09/22/2026
Humanist Ottawa Calls for Greater Engagement from Mayoral Candidates
OTTAWA — September 22, 2026 — Humanist Ottawa is expressing concern about the limited response from Ottawa mayoral candidates to its August 28 open letter seeking their views on issues central to humanist and democratic values.
An informed electorate is the bedrock of a healthy democratic process. Voters should have meaningful opportunities to understand where candidates stand on important questions before casting their ballots.
Humanist Ottawa’s open letter invited mayoral candidates to address five broad areas: democratic transparency and misinformation; human rights and non-discrimination; housing and homelessness; evidence-based approaches to community safety and crisis care; and fair, reliable public transit. These issues reflect core humanist and Enlightenment principles: reason, evidence, freedom of thought, human rights, equality, compassion, secular government, and accountable democratic institutions.
As of the response deadline, Humanist Ottawa had received a substantive response from only one mayoral candidate, Ali Shayvard. Humanist Ottawa thanks Mr. Shayvard for taking the time to engage with the questions and will make his response available to its members and the broader public.
The perspectives of non-religious and secular residents represent a significant part of Ottawa’s civic community. According to the 2021 Census, 316,740 Ottawa residents, approximately 31.6% of the population counted for the religion question, identified under “No religion and secular perspectives.” This broad category includes people who may identify as atheists, agnostics, humanists, rationalists, freethinkers, or simply non-religious.
Humanist Ottawa encourages all mayoral candidates who have not yet responded to do so. The organization remains prepared to publish substantive responses so Ottawa residents can consider candidates’ positions for themselves.
Humanist Ottawa is a non-profit organization serving humanists, atheists, agnostics, skeptics, freethinkers, and non-believers in the greater Ottawa area. Guided by reason, science, critical thinking, compassion, and respect for human rights, the organization works to promote secularism, informed public discussion, community engagement, and public policies that support human dignity and human flourishing.
Media Contact:
Robert Hamilton
President, Humanist Ottawa
[email protected]
humanistottawa.ca
