With the deadline past for candidates to file, municipal election races have taken shape in two of the three municipalities in North Renfrew.
Friday at 2 pm was the last chance for candidates to submit their nominations for this fall’s municipal elections. Voters will go to the polls October 24.
With no last-minute nominations coming in, all of Laurentian Hills council will be elected by acclamation, as there was just one candidate for each council position.
In Deep River and Head, Clara, Maria, however, nomination filings mean there will be elections for at least some council positions.
In Deep River, six candidates have put their names forward for five positions as councillor. Four incumbents – Will Fitton, Christina Giardini, Terry Myers and Kathy Hughes – will be joined on the ballot by newcomer Tom Vaughan and Larry Dumoulin, who ran for mayor in 2018.
Richard Roiha, who previously served on Deep River council in the 1990s, had filed nomination papers earlier this week but withdrew his nomination before Friday’s deadline.
Mayor Sue D’Eon is unopposed to retain her post for another four-year term.
Reeve Glenn Doncaster also appeared to be headed to acclamation, but will now face a challenge from Cathy Ryan, a former Deep River Police officer.
In Head, Clara, Maria, there will be a choice for both mayor and council as former mayor Bob Reid has filed his nomination to run against incumbent Debbi Grills, who defeated Reid in 2018.
Six candidates will challenge for the four positions as councillor – incumbents Ernie Villeneuve, Chris Dowser and Fran Kelly-Chamberlain will be running against newcomer Rachel Richer, former mayor and councillor Jim Gibson, and Karen LeClerc, who is new to Head, Clara, Maria council but previously served in the former townships of Rolph, Buchanan, Wylie & McKay.
The full list of positions and candidates in all three municipalities is as follows:
Deep River
- Mayor – Suzanne D’Eon (acclaimed)
- Reeve (one to be elected) – Glenn Doncaster, Catherine Ryan
- Councillor (five to be elected) – Larry Dumoulin, William Fitton, Christina Louise Giardini, Kathy Hughes, Terry Myers, Tom Vaughan
Laurentian Hills (all candidates acclaimed)
- Mayor – Anne Giardini
- Councillor (Ward 1) – Bruce Boucher
- Councillor (Ward 2) – Gary McAnulty
- Councillor (Ward 3) – Brenda Blimkie
- Councillor (Ward 4) – John Hoyle
Head, Clara, Maria
- Mayor (one to be elected) – Debbi Grills, Robert Reid
- Councillor (four to be elected) – Chris Dowser, Jim Gibson, Fran Kelly-Chamberlain, Karen LeClerc, Rachel Richer, Ernie Villeneuve
Municipal clerks have until 4 pm Monday, August 22 to confirm all nominations and issue a certified list of candidates for the October vote.
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