Онтарио провинциясының Оттава Орталық сайлау округі

Federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada

Ottawa Centre is an urban federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1968. While the riding's boundaries (mainly to the south and west as the north and east borders have remained the Ottawa River and Rideau River, respectively) have changed over the years to account for population changes, the riding has always comprised the central areas of Ottawa, the nation's capital. The House of Commons of Canada meets in the West Block of the Parliament Buildings on Parliament Hill, which is located within this district.

The riding was created in 1966 from Carleton, Ottawa West and Ottawa East ridings. It initially consisted of that part of Ottawa north of the Rideau River, west of a line following the Rideau Canal to the Canadian Pacific Railway line (currently about where Nicholas Street is), and generally east of Bayswater Road (now Ave.), and south of that the CPR line where the O Train currently is.

The 1976 redistribution saw significant changes to the riding. It lost territory around Mechanicsville (north of Wellington Street West, west of the current O Train) and Old Ottawa East (north of Clegg St), while gaining all of the Civic Hospital and Hintonburg neighbourhoods east of Holland Avenue and south of Wellington, Carleton Heights, Riverside Park and the Hunt Club area west of the current O Train line.

The 1987 redistribution saw the riding expand westward to Island Park Drive, while losing all of its territory south of the Rideau River. Additionally, the riding gained back all of Old Ottawa East south of The Queensway.

The 1996 redistribution saw the riding expand further westward to Sherbourne Road / Maitland Avenue north of the Queensway, as well as gaining the eastern half of Carlington (east of Merivale Road). Also, the area of Old Ottawa East north of the Queensway was added back to the riding.

The riding did not change its boundaries in 2003.

Following the Canadian federal electoral redistribution, 2012, there was a minor change in the riding's southwestern boundary, which was moved from the former city limits to Baseline Road and Fisher Avenue.

The 2022 Federal Redistribution has become law and will be in effect for the next Federal election which must be held no later than 2025. Several neighbourhoods in the west end of the riding were moved to Ottawa West—Nepean following the 2022 Canadian federal electoral redistribution. North of the Queensway the western boundary was moved from Maitland Ave and Sherbourne Rd east to Golden Ave and then along Carling Ave. As a result the neighbourhoods of McKellar Park and McKellar Heights were shifted to Ottawa West—Nepean. The south west boundary along Merivale Rd was moved east to Fisher Ave, reallocating the entire Carlington neighbourhood to Ottawa West—Nepean (previously the eastern portion of Carlington was within Ottawa Centre). This was somewhat compensated for by changes in the riding's southern boundary, which pushed south and east of the Rideau River for the first time following Bank St and the railway line north of Heron Rd. This change affects the neighbourhoods of Riverside Park, Billings Bridge and Heron Park which are in future part of Ottawa Centre and not Ottawa South.

The riding was won in the 1984 election by New Democrat Mike Cassidy. The riding was subsequently won by Liberal Mac Harb in the 1988 election who held it until 2003 when he was appointed to the Senate. The riding was left vacant by Prime Minister Paul Martin until the 2004 election when Ed Broadbent, a former leader of the NDP, defeated Liberal Richard Mahoney, a high profile lawyer and Liberal strategist and long time ally of former Prime Minister Paul Martin. The other candidates in 2004 were Mike Murphy of the Conservatives, David Chernushenko of the Greens, Louis Lang of the Marxist Leninists, Michael Foster, Stuart Ryan of the Communists, Robert Gauthier, and Carla Marie Dancey. Paul Dewar, son of former Ottawa mayor, Marion Dewar, held the riding from 2006 until 2015. Notably, Dewar won the riding with 52 percent of ballots cast in the 2011 federal election. Ottawa Centre is represented in the House of Commons of Canada by Yasir Naqvi from the Liberal Party of Canada.

The riding covers most of downtown Ottawa, including the Parliament Buildings. From the Rideau River, the riding stretches west encompassing the neighbourhoods of Downtown, Centretown (Centretown West which includes Little Italy is usually considered a distinct neighbourhood), LeBreton Flats, Civic Hospital, Mechanicsville, Hintonburg, Wellington Village, Westboro, eastern part of Carlington, Highland Park, and McKellar Park. The riding encompasses additional neighbourhoods south of downtown, including The Glebe, Old Ottawa South, Lees Avenue, Old Ottawa East and others. Many public sector workers live in the riding. The northern part of the riding contains many government office buildings, including Parliament Hill. The riding also includes Carleton University and Saint Paul University's (where many UOttawa students have residence) campuses and residences.

2021 federal election redistributed results Party Vote %   Liberal 33,549 45.24   New Democratic 24,258 32.71   Conservative 12,073 16.28   Green 2,074 2.80   People's 1,659 2.24   Others 548 0.74

Still holding the Cabinet post of Environment Minister, Ms McKenna was challenged by a new NDP candidate, Emilie Taman, along with other challengers Carol Clemenhagen for the Conservative Party, Angela Keller Herzog for the Green Party, and Merylee Sevilla for the People's Party. Ms McKenna gained over 4,000 votes from the previous election in 2015, beating her nearest rival by over 15,000 votes.

Ottawa Centre lost a sliver of territory to Ottawa West—Nepean, as its southwestern border moved from the former Ottawa City limits to Fisher Avenue and Baseline Road. The total population of this area lost (2011 Census) was 424. Ottawa Centre saw the highest turnout in the entire country in the 2015 election. Catherine McKenna representing Liberal in CA received 32,111 votes (42.66%) with a change of +22.54 percentage points. Campaign expenses were $$192,865.14. Paul Dewar representing NDP in CA received 29,098 votes (38.54%) with a change of 13.62 percentage points. Campaign expenses were $$196,692.80. Damian Konstantinakos representing Conservative in CA received 10,943 votes (14.49%) with a change of 7.14 percentage points. Campaign expenses were $$74,191.60. Tom Milroy representing Green in CA received 2,246 votes (2.97%) with a change of 2.06 percentage points. Campaign expenses were $$5,564.56. Dean T. Harris representing Libertarian in CA received 551 votes (0.73%) with a change of – percentage points. Campaign expenses were $–. Conrad Lukawski representing Rhinoceros in CA received 167 votes (0.22%) with a change of – percentage points. Campaign expenses were $$2.96. John Andrew Omowole Akpata representing Marijuana in CA received 160 votes (0.21%) with a change of – percentage points. Campaign expenses were $–. Stuart Ryan representing Communist in CA received 124 votes (0.16%) with a change of 0.01 percentage points. Campaign expenses were $–. Total valid votes/Expense limit (99.49%)
Total rejected ballots (0.51%)
Turnout (80.00%)

2011 federal election redistributed results Party Vote %   New Democratic 33,737 52.16   Conservative 13,992 21.63   Liberal 13,014 20.12   Green 3,256 5.03   Others 685 1.06

Total rejected ballots (0.41%)
Turnout (72.37%)

Note: Canadian Alliance vote is compared to the Reform vote in 1997 election. John Evans (Canadian politician) representing Liberal in CA received John Evans votes (21,659%) with a change of 45.90 percentage points. Campaign expenses were $+5.87. Robin Mathews (poet) representing National (1979) in CA received Robin Mathews votes (170%) with a change of 0.36 percentage points. Campaign expenses were $ 0.25. John Evans (Canadian politician) representing Liberal in CA received John Evans votes (19,758%) with a change of 40.03 percentage points. Campaign expenses were $+12.53. Robin Mathews (poet) representing Independent in CA received Robin Mathews votes (302%) with a change of 0.61 percentage points. Campaign expenses were $.