Sherif Rizk - Lawyer & Municipal Candidate

09/04/2026

We’ve built incredible momentum. Now, I’m asking for your help to take this campaign to the finish line.

Over the past several months, our team has knocked on thousands of doors, listened to residents across Orléans East–Cumberland, brought forward new ideas for our community, and worked hard to build a campaign that can deliver real change at City Hall.

And now, with Election Day approaching on October 26, we need your help.

Running a competitive campaign takes resources. Lawn signs, literature, advertising, events and reaching thousands more residents all cost money.

I’m incredibly grateful to the dozens of people who have already contributed to our campaign. Now I'm asking those of you who have been following along and believe in what we're building to consider joining them.

Our next goal is to raise $5,000 to help fund the final stretch of this campaign.

Whether you can contribute $25, $50, $100, $250 or another amount, every contribution helps us reach more voters and get our message out across Ward 1.

If you believe it's time to get Orléans on track, I hope you'll consider investing in this campaign.

Donate securely here:
https://www.sherifrizk.ca/en/donate

Thank you for believing in what we're building together.

Sherif

09/03/2026

135 km/h in a 60 zone.

Ottawa Police recently stopped a 20-year-old driver travelling 75 km/h over the limit on Trim Road.

Thankfully, an officer was there to catch them.

But this happened in a Community Safety Zone. This is exactly the kind of place where Ottawa used to be able to deploy automated speed enforcement.

Then the Province banned municipalities from using speed cameras.

I disagreed with that decision. It took an enforcement tool away from municipalities while dangerous speeding remains a very real problem on our roads.

But complaining about Queen’s Park isn’t going to make Trim Road safer.

So here’s something I think Ottawa should explore instead.

What if we used roadside speed-detection technology to identify extreme speeding in real time? Not to automatically issue tickets, but to immediately alert police?

Imagine a sensor detecting a vehicle travelling at an extreme speed and notifying a nearby traffic officer of its location and direction of travel.

The technology detects the danger. The officer makes the stop. The officer lays the charge.

This would be different from the automated speed-camera system prohibited by the Province, because the technology itself wouldn’t issue the ticket.

If elected, I would ask City staff and Ottawa Police to examine the legal and technical feasibility of a technology-assisted, officer-led speed enforcement pilot in Ward 1, particularly on roads experiencing serious speeding problems.

There are legitimate questions to work through: privacy, evidentiary requirements, cost and exactly what technology Ontario law permits.

But that’s what governing is supposed to involve: when one solution is taken away, you find another one.

We can’t control every decision Queen’s Park makes. But we can control how creatively Ottawa responds to them.

That’s the approach I would bring to City Hall.

What do you think 🤔? Let me know in the comments below 👇

09/03/2026

“What do you mean when you say ‘accountability’?”

I hear that question sometimes when I’m knocking on doors in Orléans East-Cumberland.

Accountability can’t just be a campaign buzzword. It has to mean something.

In 2022, after weeks of testimony at Ottawa’s LRT Public Inquiry, co-lead counsel John Adair said:

“We need to return to accountability and transparency with the people of Ottawa rather than information control and spin.”

Four years later, I don’t believe we’ve gone far enough in applying that lesson.

To me, accountability means asking difficult questions when something goes wrong. It means giving residents the information they need to understand decisions made with their money. It means examining contracts and spending carefully. And when mistakes are made, it means learning from them instead of repeating them.

That’s the standard I’ve tried to uphold throughout my career as a lawyer. It’s the standard I would bring to City Hall.

Accountability isn’t about finding someone to blame. It’s about making sure someone takes responsibility for making things better.

On October 26, I’m asking for your vote to bring that standard to City Hall.

Sherif Rizk
Candidate for Ward 1 — Orléans East-Cumberland

08/30/2026

I’m proud to have the endorsement of Councillor Diane Choinière.

Diane has spent years serving her community in Clarence-Rockland, and I’ve been grateful for her encouragement, advice and support throughout this campaign.

When Diane joined us at my campaign launch, she spoke about the importance of understanding the issues facing residents, listening to their concerns, and bringing practical solutions forward at Council. Those are values I’ve tried to put at the heart of this campaign.

I’m honoured to have her confidence as I work to earn the trust of residents across Orléans East–Cumberland.

Thank you, Diane, for believing in what we’re building.

Let’s Get Ward 1 On Track.

*****

Je suis fier de recevoir l’appui de la conseillère Diane Choinière.

Diane est au service de sa communauté de Clarence-Rockland depuis plusieurs années, et je lui suis reconnaissant pour ses encouragements, ses conseils et son soutien tout au long de cette campagne.

Lorsque Diane s’est jointe à nous lors du lancement de ma campagne, elle a parlé de l’importance de bien comprendre les enjeux auxquels font face les résidents, d’être à l’écoute de leurs préoccupations et de proposer des solutions concrètes au conseil municipal. Ce sont des valeurs que j’ai cherché à placer au cœur de cette campagne.

Je suis honoré d’avoir sa confiance alors que je travaille à gagner celle des résidents d’Orléans-Est–Cumberland.

Merci, Diane, de croire en ce que nous bâtissons ensemble.

