Photo: Ashtabula Archive · Public domainOnly 25% of Bayham voters cast a ballot in 2022, fewer than in 86% of Ontario municipalities
The October 2022 vote made Ed Ketchabaw mayor of Bayham, heading 5 seats. These names are from the 2022–26 term: Ontario’s municipalities voted on 26 October 2026, but the province’s open list of the results isn’t out. Provincially, Bayham votes in Elgin—Middlesex—London; the open record doesn’t name its MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, so the legislature’s own list is linked below. Bayham is in Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP), and the seat belongs to Andrew Lawton of the Conservative Party of Canada.
What stands out in how Bayham is governed
Turnout below the norm
Across Ontario, median turnout in 2022 was 35%, and Bayham council came in under it. How Bayham voted ↓
Low spending per resident
Per resident, Bayham council’s 2024 spending sits under 76% of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities. Council money ↓
Compared with the province’s municipalities of 1,000+ residents (2021 Census; MAMH, MMAH and Statistics Canada).
Three governments, and who does what
Bayham, a municipality in Ontario, shares the work with the province and Ottawa.
Local services, by-laws and property tax.
Spends most on social services and child care, then public health and paramedics (2024 return).
Schools, health care, highways, municipal law.
ola.org ↗Passports, pensions, EI, defence, immigration.
ourcommons.ca ↗Who to ask
Green: municipal. Gold: provincial. Grey: federal.
Two councils serve Bayham: its own, and that of Elgin County, the upper tier.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Bayham, from the most recent elections.
- 1Bayham councilelected October 2022Ed Ketchabaw
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioElgin—Middlesex—London
- 3House of CommonsElgin—St. Thomas—London South
Party colours are neutral on purpose: they tell parties apart and aren’t the parties’ own. MPs: Wikidata (CC0), 45th Parliament statements, read 7 November 2026; ridings: 2023 Representation Order, Statistics Canada
Who was elected to Bayham council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Ed Ketchabaw
- Rainey Weisler
- Susan Chilcott
- Dan Froese
- Timothy D. Emerson
5 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ed Ketchabaw | Mayor | 864 | 62% | Yes |
| Rainey Weisler | Deputy Mayor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Susan Chilcott | Councillor | 281 | 74% | Yes |
| Dan Froese | Councillor | 327 | 71% | Yes |
| Timothy D. Emerson | Councillor | 308 | 60% | No |
For one seat a single candidate came forward and was acclaimed. Voters pick a mayor for the whole municipality and the rest of Bayham council ward by ward. Ed Ketchabaw won 62% of the votes cast for mayor.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Bayham voted less than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
Bayham council was elected on 24 October 2022 with 25% of electors voting, below the provincial middle.
How Bayham voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Bayham votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Bayham council | 26 October 2026 | 28 October 2030 |
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | 27 February 2025 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
Voters last chose the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on 27 February 2025 and the House of Commons on 28 April 2025. Councils are elected on the fourth Monday in October every four years, says the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, so Bayham votes next on 28 October 2030. The latest vote shown is 2021: the 2025 counts carry Elections Canada’s non-commercial terms.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Bayham votes in Elgin—Middlesex—London for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Provinces and territories run schools, health care and municipal law; each riding elects one MPP.
MPP: see the legislature’s list
ola.org ↗Elgin—Middlesex—London takes in Bayham and elects its MPP to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. By law (the Representation Act, 2015), southern Ontario’s provincial ridings follow the 2013 federal boundaries, so each place is located from those.
Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada
Andrew Lawton represents Elgin—St. Thomas—London South in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Elgin—St. Thomas—London South · Conservative Party of Canada
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
Andrew Lawton sits with the Conservative Party of Canada, which has 50 of the 122 seats from Ontario, against 71 for the Liberal Party of Canada.
The MP’s record
Had the 2021 ballots been cast in today’s Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, the Conservative Party of Canada would have led with 49%; Andrew Lawton held it for them in 2025. April 2025 was Andrew Lawton’s first election to the House of Commons.
MPs: Wikidata (CC0), 45th Parliament statements, read 7 November 2026; ridings: 2023 Representation Order, Statistics Canada · MPs’ records: Wikidata (CC0), positions held and party memberships, read 8 November 2026
Elgin—Middlesex—London returned Karen Vecchio (Conservative Party of Canada) in 2021
Under the 2013 boundaries of the 2019 and 2021 elections, Bayham sat in Elgin—Middlesex—London; the 2025 election put it in Elgin—St. Thomas—London South.
In 2019, Karen Vecchio had won the same riding with 50%. The 2021 count in Elgin—Middlesex—London put Karen Vecchio (Conservative Party of Canada) first at 50%, with Afeez Ajibowu (Liberal Party of Canada) 19,146 votes back. Elgin—Middlesex—London turned out at 65% in 2021; the country managed 63%.
