More than 100 residents gathered at Market Hall in downtown Peterborough on Tuesday evening (March 31) for a free seminar on running for public office in the upcoming municipal election on October 26 — including several people who have either already declared their intention to run or who are considering it.
Presented by the City of Peterborough along with the eight townships of Peterborough County, the seminar — entitled “So, You Want to Run for Council – Candidate 101 Information Session” — was led by Nigel Bellchamber, with several city and county staff also in attendance.
Bellchamber, who is leading similar seminars for municipalities across the province, is an experienced municipal governance trainer from London, Ontario who has worked with elected officials and senior staff across Ontario since 2002.
After being introduced by Peterborough city clerk John Kennedy, Bellchamber covered key issues such as the roles and responsibilities of municipal councillors, the impact of elected office on one’s personal and family life, and council codes of conduct and confidentiality.
Beginning by asking audience members to call out responsibilities of council, Bellchamber highlighted the complex and multifaceted role that councillors must play.
Audience members highlighted the key topics they consider when thinking about municipal government, including transit, emergency services, water and sewage, waste management, and roads.
Bellchamber said that those interested in running for municipal office “can’t be a one-issue councillor; you have to do it all.”
He explained that councillors are responsible for strategic guidance on all municipal activities, although they do not manage day-to-day operations. As such, they must be able to comprehend and engage with areas of government that are outside of their personal or professional interest and experience.
Bellchamber also spoke about the significance of strong mayor powers, which allow heads of council of single and lower-tier municipalities with councils of six members or more to support shared provincial-municipal priorities, such as encouraging the approval of new housing and constructing, and maintaining infrastructure to support housing including roads and transit.
Under strong mayor powers, these heads of council are also responsible for presenting a municipal budget by February 1, and can also propose certain municipal by-laws if they believe that the by-laws could potentially advance a provincial priority identified in regulation. Council can then pass those by-laws if more than one-third of all council members vote in favour — a departure from the usual majority vote required to pass a by-law.
This year’s municipal election is the first during which municipalities with councils of over six members will be voting for a head of council that has strong mayor powers. When the provincial government began granting strong mayor powers to municipalities, starting with Toronto and Ottawa in 2022, they came during the term of the existing head of council.
Peterborough mayor Jeff Leal has used his strong mayor powers for the city’s 2025 and 2026 budgets, and also to expedite Brock Mission’s proposed transitional housing project, which would see a six-story building constructed in the middle of a residential neighbourhood, by amending the city’s zoning by-law and exempting the project from the city’s site plan requirements.
Bellchamber said strong mayor powers will impact the dynamic of both the campaign period and the mayoral term. He suggested that some candidates may run with the intention of using strong mayor powers as a general practice.
Speaking directly to aspiring candidates, Bellchamber explained how being elected to public office “will change your life” and “requires total commitment,” noting that candidates often become public figures within the community from the start of their campaign.
With the expectation that elected officials are constantly available to respond to constituents, he said it was important for candidates to set personal and professional boundaries.
While Tuesday night’s session did not include information about the nomination process or campaign finance rules, another session will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday (April 8) at the Cavan Monaghan Community Centre in Millbrook to cover those topics and more.
Hosted by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, “Candidate and Third Party Advertiser Training” will provide information about who is eligible to run for council or advertise for a campaign, how the nomination process works, the roles and responsibilities of council members, and campaign finance rules and requirements.
Following the presentation, election staff representing the City of Peterborough and each township in the county will be available to answer questions and share election information specific to each municipality.
The session is free, but advance registration is required at www.cavanmonaghan.net/candidateinfo.
The audience at Tuesday evening’s session included two people who have confirmed they are running for Peterborough city council: incumbent Ashburnham Ward councillor Keith Riel who will be running for mayor, and incumbent Town Ward councillor Joy Lachica who will be seeking re-election in the ward.
Also attending the session were several people who have publicly stated they are considering running for Peterborough city council, including potential mayoral candidates Neil Morton and Michael Eamon, potential Northcrest Ward candidates Phillip Jolicoeur and Gavin Muir, potential Monaghan Ward candidate Ashley Flynn, and potential Ashburnham Ward candidate Ashley Bonner.
The nomination period for candidates in the October 26 municipal election opens on May 1 and continues until August 21.
