Eli El-Chantiry

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Eli El-Chantiry (born April 23, 1957) is a Lebanese-born Canadian politician who served on Ottawa’s city council for nearly two decades. He moved to Canada at age 18, studied at the University of Ottawa, and later ran the Lighthouse Restaurant in Constance Bay, West Carleton. El-Chantiry was elected to the Ottawa City Council in 2003 to represent West Carleton-March Ward and served until 2022. He was Ottawa’s deputy mayor from 2010 to 2014.

As chair of the Ottawa Police Services Board, El-Chantiry led the board at various times, beginning with his appointment in 2007 after Mayor Larry O’Brien resigned as chair. His tenure included audit questions over campaign finances in 2014 and calls for his resignation in 2016. In 2018 he endorsed Jim Watson for mayor. He stepped down as chair in 2019 and, in February 2022, was named chair again during a period of civil unrest related to the Freedom Convoy protests. He is a Liberal, is married to Maha, and resides in Carp, Ontario.