All 6 candidates in Elgin—Middlesex—London, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karen Vecchio | Conservative Party of Canada | 31,472 | 49.9% |
| Afeez Ajibowu | Liberal Party of Canada | 12,326 | 19.6% |
| Katelyn Cody | New Democratic Party | 10,086 | 16.0% |
| Chelsea Hillier | People's Party of Canada | 7,429 | 11.8% |
| Amanda Stark | Green Party of Canada | 1,417 | 2.3% |
| Michael Hopkins | Christian Heritage Party of Canada | 328 | 0.5% |
Federal results: Elections Canada, 43rd and 44th general elections and the 44th’s transposition to the 2023 ridings, via open.canada.ca. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Bayham council spends less per resident than most
The 2024 financial return: spending by service and revenue by source, per resident, compared only with Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities.
Spending per resident by service, 2024
What pays for it
Shares of revenue, town and province.
In 2024 the median among Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities was $1,901 a resident; Bayham council spent $1,473. Elgin County, the upper tier, spent another $1,748 per resident of its whole area, most of it on social services and child care. It employs the equivalent of 23 full-time positions, or 3.1 for each thousand people. At 30% of spending ($449 a resident), roads and transit leads the budget. At 50%, property taxes count for more of the revenue than the 42% seen across the province. At $562 per resident, Bayham council’s $4.2M of long-term debt is more than the $440 median.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roads and transit | $3.3M | $449 | 30% |
| Water, sewers and waste | $3.2M | $434 | 29% |
| Police, fire and protection | $2.1M | $287 | 20% |
| General government | $1.4M | $189 | 13% |
| Recreation and culture | $425K | $58 | 4% |
| Planning and development | $367K | $50 | 3% |
| Public health and paramedics | $40K | $5 | 0% |
| Social services and child care | $7K | $1 | 0% |
Money: Financial Information Return 2024, Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
One seat for every 1,590 residents
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
With 1,590 residents behind each seat, Bayham council sits above 52% of Ontario municipalities.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Bayham is run
Check or update the federal list.
elections.ca ↗Every MP lists an office.
ourcommons.ca ↗Ridings, registration and voting dates.
elections.on.ca ↗What this data can and can’t tell you
- Council size. The council size includes the head of council; the population is the 2021 Census, the whole city’s for a neighbourhood.
- Council money. The 2024 Financial Information Return, totals after adjustments by service, per resident with the return’s own population. A lower tier’s figures leave out its county’s or region’s spending, so lower tiers are compared only with lower tiers.
- Not on this page. Band councils, and which party runs the council: the open lists carry no party, and most councils have none.
- Who holds each seat. Wikidata, edited by volunteers, is the source for each MP, and it can trail a change of seat by a little.
- Which riding. A riding is listed when 5% or more of the place’s 2021 Census residents live in it; the largest share comes first.
- Election results. Elections Canada redrew the ridings in 2023 and re-tallied the 2021 ballots onto the new map from polling divisions; that estimate, and the official 2019 and 2021 counts on the old map, are what you see.
Questions about how Bayham is run
Who is the MP for Bayham?
For Bayham, it’s Andrew Lawton (Conservative Party of Canada), who holds Elgin—St. Thomas—London South.
Which party won Bayham in the 2021 federal election?
Karen Vecchio won Elgin—Middlesex—London for the Conservative Party of Canada in 2021; the riding is now Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, held by Andrew Lawton.
Who is the MPP for Bayham?
Bayham votes in Elgin—Middlesex—London; the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s members page gives its current MPP.
Who heads the council in Bayham?
Ed Ketchabaw was elected mayor in October 2022, for the 2022–26 term of Bayham council.
How much does Bayham council spend?
Bayham council spent $10.9M in 2024 for about 7,396 residents; its largest service line was roads and transit, at $3.3M.
Which regional body is Bayham part of?
The council of Elgin County, made up of members from its municipalities, Bayham among them, is the upper tier.
How is Bayham council elected?
Bayham council: the mayor is chosen by the whole municipality, the councillors ward by ward.
What was the turnout in Bayham?
In October 2022, turnout for Bayham council was 24.8%, against 35.5% for the typical Ontario municipality.
Sources: MPs: Wikidata (CC0), 45th Parliament statements, read 7 November 2026; ridings: 2023 Representation Order, Statistics Canada · Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada · Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario) · Money: Financial Information Return 2024, Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · Next municipal election: the province’s municipal election act · Municipality types: Statistics Canada census subdivisions · Federal results: Elections Canada, 43rd and 44th general elections and the 44th’s transposition to the 2023 ridings, via open.canada.ca. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada · MPs’ records: Wikidata (CC0), positions held and party memberships, read 8 November 2026. Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).