Remettons Quartier 1 sur la bonne voie.

08/30/2026

Why am I running for City Council, and what would I actually do if elected?

NCR Now asked me five questions about my candidacy for Ward 1 (Orléans East-Cumberland), including:

• Who I am and why I decided to run
• What I would do about Ottawa’s transit problems
• How we can address affordability without simply asking taxpayers for more
• How I would approach City spending and budget pressures
• And what I believe is the biggest challenge facing our community as we grow

My answers come back to one idea: Ward 1 needs leadership that plans ahead, demands accountability and solves problems before they become bigger ones.

I’ve spent my career as a lawyer advocating for people, asking difficult questions and working through complicated problems. I’m running because I believe those skills can be put to work for our entire community.

Thank you to NCR Now for giving me the opportunity to explain where I stand.

Read the full interview below 👇

And if you have a question that wasn’t asked, leave it in the comments. I’ll do my best to answer.

It’s time to get Ward 1 On Track.

Here are five questions with Orleans-East Cumberland candidate Sherif Rizk.

08/27/2026

I want to tell you a story about civility, and the phrase “my friend.”

Years ago, I was invited to judge a moot court exercise for elementary school students. The kids were learning about due process, justice and fairness by putting on a mock trial.

I told them to take it seriously, but have fun with it.

(And yes, one of them eventually shouted “YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!” There is always one. 😂)

But as the trial went on, I noticed something.

The kids weren’t being mean to each other, but they were starting to sound almost hostile. It was as though being on opposite sides meant they had to become enemies.

So I told them about an old courtroom tradition. In Canadian courts, lawyers will often refer to opposing counsel as “my friend.”

The kids couldn’t believe it.

“You call the lawyer you’re arguing against your friend?”

Yes. Because you can disagree with someone. You can challenge their argument. You can advocate as hard as you possibly can for your own position.

And you can still treat the person across from you with respect.

I’ve tried to remember that tradition throughout my career as a lawyer. And as I prepare for the upcoming municipal election debates, I’ve been thinking about it again.

I have a strong case to make for why I should be the next City Councillor for Ward 1. And I intend to make that case vigorously.

I’ll challenge ideas I disagree with. I’ll defend my own. I’ll point out differences between my record, my proposals and those of the other candidates.

But the people running against me aren’t my enemies. They’re my opponents. And, in the courtroom tradition, they’re also “my friends.”

I don’t need personal attacks to make the case for my candidacy.

I think our politics could use a little more of that.

If you agree that candidates should be able to disagree strongly without making politics personal, give this a like.

And I’m curious: what other standards do you think candidates should hold themselves to during an election?

08/27/2026

These two awards mean more to me than you might think.

In 2023, my law office was voted Bronze in the CommunityVotes Ottawa awards. This year, we moved up to Silver.

I’m proud of that, but not simply because there’s another plaque to put on the wall.

I’m proud because my career has been built around helping people solve problems.

Over the years, I’ve sat across from people dealing with accidents, disputes, unexpected legal problems and moments when they simply didn’t know where to turn. I’ve also met thousands of people through my notary practice, many of them right here in Orléans.

And that experience is a big part of why I decided to run for City Council in Ward 1.

Orléans has been my community for years. It’s where I’ve built my business, raised my family and developed relationships with the people who live here.

But being a lawyer has also taught me something about how problems get solved.

You listen carefully. You ask the right questions. You figure out what went wrong. And then you actually do something about it.

That’s the approach I want to bring to City Hall.

Whether we’re talking about the LRT, road safety, development, infrastructure or how the City responds when residents need help, I don’t think our councillor should simply explain why something isn’t working.

I want to help figure out how to make it work.

So thank you to everyone who voted for Rizk Law Office this year, and to every client who has trusted me to help them over the years.

And you’re a big part of the reason I believe I can serve this community in a different way.

Sherif Rizk
Candidate for City Councillor
Ward 1 (Orléans East-Cumberland)

08/25/2026

It’s become more and more expensive to just exist in this world. And it’s now going to cost you more just to drink water - something we all need to do on a daily basis.

08/25/2026

This was a summer to remember! Lots of great conversations, connections, and events that will help to shape this community going forward. As we enter into the fall and as election day comes closer, I'm excited to continue making these connections in the community and look forward to building on them when elected as your city councillor!

*****
Quel été mémorable ! Il a été riche en échanges, en rencontres et en événements qui contribueront à façonner l'avenir de notre communauté. À l'approche de l'automne et le jour d'éléction, je suis enthousiaste à l'idée de poursuivre ces échanges et de bâtir sur ces liens une fois élu votre conseiller municipal!

08/21/2026

One of my favourite things about this campaign has been meeting some amazing volunteers who are passionate about serving their community and bringing positive change to our ward.

If you’re looking to get involved, join the campaign! www.sherifrizk.ca/en

*****

L'une de mes choses préférées dans cette campagne a été de rencontrer des bénévoles incroyables qui sont passionnés par le service de leur communauté et d'apporter un changement positif à notre quartier.

Si vous cherchez à vous impliquer, rejoignez la campagne ! https://www.sherifrizk.ca/fr