Photo: Canmenwalker · CC BY 4.028,250 residents per council seat in Burlington, a higher ratio than 97% of Ontario municipalities
In the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Burlington is shared by 2 ridings (Burlington and Oakville North—Burlington). No open list we can reuse gives Burlington’s sitting MPP; the Legislative Assembly of Ontario keeps the list. Burlington lends its name to its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP), and the seat belongs to Karina Gould (Liberal Party of Canada). The October 2022 vote made Marianne Meed Ward mayor of Burlington, heading 7 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.
What stands out in how Burlington is governed
Many residents per seat
Burlington council has more people behind each seat than most of Ontario, where the middle figure is 1,540 residents a seat. Council size ↓
Turnout below the norm
In Ontario’s 2022 municipal elections, the middle municipality saw 35% of electors vote; Burlington council fell short of that. How Burlington voted ↓
Split between ridings
67% of Burlington residents live in the riding of the same name; the other 33% vote in Burlington North—Milton West or beyond. Member of Parliament ↓
A close federal race
With 8.5 points between the winner and the runner-up (Conservative Party of Canada), Burlington beat 77% of the 338 ridings for closeness in 2021. How Burlington has voted ↓
Compared with the province’s municipalities of 1,000+ residents (2021 Census; MAMH, MMAH and Statistics Canada).
Three governments, and who does what
Burlington, a city 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 water, sewers and waste (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 Burlington: its own, and that of Halton Region, the upper tier.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Burlington, from the most recent elections.
- 1Burlington councilelected October 2022Marianne Meed Ward
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioBurlington · Oakville North—Burlington
- 3House of CommonsBurlington · 67%
- 4House of CommonsBurlington North—Milton West · 33%
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 Burlington council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Marianne Meed Ward
- Kelvin Galbraith
- Lisa Kearns
- Rory Nisan
- Shawna Stolte
- Paul Sharman
- Angelo Bentivegna
7 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marianne Meed Ward | Mayor | 30,135 | 78% | Yes |
| Kelvin Galbraith | Local and Regional Councillor | 4,155 | 63% | Yes |
| Lisa Kearns | Local and Regional Councillor | 4,453 | 72% | Yes |
| Rory Nisan | Local and Regional Councillor | 3,190 | 64% | Yes |
| Shawna Stolte | Local and Regional Councillor | 3,591 | 47% | Yes |
| Paul Sharman | Local and Regional Councillor | 3,852 | 59% | Yes |
| Angelo Bentivegna | Local and Regional Councillor | 3,678 | 61% | Yes |
Every member elected had sat on the outgoing council. Seats on Burlington council are tied to wards, apart from the mayor, whom every voter helps choose. Marianne Meed Ward became mayor on 78% of the votes cast.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Burlington voted less than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
28% of those on the list cast a ballot for Burlington council on 24 October 2022, fewer than in a typical municipality.
How Burlington voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Burlington votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Burlington council | 26 October 2026 | 28 October 2030 |
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | 27 February 2025 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
Why not 2025? Elections Canada publishes those counts under non-commercial terms, and its open data stop at the 2021 election. Under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, Burlington’s next municipal vote is on 28 October 2030, the fourth Monday in October every four years. The Legislative Assembly of Ontario was last elected on 27 February 2025, and the House of Commons on 28 April 2025.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Burlington spans 2 ridings 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 ↗MPP: see the legislature’s list
ola.org ↗The riding comes from the 2013 federal map, which southern Ontario’s provincial ridings match under the Representation Act, 2015. So more than one MPP in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario speaks for parts of Burlington.
Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada
Burlington has 2 MPs
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Burlington · Liberal Party of Canada · first elected 2015 · 67%
en.wikipedia.org ↗Burlington North—Milton West · Liberal Party of Canada · 33%
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
The Liberal Party of Canada holds 71 of 122 seats from Ontario, including Karina Gould’s.
