Osgoode Ward is preparing to elect a new representative following former Coun. George Darouze’s shift to provincial politics as the new MPP for Carleton. With the candidate nomination for the by-election now closed, a total of 11 candidates were certified and will be on the ballot for Osgoode residents when voting day comes on June 16, 2025.
Here are the certified candidates:
Doug Thompson
Thompson, 78, is a familiar name in Osgoode ward as the mayor of Osgoode village prior to its amalgamation into the City of Ottawa and then councillor for the ward at City Hall. Prior to that, he was a municipal council in the township for 14 years.
He intended to run provincially for the Ontario Progressive Conservatives for Carleton in 2018, but did not proceed as a candidate.
Prior to his entry into politics, Thompson was teacher for 35 years and minor hockey and baseball coach.
He served as acting mayor of Ottawa in 2009 and has a degree from Carleton University in history and political science.
Colette Lacrois-Velthius
A seemingly new face to municipal politics, Lacrois-Velthius comes from a background in business and tech, with an executive certificate from the Harvard School of Business and extensive career in high-tech.
She lives on a family farm in Osgoode and lists bolstering the rural economy and “protecting our rural way of life” as priorities for her as a candidate.
Dan O’Brien
O’Brien is an entrepreneur and farmer who has been a lifelong resident of Osgoode and describes himself as an avid volunteer and leader.
His campaign website says he has worked to expand a local school bus operation company, supported his wife as the owner of a local retail business, and founded and operated two beef cattle operations.
He is campaigning on extensive experience in community service, particularly as current president of the Township of Osgoode Non-Profit Housing Corporation and the Metcalfe Stanley Non-Profit Apartments Corporation, which work to support local seniors in accessing high-quality and affordable housing.
Isabelle Skalski
Another new face, Skalski brings a background of government experience to the campaign, including at the Privy Council Office and Treasury Board Secretariat.
She has also been president of the Greely Community Association for three years.
She has said she will fight for well-maintained roads, reliable core services, lower taxes, less red tape, as well as “safe streets, thriving villages, and life kept local”.
Jennifer Van Koughnett
Van Koughnett is a newer resident of the ward and campaigning that “the idea behind running was a simple one: we moved here in 2022 and we love it here, and we don’t plan on going anywhere soon,” according to her campaign website.
Her platform is “traffic, trails, Tewin”; she said she will prioritize sidewalk safety, strengthen speed limit enforcement and community involvement, as well as expanding trail networks, engaging youth and supporting the environment.
Van Koughnett also highlights the Tewin project, a suburb project that involves the development of land in southeast Ottawa that is currently owned by the Algonquins of Ontario and Taggart Group of Companies.
Bobby Gulati
Gulati lists fair taxes, support for local businesses and development and “removing red tape” as his priorities.
He does not appear to have an official election website, but has been communicating through his Facebook profile. His LinkedIn profile lists him as a mortgage agent from Ottawa.
Gregory Vail
Vail, a business professional with recent experience as the PEM general manager of Cummins Canada, has also put his name forward.
His campaign website references his experience managing finances as a key pillar of his platform and argues that residents want their tax dollars spent “efficiently and with transparency”.
Arnold Vaughan
According to the city’s election website, Vaughan has not yet provided an election website or social media profile.
Peter Scott Westaway
Westaway’s website says he lives in Nepean, which is not within Osgoode ward, but will move to the ward if elected.
He is also running as a single-issue candidate, he said, with ideas on how to “improve” Ottawa’s Greenbelt.
Guy Clarence Boone
Boone is a registered candidate in the by-election. He does not have a campaign website listed.
