Hour 2 of Ottawa Now for Wed. November 12th, 2025

The base operating budget for the Ottawa Police Service will be growing by $26 million, which equates to a 5 percent increase for the police portion of Ottawa’s property tax fees. That’s according to the city’s budgetary gameplan for 2026, as the Draft Budget was unveiled for all to see this morning. Despite this noteworthy increase, Ottawa Police Chief Eric Stubbs says the police force is still in a financial squeeze. He joins Kristy Cameron in Hour 2. When it comes to public transit in Canada’s Capital, a new stretch of LRT is on the horizon, and so is a fare increase. It will soon cost you $4.10 to ride on OC Transpo buses and trains, marking a 10-cent increase. Laura Shantz, a board member with Ottawa Transit Riders, delivers her two cents. And then, we open the debate floor to a pair of city councillors – Kitchissippi representative Jeff Leiper and College Ward representative Laine Johnson.