Photo: P199 · Public domainOnly 21% of Highlands East voters cast a ballot in 2022, fewer than in 92% of Ontario municipalities
In October 2022, Highlands East elected Dave Burton as mayor, with a council of 5. 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. Provincially, Highlands East votes in Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock; 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. Highlands East is in Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP), and the seat belongs to Jamie Schmale of the Conservative Party of Canada.
What stands out in how Highlands East is governed
Few residents per seat
The middle municipality in Ontario has a seat for every 1,540 residents; Highlands East council has fewer behind each. Council size ↓
Turnout below the norm
Across Ontario, median turnout in 2022 was 35%, and Highlands East council came in under it. How Highlands East voted ↓
High spending per resident
Spending per resident put Highlands East council above 86% of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities in 2024. 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
Highlands East, a municipality in Ontario, shares the work with the province and Ottawa.
Local services, by-laws and property tax.
Spends most on roads and transit, 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.
Two councils serve Highlands East: its own, and that of Haliburton County, the upper tier.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Highlands East, from the most recent elections.
- 1Highlands East councilelected October 2022Dave Burton
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock
- 3House of CommonsHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes
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 Highlands East council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Dave Burton
- Angela Lewis
- Cam McKenzie
- Cecil Ryall
- Ruth Strong
5 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dave Burton | Mayor | 1,117 | 58% | Yes |
| Angela Lewis | Councillor | 449 | 67% | No |
| Cam McKenzie | Councillor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Cecil Ryall | Councillor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Ruth Strong | Councillor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
For mayor, Dave Burton drew 58% of the votes. Councillors on Highlands East council are elected by ward, the mayor by the whole municipality.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Highlands East voted less than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
Distances here run 18–36 km: that is how far the nearest places with figures are from Highlands East. On 24 October 2022, only 21% of electors voted for Highlands East council, a weaker showing than most of Ontario.
How Highlands East voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Highlands East votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Highlands East 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. Under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, Highlands East’s next municipal vote is on 28 October 2030, the fourth Monday in October every four years.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Highlands East votes in Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock 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 Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock: it sends one MPP to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and Highlands East votes in it.
Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada
Jamie Schmale represents Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes · Conservative Party of Canada · first elected 2015
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
Of the 122 seats from Ontario, the Liberal Party of Canada holds 71, and Jamie Schmale’s Conservative Party of Canada has 50.
The MP’s record
On today’s boundaries, the 2021 vote in Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes would have gone to the Conservative Party of Canada with 52%, and Jamie Schmale kept it for them in 2025. Jamie Schmale has sat in the Commons since 2015, now for the 4th Parliament.
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
Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock returned Jamie Schmale (Conservative Party of Canada) in 2021
Under the 2013 boundaries of the 2019 and 2021 elections, Highlands East sat in Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock; the 2025 election put it in Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes.
In 2021, 66% of electors cast a ballot in Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, more than the national 63%. Back in 2019, Jamie Schmale took the riding on 49%. Jamie Schmale won the 2021 race in Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock for the Conservative Party of Canada, polling 52% and beating Judi Forbes (Liberal Party of Canada) by 19,773 votes.
All 6 candidates in Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jamie Schmale | Conservative Party of Canada | 35,418 | 52.3% |
| Judi Forbes | Liberal Party of Canada | 15,645 | 23.1% |
| Zac Miller | New Democratic Party | 9,730 | 14.4% |
| Alison Davidson | People's Party of Canada | 4,769 | 7.0% |
| Angel Godsoe | Green Party of Canada | 1,696 | 2.5% |
| Gene Balfour | Libertarian Party of Canada | 463 | 0.7% |
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
Highlands East 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.
Haliburton County, the upper tier, spent another $1,458 per resident of its whole area, most of it on roads and transit. Property taxes and payments in lieu brought in 62% of revenue, against 42% across the province’s returns. In 2024 the median among Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities was $1,901 a resident; Highlands East council spent $2,679. It employs the equivalent of 43 full-time positions, or 11.2 for each thousand people. No service costs more than roads and transit, at $842 per resident and 31% of the total.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roads and transit | $3.2M | $842 | 31% |
| Police, fire and protection | $2.7M | $692 | 26% |
| Water, sewers and waste | $2M | $519 | 19% |
| General government | $1.1M | $289 | 11% |
| Recreation and culture | $981K | $256 | 10% |
| Planning and development | $269K | $70 | 3% |
| Public health and paramedics | $41K | $11 | 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 870 residents
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
69% of municipalities in Ontario have more residents per seat than Highlands East council, at 870 each.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Highlands East 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. Residents per seat divide the 2021 Census population by every council seat, the head of council’s included.
- 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. 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. Party control (most Canadian councils sit without parties, and the open lists record none) and 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. A place belongs to the riding where most of its 2021 Census residents live, plus any other with 5% or more.
Questions about how Highlands East is run
Who is the MP for Highlands East?
Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes’s MP, Jamie Schmale of the Conservative Party of Canada, represents Highlands East.
Which party won Highlands East in the 2021 federal election?
The Conservative Party of Canada: Jamie Schmale won Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock in 2021 and is the MP for today’s Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes.
Who is the MPP for Highlands East?
Highlands East votes in Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock; the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s members page gives its current MPP.
Who heads the council in Highlands East?
The open record gives Dave Burton, elected mayor of Highlands East council in October 2022.
How much does Highlands East council spend?
Highlands East council spent $10.3M in 2024 for about 3,830 residents; its largest service line was roads and transit, at $3.2M.
Which regional body is Highlands East part of?
The council of Haliburton County, made up of members from its municipalities, Highlands East among them, is the upper tier.
How is Highlands East council elected?
By ward for councillors and at large for the mayor, on Highlands East council.
What was the turnout in Highlands East?
It was 21.3% for Highlands East 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).