The MP’s record
Roles held by Karina Gould include Minister of Families, Children and Social Development (2021–2023), Minister for International Development (2019–2021) and Minister of Democratic Institutions (2017–2019). Karina Gould has sat in the Commons since 2015, now for the 4th Parliament. Mapped onto today’s Burlington, the 2021 vote gives the Liberal Party of Canada 46%; in 2025 Karina Gould kept the seat in the same hands.
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
Karina Gould kept Burlington for the Liberal Party of Canada in 2021
Results in Burlington as drawn in 2013, the boundaries of the 2019 and 2021 elections; the riding was redrawn for 2025. 67% of Burlington lived in it.
Turnout in Burlington reached 70% in 2021, against 63% nationally. Back in 2019, Karina Gould took the riding on 49%. The 2021 count in Burlington put Karina Gould (Liberal Party of Canada) first at 46%, with Emily Brown (Conservative Party of Canada) 5,860 votes back.
All 6 candidates in Burlington, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karina Gould | Liberal Party of Canada | 31,602 | 45.7% |
| Emily Brown | Conservative Party of Canada | 25,742 | 37.3% |
| Nick Page | New Democratic Party | 7,507 | 10.9% |
| Michael Bator | People's Party of Canada | 2,764 | 4.0% |
| Christian Cullis | Green Party of Canada | 1,368 | 2.0% |
| Jevin David Carroll | Parti Rhinocéros Party | 122 | 0.2% |
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
Burlington 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.
Property taxes and payments in lieu brought in 65% of revenue, against 42% across the province’s returns. Burlington council carried $115M of long-term debt, $576 per resident against a typical $440. Each resident’s share of Burlington council’s 2024 spending came to $1,747, where the middle of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities sat at $1,901. The upper tier, Halton Region, adds $1,866 per resident of its own, mostly for social services and child care. The return counts 1,148 full-time positions, 5.8 for every thousand residents. No service costs more than roads and transit, at $592 per resident and 34% of the total.
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roads and transit | $118.1M | $592 | 34% |
| Recreation and culture | $97.8M | $490 | 28% |
| Police, fire and protection | $68.2M | $342 | 20% |
| General government | $42.9M | $215 | 12% |
| Planning and development | $14.1M | $71 | 4% |
| Water, sewers and waste | $6.6M | $33 | 2% |
| Public health and paramedics | $770K | $4 | 0% |
Money: Financial Information Return 2024, Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
Burlington council beside its neighbours
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
How Burlington council compares is at the top of the page; here it stands beside its neighbours.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Burlington 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
- 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. Wikidata, edited by volunteers, is the source for each MP, and it can trail a change of seat by a little.
- Which riding. A place belongs to the riding where most of its 2021 Census residents live, plus any other with 5% or more.
- Election results. The 2019 and 2021 figures are Elections Canada’s official counts on the ridings drawn in 2013; the “today’s boundaries” figures are its transposition of the 2021 vote onto the 2023 ridings, an estimate built from polling divisions.
- Council size. Residents per seat divide the 2021 Census population by every council seat, the head of council’s included.
- 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.
Questions about how Burlington is run
Who is the MP for Burlington?
It depends on the street: most of Burlington is in the riding of the same name (Karina Gould, Liberal Party of Canada), some in Burlington North—Milton West (Adam van Koeverden).
Which party won Burlington in the 2021 federal election?
In 2021 it was Karina Gould (Liberal Party of Canada), who represents Burlington still.
Who is the MPP for Burlington?
Burlington is split between Burlington and Oakville North—Burlington, so it has more than one MPP; the Legislative Assembly of Ontario lists who holds each.
Who heads the council in Burlington?
The open record gives Marianne Meed Ward, elected mayor of Burlington council in October 2022.
How much does Burlington council spend?
Burlington council spent $348.4M in 2024 for about 199,484 residents; its largest service line was roads and transit, at $118.1M.
Which regional body is Burlington part of?
The council of Halton Region sits above Burlington’s and runs region-wide services, police and water among them.
How is Burlington council elected?
Burlington council: the mayor is chosen by the whole municipality, the councillors ward by ward.
What was the turnout in Burlington?
27.6% of electors voted when Burlington 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 · 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).