Photo: JFVoll · CC BY-SA 4.0Kitchener has one council seat for every 29,450 residents, more than 98% of municipalities in Ontario
For federal votes, Doon South belongs to Kitchener South—Hespeler, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP); Matt Strauss (Conservative Party of Canada) holds it. Kitchener South—Hespeler is the riding Doon South votes in for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and its MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) isn’t named here because no open list records the members. Kitchener, which governs Doon South, elected Berry Vrbanovic mayor in October 2022. Ontario held new municipal elections on 26 October 2026; until the province publishes them, the open record stops at the council elected in 2022.
What stands out in how Doon South is governed
Many residents per seat
Across Ontario the median is one seat per 1,540 residents, well under the ratio on Kitchener council. Council size ↓
Turnout below the norm
Across Ontario, median turnout in 2022 was 35%, and Kitchener council came in under it. How Doon South voted ↓
Low spending per resident
Kitchener council spent less per resident in 2024 than 67% of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities. 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
Doon South is governed by Kitchener, with Ontario and Ottawa.
The city council decides local matters.
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: Kitchener below, Waterloo Region above.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Doon South, from the most recent elections.
- 1Kitchener councilelected October 2022Berry Vrbanovic
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioKitchener South—Hespeler
- 3House of CommonsKitchener South—Hespeler
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 Kitchener council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Berry Vrbanovic
- Debbie Chapman
- Scott Davey
- Bil Ioannidis
- Margaret Johnston
- Christine Michaud
- Dave Schnider
- Paul Singh
- Jason Deneault
- Ayo Owodunni
- Aislinn Clancy
11 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berry Vrbanovic | Mayor | 26,846 | 80% | Yes |
| Debbie Chapman | Councillor | 2,276 | 60% | Yes |
| Scott Davey | Councillor | 2,375 | 69% | Yes |
| Bil Ioannidis | Councillor | 1,620 | 42% | Yes |
| Margaret Johnston | Councillor | 2,596 | 88% | Yes |
| Christine Michaud | Councillor | 1,638 | 58% | Yes |
| Dave Schnider | Councillor | 3,284 | 82% | Yes |
| Paul Singh | Councillor | 2,060 | 75% | Yes |
| Jason Deneault | Councillor | 532 | 30% | No |
| Ayo Owodunni | Councillor | 844 | 32% | No |
| Aislinn Clancy | Councillor | 1,765 | 36% | No |
For mayor, Berry Vrbanovic drew 80% of the votes. Voters pick a mayor for the whole municipality and the rest of Kitchener council ward by ward.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Doon South voted less 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, only 20% of electors voted for Kitchener council, a weaker showing than most of Ontario.
How Doon South voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Doon South votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchener 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 Kitchener, fixed by the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 for the fourth Monday in October every four years. The Legislative Assembly of Ontario was last elected on 27 February 2025, and the House of Commons on 28 April 2025. This page stops at the 2021 vote: elections.ca keeps the 2025 counts under non-commercial terms.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Doon South votes in Kitchener South—Hespeler 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 ↗Ontario’s southern ridings copy the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), and the town is placed by them. For the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Doon South votes in Kitchener South—Hespeler, which has one MPP.
Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada
Matt Strauss represents Kitchener South—Hespeler in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Kitchener South—Hespeler · Conservative Party of Canada
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
Matt Strauss is one of 50 Conservative Party of Canada MPs from Ontario, where the Liberal Party of Canada has the most seats: 71 of 122.
The MP’s record
On today’s boundaries, the 2021 vote in Kitchener South—Hespeler would have gone to the Liberal Party of Canada (37%), so Matt Strauss’s 2025 win took it from them. Matt Strauss is new to Parliament, first elected in the April 2025 vote.
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
In 2021 Valerie Bradford won Kitchener South—Hespeler, as the Liberal Party of Canada had in 2019
These are the 2019 and 2021 results on the 2013 map of Kitchener South—Hespeler; its boundaries changed for the 2025 election.
