Why I am Running for Mayor of Ottawa

I was always taught that we can complain about things or we can roll up our sleeves and try to do things better, to make change. And that’s what I decided to do.

My father was a policeman and my mother was a teacher. I was only 8 years old when my father passed away and I went to work before I was 9. I immigrated from Lebanon to Ottawa in 1998 at the age of 24 and sponsored my mother and 3 younger brothers to join me eighteen months later. I saw endless possibilities in the robust cultural, political and technological ecosystem of Canada’s capital city, and I knew I wanted to make this city my home for the rest of my life.

Like so many new immigrants, I immersed myself in my work and gained extensive experience in many of Ottawa’s thriving sectors including technology, government, and post-secondary education. I take special pride in my work as a professor at the University of Ottawa, where I have taught more than 17,000 students over the past 20 years. I know this city. I have lived in 7 different areas of Ottawa and worked in 6 others.