Photo: JFVoll · CC BY-SA 4.029,450 residents per council seat in Kitchener, a higher ratio than 98% of Ontario municipalities
Kitchener—Conestoga is the riding Forest Heights 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. Forest Heights is in Kitchener—Conestoga, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP), and the seat belongs to Tim Louis of the Liberal Party of Canada. Forest Heights is part of Kitchener, which elected Berry Vrbanovic as mayor in October 2022. 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.
What stands out in how Forest Heights 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 Forest Heights voted ↓
Low spending per resident
Kitchener council spent less per resident in 2024 than 67% of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities. Council money ↓
A close federal race
In 2021 the winner in Kitchener—Conestoga led the runner-up (Conservative Party of Canada) by 1.1 points, a closer finish than in 97% of Canada’s 338 ridings. How Forest Heights 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
Forest Heights 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.
Two councils serve Kitchener: its own, and that of Waterloo Region, the upper tier.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Forest Heights, from the most recent elections.
- 1Kitchener councilelected October 2022Berry Vrbanovic
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioKitchener—Conestoga
- 3House of CommonsKitchener—Conestoga
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 |
Councillors on Kitchener council are elected by ward, the mayor by the whole municipality. For mayor, Berry Vrbanovic drew 80% of the votes.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Forest Heights voted less than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
20% of those on the list cast a ballot for Kitchener council on 24 October 2022, fewer than in a typical municipality.
How Forest Heights voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Forest Heights 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 | – |
Provincially the last general election was on 27 February 2025, for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario; federally, on 28 April 2025. The next council election in Kitchener falls on 28 October 2030, the fourth Monday in October every four years under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996. No open copy of the 2025 counts exists, and Elections Canada’s own terms rule out commercial reuse, so 2021 is the last vote shown.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Forest Heights votes in Kitchener—Conestoga 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 Kitchener—Conestoga: it sends one MPP to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and Forest Heights votes in it. Ontario’s southern ridings copy the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), and the town is placed by them.
Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada
Tim Louis represents Kitchener—Conestoga in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Kitchener—Conestoga · Liberal Party of Canada · first elected 2019
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
In Ontario, 71 of 122 ridings are held by the Liberal Party of Canada, the party Tim Louis sits with.
The MP’s record
On today’s boundaries, the 2021 vote in Kitchener—Conestoga would have gone to the Liberal Party of Canada with 38%, and Tim Louis kept it for them in 2025. Tim Louis was first elected in 2019; the current Parliament is Tim Louis’ 3rd.
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, Kitchener—Conestoga re-elected Tim Louis of the Liberal Party of Canada
These are the 2019 and 2021 results on the 2013 map of Kitchener—Conestoga; its boundaries changed for the 2025 election.
In 2021, Kitchener—Conestoga went to Tim Louis (Liberal Party of Canada) on 39%; Carlene Hawley (Conservative Party of Canada) finished 577 votes behind. Tim Louis was the sitting MP, elected there in 2019 with 40%. Kitchener—Conestoga turned out at 68% in 2021; the country managed 63%.
All 5 candidates in Kitchener—Conestoga, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tim Louis | Liberal Party of Canada | 20,025 | 39.3% |
| Carlene Hawley | Conservative Party of Canada | 19,448 | 38.2% |
| Narine Dat Sookram | New Democratic Party | 5,948 | 11.7% |
| Kevin Dupuis | People's Party of Canada | 3,690 | 7.2% |
| Owen Bradley | Green Party of Canada | 1,842 | 3.6% |
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.
No service costs more than water, sewers and waste, at $416 per resident and 26% of the total. 1,386 full-time positions are funded, 4.7 per thousand residents. Residents are also served by Waterloo Region, which spent $2,285 each across its area, chiefly on social services and child care. 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. At $270 per resident, Kitchener council’s $79.3M of long-term debt is less than the $440 median. Local taxpayers carry a smaller share than elsewhere: 27% of revenue, where the province’s returns show 42%.
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 bars put the headline’s figure for Kitchener council next to nearby councils, the tick marking the provincial median.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Forest Heights 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. Party control (most Canadian councils sit without parties, and the open lists record none) and band councils.
- 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.
- Which riding. Where residents of the 2021 Census live decides the riding; any riding with 5% of them or more is named.
- 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.
- 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.
Questions about how Forest Heights is run
Who is the MP for Forest Heights?
For Forest Heights, it’s Tim Louis (Liberal Party of Canada), who holds Kitchener—Conestoga.
Which party won Forest Heights in the 2021 federal election?
The Liberal Party of Canada: Tim Louis won Kitchener—Conestoga in 2021 and still holds it.
Who is the MPP for Forest Heights?
Kitchener—Conestoga is the riding; its sitting MPP is on the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s own list of members for Forest Heights and its neighbours.
Who heads the council in Kitchener?
Berry Vrbanovic was elected mayor in October 2022, for the 2022–26 term of Kitchener council.
How much does Kitchener council spend?
Kitchener council spent $473.2M in 2024 for about 293,470 residents; its largest service line was water, sewers and waste, at $121.9M.
Which regional body is Kitchener part of?
Kitchener is part of Waterloo Region, the upper tier, whose regional council runs services such as water and policing.
How is Kitchener council elected?
Kitchener council: the mayor is chosen by the whole municipality, the councillors ward by ward.
What was the turnout in Forest Heights?
It was 20.3% for Kitchener 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).