Elections

2026 Municipal Elections

Elections for municipal governments in Ontario are held every four years on the fourth Monday of October. The next Town of Fort Frances municipal election will be held on October 26, 2026.

Key Dates

All times are in Central Daylight Time, as observed by the Town of Fort Frances

May 1, 2026 to August 21 2026 by 2pm - Nomination Period.
August 24, 2026 - Nominations Certified
August 21, 2026 by 2pm - Withdrawal of Nomination
October 26, 2026 - Voting Day
October 27, 2026 - Voting Results
November 16, 2026 - Appointment of new Mayor and Council
November 19, 20, 27 2026 - New Council Orientation dates
November 23, 2026 - First Regular Meeting of the new Mayor and Council

Information for Candidates

To become a candidate for Mayor, Councillor, or School Board Trustee, you must file a nomination paper with the Municipal Clerk, in person, on the second floor of the Civic Centre, 320 Portage Avenue, Fort Frances. Nomination papers may be filed during the Nomination Period from Friday, May 1, 2026 to Friday, August 21, 2026 at 2:00pm. By appointment is encouraged, as walk-in appointments will not be guaranteed.

Appointments can be made to file Nomination Papers during the Nomination Period by:

Booking online
Calling 807 274 5323 x1212
Texting 807 271 7320
Emailing cgreig@fortfrances.ca
Specific days in May are available for drop-ins. The Municipal Clerk has cleared Fridays in May.

Office Hours for the Civic Centre are Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 4:00pm.

Please note the following:

The Municipal Clerk will not be available May 4th - 6th, 2026, as well as June 8th - 12th, 2026.
A person cannot raise or spend money on an election campaign until they have filed their nomination paper.

Qualifications to run for Mayor, Councillor, or School Board Trustee

To run for Mayor or City Councillor, on the day the nomination paper is filed, a person must be:

a Canadian citizen
at least 18 years old
a resident of the Town of Fort Frances, or an owner or tenant of land in the Town of Fort Frances, or the spouse of such person
not legally prohibited from voting
not disqualified by any legislation from holding municipal office

To run for School Board Trustee, on the day the nomination paper is filed, a person must be:

a Canadian citizen
at least 18 years of age
a resident in the area of jurisdiction of the board
not legally prohibited from voting
not disqualified by any legislation from holding municipal office

If you wish to run for School Board Trustee for one of the following boards, you must live within the jurisdiction of that board.

Rainy River District School Board
The Northwest Catholic District School Board

Who is disqualified from running?

The following people are disqualified from being elected or holding office as Mayor or Councillor:

a judge of any court;
a Senator, Member of Parliament or Member of Provincial Parliament who has not resigned from their office by the close of nominations;
a candidate who failed to file the necessary financial statement or exceeded the prescribed spending limit in the 2022 municipal election; or
Town of Fort Frances employees, unless the candidate takes an unpaid leave of absence before filing a nomination paper.

The following people are disqualified from being elected or holding office as a School Board Trustee:

a clerk, treasurer, deputy-clerk or deputy-treasurer of any municipality within the area of jurisdiction of the school board except those on an unpaid leave of absence;
a Senator, Member of Parliament or Member of Provincial Parliament who has not resigned from their office by the close of nominations;
a candidate who failed to file the necessary financial statement or exceeded the prescribed spending limit in 2022 municipal election; or
employees of any school board, unless the candidate takes a leave of absence before filing a nomination paper.

What do I need to file my nomination?

Nomination must be filed in person and include:

Form 1 - Nomination Paper, it is the responsibility of the person being nominated to make sure their nomination paper is complete and accurate
Form 2 - Endorsement of Nomination, endorsed by at least 25 people who are eligible to vote in our municipal election. Endorsements are required only if running for Mayor or City Councillor, not School Board Trustee
Declaration of qualifications
Consent to release personal personal information
Identification showing name, qualifying address and signature
Applicable filing fee, $200 for Mayor, $100 for all others. The fee must be paid in cash, debit card, certified cheque or money order

Nomination packages may be picked up from the Office of the Clerk on the second floor of the Civic Centre, 320 Portage Avenue, Fort Frances. The following packages available are:

Nomination Package - Mayor and Councillor
Nomination Package - School Board Trustee - English

Acceptable forms of Identification to file your Nomination

Candidates filing a nomination must present identification showing their name, photo, qualifying Fort Frances address, and signature.

One piece of ID or a combination of two pieces of ID as specified here will meet the ID requirement:

Ontario driver’s licence
Ontario health card
Canadian passport
Certificate of Canadian Citizenship
Certificate of Indian Status
Veterans Affairs Canada Health Card
Social Insurance Number Card
Old Age Security Card
Credit card
Debit card
Ontario motor vehicle permit, plate portion
Cancelled personalized cheque
Property tax assessment
Mortgage, lease or rental agreement
Insurance policy
Insurance statement
Loan or financial agreement with a financial institution
Employee Identification card
Student Identification card issued by a post-secondary institution
Union Identification card or professional licence card

Union Identification card or professional licence card
Income tax assessment notice
Child Tax Benefit Statement

Statement of Employment Insurance Benefits Paid T4E
Statement of Old Age Security T4A OAS
Statement of Canada Pension Plan Benefits T4A P
Canada Pension Plan Statement of Contributions
Statement of Direct Deposit for Ontario Works
Statement of Direct Deposit for Ontario Disability Support Program
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board Statement of Benefits T5007
Credit card, bank account, RRSP, RRIF, RHOSP or T5 statement
CNIB Card or a card from another registered charitable organization which provides services to persons with disabilities

