Photo: Tabercil · CC BY 3.0One councillor per 2,880 residents: Mount Forest is more thinly represented than 73% of Ontario municipalities
Mount Forest is in Perth—Wellington for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, whose current MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) no open source we can use records yet. The riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP) covering Mount Forest is Perth—Wellington, and John Nater (Conservative Party of Canada) represents it in the House of Commons. For local government, Mount Forest falls under Wellington North, a township. Andy Lennox was elected mayor of Wellington North in October 2022, on a council of 5 seats. 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 Mount Forest is governed
Many residents per seat
Wellington North council spreads its seats over a big population; the typical municipality in Ontario has one seat per 1,540 residents. Council size ↓
High federal turnout
Federal turnout in Perth—Wellington beat 69% of Canada’s ridings in 2021. 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
Mount Forest, 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 social housing (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.
Wellington County is the upper tier over Wellington North, a lower-tier municipality.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Mount Forest, from the most recent elections.
- 1Wellington North councilelected October 2022Andy Lennox
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioPerth—Wellington
- 3House of CommonsPerth—Wellington
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 Wellington North council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Andy Lennox
- Sherry Burke
- Lisa Hern
- Steve McCabe
- Penny Renken
5 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andy Lennox | Mayor | 1,646 | 53% | Yes |
| Sherry Burke | Councillor | 843 | 89% | Yes |
| Lisa Hern | Councillor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Steve McCabe | Councillor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Penny Renken | Councillor | 382 | 46% | No |
Councillors on Wellington North council are elected by ward, the mayor by the whole municipality. For mayor, Andy Lennox drew 53% of the votes.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Mount Forest voted more than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
No closer places have figures: these lie 20–30 km from Mount Forest. 37% of those on the list cast a ballot for Wellington North council on 24 October 2022, more than in a typical municipality.
How Mount Forest voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Mount Forest votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Wellington North 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. Under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, Wellington North’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
Mount Forest votes in Perth—Wellington 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 ↗For the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Mount Forest votes in Perth—Wellington, which has one MPP. The riding comes from the 2013 federal map, which southern Ontario’s provincial ridings match under the Representation Act, 2015.
Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada
John Nater represents Perth—Wellington in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Perth—Wellington · Conservative Party of Canada · first elected 2015
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
The Conservative Party of Canada, John Nater’s party, takes 50 of the 122 seats from Ontario; the Liberal Party of Canada takes 71.
The MP’s record
John Nater was first elected in 2015; the current Parliament is John Nater’s 4th. Mapped onto today’s Perth—Wellington, the 2021 vote gives the Conservative Party of Canada 49%; in 2025 John Nater kept the seat in the same hands.
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, Perth—Wellington re-elected John Nater of the Conservative Party of Canada
Results in Perth—Wellington as drawn in 2013, the boundaries of the 2019 and 2021 elections; the riding was redrawn for 2025.
Back in 2019, John Nater took the riding on 46%. John Nater won the 2021 race in Perth—Wellington for the Conservative Party of Canada, polling 49% and beating Brendan Knight (Liberal Party of Canada) by 13,300 votes.
All 4 candidates in Perth—Wellington, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Nater | Conservative Party of Canada | 26,984 | 48.6% |
| Brendan Knight | Liberal Party of Canada | 13,684 | 24.6% |
| Kevin Kruchkywich | New Democratic Party | 9,552 | 17.2% |
| Wayne Baker | People's Party of Canada | 5,357 | 9.6% |
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
Wellington North 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.
The upper tier, Wellington County, adds $2,797 per resident of its own, mostly for social services and child care. Each resident’s share of Wellington North council’s 2024 spending came to $1,740, where the middle of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities sat at $1,901. The largest line is roads and transit: 38% of the total, $667 a resident. The return counts 48 full-time positions, 3.9 for every thousand residents. Taxes on property make up 37% of what comes in, less than the province-wide 42%. At $282 per resident, Wellington North council’s $3.5M of long-term debt is less than the $440 median.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roads and transit | $8.3M | $667 | 38% |
| Water, sewers and waste | $4.8M | $385 | 22% |
| Recreation and culture | $2.9M | $235 | 13% |
| General government | $2.3M | $181 | 10% |
| Police, fire and protection | $2.1M | $166 | 10% |
| Planning and development | $1.2M | $93 | 5% |
| Public health and paramedics | $155K | $12 | 1% |
Money: Financial Information Return 2024, Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
Wellington North 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 Wellington North 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 Mount Forest 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. No party tally for the council, which the open lists don’t record, and no band councils.
- Who holds each seat. A member who resigned or switched parties last week may still show here: the names are Wikidata’s.
- Which riding. Ridings are assigned from the 2021 Census: the one with most residents first, then any holding 5% or more.
- Election results. Two maps are in play: the 2013 ridings, on which 2019 and 2021 were counted, and the 2023 ridings, onto which Elections Canada transposed the 2021 vote poll by poll.
- 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. 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.
Questions about how Mount Forest is run
Who is the MP for Mount Forest?
John Nater of the Conservative Party of Canada is the MP for Perth—Wellington, which includes Mount Forest.
Which party won Mount Forest in the 2021 federal election?
The Conservative Party of Canada: John Nater won Perth—Wellington in 2021 and still holds it.
Who is the MPP for Mount Forest?
Perth—Wellington is the riding; its sitting MPP is on the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s own list of members for Mount Forest and its neighbours.
Who heads the council in Mount Forest?
The open record gives Andy Lennox, elected mayor of Wellington North council in October 2022.
How much does Wellington North council spend?
The 2024 return of Wellington North council shows $21.6M of spending for roughly 12,431 residents, $8.3M of it on roads and transit.
Which regional body is Wellington North part of?
Wellington North is part of Wellington County, whose council, drawn from its municipalities’ councils, runs county-wide services.
How is Wellington North council elected?
By ward for councillors and at large for the mayor, on Wellington North council.
What was the turnout in Mount Forest?
36.8% of electors voted when Wellington North 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).