Mayoral candidate Clive Doucet lays out initial vision for Ottawa

Development plans are top of mind for Clive Doucet as he begins to craft a different vision for the city than the one being offered by Jim Watson.

Doucet added his name to the ballot on the last day of nominations, after he realised no one else with significant name recognition was planning to oppose the incumbent mayor.

In total, 12 people are vying for the job.

"It's not really about who is the mayor, it's what kind of city do you want?" Doucet told host Stu Mills on CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning Monday.

Doucet took a dig at Watson's development-friendly record, calling him a "traditional mayor" and highlighting the recent approval of a 65-storey tower at 900 Albert St..

The tower application was at odds with an official plan endorsed by the community, but the mayor encouraged councillors to approve it. 

Doucet said he'll handle things differently, if he becomes mayor.

"We're going to have a city that respects community development plans, that respects its own zoning, and I think that will change the way we grow our city," he said.

Doucet faced off against Watson, Larry O'Brien and Andrew Haydon in 2010, and lost with only 15 per cent of the vote. He said, this time, it's "mano a mano."

Watson was not available for comment because he is on vacation.

Suburbs will prove a big challenge

One of the major hurdles Doucet will have to overcome is his lackluster relationship with the suburban wards.

He served as Capital ward councillor for more than a decade between 1997 and 2010, and said at the time his job was to "defend the core."

During Monday's Ottawa Morning interview, Doucet reiterated that, saying "I did it as vigorously and as passionately as I could."

Many people took that to mean he did not care about the suburban wards, but he insists that is not the case.

"If I was mayor, I would defend the suburbs and want the best for them — the same way I do for the city centre," he said.

Watson, on the other hand, has a strong relationship with the city's incumbent councillors in the suburbs.

As for specific plans for the city, Doucet and Watson are both still a few weeks away from releasing their platforms.

There's still plenty of time for the candidates to hone their messages before Ottawa goes to the polls on Oct. 22.