Photo: Squirrelwhisperer · CC BY-SA 4.048% of Cardinal voters cast a ballot in 2022, more than in 91% of Ontario municipalities
For local government, Cardinal falls under Edwardsburgh/Cardinal, a township. The October 2022 vote made Tory Deschamps mayor of Edwardsburgh/Cardinal, heading 5 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. Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes is the riding Cardinal votes in for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and its MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) isn’t named here because no open list records the members. Michael Barrett (Conservative Party of Canada) is the MP for Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes, the riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP) that takes in Cardinal.
What stands out in how Cardinal is governed
Turnout above the norm
Edwardsburgh/Cardinal council drew more of its electors to the polls in 2022 than the typical Ontario municipality (35%). How Cardinal voted ↓
High spending per resident
Only a minority of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities spent more per resident in 2024 than Edwardsburgh/Cardinal council: it is ahead of 84%. 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
Cardinal, a township 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.
Above Edwardsburgh/Cardinal’s council sits United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, the upper tier, which runs services across all its municipalities.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Cardinal, from the most recent elections.
- 1Edwardsburgh/Cardinal councilelected October 2022Tory Deschamps
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioLeeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes
- 3House of CommonsLeeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes
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 Edwardsburgh/Cardinal council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Tory Deschamps
- Stephen Dillabough
- Joe Martelle
- Waddy Smail
- Chris Ward
5 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tory Deschamps | Mayor | 1,585 | 60% | Yes |
| Stephen Dillabough | Deputy Mayor | 1,667 | 65% | Yes |
| Joe Martelle | Councillor | 570 | 63% | No |
| Waddy Smail | Councillor | 475 | 55% | No |
| Chris Ward | Councillor | 524 | 66% | No |
Councillors on Edwardsburgh/Cardinal council are elected by ward, the mayor by the whole municipality. For mayor, Tory Deschamps drew 60% of the votes.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Cardinal voted more than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
48% of those on the list cast a ballot for Edwardsburgh/Cardinal council on 24 October 2022, more than in a typical municipality.
How Cardinal voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Cardinal votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Edwardsburgh/Cardinal council | 26 October 2026 | 28 October 2030 |
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | 27 February 2025 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
No open copy of the 2025 counts exists, and Elections Canada’s own terms rule out commercial reuse, so 2021 is the last vote shown. Voters last chose the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on 27 February 2025 and the House of Commons on 28 April 2025. 28 October 2030 is the next council election in Edwardsburgh/Cardinal, fixed by the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 for the fourth Monday in October every four years.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Cardinal votes in Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes 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 ↗For the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Cardinal votes in Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, which has one MPP. Ontario’s southern ridings copy the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), and the town is placed by them.
Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada
Michael Barrett represents Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes · Conservative Party of Canada · first elected 2018
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
The Liberal Party of Canada leads Ontario with 71 of 122 seats; Michael Barrett is among the 50 from the Conservative Party of Canada.
The MP’s record
Mapped onto today’s Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes, the 2021 vote gives the Conservative Party of Canada 51%; in 2025 Michael Barrett kept the seat in the same hands. The current Parliament is Michael Barrett’s 4th, counting from a first win in 2018.
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
In 2021, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes re-elected Michael Barrett of the Conservative Party of Canada
The 2019 and 2021 counts in Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, Cardinal’s riding before the map was redrawn; it now votes in Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes.
At 68%, more of Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes voted in 2021 than Canada as a whole (63%). Michael Barrett (Conservative Party of Canada) took Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes in 2021 with 51% of the vote, 15,015 votes ahead of Roberta L Abbott (Liberal Party of Canada). 49% had elected Michael Barrett there in 2019.
All 5 candidates in Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Barrett | Conservative Party of Canada | 29,950 | 50.5% |
| Roberta L Abbott | Liberal Party of Canada | 14,935 | 25.2% |
| Michelle Taylor | New Democratic Party | 8,863 | 15.0% |
| Alex Cassell | People's Party of Canada | 3,394 | 5.7% |
| Lorraine Rekmans | Green Party of Canada | 2,134 | 3.6% |
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
Edwardsburgh/Cardinal 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 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 28% of revenue, against 42% across the province’s returns. Residents are also served by United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, which spent $2,246 each across its area, chiefly on social services and child care. At $1,207 per resident, Edwardsburgh/Cardinal council’s $9.1M of long-term debt is more than the $440 median. 34 full-time positions are funded, 4.5 per thousand residents. In 2024 the median among Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities was $1,901 a resident; Edwardsburgh/Cardinal council spent $2,631.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other | $6.5M | $873 | 33% |
| Roads and transit | $3.3M | $435 | 17% |
| Water, sewers and waste | $2.8M | $379 | 14% |
| Recreation and culture | $2.8M | $371 | 14% |
| Police, fire and protection | $2.3M | $312 | 12% |
| General government | $1.7M | $227 | 9% |
| Planning and development | $253K | $34 | 1% |
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.
1,590 residents share each seat on Edwardsburgh/Cardinal council, more than in 53% of Ontario municipalities.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Cardinal 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. For residents per seat, the head of council is counted as a seat, and the population is the 2021 Census figure.
- 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. No party tally for the council, which the open lists don’t record, and no band councils.
- Who holds each seat. Each MP’s name and party are Wikidata’s statements for the 45th Parliament, read in November 2026.
- 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 Cardinal is run
Who is the MP for Cardinal?
Cardinal is in Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes, represented by Michael Barrett (Conservative Party of Canada).
Which party won Cardinal in the 2021 federal election?
The Conservative Party of Canada: Michael Barrett won Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes in 2021 and is the MP for today’s Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes.
Who is the MPP for Cardinal?
The riding for Cardinal is Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, and the Legislative Assembly of Ontario lists the MPP who holds it.
Who heads the council in Cardinal?
In October 2022, Tory Deschamps won the post of mayor for Edwardsburgh/Cardinal council’s 2022–26 term.
How much does Edwardsburgh/Cardinal council spend?
The 2024 return of Edwardsburgh/Cardinal council shows $19.7M of spending for roughly 7,505 residents, $6.5M of it on other.
Which regional body is Edwardsburgh/Cardinal part of?
Edwardsburgh/Cardinal is part of the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, whose council, drawn from its municipalities’ councils, runs services across the counties.
How is Edwardsburgh/Cardinal council elected?
Edwardsburgh/Cardinal council: the mayor is chosen by the whole municipality, the councillors ward by ward.
What was the turnout in Cardinal?
47.9% of electors voted when Edwardsburgh/Cardinal 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).