# 1988 Ottawa municipal election

The city of Ottawa, Canada held municipal elections on November 14, 1988.
Mayor Jim Durrell was re-elected with little opposition. Rideau Street businessman Michael Bartholomew finished 2nd with just 6% of the vote. Due to the lack of competition, only about one third of the electorate participated in the election.

## Mayor

| Candidate | Votes | % |
| Jim Durrell (X) | 69,813 | 86.77 |
| Michael Bartholomew | 4,800 | 5.97 |
| John Turmel | 3,123 | 3.88 |
| John Kroeker | 1,704 | 2.12 |
| Nabil Fawzry | 1,022 | 1.27 |

## Plebiscite

A plebiscite was held asking voters if they supported establishing a single level of municipal government for the urban part of the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton. It was a non binding plebiscite, and was only held in Ottawa. The measure was supported by mayor Durrell. The city would eventually amalgamate with the region in 2001, including the non-urban areas.
The ballot question read "Are you in favour of the City of Ottawa working towards one level of municipal government for the urban area of Ottawa-Carleton?"
| Choice | Votes | % |
| Yes | 64,862 | 81.11 |
| No | 15,102 | 18.89 |

## City council

The composition of Ottawa's city council was more left leaning than the previous council due to the defeat of Durrell-ally Bob Morrison in Carleton Ward and the election of New Democratic Party backed candidates Lynn Smyth and Michael Jannigan. Jannigan, who was declared elected on election night had to wait over a year to take his seat however, as a recount gave his opponent the win, but after the case was taken to court, a special election was held in 1989 which Jannigan won.
Alta Vista Ward :
| Candidate | Votes | % |
| Darrel Kent (X) | Acclaimed | Acclaimed |
Billings Ward :
| Candidate | Votes | % |
| Joan O'Neill (X) | 4,170 | 84.36 |
| Eugene Mallay | 773 | 15.64 |
Britannia Ward :
| Candidate | Votes | % |
| Jim Jones | 1,941* | 40.79 |
| Ruth Wildgen (X) | 1,931* | 40.58 |
| Geoffrey Sharpe | 496 | 10.42 |
| Jenny Lee Lapointe | 391 | 8.22 |
* Results after a recount.
By-Rideau Ward :
| Candidate | Votes | % |
| Marc Laviolette (X) | 4,395 | 78.11 |
| Les MacAfee | 872 | 15.50 |
| Richard Beaudry | 360 | 6.40 |
Capital Ward :
| Candidate | Votes | % |
| Lynn Smyth | 3,370 | 56.16 |
| Rob Quinn (X) | 2,631 | 43.84 |
Canterbury Ward :
| Candidate | Votes | % |
| Michael McSweeney (X) | 5,592 | 76.33 |
| Ernest Lauzon | 1,734 | 23.67 |
Carleton Ward :
| Candidate | Votes | % |
| Tim Kehoe | 2,480 | 49.03 |
| Bob Morrison (X) | 1,378 | 27.24 |
| Mary Nash | 1,200 | 23.72 |
Queensboro Ward :
| Candidate | Votes | % |
| Mark Maloney (X) | Acclaimed | Acclaimed |
Dalhousie Ward :
| Candidate | Votes | % |
| Peter Harris | 2,024* | 46.12 |
| Michael Janigan | 2,022* | 46.07 |
| Richard Lobb | 343 | 7.81 |
* Results after a recount.
Elmdale Ward :
| Candidate | Votes | % |
| Jamie Fisher (X) | Acclaimed | Acclaimed |
Overbrook-Forbes Ward :
| Candidate | Votes | % |
| George Kelly (X) | Acclaimed | Acclaimed |
Richmond Ward :
| Candidate | Votes | % |
| Jacquelin Holzman (X) | 4,380 | 52.04 |
| Alex Cullen | 2,391 | 28.41 |
| Daniel Stringer | 1,646 | 19.56 |
Riverside Ward :
| Candidate | Votes | % |
| George Brown (X) | 4,531 | 85.30 |
| Norman Van Cleaf | 781 | 14.70 |
St. George's Ward :
| Candidate | Votes | % |
| Nancy Smith (X) | 3,757 | 82.94 |
| Ed Barter | 773 | 17.06 |
Wellington Ward :
| Candidate | Votes | % |
| Diane Holmes (X) | 3,260 | 80.61 |
| Lindsay Blackett | 784 | 19.39 |

