Photo: P199 · Public domainEach seat on Chalk River’s council speaks for just 630 residents, fewer than in 78% of Ontario municipalities
For local government, Chalk River falls under Laurentian Hills, a town. Voters in Laurentian Hills chose Anne Giardini as mayor in October 2022, for a 5-seat council. 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. Chalk River is in Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, whose current MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) no open source we can use records yet. Federally, Chalk River sits in Algonquin—Renfrew—Pembroke, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP), held by Cheryl Gallant of the Conservative Party of Canada.
What stands out in how Chalk River is governed
Few residents per seat
Laurentian Hills council spreads its seats over a small population; the typical municipality in Ontario has one seat per 1,540 residents. Council size ↓
Low spending per resident
Spending per resident left Laurentian Hills council below 68% of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities in 2024. 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
Chalk River, a town 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.
Laurentian Hills is a lower-tier municipality: Renfrew County, the upper tier, has its own council and services over it.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Chalk River, from the most recent elections.
- 1Laurentian Hills councilelected October 2022Anne Giardini
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioRenfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke
- 3House of CommonsAlgonquin—Renfrew—Pembroke
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 Laurentian Hills council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Anne Giardini
- Brenda Blimkie
- Bruce Boucher
- John Hoyle
- Gary McAnulty
5 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anne Giardini | Mayor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Brenda Blimkie | Councillor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Bruce Boucher | Councillor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| John Hoyle | Councillor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Gary McAnulty | Councillor | – | acclaimed | No |
Anne Giardini was acclaimed mayor, with no one on the ballot against them. The mayor is chosen at large; everyone else on Laurentian Hills council answers to a ward.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
When Chalk River votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Laurentian Hills council | 26 October 2026 | 28 October 2030 |
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | 27 February 2025 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
This page stops at the 2021 vote: elections.ca keeps the 2025 counts under non-commercial terms. The Legislative Assembly of Ontario was last elected on 27 February 2025, and the House of Commons on 28 April 2025. Councils are elected on the fourth Monday in October every four years, says the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, so Laurentian Hills votes next on 28 October 2030.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Chalk River votes in Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke 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 ↗The riding comes from the 2013 federal map, which southern Ontario’s provincial ridings match under the Representation Act, 2015. For the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Chalk River votes in Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, which has one MPP.
Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada
Cheryl Gallant represents Algonquin—Renfrew—Pembroke in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Algonquin—Renfrew—Pembroke · Conservative Party of Canada · first elected 2000
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, Cheryl Gallant’s party.
The MP’s record
The current Parliament is Cheryl Gallant’s 9th, counting from a first win in 2000. Mapped onto today’s Algonquin—Renfrew—Pembroke, the 2021 vote gives the Conservative Party of Canada 50%; in 2025 Cheryl Gallant 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
In 2021, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke re-elected Cheryl Gallant of the Conservative Party of Canada
Before the 2023 redistribution, Chalk River voted in Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke; these are its 2019 and 2021 results, and Algonquin—Renfrew—Pembroke is its riding today.
Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke turned out at 67% in 2021; the country managed 63%. The 2019 result had favoured Cheryl Gallant as well, at 53%. In 2021, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke went to Cheryl Gallant (Conservative Party of Canada) on 50%; Jodie Primeau (New Democratic Party) finished 16,704 votes behind.
All 6 candidates in Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheryl Gallant | Conservative Party of Canada | 28,967 | 49.5% |
| Jodie Primeau | New Democratic Party | 12,263 | 21.0% |
| Cyndi Mills | Liberal Party of Canada | 11,335 | 19.4% |
| David Ainsworth | People's Party of Canada | 4,469 | 7.6% |
| Michael Lariviere | Green Party of Canada | 1,111 | 1.9% |
| Stefan Klietsch | Independent | 373 | 0.6% |
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
Laurentian Hills 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.
Taxes on property make up 64% of what comes in, more than the province-wide 42%. Laurentian Hills council’s borrowing is light: $16K long term, $5 a resident where the median is $440. The upper tier, Renfrew County, adds $2,319 per resident of its own, mostly for social services and child care. In 2024 the median among Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities was $1,901 a resident; Laurentian Hills council spent $1,605. More goes to roads and transit than to anything else: $540 a resident, 34% of all spending. The return counts 9 full-time positions, 3.0 for every thousand residents.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roads and transit | $1.6M | $540 | 34% |
| Water, sewers and waste | $1.3M | $443 | 28% |
| Police, fire and protection | $786K | $266 | 17% |
| General government | $728K | $246 | 15% |
| Recreation and culture | $269K | $91 | 6% |
| Planning and development | $49K | $16 | 1% |
| Social services and child care | $7K | $2 | 0% |
Money: Financial Information Return 2024, Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
Laurentian Hills council beside its neighbours
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
The nearest places to Chalk River with figures are 8–37 km away. How Laurentian Hills 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 Chalk 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
- Council size. Every seat counts, the head of council’s too, against the population of the 2021 Census.
- 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.
- Not on this page. Band councils, and which party runs the council: the open lists carry no party, and most councils have none.
- Who holds each seat. A member who resigned or switched parties last week may still show here: the names are Wikidata’s.
- 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. Official counts for 2019 and 2021 are by the 2013 ridings; Elections Canada also re-counted the 2021 ballots onto the 2023 ridings by polling division, and that estimate is what “today’s boundaries” means here.
Questions about how Chalk River is run
Who is the MP for Chalk River?
For Chalk River, it’s Cheryl Gallant (Conservative Party of Canada), who holds Algonquin—Renfrew—Pembroke.
Which party won Chalk River in the 2021 federal election?
In 2021 it was Cheryl Gallant (Conservative Party of Canada), in Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke; Cheryl Gallant represents Algonquin—Renfrew—Pembroke today.
Who is the MPP for Chalk River?
The riding for Chalk River is Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, and the Legislative Assembly of Ontario lists the MPP who holds it.
Who heads the council in Chalk River?
In October 2022, Anne Giardini won the post of mayor for Laurentian Hills council’s 2022–26 term.
How much does Laurentian Hills council spend?
Laurentian Hills council spent $4.8M in 2024 for about 2,961 residents; its largest service line was roads and transit, at $1.6M.
Which regional body is Laurentian Hills part of?
The council of Renfrew County, made up of members from its municipalities, Laurentian Hills among them, is the upper tier.
How is Laurentian Hills council elected?
By ward for councillors and at large for the mayor, on Laurentian Hills council.
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).