Photo: Percy Russell Doherty · Public domainTurnout in Fort Frances reached 50% in 2022, higher than in 92% of Ontario’s municipalities
The October 2022 vote made Andrew Hallikas mayor of Fort Frances, heading 7 seats. Ontario held new municipal elections on 26 October 2026; until the province publishes them, the open record stops at the council elected in 2022. No provincial riding is named for Fort Frances: northern Ontario’s ridings for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario have no open boundaries. Fort Frances is in Thunder Bay—Rainy River, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP), and the seat belongs to Marcus Powlowski of the Liberal Party of Canada.
What stands out in how Fort Frances is governed
Turnout above the norm
In Ontario’s 2022 municipal elections, the middle municipality saw 35% of electors vote; Fort Frances council did better. How Fort Frances voted ↓
A close federal race
In 2021 the winner in Thunder Bay—Rainy River led the runner-up (Conservative Party of Canada) by 5 points, a closer finish than in 87% of Canada’s 338 ridings. How Fort Frances 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
Fort Frances, a town 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.
No county council governs Fort Frances, a single-tier town, even if the census files it under Rainy River.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Fort Frances, from the most recent elections.
- 1Fort Frances councilelected October 2022Andrew Hallikas
- 2Legislative Assembly of Ontario–
- 3House of CommonsThunder Bay—Rainy River
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 Fort Frances council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Andrew Hallikas
- Mike Behan
- Wendy Brunetta
- John D. McTaggart
- David Kircher
- Steven Maki
- Mandi Olson
7 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Hallikas | Mayor | 1,573 | 60% | Yes |
| Mike Behan | Councillor | 1,974 | 16% | Yes |
| Wendy Brunetta | Councillor | 2,123 | 17% | Yes |
| John D. McTaggart | Councillor | 2,068 | 17% | Yes |
| David Kircher | Councillor | 1,854 | 15% | No |
| Steven Maki | Councillor | 1,637 | 13% | No |
| Mandi Olson | Councillor | 1,665 | 14% | No |
Every seat on Fort Frances council, the mayor’s included, is chosen by the whole municipality. Andrew Hallikas became mayor on 60% of the votes cast.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Fort Frances voted more than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
Fort Frances has few close neighbours with figures, so the list reaches 31–151 km out. When Fort Frances council was chosen on 24 October 2022, 50% of electors took part, above the provincial median.
How Fort Frances voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Fort Frances votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Frances council | 26 October 2026 | 28 October 2030 |
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | 27 February 2025 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
The next council election in Fort Frances falls on 28 October 2030, the fourth Monday in October every four years under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996. Voters last chose the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on 27 February 2025 and the House of Commons on 28 April 2025. Elections Canada’s open records end with the 2021 election; its 2025 results are under terms that rule out commercial use.
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
Marcus Powlowski represents Thunder Bay—Rainy River in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Thunder Bay—Rainy River · Liberal Party of Canada · first elected 2019
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
In Ontario, 71 of 122 ridings are held by the Liberal Party of Canada, the party Marcus Powlowski sits with.
The MP’s record
Mapped onto today’s Thunder Bay—Rainy River, the 2021 vote gives the Liberal Party of Canada 34%; in 2025 Marcus Powlowski kept the seat in the same hands. Marcus Powlowski was first elected in 2019; the current Parliament is Marcus Powlowski’s 3rd.
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
Marcus Powlowski kept Thunder Bay—Rainy River for the Liberal Party of Canada in 2021
These are the 2019 and 2021 results on the 2013 map of Thunder Bay—Rainy River; its boundaries changed for the 2025 election.
Turnout in Thunder Bay—Rainy River was 61% in 2021, against 63% nationally. 35% had elected Marcus Powlowski there in 2019. Marcus Powlowski won the 2021 race in Thunder Bay—Rainy River for the Liberal Party of Canada, polling 34% and beating Adelina Pecchia (Conservative Party of Canada) by 1,984 votes.
All 5 candidates in Thunder Bay—Rainy River, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marcus Powlowski | Liberal Party of Canada | 13,655 | 34.3% |
| Adelina Pecchia | Conservative Party of Canada | 11,671 | 29.3% |
| Yuk-Sem Won | New Democratic Party | 11,342 | 28.5% |
| Alan Aubut | People's Party of Canada | 2,621 | 6.6% |
| Tracey MacKinnon | Green Party of Canada | 571 | 1.4% |
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
Fort Frances 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.
85 full-time positions are funded, 11.4 per thousand residents. Local taxpayers carry a bigger share than elsewhere: 41% of revenue, where the province’s returns show 37%. In 2024 the median among Ontario’s single-tier municipalities was $3,796 a resident; Fort Frances council spent $4,005. More goes to water, sewers and waste than to anything else: $968 a resident, 24% of all spending.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water, sewers and waste | $7.2M | $968 | 24% |
| Roads and transit | $6.1M | $814 | 20% |
| Recreation and culture | $5.8M | $774 | 19% |
| Police, fire and protection | $5.1M | $678 | 17% |
| Public health and paramedics | $2M | $262 | 7% |
| General government | $1.6M | $210 | 5% |
| Social housing | $967K | $129 | 3% |
| Planning and development | $860K | $115 | 3% |
| Social services and child care | $399K | $53 | 1% |
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 1,090 residents
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
A seat on Fort Frances council covers 1,090 residents; 61% of Ontario municipalities have more per seat.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Fort Frances 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. No party tally for the council, which the open lists don’t record, and no 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. 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 Fort Frances is run
Who is the MP for Fort Frances?
Thunder Bay—Rainy River’s MP, Marcus Powlowski of the Liberal Party of Canada, represents Fort Frances.
Which party won Fort Frances in the 2021 federal election?
In 2021 it was Marcus Powlowski (Liberal Party of Canada), who represents Thunder Bay—Rainy River still.
Who is the MPP for Fort Frances?
Find the riding for Fort Frances on the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s site, which names the MPP for each.
Who heads the council in Fort Frances?
For the 2022–26 term, Fort Frances council was led by Andrew Hallikas, elected mayor in October 2022.
How much does Fort Frances council spend?
Fort Frances council spent $29.9M in 2024 for about 7,466 residents; its largest service line was water, sewers and waste, at $7.2M.
How is Fort Frances council elected?
Every seat on Fort Frances council, the mayor’s included, is filled by the whole municipality.
What was the turnout in Fort Frances?
49.6% of electors voted when Fort Frances 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).