Amjad Syed · Candidate for Mayor of Ottawa
Ottawa gave him
a place to begin again.
Now Amjad wants more people to have the opportunity to build their future here.
Amjad Ali Syed arrived in Canada with his family in 1991. Within days, he was working at a café in Orléans. That first job became the beginning of a business career in Ottawa.
His experience building businesses, navigating setbacks and working with customers informs the perspective he wants to bring to City Hall.
A beginning in Karachi
Amjad grew up in Karachi, Pakistan, in a family that ran a small business. An early encounter with public leadership stayed with him: after winning a Grade 4 debate competition, he received a trophy from the city’s mayor.
He went on to study electrical engineering before choosing entrepreneurship. With help from his family, he started a clothing business and developed his own designs. Leaving Pakistan meant leaving behind something he had worked to build and beginning again in Canada.
From a café to a grocery store
While working at the café in Orléans, Amjad met a regular customer who introduced him to a business opportunity. He went on to purchase a struggling grocery store in Ottawa.
Turning it around meant long days behind the counter and learning the details of operating in a new country: suppliers, employees, payroll, banking and government requirements. As the store grew, it gave him a foundation for his next ventures.
His work expanded into businesses including grocery stores, hotels and dry cleaners. Through operating and rebuilding businesses, he developed an approach centred on practical problem-solving and making better use of available resources.
Why affordability is personal
Amjad’s story includes setbacks as well as successes. Losses in the pre-construction real estate market reinforced his understanding that savings represent years of work, and that losing them can also mean losing the ability to move forward.
He also remembers an elderly customer at his grocery store who picked up a chocolate bar, hesitated and asked him to put it back. The moment stayed with him as a reminder that even a small purchase can become a difficult decision.
These experiences underpin his focus on everyday costs. He believes people need breathing room in their budgets before they can take risks, build businesses or plan for a more prosperous future.
Giving back to the city he calls home
Ottawa gave Amjad and his family a home, safety and the opportunity to start again. He sees public service as a way to extend that opportunity to others.
His campaign brings together proposals for affordable homeownership, lower household costs, stronger local businesses and more accountable public services. The ambition is for the next generation to have the chance to build their own Canadian dream in Ottawa.
Explore Amjad’s priorities