Ottawa has a great deal going for it.
We have globally competitive industries, strong institutions, exceptional talent, a growing visitor economy and a quality of life that continues to attract people, businesses and investment.
That was the clear message from Ottawa’s Next Chapter: An Economic Leaders Panel, hosted by the Ottawa Board of Trade on October 6 with business and community leaders, municipal candidates and partners from across the city. The conversation focused on what is working, where momentum is building, and what we need to do next to turn our strengths into even greater economic opportunity.
Moderated by Dr. David Coletto, Founder and CEO of Abacus Data, the panel featured Megan Cornell of General Dynamics Mission Systems–Canada, Michael Crockatt of Ottawa Tourism, and Kelly Rhodenizer of Colonnade BridgePort.
A City Worth Believing In
Coletto opened the conversation from a personal perspective.
He has lived in Ottawa for more than 25 years, built his business here and travels regularly across the country. That perspective, he said, makes it easier to see something residents can sometimes overlook; many of the challenges Ottawa is working through are shared by other major Canadian cities, while Ottawa possesses a combination of advantages that is genuinely distinctive – its role as the capital, strong universities, technology and defence clusters, access to nature and quality of life.
His question for the evening captured the opportunity in front of us:
Do we live off Ottawa’s advantages – or do we build on them?
That question became the thread running through the evening.
We are building from a position of strength
The evidence of Ottawa’s economic strength is substantial.
General Dynamics alone employs approximately 800 people in Ottawa, including 400 engineers, and works with 250 Canadian suppliers. Cornell pointed to Ottawa’s long history in technology and defence and to the momentum already being created through the work of Invest Ottawa, the City of Ottawa and industry partners.
Tourism is a significant economic engine. Visitors spend approximately $2.3 billion in Ottawa each year, supporting roughly 45,000 tourism and hospitality workers. Ottawa Tourism’s research also shows strong resident support for the sector and recognition of its contribution to Ottawa’s economy and quality of life.
Ottawa continues to be attractive to investors as well. Rhodenizer described the city as an easy sell because of its quality of life, access and overall appeal.
Crockatt summed up the opportunity plainly:
“Ottawa has all the ingredients to win. But potential is not a good enough strategy.”
The opportunity now is to turn that potential into results.
Growth is ultimately about people
That idea came to life before the panel even began.
Christian Rios of Clôtures Sentinelle shared the story of arriving in Canada speaking only Spanish, building a life here, and now helping a Quebec company with more than 40 years of history expand into Ottawa. For him, growth is not only about investment. It is about people, creating opportunity and opening doors for the next generation.
His story was a fitting reminder that economic growth is ultimately about people choosing Ottawa, businesses choosing Ottawa and our city creating the conditions for both to succeed.
The next step: make it easier to move
One issue surfaced repeatedly, no matter which sector was speaking: mobility matters.
For employers, reliable transit expands where people can live and work. For developers, it supports the creation of new communities. For tourism, it connects residents and visitors to festivals, conventions, attractions and local businesses.
Cornell put it bluntly:
“Transit . . . I think it is the question of the decade maybe in Ottawa.”
Crockatt reinforced the point from the tourism perspective: reliable transit is not just community infrastructure; it is tourism infrastructure too.
The next step is clear: continue improving reliability, strengthen connections across the city and ensure major investments, including future high-speed rail, connect effectively to the communities and economic centres around them.
The next step: turn strong policy into faster delivery
Ottawa has made important progress on the policy side of housing and development.
Rhodenizer highlighted the work already done by the City of Ottawa and the Mayor’s innovation task force and said the next phase must focus on execution.
“These policies that have been put in place are fantastic, but now we need to execute on it.”
That means strengthening municipal capacity, reducing unnecessary delays and creating a more predictable path from approval to construction.
The opportunity is significant. Rhodenizer described a well-connected project near VIA Rail, the O-Train and Highway 417 that took roughly five years from filing to the point where construction could begin.
Ottawa does not need to start over. Much of the policy work is underway. The next step is to make the system work faster so housing, investment and major projects can move when the opportunity is there.
The next step: build on downtown momentum
The conversation about downtown was also grounded in progress.
Panelists spoke about the importance of a vibrant core to tourism, investment, talent attraction and Ottawa’s identity as the capital of Canada.
Crockatt noted that both resident and visitor sentiment toward Ottawa as a destination have improved over the past two years.
That is momentum worth building on.
“Downtown is the front door to our destination.” says Crockatt.
Rhodenizer spoke about creating more complete mixed-use communities in the core, with housing, parks, schools, retail and everyday amenities.
Cornell offered an equally important citywide perspective:
“It’s our downtown too. Everyone that lives in this city, the downtown is ours.”
The next step is to keep creating a downtown where more people want to live, work, visit and invest – and one that reflects the ambition of a national capital.
Good for business. Good for Ottawa.
One of the strongest themes of the evening was how closely business and resident priorities align.
Reliable transit helps employees get to work and residents get around the city.
More housing gives people greater choice and helps employers attract talent.
A vibrant downtown attracts visitors and investment while creating a better experience for residents.
Arts, culture, public spaces and major events strengthen both the economy and quality of life.
At the close of the conversation, Coletto reflected that there is “incredible alignment” between the priorities of Ottawa residents and the business community.
Economic growth and community prosperity are not competing ambitions.
They reinforce one another.
From momentum to action
Asked to look ahead to 2030, the panelists pointed to more housing options, responsive municipal government, reliable transit and a confident capital city identity.
The message was not that Ottawa needs to reinvent itself.
It was that Ottawa has strong assets, meaningful progress underway and an opportunity to move with greater confidence and speed.
Coletto’s advice captured the mood of the evening:
“Be bold and step on the pedal because . . . that window is open, and it feels that way for our city right now.”
And perhaps most importantly:
“Let’s think in abundance terms and not in scarcity.”
That is the spirit behind the Ottawa Board of Trade’s More Ottawa campaign.
We will continue bringing business leaders, candidates, residents, and community partners together around the priorities that will help Ottawa grow and compete. And we will carry this work beyond election day by advocating for progress and measuring results.
If you own or lead a business, this is the work your Board of Trade does on your behalf. Join us and add your voice.
If you believe Ottawa can build on its momentum, share these priorities with your network.
And as Ottawa chooses its next Mayor and Council, learn where candidates stand, ask the questions that matter to you, and make your voice heard. Vote.
Explore the priorities and candidate responses at MoreOttawa.ca.
More Ambition. More Action. More Ottawa.
The full recording of the discussion is coming soon.