Hospital card or record

Document showing campus residence issued by the office or officials responsible for student residence at a post-secondary institution
Utility bill for hydro, water, gas, telephone or cable TV or a bill from a public utilities commission
Cheque stub, T4 or pay receipt issued by an employer
Transcript or report card from a post-secondary school
Document issued or certified by a court in Ontario
Any other document issued by the government of Canada, Ontario or a municipality in Ontario or from an agency of such a government
Any document from a Band Council in Ontario established under the Indian Act, Canada

Policies

Campaign Finances

A campaign bank account must be opened for election campaign purposes prior to spending money or accepting contributions. All contributions of money, including contributions from yourself, must be deposited in the campaign account. All campaign expenses must be paid from the campaign account.

You do not have to open a campaign bank account if you do not spend any money and do not receive any contributions of money. If you receive contributions of goods or services, but no contributions of money, you do not have to open a campaign bank account.

You cannot use your personal bank account for campaign finances, even if you are planning a very small campaign.

Candidates must keep records of:

receipts issued for every contribution
value of every contribution
whether contribution is in form of money, goods or services
contributor’s name and address
every expense, including the receipts obtained for each expense

All campaign financial records must be retained until after November 15, 2030, when the next new council has been sworn in.

Campaign Contributions

Money, goods or services given to a candidate for their campaign are considered to be contributions. Candidates can accept contributions from:

individuals who normally reside in Ontario
the candidate and their spouse

Contributions to candidates from trade unions and corporations are prohibited in municipal elections.

Cash contributions may be accepted up to $25. Contributions over $25 must be by cheque or money order, or by a method that clearly shows where the funds came from. Receipts must be issued for each contribution and should include the name and address of the contributor, the amount and date of the contribution.

'Pass the hat' donations of under $25 received at fundraising events, may be given anonymously and the candidate is not required to issue receipts. These donations are still considered campaign income and the total amount must be reported on the candidate's financial statement.

The ticket price for a fundraising event is a contribution and the candidate must issue a receipt for the full amount.

The maximum amount an individual can contribute to a candidate's campaign is $1,200. Contributors may donate up to an aggregate total of $5,000 to any number of candidates running for the same council or school board.

Candidates are required to inform contributors of contribution limits.

Self-funding Limits

There is a limit on the amount that a candidate and their spouse can collectively contribute to the candidate's own campaign for a municipal council office.

The limit is based on the number of electors voting for the office, and is calculated as follows:

$7,500 + $0.20 per elector for head of council, to a maximum of $25,000
$5,000 + $0.20 per elector for other council offices, to a maximum of $25,000

Upon filing their nomination, a candidate will receive a certificate from the Clerk with a preliminary calculation of maximum self-funding amounts, based on the voters' list as of September 15, 2022. On or before September 30, 2026, the Clerk shall provide a final certificate. The number of electors used in the final calculation will be the greater of the number on the voters' list on September 15, 2022 or September 15, 2026.

Spending Limits

A candidate's general spending limit applies only to expenses incurred until the end of Voting Day. The limit is based on the number of electors voting for the office, and is calculated as follows:

Head of council: $7,500 + 85 cents per elector
All other offices: $5,000 + 85 cents per elector

There is a separate spending limit for parties and expressions of appreciation after Voting Day, and that limit is 10% of the above calculated amounts.

The Clerk will provide candidates with two certificates of maximum campaign expenses:

preliminary estimate – when filing a nomination form, based on the 2022 voters’ list
final certificate, by September 30, with the higher of the calculated amount based on the 2026 voters’ list, or the amount on the preliminary certificate, noted above.

Scrutineers

A candidate may appoint scrutineers to represent them during voting and counting of the votes. Each candidate may appoint one scrutineer per ballot box in a voting place. A candidate is not required to appoint that many scrutineers, or any scrutineers at all.

Scrutineers may observe, but they are not allowed to interfere with voters, attempt to influence how they vote, or ask a voter how they voted.

The form and process for appointing a scrutineer will be updated once available.

Running for Elected Office: Resources

The Association of Municipalities of Ontario produces Lead Where You Live 2026: A Guide to running for municipal council.

The Province of Ontario publishes a Municipal Councillor's Guide that provides an overview of the roles and responsibilities of an elected member of council.

The Province of Ontario has released the 2026 Candidates' Guide - Ontario municipal council and school board elections to provide information on how to run as a candidate in Ontario municipal council and school board elections.

Voter List and School Support

You can visit Elections Ontario to update your information for provincial, municipal and DSSAB elections in Ontario. You will need to provide proof of identity and eligibility to vote which will be reviewed by Elections Ontario. Find out more about confirming and updating your information before the next municipal election in 2026 at Elections Ontario’s Voter Registration service.

As of January 1, 2024, MPAC is no longer responsible for collecting voter information for local elections. MPAC remains responsible for collecting information about school support. To update your school support information, visit MPAC’s online School Support tool.

REGISTER TO VOTE

Questions?

Chelsea Greig
Elections Returning Officer
Municipal Clerk
cgreig@fortfrances.ca
Phone: 807 274-5323 x1212
Text: 807 271-7320