Photo: P199 · Public domainBrighton’s MP is Philip Lawrence (Conservative Party of Canada), for Northumberland—Clarke
Across Ontario, 71 of the 122 MPs sit with the Liberal Party of Canada. Voters in Brighton chose Brian Ostrander as mayor in October 2022, for a 7-seat council. 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. In the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Brighton belongs to Northumberland—Peterborough South; who holds it as MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) isn’t on an open record, so no one is named.
Three governments, and who does what
Brighton, 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.
Local government here has two tiers: Brighton below, Northumberland County above.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Brighton, from the most recent elections.
- 1Brighton councilelected October 2022Brian Ostrander
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioNorthumberland—Peterborough South
- 3House of CommonsNorthumberland—Clarke
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 Brighton council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Brian Ostrander
- Ron Anderson
- Emily S. Rowley
- Anne Butwell
- Bobbi Wright
- Jeff Wheeldon
- Byron Faretis
7 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Ostrander | Mayor | 2,533 | 52% | Yes |
| Ron Anderson | Deputy Mayor | 2,421 | 50% | Yes |
| Emily S. Rowley | Councillor | 3,063 | 63% | Yes |
| Anne Butwell | Councillor | 3,061 | 63% | No |
| Bobbi Wright | Councillor | 2,915 | 60% | No |
| Jeff Wheeldon | Councillor | 2,910 | 60% | No |
| Byron Faretis | Councillor | 2,261 | 47% | No |
Every seat on Brighton council, the mayor’s included, is chosen by the whole municipality. For mayor, Brian Ostrander drew 52% of the votes.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Brighton voted more than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
When Brighton council was chosen on 24 October 2022, 47% of electors took part, above the provincial median.
How Brighton voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Brighton votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Brighton council | 26 October 2026 | 28 October 2030 |
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | 27 February 2025 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario was last elected on 27 February 2025, and the House of Commons on 28 April 2025. Under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, Brighton’s next municipal vote is on 28 October 2030, the fourth Monday in October every four years. This page stops at the 2021 vote: elections.ca keeps the 2025 counts under non-commercial terms.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Brighton votes in Northumberland—Peterborough South 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 ↗Northumberland—Peterborough South takes in Brighton 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
Philip Lawrence represents Northumberland—Clarke in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Northumberland—Clarke · Conservative Party of Canada · first elected 2019
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
The MP’s record
Had the 2021 ballots been cast in today’s Northumberland—Clarke, the Conservative Party of Canada would have led with 44%; Philip Lawrence held it for them in 2025. Philip Lawrence has sat in the Commons since 2019, now for the 3rd 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
Philip Lawrence kept Northumberland—Peterborough South for the Conservative Party of Canada in 2021
Under the 2013 boundaries of the 2019 and 2021 elections, Brighton sat in Northumberland—Peterborough South; the 2025 election put it in Northumberland—Clarke.
In 2021, Northumberland—Peterborough South went to Philip Lawrence (Conservative Party of Canada) on 44%; Alison Lester (Liberal Party of Canada) finished 7,679 votes behind. In 2019, Philip Lawrence had won the same riding with 40%. Turnout in Northumberland—Peterborough South reached 70% in 2021, against 63% nationally.
All 5 candidates in Northumberland—Peterborough South, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philip Lawrence | Conservative Party of Canada | 31,015 | 44.5% |
| Alison Lester | Liberal Party of Canada | 23,336 | 33.5% |
| Kim McArthur-Jackson | New Democratic Party | 9,809 | 14.1% |
| Nathan Lang | People's Party of Canada | 3,813 | 5.5% |
| Christina Wilson | Green Party of Canada | 1,764 | 2.5% |
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
Brighton 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.
No service costs more than roads and transit, at $570 per resident and 32% of the total. It employs the equivalent of 59 full-time positions, or 4.9 for each thousand people. Northumberland County, the upper tier, spent another $1,552 per resident of its whole area, most of it on social services and child care. At $1,764 for every resident in 2024, Brighton council sits below the $1,901 median of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities. Debt Brighton council owes over the long term came to $5.7M, $468 a resident, higher than the median of $440. At 49%, property taxes count for more of the revenue than the 42% seen across the province.
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roads and transit | $6.9M | $570 | 32% |
| Police, fire and protection | $4.2M | $349 | 20% |
| Water, sewers and waste | $3.5M | $292 | 17% |
| General government | $2.6M | $219 | 12% |
| Recreation and culture | $2.3M | $192 | 11% |
| Planning and development | $1.2M | $103 | 6% |
| Public health and paramedics | $470K | $39 | 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 1,840 residents
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
At 1,840 residents a seat, Brighton council is more thinly spread than 59% of Ontario municipalities.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Brighton 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. Figures are the 2024 Financial Information Return’s totals after adjustments, per resident on the return’s population. Lower tiers stand beside lower tiers only: their county or region spends on top.
- Not on this page. Party control (most Canadian councils sit without parties, and the open lists record none) and band councils.
- Who holds each seat. Who holds each seat is read from Wikidata, so a very recent change in the Commons may not appear yet.
- Which riding. Where residents of the 2021 Census live decides the riding; any riding with 5% of them or more is named.
- 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.
Questions about how Brighton is run
Who is the MP for Brighton?
Brighton is in Northumberland—Clarke, represented by Philip Lawrence (Conservative Party of Canada).
Which party won Brighton in the 2021 federal election?
Philip Lawrence (Conservative Party of Canada) took Northumberland—Peterborough South in 2021, and still holds the seat, now Northumberland—Clarke.
Who is the MPP for Brighton?
Brighton votes in Northumberland—Peterborough South; the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s members page gives its current MPP.
Who heads the council in Brighton?
Brian Ostrander was elected mayor in October 2022, for the 2022–26 term of Brighton council.
How much does Brighton council spend?
The 2024 return of Brighton council shows $21.4M of spending for roughly 12,108 residents, $6.9M of it on roads and transit.
Which regional body is Brighton part of?
Brighton is part of Northumberland County, whose council, drawn from its municipalities’ councils, runs county-wide services.
How is Brighton council elected?
Every seat on Brighton council, the mayor’s included, is filled by the whole municipality.
What was the turnout in Brighton?
In October 2022, turnout for Brighton council was 46.7%, 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).