Photo: P199 · CC BY-SA 3.0Georgian Bay spends more per resident than 97% of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities
Peter Koetsier was elected mayor of Georgian Bay in October 2022, on a council of 7 seats. 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. Northern Ontario’s provincial ridings differ from the federal ones, and no open file of them exists, so Georgian Bay’s riding for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario isn’t shown. Georgian Bay sends one MP to Ottawa from Parry Sound—Muskoka, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP): Scott Aitchison (Conservative Party of Canada).
What stands out in how Georgian Bay is governed
Few residents per seat
Across Ontario the median is one seat per 1,540 residents, above the ratio on Georgian Bay council. Council size ↓
Turnout below the norm
The 2022 vote for Georgian Bay council drew fewer electors than Ontario’s median of 35%. How Georgian Bay voted ↓
High spending per resident
Per resident, Georgian Bay council’s 2024 spending tops 97% of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities. Council money ↓
A safe federal seat
In 2021, 26.3 points separated first and second (Liberal Party of Canada) in Parry Sound—Muskoka, more than in 71% of the 338 ridings. How Georgian Bay 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
Georgian Bay, a township in Ontario, shares the work with the province and Ottawa.
Local services, by-laws and property tax.
Spends most on water, sewers and waste, then social services and child care (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.
Two councils serve Georgian Bay: its own, and that of District Municipality of Muskoka, the upper tier.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Georgian Bay, from the most recent elections.
- 1Georgian Bay councilelected October 2022Peter Koetsier
- 2Legislative Assembly of Ontario–
- 3House of CommonsParry Sound—Muskoka
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 Georgian Bay council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Peter Koetsier
- Steven Predko
- Stephen Jarvis
- Kristian Graziano
- Allan Hazelton
- Brian Bochek
- Peter Cooper
7 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peter Koetsier | Mayor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Steven Predko | Councillor | – | acclaimed | No |
| Stephen Jarvis | Councillor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Kristian Graziano | Councillor | 729 | 52% | No |
| Allan Hazelton | Councillor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Brian Bochek | Local and District Councillor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Peter Cooper | Local and District Councillor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
Peter Koetsier was acclaimed mayor, with no one on the ballot against them. Councillors on Georgian Bay council are elected by ward, the mayor by the whole municipality.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Georgian Bay voted less than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
Georgian Bay council was elected on 24 October 2022 with 17% of electors voting, below the provincial middle. Georgian Bay has few close neighbours with figures, so the list reaches 22–28 km out.
How Georgian Bay voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Georgian Bay votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Georgian Bay council | 26 October 2026 | 28 October 2030 |
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | 27 February 2025 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
There are no 2025 counts here: Elections Canada’s terms bar their commercial reuse, so 2021 is the latest open result. 28 October 2030 is the next council election in Georgian Bay, fixed by the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 for the fourth Monday in October every four years. The last general elections came on 27 February 2025 for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and on 28 April 2025 for Parliament.
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
Scott Aitchison represents Parry Sound—Muskoka in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Parry Sound—Muskoka · Conservative Party of Canada · first elected 2019
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
In Ontario, Scott Aitchison belongs to a minority: the Conservative Party of Canada has 50 of 122 seats, the Liberal Party of Canada 71.
The MP’s record
Had the 2021 ballots been cast in today’s Parry Sound—Muskoka, the Conservative Party of Canada would have led with 48%; Scott Aitchison held it for them in 2025. First elected in 2019, Scott Aitchison 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
Scott Aitchison kept Parry Sound—Muskoka for the Conservative Party of Canada in 2021
Counts for Parry Sound—Muskoka within its 2013 boundaries, used in 2019 and 2021; the 2025 election ran on a new map.
Parry Sound—Muskoka elected Scott Aitchison (Conservative Party of Canada) in 2021: 48% of the vote, a lead of 14,586 over Jovanie Nicoyishakiye (Liberal Party of Canada). Back in 2019, Scott Aitchison took the riding on 42%. In 2021, 65% of electors cast a ballot in Parry Sound—Muskoka, more than the national 63%.
All 7 candidates in Parry Sound—Muskoka, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scott Aitchison | Conservative Party of Canada | 26,600 | 47.9% |
| Jovanie Nicoyishakiye | Liberal Party of Canada | 12,014 | 21.7% |
| Heather Hay | New Democratic Party | 9,339 | 16.8% |
| James Tole | People's Party of Canada | 4,184 | 7.5% |
| Marc Mantha | Green Party of Canada | 3,099 | 5.6% |
| Daniel Predie Jr | Independent | 169 | 0.3% |
| James Fawcett | National Citizens Alliance of Canada | 95 | 0.2% |
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
Georgian Bay 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.
It employs the equivalent of 60 full-time positions, or 17.4 for each thousand people. General government takes the biggest share, 25%, or $971 per resident. Spending by Georgian Bay council reached $3,840 a resident in 2024, well over the $1,901 median of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities. District Municipality of Muskoka, the upper tier, spent another $3,497 per resident of its whole area, most of it on water, sewers and waste. Georgian Bay council’s borrowing is on the heavy side: $1.7M long term, $496 a resident where the median is $440. At 51%, property taxes count for more of the revenue than the 42% seen across the province.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| General government | $3.3M | $971 | 25% |
| Roads and transit | $3M | $879 | 23% |
| Police, fire and protection | $2.4M | $686 | 18% |
| Recreation and culture | $2.3M | $672 | 17% |
| Planning and development | $2.1M | $612 | 16% |
| Social services and child care | $54K | $16 | 0% |
| Public health and paramedics | $11K | $3 | 0% |
| Water, sewers and waste | $5K | $1 | 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 540 residents
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
83% of municipalities in Ontario have more residents per seat than Georgian Bay council, at 540 each.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Georgian Bay 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. 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.
- 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. No party tally for the council, which the open lists don’t record, and no band councils.
- 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 Georgian Bay is run
Who is the MP for Georgian Bay?
Parry Sound—Muskoka’s MP, Scott Aitchison of the Conservative Party of Canada, represents Georgian Bay.
Which party won Georgian Bay in the 2021 federal election?
The Conservative Party of Canada: Scott Aitchison won Parry Sound—Muskoka in 2021 and still holds it.
Who is the MPP for Georgian Bay?
Every MPP of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario is on its members page, which is where to find the one for Georgian Bay.
Who heads the council in Georgian Bay?
Peter Koetsier was elected mayor in October 2022, for the 2022–26 term of Georgian Bay council.
How much does Georgian Bay council spend?
The 2024 return of Georgian Bay council shows $13.2M of spending for roughly 3,441 residents, $3.3M of it on general government.
Which regional body is Georgian Bay part of?
The council of the District Municipality of Muskoka is the upper tier over Georgian Bay.
How is Georgian Bay council elected?
By ward for councillors and at large for the mayor, on Georgian Bay council.
What was the turnout in Georgian Bay?
In October 2022, turnout for Georgian Bay council was 17.2%, 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 · 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).