Photo: bgilliard from St. Catharines, Canada · CC BY-SA 2.0Forest’s council outspends 82% of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities, per resident
Forest is part of Lambton Shores, a municipality by Statistics Canada’s count. Lambton Shores’ council of 9 was elected in October 2022, with Doug Cook as mayor. The council shown is the one elected in 2022, since Ontario voted again on 26 October 2026 and no open file of the new councils exists yet. Provincially, Forest votes in Lambton—Kent—Middlesex; the open record doesn’t name its MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, so the legislature’s own list is linked below. Marilyn Gladu (Conservative Party of Canada) is the MP for Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong, the riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP) that takes in Forest.
What stands out in how Forest is governed
Turnout above the norm
In Ontario’s 2022 municipal elections, the middle municipality saw 35% of electors vote; Lambton Shores council did better. How Forest voted ↓
High spending per resident
Only a minority of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities spent more per resident in 2024 than Lambton Shores council: it is ahead of 82%. 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
Forest, a municipality 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.
Lambton County is the upper tier over Lambton Shores, a lower-tier municipality.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Forest, from the most recent elections.
- 1Lambton Shores councilelected October 2022Doug Cook
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioLambton—Kent—Middlesex
- 3House of CommonsSarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong
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 Lambton Shores council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Doug Cook
- Dan Sageman
- Scott Ferguson
- Ronn E. Dodge
- Dave Maguire
- Dave Marsh
- Lorie Scott
- Jeff Wilcox
- Glen Baillie
9 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doug Cook | Mayor | 2,922 | 61% | Yes |
| Dan Sageman | Deputy Mayor | 2,343 | 49% | Yes |
| Scott Ferguson | Councillor | 279 | 43% | Yes |
| Ronn E. Dodge | Councillor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Dave Maguire | Councillor | 598 | 76% | Yes |
| Dave Marsh | Councillor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Lorie Scott | Councillor | 448 | 53% | Yes |
| Jeff Wilcox | Councillor | 326 | 50% | Yes |
| Glen Baillie | Councillor | 548 | 62% | No |
Seats on Lambton Shores council are tied to wards, apart from the mayor, whom every voter helps choose. Doug Cook won 61% of the votes cast for mayor.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Forest voted more than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
Turnout for Lambton Shores council on 24 October 2022 was 39% of electors, higher than the Ontario norm. Forest has few close neighbours with figures, so the list reaches 15–29 km out.
How Forest voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Forest votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Lambton Shores council | 26 October 2026 | 28 October 2030 |
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | 27 February 2025 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
The 2025 results are left out because elections.ca’s terms forbid commercial reproduction; the open catalogue’s latest is 2021. The last general elections came on 27 February 2025 for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and on 28 April 2025 for Parliament. Councils are elected on the fourth Monday in October every four years, says the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, so Lambton Shores votes next on 28 October 2030.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Forest votes in Lambton—Kent—Middlesex 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 ↗Lambton—Kent—Middlesex takes in Forest and elects its MPP to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Southern Ontario’s ridings are the 2013 federal ones by statute, which is how this page places the town.
Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada
Marilyn Gladu represents Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong · Conservative Party of Canada · first elected 2015
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; Marilyn Gladu is among the 50 from the Conservative Party of Canada.
The MP’s record
First elected in 2015, Marilyn Gladu is serving the 4th term of a Commons career. Had the 2021 ballots been cast in today’s Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong, the Conservative Party of Canada would have led with 47%; Marilyn Gladu held 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
Lianne Rood kept Lambton—Kent—Middlesex for the Conservative Party of Canada in 2021
Results in Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, the riding Forest belonged to on the 2013 map used in 2019 and 2021; since 2025 it votes in Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong.
Lianne Rood (Conservative Party of Canada) took Lambton—Kent—Middlesex in 2021 with 48% of the vote, 16,879 votes ahead of Sudit Ranade (Liberal Party of Canada). 49% had elected Lianne Rood there in 2019. Turnout in Lambton—Kent—Middlesex reached 67% in 2021, against 63% nationally.
All 5 candidates in Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lianne Rood | Conservative Party of Canada | 29,431 | 48.5% |
| Sudit Ranade | Liberal Party of Canada | 12,552 | 20.7% |
| Jason Henry | New Democratic Party | 11,107 | 18.3% |
| Kevin Mitchell | People's Party of Canada | 6,567 | 10.8% |
| Jeremy Hull | Green Party of Canada | 1,035 | 1.7% |
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
Lambton Shores 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.
At 25% of spending ($650 a resident), roads and transit leads the budget. Full-time staff number 50, about 4.2 to every thousand residents. On top of that comes Lambton County: $2,010 a resident across its area, led by social services and child care. Each resident’s share of Lambton Shores council’s 2024 spending came to $2,596, where the middle of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities sat at $1,901. At $775 per resident, Lambton Shores council’s $9.2M of long-term debt is more than the $440 median. Property taxes and payments in lieu brought in 39% of revenue, against 42% across the province’s returns.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roads and transit | $7.7M | $650 | 25% |
| Water, sewers and waste | $7.7M | $647 | 25% |
| Recreation and culture | $6.6M | $552 | 21% |
| Police, fire and protection | $6.1M | $512 | 20% |
| General government | $2M | $168 | 6% |
| Planning and development | $687K | $58 | 2% |
| Public health and paramedics | $109K | $9 | 0% |
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 1,440 residents
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
Only 1,440 residents share each seat on Lambton Shores council, fewer than in 52% of Ontario municipalities.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Forest 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. The 2021 Census population is shared over all council seats, including the head of council’s, for this ratio.
- 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.
- Who holds each seat. MPs come from Wikidata’s records of the 45th Parliament, which can lag a resignation or a by-election by some days.
- Not on this page. Band councils, and which party runs the council: the open lists carry no party, and most councils have none.
- Election results. Ridings changed in 2023: the 2019 and 2021 results are on the old map, and the 2021 vote on today’s map is Elections Canada’s own estimate from polling divisions.
- Which riding. Ridings are assigned from the 2021 Census: the one with most residents first, then any holding 5% or more.
Questions about how Forest is run
Who is the MP for Forest?
Forest is in Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong, represented by Marilyn Gladu (Conservative Party of Canada).
Which party won Forest in the 2021 federal election?
The Conservative Party of Canada, with Lianne Rood in Lambton—Kent—Middlesex; since 2025 Marilyn Gladu represents Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong.
Who is the MPP for Forest?
Look up Lambton—Kent—Middlesex on the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s site: that riding, which takes in Forest, has one MPP.
Who heads the council in Forest?
In October 2022, Doug Cook won the post of mayor for Lambton Shores council’s 2022–26 term.
How much does Lambton Shores council spend?
The 2024 return of Lambton Shores council shows $30.8M of spending for roughly 11,876 residents, $7.7M of it on roads and transit.
Which regional body is Lambton Shores part of?
The council of Lambton County, made up of members from its municipalities, Lambton Shores among them, is the upper tier.
How is Lambton Shores council elected?
By ward for councillors and at large for the mayor, on Lambton Shores council.
What was the turnout in Forest?
In October 2022, turnout for Lambton Shores council was 39.3%, against 35.5% for the typical Ontario municipality.
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).