This guide will be updated as more municipal candidate lists become available. Last updated: September 27, 2026.
The 2026 Ontario municipal election is shaping up to be one of the most consequential in recent memory across Bruce and Grey counties. With housing affordability, shoreline development, rural infrastructure, and healthcare recruitment dominating council agendas, voters will be choosing the local representatives who make decisions on these fronts for the next four years.
Election day is Monday, October 26, 2026, with advance voting by internet and telephone beginning October 16–19 depending on the municipality.
Bruce County
Municipality of Kincardine
Mayor (1 seat)
- Kenneth Craig
- Barb Fisher
- Bill Stewart
The race for mayor features a three-way contest. Incumbent Kenneth Craig faces challengers Barb Fisher and Bill Stewart in a community grappling with growth pressure from Bruce Power-related activity and housing development debates.
Deputy Mayor — Rory Cavanagh (acclaimed)
Councillor at-large (3 seats): Mike Hinchberger, Mike McKechnie, Darrel Perry, Ali Shah (4 candidates, 3 seats)
Councillor Ward 1 — Russ Crook and Jennifer Prenger (acclaimed — 2 seats)
Councillor Ward 2: Michael Ferrier, Kyle McKay (2 candidates, 1 seat)
Councillor Ward 3: Amanda Steinhoff-Gray (acclaimed)
School trustees: Jan Johnstone (Bluewater, acclaimed), Lori Di Castri (Bruce-Grey Catholic, acclaimed)
Voting: Internet and telephone, October 19–26
Town of Saugeen Shores
Mayor (1 seat)
- Brian Putman
- Jeff James
- Luke Charbonneau
Saugeen Shores has seen substantial residential development over the past term. The town’s official plan review, shoreline access, and balancing tourism with residential quality of life are live issues.
Deputy Mayor: Diane Huber, Odette Bartnicki Vice Deputy Mayor: Bud Halpin, Don Matheson
Port Elgin Ward (2 seats): Dane Buttenaar, Jordan MacKinnon, Patricia Corrigan-Frank, Rachel Stack, Tamara McDonald
Saugeen Ward (2 seats): Eric Tolton, Neil Sarginson, Sterling Thiele
Southampton Ward (2 seats): Brenda Reeves, Cathe McIntosh, Cheryl Grace, Harry Mazmanian, John Divinski
School trustees: Julia Bates, Katie Lutz (Bluewater); Lucie Desbiens (Bruce-Grey Catholic, acclaimed)
Voting: Internet and telephone, October 19–26
Township of Huron-Kinloss
Mayor (1 seat)
- Don Murray
- Shawn Plante
A two-way race for the mayor’s chair in a township that has seen steady but measured growth. The next council will face decisions on infrastructure and maintaining rural character amid development pressure.
Deputy Mayor — James Hanna (acclaimed)
Council (5 seats, 6 candidates): Shari Flett, Scott Gibson, Tracy Irwin, Kirk Livingston, Ed McGugan, Carl Sloetjes
School trustees: Lori Di Castri (Bruce-Grey Catholic, acclaimed), Jan Johnstone (Bluewater, acclaimed)
Voting: Internet and telephone, October 19–26
Arran-Elderslie
Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and Arran Ward councillor — all acclaimed. Candidate details being confirmed.
All-candidates meetings scheduled October 6 (Paisley Ward), October 7 (Chesley and Elderslie), and October 8 (Arran and Tara).
Municipality of South Bruce
Mayor
- Mark Goetz (incumbent)
- Mike Niesen
Councillor at-large (2 seats): Rob Fischer, Rita Groen, Nigel Van Dyk (3 candidates, 2 seats)
Teeswater-Culross Ward (2 seats): Tim Borho, Julia Gutscher, Mark Ireland (3 candidates, 2 seats)
Mildmay-Carrick Ward — Ashton Metcalfe (acclaimed), Ron "Huck" Schnurr (acclaimed)
School trustees: Beverley Eckensweiler (Bruce-Grey Catholic, acclaimed), Terry Boyd-Zhang (Bluewater, acclaimed)
Voting: Internet and telephone, October 19–26
Municipality of Brockton
Mayor — Chris Peabody (acclaimed)
Deputy Mayor: Tim Elphick, Kym Hutcheon
Council (5 seats): Steve Adams, Mitch Clark, Mike Crawford, Justin Hoffarth, James Lang, Gregory McLean, Hayden Oberle, Nicole Porter (Schneider), Christine Robinson, Steve Travale (10 candidates, 5 seats)
School trustees: Terry Boyd-Zhang (Bluewater, acclaimed); Jim Nolan, Linda Strader (Bruce-Grey Catholic contested)
Voting: Internet and telephone, October 19–26
Town of South Bruce Peninsula
Mayor
- Jay Kirkland (incumbent)
- Bill Klingenberg
- John David Close
- Janice Jackson
Deputy Mayor: Caleb Hull (incumbent)
Council: Kathy Durst, Paul Stephen Deacon (additional candidates pending confirmation)
Voting: Internet and telephone, October 19–26
Township of Northern Bruce Peninsula
Mayor
- Brad Gesinghaus
- Milt McIver (incumbent)
The municipality’s most hotly contested race features two-term-plus incumbent Milt McIver (the second-longest-sitting reeve/mayor in Canada) against challenger Brad Gesinghaus.
