Elections to be held on October 26
Fort Frances will see both the mayoral and councillor seats contested in this year’s election on Oct. 26, with two candidates for mayor and nine for council after the slate was officially ratified on Monday.
Town Council, which is comprised of six council seats (one of whom will be designated deputy mayor) and one mayor, is the governing body at the municipal level responsible for developing town bylaws, setting and managing budgets and representing resident interests during meetings.
Current council member John McTaggart and lifelong community resident Brent Calder are vying for mayor. Current Mayor Andrew Hallikas is not running for re-election.
Incumbent council members Kaleb Firth, Mike Behan, Steven Maki and Bill Morrison Jr. have filed to keep their seats, along with new nominees Gary Cousineau, Nathan Galusha, Anthony Andrusco, Kathy McKenzie and former chief administrative officer Doug Brown.
The campaign to come should give voters a clear sense of how candidates intend to handle major capital decisions in the years ahead.
Debate over the future of the Sunny Cove children’s camp continues to simmer, with questions about long‑term stewardship and whether the town should pursue a partnership model or divest the property outright.
The proposed roundabout on King’s Highway remains another flashpoint, drawing mixed reactions over cost, traffic flow and whether it’s the right soluBoth matters are expected to factor into campaign discussions alongside aging infrastructure, a lack of available housing, property taxes and how to best promote economic development.
Eligible voters must be Canadian citizens aged 18 or older who live in Fort Frances, own or rent property here or are the spouses of those who do. Voters must appear on the municipal voters’ list, which can be checked or updated through the clerk’s office, and must present identification showing name and address at the poll.
Advance polling dates and locations have not yet been released.
Election Day voting runs Monday, Oct. 26 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., with residents casting ballots at their assigned polling station, appointing a proxy if required or using any alternative voting method authorized for this cycle. For confirmed times and locations as they are posted, residents should consult the town’s election page at www.fortfrances.ca/elections or contact the clerk.
On the education side, there are two candidates for English Separate School Board trustee, Lisa Cousineau and Kenny Desjardins. There are also two for English Public School Board trustee, Heather Latter and Mike Walchuk, who currently serves as a trustee.
Both school boards had two positions that required filling. Because there were only two nominees for each, there will be no need for a trustee election, and those candidates will be acclaimed.
All nominations for mayor, council and school board trustees have now been certified by the municipal clerk, meaning they have been verified as having all necessary documentation, paid all fees and made all required declarations, which means no new nominees can file at this time.