Valerie Bradford won the 2021 race in Kitchener South—Hespeler for the Liberal Party of Canada, polling 37% and beating Tyler Calver (Conservative Party of Canada) by 947 votes. The 2019 vote had elected Marwan Tabbara of the Liberal Party of Canada, with 40%. Just 15 of the 338 ridings in Canada were decided by less. 62% of electors in Kitchener South—Hespeler voted in 2021, below the 63% turnout across Canada.
All 8 candidates in Kitchener South—Hespeler, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valerie Bradford | Liberal Party of Canada | 18,596 | 37.5% |
| Tyler Calver | Conservative Party of Canada | 17,649 | 35.5% |
| Suresh Arangath | New Democratic Party | 8,079 | 16.3% |
| Melissa Baumgaertner | People's Party of Canada | 3,351 | 6.8% |
| Gabe Rose | Green Party of Canada | 1,710 | 3.4% |
| C.A. Morrison | Independent | 119 | 0.2% |
| Stephen Davis | Parti Rhinocéros Party | 93 | 0.2% |
| Elaine Baetz | Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada | 57 | 0.1% |
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
Kitchener 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.
1,386 full-time positions are funded, 4.7 per thousand residents. At 26% of spending ($416 a resident), water, sewers and waste leads the budget. Each resident’s share of Kitchener council’s 2024 spending came to $1,612, where the middle of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities sat at $1,901. Residents are also served by Waterloo Region, which spent $2,285 each across its area, chiefly on social services and child care. Kitchener council’s borrowing is light: $79.3M long term, $270 a resident where the median is $440. Property taxes and payments in lieu brought in 27% of revenue, against 42% across the province’s returns.
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water, sewers and waste | $121.9M | $416 | 26% |
| Recreation and culture | $114.2M | $389 | 24% |
| Other | $70.7M | $241 | 15% |
| Police, fire and protection | $67M | $228 | 14% |
| Roads and transit | $44.6M | $152 | 9% |
| General government | $23.9M | $81 | 5% |
| Planning and development | $22.9M | $78 | 5% |
| Social services and child care | $4.2M | $14 | 1% |
| Public health and paramedics | $3.6M | $12 | 1% |
| Social housing | $197K | $1 | 0% |
Money: Financial Information Return 2024, Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
Kitchener council beside its neighbours
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
The headline above gives the figure; the bars set Kitchener council beside nearby councils, with the provincial median as the tick.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Doon South 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
- Which riding. A place belongs to the riding where most of its 2021 Census residents live, plus any other with 5% or more.
- Election results. Official counts for 2019 and 2021 are by the 2013 ridings; Elections Canada also re-counted the 2021 ballots onto the 2023 ridings by polling division, and that estimate is what “today’s boundaries” means here.
- 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. Each MP’s name and party are Wikidata’s statements for the 45th Parliament, read in November 2026.
- 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.
- Council size. Residents per seat divide the 2021 Census population by every council seat, the head of council’s included.
Questions about how Doon South is run
Who is the MP for Doon South?
Matt Strauss (Conservative Party of Canada) sits for Kitchener South—Hespeler, the riding Doon South is in.
Which party won Doon South in the 2021 federal election?
In 2021 it was Valerie Bradford (Liberal Party of Canada), in Kitchener South—Hespeler; Kitchener South—Hespeler has elected Matt Strauss since.
Who is the MPP for Doon South?
The riding for Doon South is Kitchener South—Hespeler, and the Legislative Assembly of Ontario lists the MPP who holds it.
Who heads the council in Kitchener?
In October 2022, Berry Vrbanovic won the post of mayor for Kitchener council’s 2022–26 term.
How much does Kitchener council spend?
In 2024, Kitchener council spent $473.2M in all, for some 293,470 residents, of which $121.9M went on water, sewers and waste, the biggest line.
Which regional body is Kitchener part of?
The council of Waterloo Region sits above Kitchener’s and runs region-wide services, police and water among them.
How is Kitchener council elected?
By ward for councillors and at large for the mayor, on Kitchener council.
What was the turnout in Doon South?
20.3% of electors voted when Kitchener 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 · 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).