With the nomination period now over, we can get a first look at the candidates list for the upcoming municipal election in North Dundas. Municipalities all over Ontario will vote on the upcoming election day, October 24. Each municipality elects its own local government, who act as the decision makers for by-laws and budgets (among other things) for the subsequent four years. In North Dundas, voters will elect one Mayor, one Deputy Mayor, three Councillors, and four school board Trustees (one for each board serving the local area).
As of the time of writing, the Clerk has not yet certified the candidates or provided an official candidates list. Readers can visit the Township of North Dundas website at https://www.northdundas.com/ for new information as it becomes available. During the nomination period, a list of names of “unofficial” candidates who filed nomination papers was frequently updated. This list paints an interesting picture of what the upcoming election will look like, with some familiar names, and many new ones.
As per the list of unofficial candidates, incumbent Mayor Tony Fraser is running unopposed, making it almost certain that his seat at the council table will be acclaimed. A Winchester resident, Tony won the seat in 2018 after challenging then Deputy Mayor Gerry Boyce for the job. He took over from Mayor Eric Duncan, who now represents the riding at the federal level as Member of Parliament. Notably missing from the candidates list altogether is Allan Armstrong, the Township’s current Deputy Mayor. The only candidate in the unofficial list who is running for Deputy Mayor this time around is Theresa Bergeron. She is a South Mountain resident and current North Dundas Councillor who was appointed to fill the vacancy left by outbound Councillor Tyler Hoy in late 2021.
As with Allan Armstrong, current Councillor John Thompson’s name does not appear on the unofficial candidates list, suggesting that he is not seeking re-election for the upcoming term. Councillor Gary Annable of Winchester will seek re-election to his current job.
Several new names appear on the unofficial candidates list, seeking election to the role of Councillor. These include Stefan Kohut, William Healey, Matthew Uhrig, John Lennox, and Joselyn Morley. Little is known of these candidates’ platforms for running at this time, but details will be reported as they are learned. Candidates for school board Trustee positions are listed as Jacques Heroux, Karen McAllister, and Larry Berry. Trustee positions have shared candidates across multiple local municipalities.
As the candidates list becomes certified, the campaigning period for the 2022 municipal elections will commence.
