Photo: P199 · CC BY-SA 3.0Turnout in Dorchester reached 47% in 2022, higher than in 89% of Ontario’s municipalities
In the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Dorchester belongs to Elgin—Middlesex—London; who holds it as MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) isn’t on an open record, so no one is named. The riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP) covering Dorchester is Middlesex—London, and Lianne Rood (Conservative Party of Canada) represents it in the House of Commons. For local government, Dorchester falls under Thames Centre, a municipality. The October 2022 vote made Sharron McMillan mayor of Thames Centre, heading 5 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 Dorchester is governed
Many residents per seat
Across Ontario the median is one seat per 1,540 residents, well under the ratio on Thames Centre council. Council size ↓
Turnout above the norm
The 2022 vote for Thames Centre council pulled in more electors than Ontario’s median of 35%. How Dorchester voted ↓
Compared with the province’s municipalities of 1,000+ residents (2021 Census; MAMH, MMAH and Statistics Canada).
Three governments, and who does what
Dorchester, a municipality 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.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Dorchester, from the most recent elections.
- 1Thames Centre councilelected October 2022Sharron McMillan
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioElgin—Middlesex—London
- 3House of CommonsMiddlesex—London
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 Thames Centre council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Sharron McMillan
- Michelle Smibert
- Thomas Heeman
- Danielle Deveau-Lockie
- Chantel Crockett
5 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sharron McMillan | Mayor | 2,683 | 52% | No |
| Michelle Smibert | Deputy Mayor | 3,082 | 61% | No |
| Thomas Heeman | Councillor | 1,304 | 78% | Yes |
| Danielle Deveau-Lockie | Councillor | 929 | 49% | No |
| Chantel Crockett | Councillor | 1,012 | 66% | No |
Sharron McMillan became mayor on 52% of the votes cast. Voters pick a mayor for the whole municipality and the rest of Thames Centre council ward by ward.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Dorchester voted more than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
Thames Centre council was elected on 24 October 2022 with 47% of electors voting, above the provincial middle.
How Dorchester voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Dorchester votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Thames Centre 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. 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 Thames Centre votes next on 28 October 2030.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Dorchester votes in Elgin—Middlesex—London 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 ↗By law (the Representation Act, 2015), southern Ontario’s provincial ridings follow the 2013 federal boundaries, so each place is located from those. The riding is Elgin—Middlesex—London: it sends one MPP to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and Dorchester votes in it.
Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada
Lianne Rood represents Middlesex—London in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Middlesex—London · Conservative Party of Canada · first elected 2019
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
Lianne Rood is one of 50 Conservative Party of Canada MPs from Ontario, where the Liberal Party of Canada has the most seats: 71 of 122.
The MP’s record
On today’s boundaries, the 2021 vote in Middlesex—London would have gone to the Conservative Party of Canada with 45%, and Lianne Rood kept it for them in 2025. First elected in 2019, Lianne Rood is serving the 3rd term of a Commons career.
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
Karen Vecchio kept Elgin—Middlesex—London for the Conservative Party of Canada in 2021
Under the 2013 boundaries of the 2019 and 2021 elections, Dorchester sat in Elgin—Middlesex—London; the 2025 election put it in Middlesex—London.
65% of electors in Elgin—Middlesex—London voted in 2021, above the 63% turnout across Canada. The 2019 result had favoured Karen Vecchio as well, at 50%. 19,146 votes separated Karen Vecchio (Conservative Party of Canada) from Afeez Ajibowu (Liberal Party of Canada) in Elgin—Middlesex—London in 2021, when the winner took 50%.
All 6 candidates in Elgin—Middlesex—London, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karen Vecchio | Conservative Party of Canada | 31,472 | 49.9% |
| Afeez Ajibowu | Liberal Party of Canada | 12,326 | 19.6% |
| Katelyn Cody | New Democratic Party | 10,086 | 16.0% |
| Chelsea Hillier | People's Party of Canada | 7,429 | 11.8% |
| Amanda Stark | Green Party of Canada | 1,417 | 2.3% |
| Michael Hopkins | Christian Heritage Party of Canada | 328 | 0.5% |
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
One seat for every 3,100 residents
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
3,100 residents share each seat on Thames Centre council, more than in 75% of Ontario municipalities.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Dorchester 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
- 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.
- Not on this page. The open lists stop short of party labels, council budgets and band councils, so those are missing here.
- Which riding. Where residents of the 2021 Census live decides the riding; any riding with 5% of them or more is named.
- Council size. For residents per seat, the head of council is counted as a seat, and the population is the 2021 Census figure.
- Election results. Where the page says “today’s boundaries”, it means Elections Canada’s estimate of the 2021 vote on the 2023 ridings; every other count is official and on the 2013 map.
Questions about how Dorchester is run
Who is the MP for Dorchester?
Lianne Rood (Conservative Party of Canada) sits for Middlesex—London, the riding Dorchester is in.
Which party won Dorchester in the 2021 federal election?
The Conservative Party of Canada, with Karen Vecchio in Elgin—Middlesex—London; since 2025 Lianne Rood represents Middlesex—London.
Who is the MPP for Dorchester?
Look up Elgin—Middlesex—London on the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s site: that riding, which takes in Dorchester, has one MPP.
Who heads the council in Dorchester?
Sharron McMillan was elected mayor in October 2022, for the 2022–26 term of Thames Centre council.
How is Thames Centre council elected?
By ward for councillors and at large for the mayor, on Thames Centre council.
What was the turnout in Dorchester?
It was 47.3% for Thames Centre 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 · Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada · Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-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).