Sweeping change for Toronto, Ottawa

Municipal elections in the provincial and federal capitals shake up City Hall and chart new courses for the two cities.

In Toronto budget-cutting right-of-centre Rob Ford won the mayor’s seat handily and will provide a stark contrast to David Miller’s seven-year reign, which saw the expansion of city services and increased spending. Torontonians also bounced six incumbent city councilors and filled the seats of nine others who decided not to run for re-election, meaning that one-third of city council will be fresh faces. In Ottawa, former Ontario Liberal cabinet member Jim Watson easily defeated bungling incumbent Larry O’Brien, and voters sent ten new candidates to city council, defeating incumbents on both the right and the left of the political spectrum.