal service they would protect at all costs. Bob Chiarelli said he would protect care recipients and the homeless. Catherine McKenney agreed, as she wanted to end chronic homelessness. Noor Qadri also confirmed that he would retain the number of Ottawa city staff. On his side, Mark Sutcliffe wants to cut 200 municipal jobs and even intends to undergo a review to find savings in non-essential areas. Catherine McKenney continued to defend herself against Mark Sutcliffe’s attacks, notably following up on the donor list that has not yet been published. After facing these attacks, Catherine McKenney in turn defended her plan saying: “My priorities have always been people, transit, housing, and climate action. We have a fully costed, strong plan, and we have taken inflation into account in the budget.” Noor Qadri called himself into the discussion by criticizing the spending plans of favorites in this mayoral race, describing Mark Sutcliffe as unprogressive.