Photo: P199 · CC BY-SA 3.0Chisholm has a council seat for every 320 residents, fewer than 92% of municipalities in Ontario
Chisholm is in Nipissing—Timiskaming, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP), and the seat belongs to Pauline Rochefort of the Liberal Party of Canada. The Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s northern ridings aren’t the federal ones and aren’t published as open data, so Chisholm isn’t placed. Chisholm’s council of 5 was elected in October 2022, with Gail Degagne as mayor. Ontario voted again on 26 October 2026, and the province hasn’t published that election’s open file yet, so these are the 2022–26 council’s names.
What stands out in how Chisholm is governed
Few residents per seat
Chisholm council spreads its seats over a small population; the typical municipality in Ontario has one seat per 1,540 residents. Council size ↓
Turnout below the norm
In Ontario’s 2022 municipal elections, the middle municipality saw 35% of electors vote; Chisholm council fell short of that. How Chisholm voted ↓
Low spending per resident
Per resident, Chisholm council’s 2024 spending sits under 90% of Ontario’s single-tier municipalities. 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
Chisholm, 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.
Chisholm is a single-tier township: no county or region sits above its council, though Statistics Canada still counts it in the Nipissing census division.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Chisholm, from the most recent elections.
- 1Chisholm councilelected October 2022Gail Degagne
- 2Legislative Assembly of Ontario–
- 3House of CommonsNipissing—Timiskaming
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 Chisholm council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Gail Degagne
- Bernadette Kerr
- Nunzio Scarfone
- Claire Riley
- Paul Sharp
5 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gail Degagne | Mayor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Bernadette Kerr | Councillor | 230 | 17% | Yes |
| Nunzio Scarfone | Councillor | 235 | 17% | Yes |
| Claire Riley | Councillor | 240 | 18% | No |
| Paul Sharp | Councillor | 263 | 20% | No |
Every seat on Chisholm council, the mayor’s included, is chosen by the whole municipality. With no rival, Gail Degagne took the mayor’s chair by acclamation.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Chisholm voted less than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
Turnout for Chisholm council on 24 October 2022 was 31% of electors, lower than the Ontario norm.
How Chisholm voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Chisholm votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Chisholm council | 26 October 2026 | 28 October 2030 |
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | 27 February 2025 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
Parliament was last elected on 28 April 2025, and the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on 27 February 2025. Under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, Chisholm’s next municipal vote is on 28 October 2030, the fourth Monday in October every four years. Counts from April 2025 can’t appear here, since Elections Canada allows only non-commercial reuse of them.
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
Pauline Rochefort represents Nipissing—Timiskaming in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Nipissing—Timiskaming · Liberal Party of Canada
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
Pauline Rochefort is one of 71 Liberal Party of Canada MPs among the 122 from Ontario.
The MP’s record
The 2025 general election sent Pauline Rochefort to the Commons for the first time. Mapped onto today’s Nipissing—Timiskaming, the 2021 vote gives the Liberal Party of Canada 37%; in 2025 Pauline Rochefort 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, Nipissing—Timiskaming re-elected Anthony Rota of the Liberal Party of Canada
Counts for Nipissing—Timiskaming within its 2013 boundaries, used in 2019 and 2021; the 2025 election ran on a new map.
The 2021 count in Nipissing—Timiskaming put Anthony Rota (Liberal Party of Canada) first at 39%, with Steven Trahan (Conservative Party of Canada) 3,301 votes back. Back in 2019, Anthony Rota took the riding on 41%.
All 4 candidates in Nipissing—Timiskaming, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Rota | Liberal Party of Canada | 18,405 | 38.8% |
| Steven Trahan | Conservative Party of Canada | 15,104 | 31.8% |
| Scott Robertson | New Democratic Party | 10,493 | 22.1% |
| Gregory J. Galante | People's Party of Canada | 3,494 | 7.4% |
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
Chisholm 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 single-tier municipalities.
Spending per resident by service, 2024
What pays for it
Shares of revenue, town and province.
Debt Chisholm council owes over the long term came to $2M, $1,492 a resident, higher than the median of $971. Local taxpayers carry a bigger share than elsewhere: 56% of revenue, where the province’s returns show 37%. No service costs more than roads and transit, at $1,417 per resident and 58% of the total. It employs the equivalent of 8 full-time positions, or 6.1 for each thousand people. Spending by Chisholm council came to $2,432 a resident in 2024, under the $3,796 median of Ontario’s single-tier municipalities.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roads and transit | $1.9M | $1,417 | 58% |
| Social services and child care | $492K | $375 | 15% |
| Police, fire and protection | $408K | $311 | 13% |
| Water, sewers and waste | $160K | $122 | 5% |
| General government | $103K | $79 | 3% |
| Recreation and culture | $64K | $49 | 2% |
| Public health and paramedics | $59K | $45 | 2% |
| Planning and development | $46K | $35 | 1% |
Money: Financial Information Return 2024, Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
Chisholm council beside its neighbours
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
The headline above gives the figure; the bars set Chisholm council beside nearby councils, with the provincial median as the tick.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Chisholm 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Council size. Residents per seat divide the 2021 Census population by every council seat, the head of council’s included.
Questions about how Chisholm is run
Who is the MP for Chisholm?
Pauline Rochefort (Liberal Party of Canada) sits for Nipissing—Timiskaming, the riding Chisholm is in.
Which party won Chisholm in the 2021 federal election?
Anthony Rota won Nipissing—Timiskaming for the Liberal Party of Canada in 2021; the riding is now Nipissing—Timiskaming, held by Pauline Rochefort.
Who is the MPP for Chisholm?
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario lists each MPP with the riding they hold; this page can’t place Chisholm in one.
Who heads the council in Chisholm?
For the 2022–26 term, Chisholm council was led by Gail Degagne, elected mayor in October 2022.
How much does Chisholm council spend?
The 2024 return of Chisholm council shows $3.2M of spending for roughly 1,312 residents, $1.9M of it on roads and transit.
How is Chisholm council elected?
Every seat on Chisholm council, the mayor’s included, is filled by the whole municipality.
What was the turnout in Chisholm?
30.9% of electors voted when Chisholm 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 · 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).