Deputy Mayor: Rod Anderson (incumbent), James Mielhausen
Council (3 seats): Todd Dowd, Paul Davidson, Laurie "Smokey" Golden, Ryan Matheson (4 candidates, 3 seats)
School trustees: Robert John William Galbraith, Jason Yip (Bluewater, contested)
Voting: Internet and telephone, October 19–26
Grey County
City of Owen Sound
Mayor (1 seat)
- Ray Botten
- Jodi King
- Carol Merton
- Mike Seiler
- Richard Thomas
- Andrii Zvorygin
Six candidates are vying for the mayor’s chair — the most crowded mayoral race in the region. Owen Sound faces downtown revitalization, housing affordability, and the ongoing transformation of its healthcare landscape through Brightshores Health System.
Deputy Mayor — Scott Greig (acclaimed)
Council (9 seats, 21 candidates): David Adams, Thomas Arakal, Ross Baker, Justin Bianco, Joe Carder, Dale Funston, Brock Hamley, Michele Hawkins, Jaret Koop, Suneet Kukreja, Justin Melanson, Melanie Middlebro’, Brian O’Leary, Meghan Robertson, Jeff Rockwell, Tamara Sargent, David W. Schinbein, Jasmine Schnarr, Angela Stow, David Walton, Michael Zimon
With 21 candidates for 9 council seats — and no incumbents guaranteed re-election — the Owen Sound ballot will demand voters do their homework. Several candidates are running on housing and downtown platforms.
School trustees: Michael Dunn, Sarah Milne (Bluewater Public); Suriya Thomas (Bruce-Grey Catholic, acclaimed)
Voting: Internet and telephone, October 16–26 (longer window)
Town of The Blue Mountains
Mayor
- Peter Bordignon
- Marni Moreau
- Paul Reale
Every council seat is contested in the Blue Mountains, where growth and environmental protection continue to be the dominant tension. The Escarpment Corridor Alliance hosts an all-candidates meeting on September 28.
Deputy Mayor: Gail Ardiel, Rachel Gilliland, Daniel Murphy, Bob Welling
Council: Brayden DeWitt, Paula Hope, Sean Kelly, Meghan Loney, Alexander Maxwell, Shawn McKinlay, George McLeod, Sean McMurray (additional candidates pending confirmation)
School trustee: Scott Cowley (Bluewater Public)
Voting: Internet and telephone, October 16–26
Municipality of West Grey
Mayor
- Kevin Eccles
A single candidate in the mayor’s race — Kevin Eccles runs unopposed for the top job in this largely rural municipality.
Deputy Mayor: Rebecca Marie Hergert, Thomas Hutchinson
Council (5 seats, 7 candidates): Scott Foerster, Jordan Hoxie, Jenny Parsons, Kimberley Anne Peeters, Geoffrey Shea, Deidter Stadnyk, Stephen Townsend
School trustees: Tracy Schaus-Atkinson (Bluewater Public); Francis-Joseph Gross, Jessica Marin (Bruce-Grey Catholic)
Voting: Internet and telephone, October 19–26
Municipality of Meaford
Mayor
- Caryn Colman
- Shirley Keaveney (incumbent Deputy Mayor)
- Justin Perks
Deputy Mayor — Robert Uhrig (acclaimed)
Council (5 seats): Tony Bell, Darcy Chapman, John Clark, Eric Ennis, Brandon Forder, Amanda Greenfield, Jim McPherson, Elgin Pecjak, Adam Vaughan (9 candidates, 5 seats)
School trustees: Scott Cowley, Angela Forder (Bluewater Public, contested); Suriya Thomas (Bruce-Grey Catholic, acclaimed)
Voting: Internet and telephone, October 16–26
Municipality of Grey Highlands
Mayor
- Dane Nielsen
- Paul McQueen
- Mark Brown
Deputy Mayor: Joel Loughead, Tom Allwood, Andrea Edwards (3 candidates, 1 seat)
Council (5 seats): Paul Allen, Don Alp, James Black, Janet Carson, David Clarke, Emmett Ferguson, Xerxes Khalkhaly, Stephen Patrick Maloney, Blake Martin, Dave Meslin, David Russell, Sandra "Sandy" Thornton, Katrina Wood, Daniel Wickens (14 candidates, 5 seats)
School trustee: Wayne Peeters (Bluewater Public, acclaimed)
Voting: Internet and telephone, October 13–26 (earliest start)
Municipality of Chatsworth
Mayor
- Shawn Greig
- Terry McKay (incumbent Deputy Mayor)
Incumbent Mayor Mackinnon is not seeking re-election. Both candidates are current council members.
