Ottawa's transit network was front and centre at the Ottawa Board of Trade's Mayor's Breakfast on Thursday, June 11, 2026, as business and community leaders packed the room to hear directly from OC Transpo General Manager Rick Leary.
A Room Full of Stakeholders
The annual Mayor's Breakfast is one of the city's most high-profile business gatherings, bringing together executives, entrepreneurs, city officials, and community advocates for a focused conversation on issues shaping Ottawa's future. This edition zeroed in on public transit — a topic that's never far from the minds of commuters, developers, and business owners alike.
Leary, who has helmed OC Transpo since 2022, took the floor to address questions and concerns about the transit system's direction, from bus reliability and LRT performance to long-term infrastructure investment.
Transit as an Economic Driver
One of the central themes of the morning was the link between a functioning transit network and Ottawa's broader economic health. Businesses depend on employees being able to get to work reliably, and a city's transit reputation directly affects its ability to attract investment and talent.
Ottawa's LRT system has faced well-documented challenges since its launch — derailments, service suspensions, and public trust issues have all taken a toll. The conversation at the Mayor's Breakfast reflected a business community eager to see OC Transpo turn a corner and deliver the kind of consistent, dependable service that underpins a competitive urban economy.
What's Next for OC Transpo
Leary's appearance comes at a pivotal moment. The Stage 2 LRT expansion — extending the Confederation Line east to Trim and west to Moodie, plus the new Trillium Line extension south — is in various stages of rollout, with significant implications for how tens of thousands of Ottawa residents get around.
Beyond infrastructure, the conversation touched on ridership recovery post-pandemic, fare structures, and how OC Transpo plans to compete with the growing convenience of remote work and ride-hailing apps.
For the business community, the stakes are real: transit connectivity affects where companies choose to locate, where employees choose to live, and how efficiently the city functions as a whole.
Why It Matters
Events like the Mayor's Breakfast serve an important function beyond networking. They create a rare opportunity for Ottawa's private sector to hold public institutions accountable in a public forum — asking the hard questions about timelines, budgets, and service standards.
With a federal election cycle in the rearview mirror and municipal priorities shifting, transit investment is expected to remain one of the most contested and consequential files at Ottawa City Hall.
For commuters and businesses watching closely, Leary's message at the breakfast signals where OC Transpo's leadership sees the road ahead — and what Ottawa residents can reasonably expect from their transit system in the years to come.
Source: Ottawa Business Journal / Ottawa Board of Trade Mayor's Breakfast, June 11, 2026.
