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No contest yet for 7 Collingwood councillor seats

Municipal election candidate nominations close in two days, but so far only 7 people have registered to run for the seven councillor seats
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With two days left for candidates to file their nomination papers to run in the municipal election, Collingwood's potential ballot is looking a little lean.

There will be races for the mayor and deputy mayor positions, as multiple candidates have filed for those seats. However, only seven candidates have filed for the seven councillor positions, leaving open the possibility of acclamation over election. 

The mayoral candidates so far include: Yvonne Hamlin, Mariane McLeod, and Norm Sandberg. 

Tim Fryer and Bob Madigan have filed for the deputy mayor seat. 

All five candidates have experience on council, current and past. 

Both the mayor and deputy mayor will also serve as councillors on the County of Simcoe council.

The councillor candidates so far include Steve Berman, Ian Chadwick, Deb Doherty, Cam Ecclestone, Brandon Houston, Kathy Jeffery, and Chris Potts. 

Collingwood uses an at-large election system, not a ward system. There are seven councillors to be elected. In the event there is no contest for the seats, a candidate can be acclaimed. 

Municipal elections are held every four years. To be eligible to run for Collingwood council, a candidate must be at least 18 years old, a Canadian citizen, a resident of Collingwood, or owner or tenant of land in Collingwood, or the spouse of an owner or tenant, not legally prohibited from voting, not disqualified by any legislation from holding municipal office, and eligible to vote in Collingwood. 

Anyone wishing to submit a nomination to run for council must be endorsed by 25 eligible voters. For more information on how to run for a municipal council position, visit the town website here. There's a $200 fee to run for mayor, and a $100 fee to run for deputy mayor or councillor. 

School board trustee elections are also part of the municipal election process.  

The nominations for the Simcoe County District School Board (English, public) trustee position representing Collingwood and Wasaga Beach include candidates Mike Foley, Bob Lima, Barbara-Anne Smith, and Audrey Stukas. 

For the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board trustee position representing Clearview, Collingwood, Springwater, and Wasaga Beach, both Shawn Cooper and Heather Eby are listed as candidates so far. 

Saveria Caruso and Eric Lapointe are running for the area trustee seat for the Conseil scolaire Viamonde, and only Claire Thibideau has declared her intention to run for the trustee seat on the Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir board. 

The deadline to file nominations is Aug. 19 at 2 p.m. Election day is Oct. 24, but advanced voting begins Oct. 8. 

This year, Collingwood residents will have the option to vote online anytime between Oct. 8 at 10 a.m. and Oct. 24 at 8 p.m. There will also be paper ballot voting available at the Collingwood Public Library on Saturdays and Wednesdays in October leading up to and including voting day on Oct. 24. 

You can confirm you are registered to vote in the Town of Collingwood for municipal and school board elections online at voterlookup.ca

The list of candidates is currently uncertified until nominations close, and the town clerk will post a certified list by 4 p.m. on Aug. 22. You can see the full list on the town's website.


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Erika Engel

About the Author: Erika Engel

Erika regularly covers all things news in Collingwood as a reporter and editor. She has 15 years of experience as a local journalist
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