David Hill cruises to second term in Barrhaven West

David Hill has been re-elected as councillor for Barrhaven West, handily defeating two challengers to secure a second term representing one of Ottawa’s fastest-growing communities.

Dozens of supporters packed Via Cibo, an Italian restaurant on Greenbank Road in Barrhaven, to watch the results roll in Monday evening.

With all 149 vote tabulators reporting, Hill received almost 70.82 per cent of the vote, well ahead of businessman Jeff Balys at 14.64 per cent and former Ottawa-Carleton District School Board trustee Donna Blackburn at 14.54 per cent.

“It means a mandate to work hard on the commitments that I made both to Barrhaven and to the city of Ottawa,” Hill said. “I am very excited to get going on that.”

Hill was first elected in 2022 with 43.97 per cent of the vote, replacing longtime councillor Jan Harder, who retired after more than two decades representing Barrhaven.

The 48-year-old former Canadian Armed Forces lieutenant-colonel served 25 years in the military, including deployments to Afghanistan, Haiti and Lebanon.

Hill said his priorities for the next four years include ensuring infrastructure keeps pace with residential development, improving road safety and addressing the rising cost of living.

“People feel the crunch of the cost of living crisis in their quality of life,” Hill said, adding that city council needs to be more mindful of how it spends taxpayers’ money.

He also pointed to ongoing road improvements, including the accelerated Greenbank Road realignment, as projects he hopes to build on.

Barrhaven West resident Yukang Li, who is also the executive director of the Ottawa Chinatown BIA, was in attendance and praised Hill’s work on local development and community safety.

“I like his style,” Li said. “Very pragmatic and focused on community safety.”

Hill faced a vocal challenger in Blackburn, who served as a school board trustee for 16 years and campaigned on upgrading infrastructure and traffic safety. Balys, a businessman, emphasized transportation and financial accountability.

Hill also welcomed the re-election of Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, saying the two had a productive working relationship during the previous council term.

“My door is open to every resident in this community,” Hill said. “I appreciate the debate that was created from this election, and the issues that were raised.”

Voter turnout was 37.83 per cent, with 16,705 ballots cast among 44,156 eligible electors.

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