Byelection June 16 to fill George Darouze's Osgoode seat

Osgoode ward residents will head to the polls on June 16 to choose their next city councillor.

The rural south Ottawa ward's council seat was declared vacant after George Darouze, who'd been in the midst of his third term, was elected last month as a Progressive Conservative MPP for the riding of Carleton.

Provincial law gave city council two options: hold a byelection or appoint someone to the seat until the next general election in October 2026.

Council decided on the byelection route and on Wednesday, agreed to hold the vote in mid-June. According to a staff report, it will cost roughly $522,000.

Under the timeline approved Wednesday, candidates will be able to file their nomination forms starting Thursday, as can anyone planning to register as a third-party advertiser.

Candidate nominations will close May 2, with election signs able to go up that same day. Advance voting day is June 6.

Two of the ward's neighbouring councillors, Catherine Kitts and David Brown, have been handling responsibilities for Osgoode's residents while the seat is vacant.

Generally, the ward generally sits south of the Greenbelt, with the Rideau River as its western border and city limits as its south and east ends. Its communities include Greely, Metcalfe and the titular Osgoode.