Photo: Bio2935 · CC BY-SA 4.0Turnout in Norwich reached 50% in 2022, higher than in 93% of Ontario’s municipalities
The riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP) for Norwich is Oxford; no current MP for it is on the open record. Norwich is in Oxford 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. Jim Palmer was elected mayor of Norwich in October 2022, on a council of 5 seats. 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 Norwich is governed
Many residents per seat
Norwich council has more people behind each seat than most of Ontario, where the middle figure is 1,540 residents a seat. Council size ↓
Turnout above the norm
Norwich council drew more of its electors to the polls in 2022 than the typical Ontario municipality (35%). How Norwich voted ↓
Low spending per resident
Most of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities spent more per resident in 2024 than Norwich council: 90% of them. 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
Norwich, 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 water, sewers and waste (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 Norwich: its own, and that of Oxford County, the upper tier.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Norwich, from the most recent elections.
- 1Norwich councilelected October 2022Jim Palmer
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioOxford
- 3House of CommonsOxford
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 Norwich council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Jim Palmer
- John Scholten
- Alisha Stubbs
- Shawn Gear
- Adrian Couwenberg
5 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Palmer | Mayor | 2,219 | 51% | Yes |
| John Scholten | Councillor | 578 | 51% | Yes |
| Alisha Stubbs | Councillor | 759 | 59% | No |
| Shawn Gear | Councillor | 602 | 50% | No |
| Adrian Couwenberg | Councillor | 267 | 14% | No |
With 51% of the votes, Jim Palmer carried the vote for mayor. Seats on Norwich council are tied to wards, apart from the mayor, whom every voter helps choose.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Norwich voted more than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
Turnout for Norwich council on 24 October 2022 was 50% of electors, higher than the Ontario norm.
How Norwich voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Norwich votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Norwich council | 26 October 2026 | 28 October 2030 |
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | 27 February 2025 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
Parliament was last elected on 28 April 2025, and the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on 27 February 2025. 28 October 2030 is the next council election in Norwich, fixed by the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 for the fourth Monday in October every four years. Counts from April 2025 can’t appear here, since Elections Canada allows only non-commercial reuse of them.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Norwich votes in Oxford 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 comes from the 2013 federal map, which southern Ontario’s provincial ridings match under the Representation Act, 2015. For the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Norwich votes in Oxford, which has one MPP.
Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada
Oxford: no current MP on record
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Oxford
ourcommons.ca ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
The MP’s record
Had the 2021 ballots been cast in today’s Oxford, the Conservative Party of Canada would have led with 47%, 26.1 points over the runner-up (Liberal Party of Canada).
Member of Parliament: same source as Who represents Norwich, above.
In 2021, Oxford re-elected Dave MacKenzie of the Conservative Party of Canada
Results in Oxford as drawn in 2013, the boundaries of the 2019 and 2021 elections; the riding was redrawn for 2025.
Turnout in Oxford reached 65% in 2021, against 63% nationally. The 2019 result had favoured Dave MacKenzie as well, at 48%. Oxford elected Dave MacKenzie (Conservative Party of Canada) in 2021: 47% of the vote, a lead of 16,426 over Elizabeth Quinto (Liberal Party of Canada).
All 6 candidates in Oxford, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dave MacKenzie | Conservative Party of Canada | 29,146 | 47.1% |
| Elizabeth Quinto | Liberal Party of Canada | 12,720 | 20.5% |
| Matthew Chambers | New Democratic Party | 11,325 | 18.3% |
| Wendy Martin | People's Party of Canada | 6,595 | 10.7% |
| Bob Reid | Green Party of Canada | 1,683 | 2.7% |
| Allen Scovil | Christian Heritage Party of Canada | 479 | 0.8% |
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
Norwich 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.
Property taxes and payments in lieu brought in 67% of revenue, against 42% across the province’s returns. Debt Norwich council owes over the long term came to $2.7M, $238 a resident, under the median of $440. In 2024 the median among Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities was $1,901 a resident; Norwich council spent $1,222. The upper tier, Oxford County, adds $2,483 per resident of its own, mostly for social services and child care. The return counts 37 full-time positions, 3.3 for every thousand residents. The largest line is roads and transit: 33% of the total, $401 a resident.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roads and transit | $4.5M | $401 | 33% |
| Police, fire and protection | $4.3M | $386 | 32% |
| Recreation and culture | $1.9M | $175 | 14% |
| General government | $942K | $84 | 7% |
| Planning and development | $903K | $81 | 7% |
| Public health and paramedics | $763K | $68 | 6% |
| Water, sewers and waste | $300K | $27 | 2% |
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 2,460 residents
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
A seat on Norwich council covers 2,460 residents; 69% of Ontario municipalities have fewer per seat.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Norwich 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. Who holds each seat is read from Wikidata, so a very recent change in the Commons may not appear yet.
- Council money. Per resident means the 2024 Financial Information Return’s totals over the population it reports. Since a county or region spends in its lower tiers too, those are compared only with each other.
- Council size. Residents per seat divide the 2021 Census population by every council seat, the head of council’s included.
Questions about how Norwich is run
Who is the MP for Norwich?
Norwich is in Oxford, whose current MP isn’t on the open record yet; the House of Commons lists every member.
Which party won Norwich in the 2021 federal election?
The Conservative Party of Canada, with Dave MacKenzie in Oxford; the riding is now Oxford.
Who is the MPP for Norwich?
The riding for Norwich is Oxford, and the Legislative Assembly of Ontario lists the MPP who holds it.
Who heads the council in Norwich?
The open record gives Jim Palmer, elected mayor of Norwich council in October 2022.
How much does Norwich council spend?
The 2024 return of Norwich council shows $13.6M of spending for roughly 11,151 residents, $4.5M of it on roads and transit.
Which regional body is Norwich part of?
The council of Oxford County, made up of members from its municipalities, Norwich among them, is the upper tier.
How is Norwich council elected?
Norwich council: the mayor is chosen by the whole municipality, the councillors ward by ward.
What was the turnout in Norwich?
50.2% of electors voted when Norwich 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. 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).