Deputy Mayor: Diana Rae, Peter Whitten
Council: Nine candidates for five seats.
Voting: Mail-in ballot (voting kit sent by Canada Post)
Town of Hanover
Mayor
- Sue Paterson (incumbent)
- Warren Dickert (incumbent Deputy Mayor)
A mayor-versus-deputy-mayor race after the two were the only candidates to file for the top job.
Deputy Mayor: Richard Emrich, Rosalva Clubine, Selwyn Hicks (former Deputy Mayor and Grey County Warden)
Council (5 seats): Siobhan Hanley, David Hocking, Carol Hudson, Brandon Koebel, Mandie Malott, Daniel Parrish, Alina Rehkopf (7 candidates)
School trustees: Tracy Schaus-Atkinson (Bluewater); Francis-Joseph Gross, Jessica Marin (Bruce-Grey Catholic)
Voting: Internet and telephone, October 16–26
Township of Southgate
Mayor
- Brian Milne
- Jason Rice
Deputy Mayor — Barbara Dobreen (acclaimed)
Council (5 seats): Joan John, David Kopp, Samantha Erin Parent, Michael Sherson, Martin Shipston, Kristy Taylor, Jim Ferguson (7 candidates, 5 seats)
School trustee: Wayne Peeters (Bluewater Public, acclaimed)
Voting: Internet and telephone, October 19–26
Township of Georgian Bluffs
Mayor — Sue Carleton (acclaimed)
Deputy Mayor — Grant Pringle (acclaimed)
Council (5 seats): Mass Arezzi, Ejaye McComb, Gary McMillan, Brad McRoberts, Jarod Outridge, Ann Schneider, Isaac Shouldice, Steve Spencer, Rick Winters (9 candidates, 5 seats)
School trustees: Leslie Patrick Medve (Bluewater, acclaimed); Lucie Desbiens (Bruce-Grey Catholic, acclaimed)
Voting: Internet and telephone, October 16–26
School Board Trustees
School board elections are often overlooked but consequential — they set budgets, curriculum support, and local education policy.
Bluewater District School Board (English Public) — Contested races in Saugeen Shores (Bates vs. Lutz), Owen Sound (Dunn vs. Milne), Meaford (Cowley vs. Forder), Northern Bruce Peninsula (Galbraith vs. Yip), and West Grey (Schaus-Atkinson). Several seats acclaimed: Huron-Kinloss (Johnstone), Kincardine (Johnstone), Grey Highlands and Southgate (Peeters), Georgian Bluffs and Chatsworth (Medve).
Bruce-Grey Catholic District School Board — Contested races in Brockton Wards 34 & 36 (Nolan vs. Strader), West Grey, Grey Highlands, Southgate, and Hanover (Gross vs. Marin). Acclaimed: Beverley Eckensweiler (South Bruce), Lucie Desbiens (Saugeen Shores, Georgian Bluffs), Lori Di Castri (Kincardine, Huron-Kinloss, Brockton Ward 31), Suriya Thomas (Owen Sound, Meaford).
Conseil scolaire Viamonde (French Public) — Candidates Rachael Golem and Eric Lapointe appear on ballots across multiple municipalities.
Conseil scolaire catholique Providence (French Separate) — Michael Salvatore (acclaimed across the region).
Note: Your ballot lists only the trustee races for your school support designation. Check your designation at mpac.ca/schoolsupport if you’re unsure.
What’s at Stake
The 2026 election comes at a time when Bruce and Grey counties are grappling with overlapping challenges:
- Housing: Both counties face pressure for more housing of all types. The debate is less about whether to build and more about where and how dense — shoreline development, infill versus greenfield, and preserving agricultural land.
- Infrastructure: Rural roads, bridges, and broadband remain top concerns, especially in townships where the tax base is thin.
- Healthcare: Paramedic services, long-term care beds, and recruiting healthcare professionals to rural communities continue to challenge every municipal budget.
- Environment: Shoreline protection, wind energy policy, aggregate extraction, and farmland preservation are live issues that divide candidates and communities.
- Economic development: Bruce Power, tourism, and agri-food remain the economic anchors, but each municipality approaches the balance differently.
How to Vote
- Election Day: Monday, October 26, 2026
- Voting period: Internet and telephone voting begins October 16–19, depending on municipality, and runs through election day
- ID required: Proof of identity and residency (driver’s licence, property tax bill, utility bill, or Ontario photo card)
- Who can vote: Canadian citizens aged 18+, resident in the municipality on voting day, and on the voters’ list
- Not on the list? You can register at your municipal office up to and including election day
*This guide will be updated weekly as the election approaches. Check the Bruce/Grey Brief election page for the latest version.