Rawlson King: Rideau-Rockcliffe Ward 13

Rawlson King

Sunday 13 September 2026

Building on Progress: A Record of Service and a Vision for Rideau-Rockcliffe

By Rawlson King, City Councillor Candidate, Rideau-Rockcliffe Ward 13

In April 2019, I was elected to represent the residents of Rideau-Rockcliffe Ward 13 at Ottawa City Hall. Upon taking office, I made a commitment to every resident of this ward: that regardless of postal code or income level, each community within Ward 13 would receive the attention, advocacy, and investment it deserves. As the October 26 municipal election approaches, I am seeking re-election on the basis of a substantive record of achievement and a clear platform for the term ahead.

Ward 13 is among Ottawa’s most economically and socially diverse wards, encompassing communities as distinct as Overbrook, Manor Park, Lindenlea, New Edinburgh, Rockcliffe Park, and the emerging neighbourhood of Wateridge Village. Throughout my time in office, I have been a steadfast advocate for Ward 13 residents, bringing fresh perspectives and collaborative solutions to Ottawa City Council. My approach to municipal governance centres on transparency, accessibility, and community engagement. Serving the full breadth of this ward’s diversity, equitably and without favouritism, has been the foundational principle of my approach to public office. Every motion introduced, every project advanced, and every investment secured has been guided by a single commitment: this ward belongs to all of its residents.

A Substantive Record of Achievement

For seven years, I have produced real results for Ward 13 residents, addressing housing affordability, improving parks, and ensuring sustainable development and infrastructure investments that benefit all residents. The investments secured on behalf of Ward 13 over the past seven years are considerable. Since my election, Rideau-Rockcliffe has seen over $400 million in infrastructure investment and $120 million in affordable housing commitments. Over the past four years, infrastructure renewal alone accounts for more than $81 million in directly attributed ward-level investment, encompassing the St. Patrick Street Bridge rehabilitation, the Manor Park integrated renewal, multiple pumping station upgrades, and road and sewer renewal projects across virtually every neighbourhood in the ward. An additional $20 million has been directed to parks, recreation facilities, and community spaces, from the comprehensive rehabilitation of the St. Laurent Complex to the renewal of Presland Park in Overbrook and the restoration of the Centennial Garden in Village Green Park.

On the matter of housing, my position has been consistent and unambiguous: Ottawa requires new supply at every income level, and affordability must be embedded in every significant development. Among the major housing achievements in Ward 13 are 121 new rental homes at 375 Codd’s Road in Wateridge Village, including 22 deeply affordable units secured through a $245 million federal investment; approximately 1,770 new homes approved for construction on the Coventry Road corridor; and a fully accessible 62-unit mixed-income building approved at 240 Presland Road. The implementation of Ottawa’s “renoviction by-law”, which I supported, provides meaningful protection for the thousands of Ward 13 residents who rent their homes and are vulnerable to bad-faith evictions during major renovations.

Equity as Institutional Practice

Equity must be reflected not only in statements of intention but in how public resources are allocated, how services are designed, and how decisions are made. My commitment to evidence-based decision making and inclusive consultation has resulted in meaningful policy changes that strengthen our communities and improve quality of life for families across Rideau-Rockcliffe Ward. In my capacity as Council Liaison for Anti-Racism and Ethnocultural Relations, I have worked to advance implementation of Ottawa’s Anti-Racism Strategy and to support the Ottawa Stops Hate Together anti-hate campaign. I have been a consistent advocate for sustainable, long-term funding for Black-led, Indigenous, and ethnocultural community organizations, institutions that deliver essential services to residents who depend on them, frequently with insufficient and precarious resources.

As a member of the Ottawa Board of Health, I have advanced Neighbourhood Health and Wellness Hubs intended to bring integrated health and social services directly to underserved communities, supported data-driven approaches to identifying and addressing health disparities, and advocated for a more sustainable provincial funding partnership for Ottawa Public Health.

The expansion of the ANCHOR program to include Overbrook, supported by $700,000 in program funding, represents a significant achievement in evidence-based community safety. ANCHOR deploys health professionals rather than police officers to respond to mental health and substance-use crises, producing better outcomes for individuals in distress and more appropriate use of emergency response resources. This is the model of upstream investment that produces lasting community benefit.

The Work Ahead

Notwithstanding the progress achieved, the challenges facing Ward 13 and the city as a whole remain substantial. Ottawa’s social housing wait list encompasses thousands of households. Transit, now receiving more appropriate levels of funding after more than a decade of chronic underfunding, must demonstrate real and measurable service improvements for riders. The city’s infrastructure deficit remains significant, and the pace of renewal must be sustained. Homelessness, with hundreds of families including thousands of children currently housed in emergency accommodation, demands a prevention-first approach backed by federal and provincial partnership.

My platform for the coming term is grounded in accountability and continuity: expanded affordable and supportive housing, a transit system held to transparent performance standards, complete streets that serve all road users equitably, sustained investment in parks and recreation, strengthened heritage protections, and an equity framework that produces measurable outcomes.

A Commitment to Ward 13

Municipal government is the level of government closest to the daily lives of residents. The decisions made at Ottawa City Hall determine the condition of neighbourhood streets, the quality of local parks, the reliability of transit, and the availability of affordable housing and community services. These are not abstract policy questions. They are the material conditions of people’s lives.

For seven years, I have attended community association meetings, consulted social service agencies, engaged residents across every neighbourhood in the ward, and worked to translate what I have heard into substantive policy outcomes. That commitment to engaged, accountable, and equitable representation is what I offer to the residents of Rideau-Rockcliffe for the term ahead. I call this “Leadership that Listens.”

On October 26, I respectfully request your support and your vote. Learn more about my platform and how to donate or volunteer with my campaign at: http://www.rawlsonking.ca.

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