Photo: Boxcarphilly · CC BY 3.0Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, which takes in Grey Highlands, is held by Alex Ruff (Conservative Party of Canada)
The October 2022 vote made Paul McQueen mayor of Grey Highlands, heading 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. Grey Highlands sends one MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, though no open record we can reuse gives the name. Of the 122 Commons seats from Ontario, the Liberal Party of Canada holds 71.
Three governments, and who does what
Grey Highlands, 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 roads and transit (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.
Local government here has two tiers: Grey Highlands below, Grey County above.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Grey Highlands, from the most recent elections.
- 1Grey Highlands councilelected October 2022Paul McQueen
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioBruce—Grey—Owen Sound
- 3House of CommonsBruce—Grey—Owen Sound
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 Grey Highlands council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Paul McQueen
- Dane Nielsen
- Paul Allen
- Tom Allwood
- Dan Wickens
- Joel Loughead
- Nadia Dubyk
7 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul McQueen | Mayor | 2,346 | 66% | Yes |
| Dane Nielsen | Deputy Mayor | 1,793 | 53% | Yes |
| Paul Allen | Councillor | 2,072 | 13% | Yes |
| Tom Allwood | Councillor | 1,514 | 10% | Yes |
| Dan Wickens | Councillor | 1,155 | 8% | No |
| Joel Loughead | Councillor | 1,450 | 9% | No |
| Nadia Dubyk | Councillor | 1,626 | 11% | No |
There are no wards on Grey Highlands council: the whole electorate votes for every seat, the mayor too. The contest for mayor went to Paul McQueen, with 66% of the votes.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Grey Highlands voted less than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
Grey Highlands council was elected on 24 October 2022 with 35% of electors voting, below the provincial middle. Distances here run 18–29 km: that is how far the nearest places with figures are from Grey Highlands.
How Grey Highlands voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Grey Highlands votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Grey Highlands 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. Under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, Grey Highlands’s next municipal vote is on 28 October 2030, the fourth Monday in October every four years. Provincially the last general election was on 27 February 2025, for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario; federally, on 28 April 2025.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Grey Highlands votes in Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound 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 ↗The riding is Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound: it sends one MPP to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and Grey Highlands votes in it. 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
Alex Ruff represents Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound · Conservative Party of Canada · first elected 2019
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
The MP’s record
On today’s boundaries, the 2021 vote in Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound would have gone to the Conservative Party of Canada with 49%, and Alex Ruff kept it for them in 2025. The current Parliament is Alex Ruff’s 3rd, counting from a first win in 2019.
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
Alex Ruff kept Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound for the Conservative Party of Canada in 2021
Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound as it stood from 2013: the 2019 and 2021 counts, before the riding was redrawn for 2025.
The 2021 count in Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound put Alex Ruff (Conservative Party of Canada) first at 49%, with Anne Marie Watson (Liberal Party of Canada) 13,989 votes back. Alex Ruff already held it after the 2019 election, won with 46%. 64% of electors in Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound voted in 2021, above the 63% turnout across Canada.
All 6 candidates in Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Ruff | Conservative Party of Canada | 28,727 | 49.2% |
| Anne Marie Watson | Liberal Party of Canada | 14,738 | 25.2% |
| Christopher Neudorf | New Democratic Party | 7,939 | 13.6% |
| Anna-Marie Fosbrooke | People's Party of Canada | 4,697 | 8.0% |
| Ashley Michelle Lawrence | Green Party of Canada | 1,789 | 3.1% |
| Reima Kaikkonen | Independent | 524 | 0.9% |
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
Grey Highlands 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.
No service costs more than roads and transit, at $843 per resident and 35% of the total. Full-time staff number 79, about 7.6 to every thousand residents. On top of that comes Grey County: $1,694 a resident across its area, led by social services and child care. At $2,400 for every resident in 2024, Grey Highlands council sits above the $1,901 median of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities. Long-term debt at Grey Highlands council stood at $13.3M, or $1,278 a resident, above the $440 median. Local taxpayers carry a bigger share than elsewhere: 56% of revenue, where the province’s returns show 42%.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roads and transit | $8.8M | $843 | 35% |
| Water, sewers and waste | $4.4M | $420 | 18% |
| Police, fire and protection | $4.3M | $410 | 17% |
| General government | $3.8M | $361 | 15% |
| Recreation and culture | $3.1M | $296 | 12% |
| Planning and development | $597K | $57 | 2% |
| Public health and paramedics | $145K | $14 | 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 1,740 residents
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
A seat on Grey Highlands council covers 1,740 residents; 58% of Ontario municipalities have fewer per seat.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Grey Highlands 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
- Not on this page. Band councils, and which party runs the council: the open lists carry no party, and most councils have none.
- Who holds each seat. A member who resigned or switched parties last week may still show here: the names are Wikidata’s.
- Which riding. A riding is listed when 5% or more of the place’s 2021 Census residents live in it; the largest share comes first.
- Election results. Two maps are in play: the 2013 ridings, on which 2019 and 2021 were counted, and the 2023 ridings, onto which Elections Canada transposed the 2021 vote poll by poll.
- Council size. Residents per seat divide the 2021 Census population by every council seat, the head of council’s included.
- Council money. Figures are the 2024 Financial Information Return’s totals after adjustments, per resident on the return’s population. Lower tiers stand beside lower tiers only: their county or region spends on top.
Questions about how Grey Highlands is run
Who is the MP for Grey Highlands?
Alex Ruff (Conservative Party of Canada) sits for Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, the riding Grey Highlands is in.
Which party won Grey Highlands in the 2021 federal election?
In 2021 it was Alex Ruff (Conservative Party of Canada), who represents Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound still.
Who is the MPP for Grey Highlands?
The riding for Grey Highlands is Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, and the Legislative Assembly of Ontario lists the MPP who holds it.
Who heads the council in Grey Highlands?
For the 2022–26 term, Grey Highlands council was led by Paul McQueen, elected mayor in October 2022.
How much does Grey Highlands council spend?
The 2024 return of Grey Highlands council shows $25M of spending for roughly 10,424 residents, $8.8M of it on roads and transit.
Which regional body is Grey Highlands part of?
The council of Grey County, made up of members from its municipalities, Grey Highlands among them, is the upper tier.
How is Grey Highlands council elected?
At large: every voter helps fill all of Grey Highlands council, the mayor too.
What was the turnout in Grey Highlands?
It was 34.8% for Grey Highlands 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) · 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).