Anyone who is a Canadian citizen, 18+ years of age, lives in the municipality, owns property or is the spouse of someone who owns property. You must be eligible to vote.

If you are employed by the municipality, you must take a leave of absence to run and, if successful, resign your position once elected.

The community will determine whether they wish the candidate to represent them.

Anyone who is eligible to run, may run for municipal office, despite family connections or whether they have had current or past conflicts with the municipality.

There are established conflict of interest rules that will be maintained during time on council, where a particular individual may be required to remove themselves from the discussion and voting on a particular issues. If there are any questions, please contact the Municipal Clerk for clarification,.

SINGLE-ISSUE CANDIDATES: If a candidate is only interested in one issue, they will find the role requires a broader approach to fulfil the role of representing the broader community in the best interest of the municipality.

The nomination period runs from Monday, May 1 to Friday, August 21, 2026 (2pm).

Download the nomination form online (see links) or get a copy from the Clerk. Complete it and bring it back with your nomination fee and the official form listing local eligible voters who endorse your run for office. In municipalities of 4,000 or more, 25 names are required. Always gather and submit more than 25 , in case any are disqualitied (and resulting in your nomination not being certified).

The nomination fee is $200 for Mayor (Head of Council) or $100 for all other positions. The fee is refundable once the post-campaign Financial Statements are submitted and approved in March 2027.

After the Clerk reviews the nomination submission, confirms the 25 endorsers, your nomination will be approved. A list of all certified candidates will be released on August 24, 2026.

If you decide to run for another position, you must fill out another nomination form and pay a second fee. However, your previous list of nominators can be re-used (based on running for council, not the actual position).

If you withdraw from the race, your nomination fee will not be returned. And, if you withdraw after August 21, your name will still appear on the ballot.

This greatly varies based on the numer of meetings required (ask the Clerk or existing council member) and your personal work style, especially in the context of meeting preparation. Ask the Clerk for the average amount of material to be reviewed in advance to determine that for you.

Being a Councillor is considered a part-time job, with a range given of 10-15 hours per week.

Deputy-Mayors spend more time (15-20 hours), taking on other commitments as delegated by the Mayor.

Mayors have the highest time requirement (close to full-time commitment), as they often participate in other activities to represent the the community and spend more time with senior staff.

Council remuneration varies by position and municipality. As it is a matter of public record, check on your municipality’s website.

Contact the Finance Department for the 2025 Council Remuneration Report, if you are unable to find it online.

Panelists offered these pieces of advice:

• Do it! It’s so rewarding!

• Figure out your most important value(s) and find opportunities to learn more about the community prior to running. This will help you find “your people” (those who will help your campaign)

• Once you file your nomination to run, get out into the community, meet people face-to-face, listen, learn and ask everyone you speak to for their vote. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want!

• Don’t let Imposter Syndrome turn your interest into a “No!” Put your fears aside and go for it!

• Start attending council meetings in-person or watch them and other meetings online to identify local issues

(examples given)

• The low number of other women in the council table to help ease the transition to office. TIP: Connect with current peers in other municipalities and former politicians to learn from their experiences in a safe space.

• Trying to initiate action and impact change in an environment of entrenched thinking. TIP: Be patient and strategic in moving around a mountain of fixed thinking and existing processes.

• Saying “No” to opportunities to get involved/managing the time when there are competing priorities . TIP: If you like to volunteer, make sure you maintain a balance between elected and personal responsibilities .

• No. It has given me the opportunitiy to meet more people in the community, new skills and more about what’s happening in the community.

• Sometimes but just momentarily and for a few minutes. It’s usually a knee-jerk reaction based on frustration, anger or disillusionment in the moment. This is normal because we are human! What’s critical is how you get back on track. Reflecting back on the passion felt for the community and excitement when first sworn into office helps!

• No. Being part of the democractic process keeps me motivated to carry on the work.