As Fort Frances moves toward the Oct. 26 municipal election, residents will soon be choosing the mayor and council who will shape the direction of the town for the next four years, making decisions that will potentially have an impact for many more.
With 11 candidates on the ballot and several major issues at hand, some of them critical to our future, voters deserve a clear understanding of who is running and what they stand for.
To help provide that clarity, The Fort Frances Times and the Fort Frances Labour Council will host an all‑candidate town hall on Oct. 1 at 6 p.m. at the Memorial Sports Centre Auditorium, and The Times will be speaking with each candidate to find out who they are, gauge where they stand and hear their vision for Fort Frances.
As we begin our reporting on this year’s campaign, we want to spark voter interest.
Municipal elections in Ontario are notorious for seeing lower voter turnout than provincial or federal contests. Public data from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing shows the 2022 municipal elections averaged about 44 per cent turnout province‑wide, with many communities falling below 40 per cent.
Some communities dipped into the low 30s, meaning only one in three eligible voters cast a ballot.
Let’s not let that happen this time.
When fewer people vote, a smaller portion of the population ends up determining the direction of local government. Municipal councils oversee taxation, infrastructure, land use, recreation, economic development and long‑term planning—areas that affect daily life. Strong participation helps ensure those decisions reflect the community as a whole.
So, we’d like to invite you to help shape our coverage.
What are your big concerns? What would you like to ask the candidates? Are there any major issues you think are being overlooked?
We want to help you decide where to put your support and encourage participation in the electoral process. After all, your vote will determine who gets to make some pretty key decisions.
With that in mind, the Times is inviting residents to submit questions or comments on any municipal matter they want considered to election2026@fortfrances.com. Please include your name and a contact phone number in case clarification is needed.
Your questions and comments may be used in candidate profile interviews or asked at the Oct. 1 Town Hall (subject to moderation rules, of course) or included in future Times coverage.
We do have a few simple rules, and while we can’t guarantee that all questions will be used, we will give them all fair consideration.
Questions should be framed in a way that allows candidates to respond in their own words.
Please keep it civil. We won’t consider vulgar comments or personal attacks.
Please keep your question or comment brief and to the point.
We hope you’ll attend the Town Hall as well on Oct. 1. The event will allow residents to hear directly from the two mayoral candidates and nine council nominees as they outline their priorities and respond to moderated questions.
I’ll be moderating the Town Hall with Times Editor Ken Kellar, and we are generously supported by the Fort Frances Labour Council.
It will begin with remarks from outgoing Mayor Andrew Hallikas, followed by speaking time for each mayoral and council candidate. Because of the number of nominees, the event will not use a debate format. Instead, each candidate will present their platform before audience questions begin. Moderators will ensure questions remain respectful, relevant and within municipal jurisdiction, and we’ll ask our own questions if we think something important hasn’t been raised.
Audience members will have an opportunity to ask questions directly, subject to time limits and moderation guidelines. The event may be livestreamed and will be recorded for coverage.
Residents attending the town hall are asked to refrain from bringing campaign materials into the auditorium and to respect all speakers by avoiding interruptions during remarks or responses.
Volunteers to assist with setup and audience guidance would be appreciated and will help ensure the event runs smoothly. For volunteer inquiries or general questions, email me at aflynn@fortfrances.com. For accessibility requests, contact us at (807) 274‑5373.
