SIDEBAR - The #munipoli election scene in Ontario's other cities
Here's what is happening with local elections in other parts of Ontario...
Welcome to another issue of #munipoli Matters, where we discuss all about municipal elections and the often unreported area of local government across Canada and beyond.
Last week, I devoted an issue highlighting the municipal elections going on around the Greater Toronto Area. This week, it's a smattering of some of the municipal races in some of the other Ontario cities around the province.
Some major cities are not being highlighted…because frankly nothing substantial has happened yet.
The details below are at time of publication.
ONTARIO’S BIG CITY MAYORS (and their Councils)
Barrie: There’s been some changes since I last documented who jumped into the mayor’s race on the heels of incumbent Jeff Lehman’s decision to forgo another term while running for the provincial Liberals.
Ward 6 Councillor Natalie Harris has withdrawn from the race, less than one month after entering but said she would stay on to complete her term. Meanwhile, the mayor’s race is now joined by Gerry Marshall, a former mayor of Penetanguishene and warden of Simcoe County who previously ran for the Liberals in Simcoe North.
Others running for Barrie mayor include Alex Nuttall, the former MP and councillor and Rob Haverson, a 33 year old business owner who vowed to ‘Make Barrie Great Again’.
Brantford: Mayor Kevin Davis, a former councillor who was elected to his first term as mayor in 2018, is facing a familiar face for his job: Dave Wrobel, another former Brantford city councillor who has previously run for mayor, MPP and MP, most recently as a candidate for the People’s Party. A third candidate, Ryan Smith, is also running for mayor.
Cambridge: Mayor Kathryn McGarry and Ward 4 Councillor Jan Liggett are now joined by local roofer and 2018 mayoral candidate Randy Carter running for the city’s top job. Meanwhile, Prakash Venkataraman and Crystal Whetham are running for regional councillor after incumbent Karl Kiefer announced his retirement.
Hamilton: Mayor Fred Eisenberger has formally announced he would not be seeking another term. Former Chamber of Commerce CEO Keenan Loomis filed to run for mayor on the first day available to register, as well as Ejaz Butt. while former mayor Bob Bratina has entered the race, after a stint as a federal Liberal MP.
Now there is apparently rumours swirling that former Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath, who still retains her provincial seat in Hamilton Centre, may be eyeing the mayor’s chair on the heels of Eisenberger’s departure.
Incumbent councillors such as Maureen Wilson (Ward 1), Nrinder Nann (Ward 3) and John-Paul Danko (Ward 8) have all registered for reelection as well. This trio registering for reelection seems to have caused additional consternation to Ward 14 incumbent Terry Whitehead, who has yet to register for his own reelection.
In the meantime, Ward 14 has other choices: Kojo Damptey (whom I interviewed recently for the podcast) and Brian Lewis. Ward 7 Councillor Esther Pauls has filed for reelection, but she is facing former city councillor Scott Duvall, who recently served a stint as a federal NDP MP.
Other candidates who are jumping in include school trustee Alex Johnstone (Ward 4), Winona Gardens owner Jeff Beattie (Ward 10) and returning candidate Cameron Kroetsch (Ward 2).
London: with Mayor Ed Holder’s decision not to seek a second term, Londoners are once again shopping for a new civic leader. Ward 7 Councillor Josh Morgan has put his hat in the ring, joining returning 2018 candidate Sean O’Connell and Dan Lenart.
In City Council, two recent members who were appointed to their seats following recent resignations, Mariam Hamou and John Fyfe-Millar, are seeking election.
Meanwhile Skylar Franke, the Executive Director of the London Environmental Network and a board member of the Urban League of London, is running in Ward 11 currently held by Councillor Stephen Turner.
Ottawa: The field of contenders has certainly grown since Mayor Jim Watson’s announcement he was not going to seek a fourth term as mayor of the nation’s capital. Former mayor Bob Chiarelli and Somerset Ward Councillor Catherine McKenney are the two most high profile names at the moment. Gloucester-Southgate Ward Coun. Diane Deans is also expected to enter the mayor’s race.
Five other councillors have announced they are not seeking reelection: Jan Harder, Keith Egli, Jean Cloutier, Scott Moffatt and Mathieu Fleury. Fleury was previously speculated to be a potential mayoral candidate. Along with McKenney and Deans, that’s potentially seven council seats left open for new voices.
A new ward, called Barrhaven East, was created and will have no incumbent running, but Councillor Carol Anne Meehan (Gloucester-South Nepean) has registered to run in the new ward. Former councillor Steve Desroches is seeking to return to Council in Ward 22 (Riverside South-Findlay Creek).
That leaves at least seven open wards where new councillors will be elected. Embattered College Ward incumbent Rick Chiarelli, may also prefer to finish his term, although Chiarelli is said to intend on running again.
