#munipoli Matters SIDEPLATE - The state of municipal elections across Ontario (The North)
Part 3 of my odyssey on the local races across this province for the October 24 election
Welcome to another issue of #munipoil Matters, where you can find the latest updates on what’s happening in the often under reported area of municipal elections and governance spread across Canada and beyond.
The official municipal campaign of 2022 has gotten underway. Last time, I did an updated summation of the campaigns across the 905 and there is certainly a great deal of interesting municipal contests in and around Toronto.
Now we take a look at Ontario’s other “big cities” and the rest of the province, in an update from the piece I did back in June. Because there’s so many municipalities I mentioned, I have decided to split this review into three parts.
After our swing through Hamilton, Niagara Region and Southwestern Ontario, let’s take a look at Northern Ontario. Cities in BOLD CAPITALIZED lettering indicate members of the Ontario’s Big City Mayors organization.
NORTHERN ONTARIO
Dryden: Incumbent Greg Wilson is not seeking reelection. City Councillor Shayne MacKinnon will face Jack Harrison in the mayoral election.
Elliot Lake: Mayor Dan Marchisella is facing City Councillor Chris Patrie, Mike Thomas and Geraldine Robinson in order to keep his job.
GREATER SUDBURY: Mayor Brian Bigger is seeking a third term, but as in 2018 he's facing a litany of challengers with one or two that pose a serious threat. The two names that stand out are former councillor Evelyn Dutrisac and former federal MP for Sudbury, Paul Lefebvre.
Other Sudbury mayoral candidates include Don Gravelle, Bob Johnston, Devin Labranche, J. David Popescu, Miranda Rocca-Circelli and Mila Wong.
Kenora: Mayor Dan Reynard is not seeking reelection. Looking to become the new mayor are Councillor Andrew Poirier, Kenora and District Chamber of Commerce president Andy Scribilo and David Byers-Kitt.
Kirkland Lake: The incumbent, Pat Kiely, has opted to seek a council seat rather than run for reelection as Mayor. Councillor Stacy Wight and candidate Don Snow are standing in for the mayor’s role in this election.
North Bay: Mayor Al McDonald is not seeking a fourth term, so the candidates running to replace him are Councillor Johanne Brousseau, former councillor and president of the North Bay Chamber of Commerce Peter Chirico and Leslie McVeety.
Sault Ste. Marie: Five candidates are running to be mayor as incumbent Christian Provenzano is not seeking another term. They are Ward 3 Councillors Donna Hilsinger and Matthew Shoemaker, former councillor Ozzie Grandinetti, climate activist Tobin Kern and Robert Peace, a public relations consultant.
South Algonquin: In this remote rural township, there is an open mayor’s race as incumbent Jane Dumas is not seeking another term. Running for the post is local businessman Barney Baker, Councillor Bongo (I kid you not, according to his website) and former mayor and 2018 Ontario NDP candidate in Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke Ethel LaValley.
THUNDER BAY: With Mayor Bill Mauro, a former provincial cabinet minister, opting out of a second term the race for mayor has become wide open. Former mayor Ken Boschoff, current at-large Councillor Peng You (who ran for the Tories in June), local news publisher Clinton Harris, Gary Mack and Robert Szczepanski are seeking the chair.
Meanwhile, some 24 candidates are vying for five at-large Council seats. Among them are Shelby Ch'ng, the current Northwood councillor and Jim Mauro (Mayor Mauro’s brother) who is a past head of the Thunder Bay Police Association.
Timmins: Previous mayor George Pirie was elected as a PC MPP back in June, so Councillor Kristin Murray, the first black and Indigenous woman to serve, was appointed as mayor to complete the unexpired term.
Murray is now running for reelection as councillor so three other candidates are looking to become mayor: Ward 5 Councillor Michelle Boileau, Ward 3 Councillor Joe Campbell and businessman Richard Lafleur, who owns a taxi cab company operating in the city.
I hope you enjoyed this three part odyssey across Ontario, profiling some of the more interesting municipal campaigns unfolding for the vote on October 24.
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