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Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson is the most popular mayor in Canada, according to a poll in 10 of the country’s largest cities.

Watson scored a 79 per cent approval rating in a Mainstreet/Postmedia poll released Monday, outpacing runner-up Charlie Clark of Saskatoon and even Calgary’s popular and high-profile Naheed Nenshi.

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“Obviously for Mayor Watson, it’s very good news,” said Quito Maggi, president of Mainstreet Research. “He has the highest approval ratings across Canada. But the funny thing is these numbers are all great across Canada … even at the lowest end.”

While Watson, Clark and Nenshi scored highest at 79, 72 and 65 per cent respectively, Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens, 51 per cent, and Vancouver’s Gregor Robertson, 50 per cent, ranked worst.

But those numbers are still not bad, Maggi said. Often polls like these show mayors with less than 50 per cent support.

“It’s a pleasant surprise,” Watson said. “Obviously I embrace every positive poll as 100 per cent accurate and dismiss all the bad ones,” he joked.