St. Catherines: Two term Mayor Walter Sendzik recently announced he would not be seeking a third term. Current Niagara Regional Councillor Mat Siscoe, who previously served on city council, is running for mayor. Fresh off a losing effort to become the city’s MPP, Councillor Sal Sorrento could be a possible contender.
Sudbury: Former federal Liberal MP Paul Lefebvre has officially entered the race for mayor as of June 9, joining fellow candidates Evelyn Dutrisac, Don Gravelle, Bob Johnston and Miranda Rocca-Circelli. Current Mayor Brian Bigger has still not registered to run for reelection.
Windsor: For the mayoral race, Ernie Lamont and Benjamin Danyluk are running for Mayor.
2018 candidate Darcie Renaud is once again running in Ward 1. Kristen Siapas is running in Ward 4, Currie Soulliere running in Ward 5 and Dylon Graves in Ward 6.
In Ward 7, candidate Greg Lemay is now joined by incumbent Jeewen Gill, who was first elected in a 2020 by-election.
OTHER ONTARIO MUNICIPALITIES
Belleville: Mayor Mitch Panciuk is running for a second term after serving one term as councillor from 2014-2018, but he’s going to face a challenger from his recent political past: former mayor Neil Ellis, who served from 2006-2014.
Ellis won his first term in 2006 by defeating then incumbent Mary-Anne Sills in a landslide. In 2010, Ellis actually faced Panciuk to retain his job with 75% of the vote, serving out his term until 2014.
A year later, Ellis ran as a Liberal and won the Bay of Quinte federal riding in the 2015 election. He served as the chairman of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs and as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Agriculture Minister.
Ellis won reelection in a very close race in 2019 before losing his seat to Councillor Ryan Williams in the 2021 federal election.
Bradford-West Gwillimbury: Mayor Rob Keffer is not planning to seek another term, Deputy Mayor James Leduc and resident Mauro DiGiovanni are running for mayor. Ward 1 Councillor Raj Sandhu is now running for Deputy Mayor.
Brant County: Mayor David Bailey will be seeking reelection, after defeating then incumbent Ron Eddy for the job in 2018.
Clarence-Rockland: Former mayor Guy Desjardins passed away from cancer last July and Councillor Mario Zanth was appointed to serve the remainder of the term. He will face off against Ward 4 Councillor Don Bouchard to keep the job.
Elliot Lake: Mayor Dan Marchisella is expected to run for reelection, but he will face Councillor Chris Patrie if he wants another term.
Kawartha Lakes: Mayor Andy Letham is not running again so Ward 3 Councillor Doug Elmslie and Ward 5 Councillor Pat Dunn have filed for the job, as well as Joli Scheidler-Benns.
Lakeshore: Deputy Mayor Tracey Bailey is now running for mayor in this Windsor-Essex area municipality. Incumbent Tom Bain has not indicated his intentions.
LaSalle: Mayor Marc Bondy is not seeking reelection and Deputy Mayor Crystal Meloche is now running for the job. Ward 1 Councillor Michael Akpata is running for deputy mayor.
Midland: Four candidates are vying to become the mayor, including incumbent Stewart Strathearn and Councillors Bill Gordon and Jonathan Main.
Joining them is Ute Schmid-Jones, a climate activist who previously contested a council seat in Midland, the mayoral race in Hamilton in 2018 and who once threw pumpkin seeds at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a protest.
New Tecumseh: Rick Milne, who has been on council since 2001 uninterrupted, becoming Mayor in 2014, hasn’t registered but word is he is not intending to run for another term.
That would explain why Deputy Mayor Richard Norcross and Ward 5 Councillor Donna Jebb are running for the role. Also, Ward 6 Councillor Stephanie MacLellan is now running for deputy mayor.
Niagara Falls: Mayor Jim Diodati was busy endorsing Doug Ford during the provincial election, but he confirmed that he does intend to run for another term. So far, Roland Weeks is the only registered mayoral candidate.
Orangeville: Councillor Lisa Post, who once ran for the federal Liberals in Dufferin-Caledon, is running for the mayor’s job. Post is joined by another mayoral candidate, Jeffrey Wallace Patterson, but incumbent Sandy Brown has not yet registered.
Owen Sound: Councillor Richard Thomas has registered to run for mayor.
Pembroke: Deputy Mayor Ron Gervais is running for the top job as incumbent Mayor Michael LeMay announced he would not be seeking a third term.
The Nation Municipality: In a unique twist, Mayor François St-Amour is not seeking reelection, but will instead run for Ward 1 Councillor.
The current Ward 1 Councillor, Marie-Noëlle Lanthier, will be running for mayor along with Ward 4 Councillor Francis Brière.
Woodstock: Retired educator and realtor David Hilderley and Anthony Scalisi are in the running for the mayor’s job.
Current Mayor Trevor Birtch has been criminally charged with sexual assault and was criticized for attending Oxford County council meetings while facing those charges.
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