About Steve Desroches

 Councillor Steve Desroches is a long-time resident of the community he proudly serves, having lived in the ward with his family since 2002. He has built his career on delivering practical, local results and is proud that many long-delayed neighbourhood projects are now moving forward following his return to City Council in 2022. 

 An experienced municipal leader, Steve was first elected to City Council in 2006 and re-elected in 2010. After stepping away in 2014, he returned to office in 2022 with a renewed focus on delivering measurable progress on the priorities that matter most to residents. 

Steve is committed to building complete suburban communities, places where people can live, work, and play. He has secured historic levels of recreation funding for new facilities and local parks, including advancing the Southeast Recreation Complex as a major hub featuring pools, hockey rinks, a gymnasium, and sports fields.

As a proud hockey dad, he understands the importance of accessible, high-quality recreation and community spaces for families.

 New community hub coming to Riverside South as population booms | CBC News 

 Steve delivered the ward’s first library in Riverside South and continues to advocate for improved access in Findlay Creek, including enhanced bookmobile service. In the meantime, he has expanded City programming by bringing recreational services into local school gymnasiums, making them more accessible to residents. 

 Riverside South Community Centre and Library | Engage Ottawa 

 Public safety remains a top priority. Steve has supported increased investments in policing and helped deliver the first police station dedicated to serving south Ottawa, strengthening community presence and response times. 

 New Ottawa Police Station Progresses with Revised Timeline 

 Steve is focused on improving housing affordability by supporting increased housing supply and reducing barriers to building new homes. He has championed faster approvals and partnerships that deliver both affordable and supportive housing, ensuring infrastructure keeps pace with growth. 

 Steve has worked to strengthen the local economy by attracting new retail, long-term care services, and the first major employer of its kind in the ward, helping energize the Riverside South business park and creating over 250 jobs.. 

 Steve has supported expanded tree planting across neighbourhoods and parks, including in the Findlay Creek wetlands, and backed over $1 billion in investments in electric buses to modernize transit and reduce emissions. He has also supported the expansion of the Findlay Creek boardwalk through the Leitrim Wetlands, protecting natural spaces while improving access to nature. 

 Steve has delivered major infrastructure improvements, including the first upgrades to Bank Street in Findlay Creek, a $50 million investment to improve safety, traffic flow, and connectivity, along with traffic calming measures across neighbourhoods. 

 Steve has championed a new multi-use pathway connecting residents to the Leitrim LRT station and has successfully opposed the diversion of heavy truck traffic into local neighbourhoods. He has also advocated for upgrades to Earl Armstrong Road and continues to push for a future bus rapid transit link between Riverside South and Barrhaven.  He played a leadership role in the successful launch of O-Train Lines 2 and 4, helping deliver a more reliable transit system for residents and students.