### Special election

The election day results in Dalhousie Ward showed Michael Janigan ahead by 12 votes over Peter Harris, but this was done in error. A recount gave Harris a 2 vote win, but Janigan took the results to court, so the city held a special election on November 20, 1989 to resolve the matter, which Janigan won. Harris served as alderman in the interim. The race was a proxy battle for federal politics, with Janigan being supported by the NDP and Harris by the Liberals. The fringe candidates were backed by parties too, the Greens backed Dan Roy and the Rhinoceros Party backed Dale Alkerton
Dalhousie Ward :
| Candidate | Votes | % |
| Michael Janigan | 2,582 | 49.07 |
| Peter Harris | 2,411 | 45.82 |
| Dan Roy | 227 | 4.31 |
| Dale Alkerton | 45 | 0.80 |

## Ottawa Board of Education Trustees

| Zone 1 (Vanier, Rockcliffe Park, By-Rideau, St. George's, Overbrook-Forbes) 3 to be elected (79% of polls reporting) | Vote |
| Jane Dobell (X) | 3,627 |
| Harriet Lang (X) | 2,577 |
| Cynthia Bled | 2,077 |
| Margaret Pazdzior | 1,561 |
| John Stopa | 1,268 |
| Gary Hough | 1,230 |
| Salah Al Zein | 836 |
| Zone 2 (Capital, Wellington) 2 to be elected (94% of polls reporting) | Vote |
| Anne Scotton | 3,144 |
| Brian McGarry (X) | 2,514 |
| Ruth Coodin | 2,064 |
| Don Francis | 1,707 |
| Les Jones | 1,459 |
| Cecile Smithers | 386 |
| Idris Ben-Tahir | 261 |
| Zone 3 (Dalhousie, Riverside, Elmdale) 4 to be elected (98% of polls reporting) | Vote |
| Marian Lothian (X) | 5,282 |
| Ted Best (X) | 4,185 |
| Elda Allen | 4,038 |
| Mary Lou Fleming | 3,277 |
| Helen Campbell | 3,060 |
| William Pugsley | 2,753 |
| Dan Berg | 2,493 |
| Zone 4 (Britannia, Richmond) 2 to be elected (95% of polls reporting) | Vote |
| Bill Gowling (X) | 3,919 |
| Margaret Lange | 3,771 |
| Robert Beatty (X) | 2,409 |
| Wayne Wilson | 2,029 |
| Irma Cohen | 1,700 |
| Terry Orchard | 831 |
| Robert Morrissette | 731 |
| Zone 5 (Carleton, Queensboro) 3 to be elected (96% of polls reporting) | Vote |
| Kathryn Yach (X) | 3,891 |
| Brian Mackey | 3,472 |
| Linda Hunter | 2,629 |
| John Wright | 2,101 |
| Margaret Bristow | 1,468 |
| Geoff Brown | 1,460 |
| Kevin Kinsella | 1,302 |
| Zone 6 (Alta Vista, Billings, Canterbury) 4 to be elected (95% of polls reporting) | Vote |
| Russ Jackson (X) | 5,373 |
| Marjorie Loughrey (X) | 5,273 |
| John Sutherland | 4,393 |
| Roy Bushfield | 3,905 |
| Rosalind Labow | 2,896 |
| Linda Townsend | 2,831 |
| Sue Mack | 2,412 |
| David Gibbons | 2,041 |
| Gordon Campbell | 1,625 |
| Jeannine Ladouceur | 990 |
| Donald Holmes | 827 |