Between 1950 and 1999, Ottawa’s Mayor was a woman for nearly half the time – 21 out of 50 years. Since we reached the 21st Century, we haven’t lived in that reality for a single day. And this year, out of a quartet of serious mayoral candidates, all of them are men. Which also brings us to a drop in political interest altogether, as 2 incumbent city councillors don’t have any opponents for October’s municipal election. Unless we hear otherwise, River Ward councillor Riley Brockington gets a free pass into City Hall for another term. He beat out 10 candidates for the job during his first go-around, then 3 candidates in 2018, and just 2 candidates in 2022. In a conversation with Chris Holski, he believes that political vitriol is the primary turn-off for potential candidates to make their mark and step up to the plate.