Ariel Troster

Troster was elected in the 2022 Ottawa municipal election. She was endorsed by outgoing councillor and mayoral candidate Catherine McKenney.^[6] Troster received the majority of the vote, with her support being strongest in the neighbourhood of Centretown.^[7] She is the second consecutive LGBT councillor to represent Somerset Ward.

Throughout her campaign and subsequent term on city council, Troster has placed emphasis on homelessness,^[8][9] community safety,^[10] and expanding pedestrian infrastructure.^[11][12]

In 2023/2024, she opposed the proposal for the City of Ottawa to spend over $400 million to subsidize the redevelopment of Lansdowne Park.^[13] Ultimately, city council voted 16-9 in favour of the project, with mayor Mark Sutcliffe voting yes.^[14][15] She also opposed cuts to O-Train frequency that were passed by city council in 2024.^[16][17] Troster has also advocated for the city to adopt bylaws to protect tenants from renovictions; as of 2025, her proposal is being studied by city staff.^[18][19]

2022 Ottawa municipal election: Somerset Ward

Candidate		Popular vote			Expenditures
		Votes	%	±%
	Ariel Troster	8,669	61.28	–	$30,781.77
	Stuart MacKay	4,706	33.29	–	$12,259.65
	Brandon Russell	768	5.43	–	N/A
Total valid votes		14,137	95.31
Total rejected, unmarked and declined votes		695	4.69
Turnout		14,832	45.24	+6.14
Eligible voters		32,787
Note: Candidate campaign colours are based on the prominent colour used in campaign items (signs, literature, etc.) and are used as a visual differentiation between candidates.
Sources: "2022 Election Results". City of Ottawa.