Laura Dudas was first elected to Ottawa City Council in 2018, serving as Councillor for Innes Ward. She was then re-elected in 2022 to the newly redistributed Ward of Orléans West - Innes. During her first term, Laura served as Ottawa’s Deputy Mayor under Mayor Jim Watson.
In her role as Councillor, Laura Dudas has sat on several committees including: Finance and Economic Development Committee, Transportation Committee, Community and Protective Services Committee, and Planning Committee.
As Councillor, Laura Dudas has also been involved with several of Ottawa’s Council-led sponsorship groups, including the Solid Waste Sponsors Group and the Climate Change Sponsors Group. She also serves as Ottawa City Council’s liaison to the United Way East Ontario Board of Directors.
Councillor Dudas has long been a vocal advocate for Ottawa’s east end, both during, and prior to, her tenure on City Council, supporting and campaigning for: significant investments in new and revitalized community parks; enhanced pedestrian, cycling, road and transit infrastructure, including the extension of light rail transit to the east; and the expansion of the Blackburn Hamlet Arena.
During her tenure on Ottawa City Council, the Councillor has focused on exploring and growing new economic opportunities for the City of Ottawa. Councillor Dudas served on the Mayor’s Economic Taskforce, which was formed to support Ottawa’s local business, festival, and tourism sector in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. As well, her work to advance the East-End Economic Corridor Program to coincide with the arrival of light rail transit to Ottawa’s Orléans community.
Prior to her election, Councillor Dudas worked for the City of Ottawa, providing strategic communications to the City. Prior to that, she worked as a journalist for several daily newspapers, including the Ottawa Sun, the Stratford Beacon Herald and the Cambridge Reporter.
Councillor Dudas has been a long time volunteer in her local community, serving as President of the Blackburn Community Association for nearly a decade. She was a member of the former Orléans Chamber of Commerce, prior to its amalgamation into the Ottawa Board of Trade, and remains an active supporter of the Heart of Orléans Business Improvement Association.
Laura has lived with her husband and children in Blackburn Hamlet since 2006 and is proud to live in the Ward that she serves.