Photo: Andre Carrotflower · CC BY-SA 4.0At 15%, Blind River’s 2022 turnout trailed 95% of Ontario municipalities
Federally, Blind River sits in Sault Ste. Marie—Algoma, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP), held by Terry Sheehan of the Liberal Party of Canada. Northern Ontario’s provincial ridings differ from the federal ones, and no open file of them exists, so Blind River’s riding for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario isn’t shown. The October 2022 vote made Sally Hagman mayor of Blind River, heading 7 seats. Ontario’s councils were renewed on 26 October 2026, but the only open list so far is 2022’s, so that is the term shown.
What stands out in how Blind River is governed
Few residents per seat
Blind River council spreads its seats over a small population; the typical municipality in Ontario has one seat per 1,540 residents. Council size ↓
Turnout below the norm
In Ontario’s 2022 municipal elections, the middle municipality saw 35% of electors vote; Blind River council fell short of that. How Blind River voted ↓
High spending per resident
Blind River council spent more per resident in 2024 than 75% of Ontario’s single-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
Blind River, a town in Ontario, shares the work with the province and Ottawa.
Local services, by-laws and property tax.
Schools, health care, highways, municipal law.
ola.org ↗Passports, pensions, EI, defence, immigration.
ourcommons.ca ↗Who to ask
Green: municipal. Gold: provincial. Grey: federal.
No county council governs Blind River, a single-tier town, even if the census files it under Algoma.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Blind River, from the most recent elections.
- 1Blind River councilelected October 2022Sally Hagman
- 2Legislative Assembly of Ontario–
- 3House of CommonsSault Ste. Marie—Algoma
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 Blind River council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Sally Hagman
- Jennifer Posteraro
- Betty Ann Dunbar
- Jim Dunbar
- Paula Summers
- Joe Connell
6 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sally Hagman | Mayor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Jennifer Posteraro | Councillor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Betty Ann Dunbar | Councillor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Jim Dunbar | Councillor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Paula Summers | Councillor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Joe Connell | Councillor | – | acclaimed | No |
With no rival, Sally Hagman took the mayor’s chair by acclamation. All of Blind River council is elected at large, with each voter helping fill every seat, the mayor’s as well.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Blind River voted less than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
When Blind River council was chosen on 24 October 2022, just 15% of electors took part, under the provincial median. Distances here run 31–47 km: that is how far the nearest places with figures are from Blind River.
How Blind River voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Blind River votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Blind River council | 26 October 2026 | 28 October 2030 |
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | 27 February 2025 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
The open federal catalogue ends at 2021; the 2025 results sit on elections.ca under terms that bar commercial use. Provincially the last general election was on 27 February 2025, for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario; federally, on 28 April 2025. Councils are elected on the fourth Monday in October every four years, says the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, so Blind River votes next on 28 October 2030.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario: riding not placed
Provinces and territories run schools, health care and municipal law; each riding elects one MPP.
Find your MPP on the legislature’s site
ola.org ↗Legislatures: their own member pages
Terry Sheehan represents Sault Ste. Marie—Algoma in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Sault Ste. Marie—Algoma · Liberal Party of Canada · first elected 2015
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
Terry Sheehan is one of 71 Liberal Party of Canada MPs among the 122 from Ontario.
The MP’s record
On today’s boundaries, the 2021 vote in Sault Ste. Marie—Algoma would have gone to the Conservative Party of Canada (36%), so Terry Sheehan’s 2025 win took it from them. Terry Sheehan has sat in the Commons since 2015, now for the 4th Parliament.
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
Carol Hughes kept Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing for the New Democratic Party in 2021
The 2019 and 2021 counts in Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, Blind River’s riding before the map was redrawn; it now votes in Sault Ste. Marie—Algoma.
60% of electors in Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing voted in 2021, below the 63% turnout across Canada. In 2021, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing went to Carol Hughes (New Democratic Party) on 40%; John Sagman (Conservative Party of Canada) finished 5,010 votes behind. Carol Hughes already held it after the 2019 election, won with 42%.
All 6 candidates in Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carol Hughes | New Democratic Party | 15,895 | 40.2% |
| John Sagman | Conservative Party of Canada | 10,885 | 27.5% |
| Duke Peltier | Liberal Party of Canada | 8,888 | 22.5% |
| Harry Jaaskelainen | People's Party of Canada | 2,840 | 7.2% |
| Stephen Zimmermann | Green Party of Canada | 726 | 1.8% |
| Clarence Baarda | Christian Heritage Party of Canada | 289 | 0.7% |
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
Blind River council spends more per resident than most
The 2024 financial return: spending by service and revenue by source, per resident, compared only with Ontario’s single-tier municipalities.
Spending per resident by service, 2024
What pays for it
Shares of revenue, town and province.
Blind River council’s borrowing is on the heavy side: $26.1M long term, $7,620 a resident where the median is $971. Property taxes and payments in lieu brought in 39% of revenue, against 37% across the province’s returns. No service costs more than water, sewers and waste, at $1,080 per resident and 23% of the total. 33 full-time positions are funded, 9.6 per thousand residents. At $4,771 for every resident in 2024, Blind River council sits above the $3,796 median of Ontario’s single-tier municipalities.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water, sewers and waste | $3.7M | $1,080 | 23% |
| Roads and transit | $3.7M | $1,079 | 23% |
| Recreation and culture | $3.2M | $933 | 20% |
| General government | $2.1M | $610 | 13% |
| Police, fire and protection | $1.6M | $460 | 10% |
| Social services and child care | $596K | $174 | 4% |
| Planning and development | $588K | $172 | 4% |
| Public health and paramedics | $553K | $162 | 3% |
| Social housing | $347K | $101 | 2% |
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 530 residents
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
83% of municipalities in Ontario have more residents per seat than Blind River council, at 530 each.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Blind River 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
- Election results. Ridings changed in 2023: the 2019 and 2021 results are on the old map, and the 2021 vote on today’s map is Elections Canada’s own estimate from polling divisions.
- Which riding. Where residents of the 2021 Census live decides the riding; any riding with 5% of them or more is named.
- Who holds each seat. A member who resigned or switched parties last week may still show here: the names are Wikidata’s.
- Not on this page. Band councils, and which party runs the council: the open lists carry no party, and most councils have none.
- Council money. Per resident means the 2024 Financial Information Return’s totals over the population it reports. Since a county or region spends in its lower tiers too, those are compared only with each other.
- Council size. Every seat counts, the head of council’s too, against the population of the 2021 Census.
Questions about how Blind River is run
Who is the MP for Blind River?
Terry Sheehan of the Liberal Party of Canada is the MP for Sault Ste. Marie—Algoma, which includes Blind River.
Which party won Blind River in the 2021 federal election?
Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing went to Carol Hughes (New Democratic Party) in 2021. Since 2025, Terry Sheehan has been the MP for Sault Ste. Marie—Algoma.
Who is the MPP for Blind River?
Use the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s own list: every MPP is there by riding, though Blind River isn’t placed in one here.
Who heads the council in Blind River?
The open record gives Sally Hagman, elected mayor of Blind River council in October 2022.
How much does Blind River council spend?
The 2024 return of Blind River council shows $16.3M of spending for roughly 3,422 residents, $3.7M of it on water, sewers and waste.
How is Blind River council elected?
At large: every voter helps fill all of Blind River council, the mayor too.
What was the turnout in Blind River?
15.2% of electors voted when Blind River council was elected in October 2022; the Ontario median was 35.5%.
Sources: MPs: Wikidata (CC0), 45th Parliament statements, read 7 November 2026; ridings: 2023 Representation Order, 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).