Ottawa West—Nepean

Ottawa West—Nepean hugs the Ottawa River between Ottawa Centre to the east and Kanata—Carleton to the west, with the CN Rail line and Highway 417 forming much of its southern boundary. The riding takes in more than thirty neighbourhoods from the former City of Nepean and western Ottawa, including Britannia, Bayshore, Centrepointe, Westboro's western fringe, Lincoln Heights, Carlington's western half, Crystal Beach, Crestview, and Parkwood Hills. The population recorded in the 2021 census was approximately 128,600, with an estimated 92,300 electors.

Candidates

Anita Vandenbeld (Liberal) — Born in 1971 and raised in Calgary by immigrant parents from the Netherlands, Vandenbeld was the first in her family to attend university. She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Calgary and a master's in constitutional and political history from York University. Before entering Parliament, she built a career in international development and human rights across more than 20 countries, working with the United Nations Development Programme in New York and Bangladesh and with the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, for which she received the Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal in 2008. First elected in 2015, she was seeking her third term.

Jennifer Jennekens (Conservative) — Jennekens was elected as a School Trustee for the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board in 2018 and brings over a decade of experience as a parliamentary Hill staffer in both the House of Commons and the Senate. As a trustee during the pandemic, she advocated for student mental health, Indigenous reconciliation, and safer schools.

Yavar Hameed (NDP) — Hameed is a human rights lawyer who has practised in Ottawa for over 20 years, fighting discrimination and advocating for fair labour conditions and community justice. He was acclaimed as the NDP candidate for the riding and campaigned on telecommunications affordability, hate crime prevention, and pay equity.

David Yeo (PPC) — Yeo ran as the People's Party of Canada candidate for Ottawa West—Nepean, representing the party's position on reduced government regulation and fiscal restraint.

About the Riding

Ottawa West—Nepean is a sprawling suburban riding whose character reflects the post-war growth of the former City of Nepean. Many of its neighbourhoods were developed from the 1950s through the 1980s as the federal government expanded and Ottawa's public service workforce grew. Today, a significant share of residents are employed in the federal public service, and the riding's proximity to both the downtown core and the high-technology corridor in Kanata gives it a professional, middle-class character.

The riding's diversity has increased considerably over recent decades. Neighbourhoods such as Bayshore and Centrepointe have attracted significant immigrant populations from South Asia, the Middle East, East Africa, and China. The Bayshore area, anchored by the Bayshore Shopping Centre, has become a hub for newcomer settlement services and multicultural community organizations.

Britannia, on the Ottawa River, offers a distinct village-like feel with its heritage homes, sandy beach, and yacht club—a contrast to the more densely developed neighbourhoods further south. Infrastructure and transit connectivity are persistent concerns, as many residents rely on bus service along routes that can be slow during peak hours. The riding's aging housing stock in some neighbourhoods, coupled with rising property values across the city, has made affordability an increasingly prominent issue. Healthcare access, childcare, and environmental stewardship round out the policy priorities that shape campaigns in this diverse suburban constituency.