Orléans is shaping up to be anyone's race to win, and it boasts quite a field of candidates.

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With a record number of people on the ballot vying to replace a longtime councillor, this east-end ward will be an interesting one to watch during this election.

Bob Monette, who has been the councillor for the riding since 2006, won it easily in 2014 with 75 per cent of the vote.

He originally planned to run for another term, but later decided to withdraw his nomination for family reasons.

Monette said he met with each candidate before they threw their name in the ring, and told each of them he intends to stay neutral.

The 17 candidates for this ward are:

Candidates who did not provide a website when they registered do not have links to their campaigns.

The next councillor will have a big job on their hands. Orlé​ans will be the first suburb beyond the Greenbelt to get light rail — planned to reach Trim Road by 2022 — and candidates are keen to see that plan stay on track. Many also want to see the main thoroughfare, St. Joseph Boulevard, revitalized. There's also the perennial problem of too many homes in Orléans and too few employers and jobs.

Want to know more about the candidates?

So did we.

CBC Ottawa created a questionnaire and sent it to each of the registered candidates to fill out.

You can read the responses below. Some candidates did not respond to the questionnaire.

The questionnaires have been posted as they were submitted.