Photo: JeffJ · Public domainKearney has a council seat for every 210 residents, fewer than 98% of municipalities in Ontario
Cheryl Philip was elected mayor of Kearney in October 2022, on a council of 5 seats. 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. No provincial riding is named for Kearney: northern Ontario’s ridings for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario have no open boundaries. Scott Aitchison (Conservative Party of Canada) is the MP for Parry Sound—Muskoka, the riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP) that takes in Kearney.
What stands out in how Kearney is governed
Few residents per seat
Kearney council spreads its seats over a small population; the typical municipality in Ontario has one seat per 1,540 residents. Council size ↓
Turnout above the norm
Kearney council drew more of its electors to the polls in 2022 than the typical Ontario municipality (35%). How Kearney voted ↓
High spending per resident
Spending per resident put Kearney council above 90% of Ontario’s single-tier municipalities in 2024. Council money ↓
A safe federal seat
In 2021 the winner in Parry Sound—Muskoka led the runner-up (Liberal Party of Canada) by 26.3 points, a wider gap than in 71% of Canada’s 338 ridings. How Kearney 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
Kearney, 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 Kearney, a single-tier town, even if the census files it under Parry Sound.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Kearney, from the most recent elections.
- 1Kearney councilelected October 2022Cheryl Philip
- 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 Kearney council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Cheryl Philip
- Keven Beaucage
- Heather Pateman
- Michael Rickward
- Jill Sharer
5 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheryl Philip | Mayor | 586 | 57% | Yes |
| Keven Beaucage | Councillor | 665 | 19% | No |
| Heather Pateman | Councillor | 858 | 24% | No |
| Michael Rickward | Councillor | 861 | 25% | Yes |
| Jill Sharer | Councillor | 427 | 12% | No |
With 57% of the votes, Cheryl Philip carried the vote for mayor. All of Kearney council is elected at large, with each voter helping fill every seat, the mayor’s as well.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Kearney voted more than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
On 24 October 2022, 42% of electors voted for Kearney council, a stronger showing than most of Ontario.
How Kearney voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Kearney votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Kearney 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. Under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, Kearney’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
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.
Of the 122 seats from Ontario, the Liberal Party of Canada holds 71, and Scott Aitchison’s Conservative Party of Canada has 50.
The MP’s record
Mapped onto today’s Parry Sound—Muskoka, the 2021 vote gives the Conservative Party of Canada 48%; in 2025 Scott Aitchison kept the seat in the same hands. 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
Parry Sound—Muskoka returned Scott Aitchison (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.
At 65%, more of Parry Sound—Muskoka voted in 2021 than Canada as a whole (63%). 14,586 votes separated Scott Aitchison (Conservative Party of Canada) from Jovanie Nicoyishakiye (Liberal Party of Canada) in Parry Sound—Muskoka in 2021, when the winner took 48%. The 2019 result had favoured Scott Aitchison as well, at 42%.
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
Kearney 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.
Kearney council carried $63K of long-term debt, $65 per resident against a typical $967. Property taxes and payments in lieu brought in 62% of revenue, against 37% across the province’s returns. At 34% of spending ($1,781 a resident), roads and transit leads the budget. It employs the equivalent of 15 full-time positions, or 15.4 for each thousand people. Spending by Kearney council reached $5,249 a resident in 2024, well over the $3,801 median of Ontario’s single-tier municipalities.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roads and transit | $1.7M | $1,781 | 34% |
| Police, fire and protection | $1.2M | $1,256 | 24% |
| Water, sewers and waste | $550K | $564 | 11% |
| Recreation and culture | $526K | $540 | 10% |
| General government | $511K | $524 | 10% |
| Social services and child care | $351K | $360 | 7% |
| Public health and paramedics | $194K | $199 | 4% |
| Planning and development | $23K | $24 | 0% |
Money: Financial Information Return 2024, Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
Kearney council beside its neighbours
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
Beside its neighbours, Kearney council is the bar in colour; the headline above has the comparison with the province.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Kearney 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. Band councils, and which party runs the council: the open lists carry no party, and most councils have none.
- Who holds each seat. Who holds each seat is read from Wikidata, so a very recent change in the Commons may not appear yet.
- 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. 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.
Questions about how Kearney is run
Who is the MP for Kearney?
Parry Sound—Muskoka’s MP, Scott Aitchison of the Conservative Party of Canada, represents Kearney.
Which party won Kearney in the 2021 federal election?
In 2021 it was Scott Aitchison (Conservative Party of Canada), who represents Parry Sound—Muskoka still.
Who is the MPP for Kearney?
Kearney’s riding isn’t placed on this page; the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s members page lists every MPP by riding.
Who heads the council in Kearney?
The open record gives Cheryl Philip, elected mayor of Kearney council in October 2022.
How much does Kearney council spend?
Kearney council spent $5.1M in 2024 for about 974 residents; its largest service line was roads and transit, at $1.7M.
How is Kearney council elected?
Every seat on Kearney council, the mayor’s included, is filled by the whole municipality.
What was the turnout in Kearney?
41.7% of electors voted when Kearney 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).