Photo: Jfvoll · CC BY-SA 4.0At 70%, 2021 turnout in Huron—Bruce beat 93% of the country’s ridings
Howick’s council of 5 was elected in October 2022, with Doug Harding as reeve. 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. Howick sends one MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from Huron—Bruce, though no open record we can reuse gives the name. Howick is in Huron—Bruce, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP), and the seat belongs to Ben Lobb of the Conservative Party of Canada.
What stands out in how Howick is governed
Few residents per seat
Howick council has fewer people behind each seat than most of Ontario, where the middle figure is 1,540 residents a seat. Council size ↓
Low spending per resident
Per resident, Howick council’s 2024 spending sits under 79% of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities. Council money ↓
A safe federal seat
With 24.8 points between the winner and the runner-up (Liberal Party of Canada), Huron—Bruce was safer in 2021 than 65% of the 338 ridings. How Howick has voted ↓
High federal turnout
In 2021, Huron—Bruce voted in greater numbers than 93% of the ridings. The 2021 turnout ↓
Compared with the province’s municipalities of 1,000+ residents (2021 Census; MAMH, MMAH and Statistics Canada).
Three governments, and who does what
Howick, a township 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.
Local government here has two tiers: Howick below, Huron County above.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Howick, from the most recent elections.
- 1Howick councilelected October 2022Doug Harding
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioHuron—Bruce
- 3House of CommonsHuron—Bruce
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 Howick 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 Harding
- Megan Gibson
- Doug Hargrave
- Marvin Grimes
- Rosemary Rognvaldson
5 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doug Harding | Reeve | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Megan Gibson | Deputy Reeve | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Doug Hargrave | Councillor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Marvin Grimes | Councillor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Rosemary Rognvaldson | Councillor | – | acclaimed | No |
Doug Harding was acclaimed reeve, with no one on the ballot against them. Voters across the municipality choose the reeve and every councillor on Howick council alike.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
When Howick votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Howick council | 26 October 2026 | 28 October 2030 |
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | 27 February 2025 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
28 October 2030 is the next council election in Howick, 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. There are no 2025 counts here: Elections Canada’s terms bar their commercial reuse, so 2021 is the latest open result.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Howick votes in Huron—Bruce 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 comes from the 2013 federal map, which southern Ontario’s provincial ridings match under the Representation Act, 2015. The riding is Huron—Bruce: it sends one MPP to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and Howick votes in it.
Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada
Ben Lobb represents Huron—Bruce in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Huron—Bruce · Conservative Party of Canada · first elected 2008
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; Ben Lobb is among the 50 from the Conservative Party of Canada.
The MP’s record
Ben Lobb was first elected in 2008; the current Parliament is Ben Lobb’s 6th. On today’s boundaries, the 2021 vote in Huron—Bruce would have gone to the Conservative Party of Canada with 51%, and Ben Lobb kept 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
Huron—Bruce returned Ben Lobb (Conservative Party of Canada) in 2021
Results in Huron—Bruce as drawn in 2013, the boundaries of the 2019 and 2021 elections; the riding was redrawn for 2025.
In 2021, Huron—Bruce went to Ben Lobb (Conservative Party of Canada) on 51%; James Rice (Liberal Party of Canada) finished 15,155 votes behind. Back in 2019, Ben Lobb took the riding on 48%.
All 5 candidates in Huron—Bruce, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Lobb | Conservative Party of Canada | 31,170 | 50.9% |
| James Rice | Liberal Party of Canada | 16,015 | 26.2% |
| Jan Johnstone | New Democratic Party | 9,056 | 14.8% |
| Jack Stecho | People's Party of Canada | 4,437 | 7.3% |
| Justin L Smith | Independent | 519 | 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
Howick council spends less 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.
More goes to roads and transit than to anything else: $552 a resident, 38% of all spending. The return counts 12 full-time positions, 3.0 for every thousand residents. The upper tier, Huron County, adds $2,008 per resident of its own, mostly for social services and child care. Each resident’s share of Howick council’s 2024 spending came to $1,438, where the middle of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities sat at $1,901. Howick council’s borrowing is light: $168K long term, $42 a resident where the median is $440. Taxes on property make up 64% of what comes in, more than the province-wide 42%.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roads and transit | $2.2M | $552 | 38% |
| Police, fire and protection | $1.2M | $294 | 20% |
| Recreation and culture | $1M | $257 | 18% |
| General government | $875K | $216 | 15% |
| Water, sewers and waste | $341K | $84 | 6% |
| Planning and development | $100K | $25 | 2% |
| Public health and paramedics | $35K | $9 | 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 900 residents
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
With 900 residents behind each seat, Howick council sits below 68% of Ontario municipalities.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Howick 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. 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.
- 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. Elections Canada redrew the ridings in 2023 and re-tallied the 2021 ballots onto the new map from polling divisions; that estimate, and the official 2019 and 2021 counts on the old map, are what you see.
- Which riding. Ridings are assigned from the 2021 Census: the one with most residents first, then any holding 5% or more.
Questions about how Howick is run
Who is the MP for Howick?
Ben Lobb of the Conservative Party of Canada is the MP for Huron—Bruce, which includes Howick.
Which party won Howick in the 2021 federal election?
Ben Lobb (Conservative Party of Canada) took Huron—Bruce in 2021 and is its MP today.
Who is the MPP for Howick?
The riding for Howick is Huron—Bruce, and the Legislative Assembly of Ontario lists the MPP who holds it.
Who heads the council in Howick?
In October 2022, Doug Harding won the post of reeve for Howick council’s 2022–26 term.
How much does Howick council spend?
In 2024, Howick council spent $5.8M in all, for some 4,045 residents, of which $2.2M went on roads and transit, the biggest line.
Which regional body is Howick part of?
Howick is part of Huron County, whose council, drawn from its municipalities’ councils, runs county-wide services.
How is Howick council elected?
Every seat on Howick council, the reeve’s included, is filled by the whole 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).