Photo: Fungus Guy · CC BY-SA 3.0Laird’s council spends less per resident than 96% of Ontario’s single-tier municipalities
Terry Sheehan (Liberal Party of Canada) is the MP for Sault Ste. Marie—Algoma, the riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP) that takes in Laird. No provincial riding is named for Laird: northern Ontario’s ridings for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario have no open boundaries. Voters in Laird chose Shawn Evoy as mayor in October 2022, for a 5-seat council. These names are from the 2022–26 term: Ontario’s municipalities voted on 26 October 2026, but the province’s open list of the results isn’t out.
What stands out in how Laird is governed
Few residents per seat
The middle municipality in Ontario has a seat for every 1,540 residents; Laird council has fewer behind each. Council size ↓
Turnout above the norm
The 2022 vote for Laird council pulled in more electors than Ontario’s median of 35%. How Laird voted ↓
Low spending per resident
Spending per resident left Laird council below 96% of Ontario’s single-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
Laird, a township 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.
Laird is a single-tier township: no county or region sits above its council, though Statistics Canada still counts it in the Algoma census division.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Laird, from the most recent elections.
- 1Laird councilelected October 2022Shawn Evoy
- 2Legislative Assembly of Ontario–
- 3House of CommonsSault Ste. Marie—Algoma
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 Laird council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Shawn Evoy
- Ed Lapish
- Todd Rydall
- Wayne R. Junor
- Matthew Frolick
5 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shawn Evoy | Mayor | 359 | 71% | Yes |
| Ed Lapish | Councillor | 227 | 14% | Yes |
| Todd Rydall | Councillor | 341 | 22% | Yes |
| Wayne R. Junor | Councillor | 265 | 17% | No |
| Matthew Frolick | Councillor | 268 | 17% | No |
Voters across the municipality choose the mayor and every councillor on Laird council alike. Shawn Evoy became mayor on 71% of the votes cast.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Laird voted more than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
Laird council was elected on 24 October 2022 with 42% of electors voting, above the provincial middle. No closer places have figures: these lie 14–44 km from Laird.
How Laird voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Laird votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Laird council | 26 October 2026 | 28 October 2030 |
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | 27 February 2025 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
Counts from April 2025 can’t appear here, since Elections Canada allows only non-commercial reuse of them. Councils are elected on the fourth Monday in October every four years, says the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, so Laird votes next on 28 October 2030. Parliament was last elected on 28 April 2025, and the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on 27 February 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
Terry Sheehan represents Sault Ste. Marie—Algoma in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Sault Ste. Marie—Algoma · Liberal Party of Canada · first elected 2015
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
Terry Sheehan’s party, the Liberal Party of Canada, has 71 of the 122 seats from Ontario.
The MP’s record
Had the 2021 ballots been cast in today’s Sault Ste. Marie—Algoma, the Conservative Party of Canada would have led with 36%; in 2025 Terry Sheehan took it from them. The current Parliament is Terry Sheehan’s 4th, counting from a first win in 2015.
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, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing re-elected Carol Hughes of the New Democratic Party
Under the 2013 boundaries of the 2019 and 2021 elections, Laird sat in Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing; the 2025 election put it in Sault Ste. Marie—Algoma.
The 2021 count in Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing put Carol Hughes (New Democratic Party) first at 40%, with John Sagman (Conservative Party of Canada) 5,010 votes back. In 2019, Carol Hughes had won the same riding with 42%. Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing turned out at only 60% in 2021; the country managed 63%.
All 6 candidates in Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carol Hughes | New Democratic Party | 15,895 | 40.2% |
| John Sagman | Conservative Party of Canada | 10,885 | 27.5% |
| Duke Peltier | Liberal Party of Canada | 8,888 | 22.5% |
| Harry Jaaskelainen | People's Party of Canada | 2,840 | 7.2% |
| Stephen Zimmermann | Green Party of Canada | 726 | 1.8% |
| Clarence Baarda | Christian Heritage Party of Canada | 289 | 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
Laird 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 single-tier municipalities.
Spending per resident by service, 2024
What pays for it
Shares of revenue, town and province.
At 26% of spending ($567 a resident), roads and transit leads the budget. Each resident’s share of Laird council’s 2024 spending came to $2,197, where the middle of Ontario’s single-tier municipalities sat at $3,796. Property taxes and payments in lieu brought in 59% of revenue, against 37% across the province’s returns. It employs the equivalent of 13 full-time positions, or 11.7 for each thousand people.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roads and transit | $630K | $567 | 26% |
| Social services and child care | $509K | $459 | 21% |
| General government | $491K | $442 | 20% |
| Police, fire and protection | $313K | $282 | 13% |
| Recreation and culture | $213K | $192 | 9% |
| Water, sewers and waste | $185K | $167 | 8% |
| Public health and paramedics | $81K | $73 | 3% |
| Planning and development | $17K | $16 | 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 240 residents
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
With 240 residents behind each seat, Laird council sits below 95% of Ontario municipalities.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Laird 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Who holds each seat. Each MP’s name and party are Wikidata’s statements for the 45th Parliament, read in November 2026.
- Not on this page. Party control (most Canadian councils sit without parties, and the open lists record none) and band councils.
- 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. The council size includes the head of council; the population is the 2021 Census, the whole city’s for a neighbourhood.
Questions about how Laird is run
Who is the MP for Laird?
For Laird, it’s Terry Sheehan (Liberal Party of Canada), who holds Sault Ste. Marie—Algoma.
Which party won Laird in the 2021 federal election?
In 2021 it was Carol Hughes (New Democratic Party), in Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing; Sault Ste. Marie—Algoma has elected Terry Sheehan since.
Who is the MPP for Laird?
Every MPP of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario is on its members page, which is where to find the one for Laird.
Who heads the council in Laird?
The open record gives Shawn Evoy, elected mayor of Laird council in October 2022.
How much does Laird council spend?
Laird council spent $2.4M in 2024 for about 1,110 residents; its largest service line was roads and transit, at $630K.
How is Laird council elected?
Every seat on Laird council, the mayor’s included, is filled by the whole municipality.
What was the turnout in Laird?
In October 2022, turnout for Laird council was 41.5%, against 35.5% for the typical Ontario municipality.
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).