Photo: Paul Vincent Dimaranan · CC BY 3.0Each seat on Carling’s council speaks for just 320 residents, fewer than in 91% of Ontario municipalities
The October 2022 vote made Susan Murphy mayor of Carling, 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. Northern Ontario’s provincial ridings differ from the federal ones, and no open file of them exists, so Carling’s riding for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario isn’t shown. Carling is in Parry Sound—Muskoka, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP), and the seat belongs to Scott Aitchison of the Conservative Party of Canada.
What stands out in how Carling is governed
Few residents per seat
Across Ontario the median is one seat per 1,540 residents, above the ratio on Carling council. Council size ↓
Turnout above the norm
Across Ontario, median turnout in 2022 was 35%, and Carling council beat it. How Carling voted ↓
High spending per resident
Spending per resident put Carling council above 80% of Ontario’s single-tier municipalities in 2024. Council money ↓
A safe federal seat
In 2021, 26.3 points separated first and second (Liberal Party of Canada) in Parry Sound—Muskoka, more than in 71% of the 338 ridings. How Carling 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
Carling, a township 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.
Carling runs its own county-level services as a single-tier township; Parry Sound appears only in the census.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Carling, from the most recent elections.
- 1Carling councilelected October 2022Susan Murphy
- 2Legislative Assembly of Ontario–
- 3House of CommonsParry Sound—Muskoka
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 Carling council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Susan Murphy
- Al Doubrough
- Lisa Cook
- Bruce Kelly
- Pam Wing
5 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Susan Murphy | Mayor | 664 | 47% | Yes |
| Al Doubrough | Councillor | 680 | 15% | No |
| Lisa Cook | Councillor | 727 | 16% | No |
| Bruce Kelly | Councillor | 764 | 17% | No |
| Pam Wing | Councillor | 644 | 14% | No |
With 47% of the votes, Susan Murphy carried the vote for mayor. All of Carling 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)
Carling voted more than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
On 24 October 2022, 44% of electors voted for Carling council, a stronger showing than most of Ontario.
How Carling voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Carling votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Carling 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. Carling votes next on 28 October 2030: the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 sets municipal elections on 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
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
Scott Aitchison represents Parry Sound—Muskoka in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Parry Sound—Muskoka · Conservative Party of Canada · first elected 2019
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
From Ontario come 122 MPs: 71 for the Liberal Party of Canada, 50 for the Conservative Party of Canada, Scott Aitchison’s party.
The MP’s record
The current Parliament is Scott Aitchison’s 3rd, counting from a first win in 2019. On today’s boundaries, the 2021 vote in Parry Sound—Muskoka would have gone to the Conservative Party of Canada with 48%, and Scott Aitchison kept it for them in 2025.
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
Parry Sound—Muskoka returned Scott Aitchison (Conservative Party of Canada) in 2021
These are the 2019 and 2021 results on the 2013 map of Parry Sound—Muskoka; its boundaries changed for the 2025 election.
Scott Aitchison was the sitting MP, elected there in 2019 with 42%. Scott Aitchison (Conservative Party of Canada) took Parry Sound—Muskoka in 2021 with 48% of the vote, 14,586 votes ahead of Jovanie Nicoyishakiye (Liberal Party of Canada). 65% of electors in Parry Sound—Muskoka voted in 2021, above the 63% turnout across Canada.
All 7 candidates in Parry Sound—Muskoka, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scott Aitchison | Conservative Party of Canada | 26,600 | 47.9% |
| Jovanie Nicoyishakiye | Liberal Party of Canada | 12,014 | 21.7% |
| Heather Hay | New Democratic Party | 9,339 | 16.8% |
| James Tole | People's Party of Canada | 4,184 | 7.5% |
| Marc Mantha | Green Party of Canada | 3,099 | 5.6% |
| Daniel Predie Jr | Independent | 169 | 0.3% |
| James Fawcett | National Citizens Alliance of Canada | 95 | 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
Carling 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.
Spending by Carling council reached $4,899 a resident in 2024, well over the $3,796 median of Ontario’s single-tier municipalities. 16 full-time positions are funded, 10.7 per thousand residents. More goes to roads and transit than to anything else: $1,477 a resident, 30% of all spending. At 62%, property taxes count for more of the revenue than the 37% seen across the province. Debt Carling council owes over the long term came to $924K, $620 a resident, under the median of $971.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roads and transit | $2.2M | $1,477 | 30% |
| Police, fire and protection | $1.4M | $921 | 19% |
| General government | $1.4M | $917 | 19% |
| Social services and child care | $586K | $393 | 8% |
| Recreation and culture | $570K | $382 | 8% |
| Water, sewers and waste | $537K | $360 | 7% |
| Public health and paramedics | $439K | $295 | 6% |
| Planning and development | $231K | $155 | 3% |
Money: Financial Information Return 2024, Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
Carling council beside its neighbours
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
Beside its neighbours, Carling council is the bar in colour; the headline above has the comparison with the province.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Carling 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. Party control (most Canadian councils sit without parties, and the open lists record none) and band councils.
- Who holds each seat. A member who resigned or switched parties last week may still show here: the names are Wikidata’s.
- Which riding. Ridings are assigned from the 2021 Census: the one with most residents first, then any holding 5% or more.
- 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 Carling is run
Who is the MP for Carling?
Carling is in Parry Sound—Muskoka, represented by Scott Aitchison (Conservative Party of Canada).
Which party won Carling in the 2021 federal election?
The Conservative Party of Canada: Scott Aitchison won Parry Sound—Muskoka in 2021 and still holds it.
Who is the MPP for Carling?
Find the riding for Carling on the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s site, which names the MPP for each.
Who heads the council in Carling?
Susan Murphy was elected mayor in October 2022, for the 2022–26 term of Carling council.
How much does Carling council spend?
In 2024, Carling council spent $7.3M in all, for some 1,491 residents, of which $2.2M went on roads and transit, the biggest line.
How is Carling council elected?
Every seat on Carling council, the mayor’s included, is filled by the whole municipality.
What was the turnout in Carling?
It was 44.3% for Carling council in 2022, with Ontario’s municipalities at a median of 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).