Photo: Andre Carrotflower · CC BY-SA 4.0Per resident, Penetanguishene spends more than 68% of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities
The October 2022 vote made Doug Rawson mayor of Penetanguishene, heading 7 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. Simcoe North is the riding Penetanguishene 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. Adam Chambers (Conservative Party of Canada) is the MP for Simcoe North, the riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP) that takes in Penetanguishene.
What stands out in how Penetanguishene is governed
Turnout above the norm
Across Ontario, median turnout in 2022 was 35%, and Penetanguishene council beat it. How Penetanguishene voted ↓
High spending per resident
Penetanguishene council spent more per resident in 2024 than 68% 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
Penetanguishene, a town 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 Penetanguishene: its own, and that of Simcoe County, the upper tier.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Penetanguishene, from the most recent elections.
- 1Penetanguishene councilelected October 2022Doug Rawson
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioSimcoe North
- 3House of CommonsSimcoe North
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 Penetanguishene council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Doug Rawson
- Dan LaRose
- Doug Leroux
- George Vadeboncoeur
- Bonita Desroches
- Suzanne Marchand
- Bill Waters
7 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doug Rawson | Mayor | 1,808 | 61% | No |
| Dan LaRose | Deputy Mayor | 1,443 | 49% | Yes |
| Doug Leroux | Councillor | 1,670 | 13% | Yes |
| George Vadeboncoeur | Councillor | 1,306 | 10% | Yes |
| Bonita Desroches | Councillor | 1,362 | 11% | No |
| Suzanne Marchand | Councillor | 1,384 | 11% | No |
| Bill Waters | Councillor | 1,268 | 10% | No |
For mayor, Doug Rawson drew 61% of the votes. Every seat on Penetanguishene council, the mayor’s included, is chosen by the whole municipality.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Penetanguishene voted more than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
When Penetanguishene council was chosen on 24 October 2022, 40% of electors took part, above the provincial median.
How Penetanguishene voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Penetanguishene votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Penetanguishene council | 26 October 2026 | 28 October 2030 |
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | 27 February 2025 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
Elections Canada’s open records end with the 2021 election; its 2025 results are under terms that rule out commercial use. Penetanguishene votes next on 28 October 2030: the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 sets municipal elections on the fourth Monday in October every four years. The last general elections came on 27 February 2025 for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and on 28 April 2025 for Parliament.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Penetanguishene votes in Simcoe North 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 ↗By law (the Representation Act, 2015), southern Ontario’s provincial ridings follow the 2013 federal boundaries, so each place is located from those. Simcoe North takes in Penetanguishene and elects its MPP to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada
Adam Chambers represents Simcoe North in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Simcoe North · Conservative Party of Canada · first elected 2021
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
The Liberal Party of Canada leads Ontario with 71 of 122 seats; Adam Chambers is among the 50 from the Conservative Party of Canada.
The MP’s record
The current Parliament is Adam Chambers’ 2nd, counting from a first win in 2021. Had the 2021 ballots been cast in today’s Simcoe North, the Conservative Party of Canada would have led with 42%; Adam Chambers held it for them in 2025.
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
The Conservative Party of Canada kept Simcoe North in 2021 with Adam Chambers
Counts for Simcoe North within its 2013 boundaries, used in 2019 and 2021; the 2025 election ran on a new map.
Bruce Stanton (Conservative Party of Canada) had taken it in 2019 with 43%. The 2021 count in Simcoe North put Adam Chambers (Conservative Party of Canada) first at 43%, with Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux (Liberal Party of Canada) 8,051 votes back.
All 6 candidates in Simcoe North, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adam Chambers | Conservative Party of Canada | 27,383 | 43.1% |
| Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux | Liberal Party of Canada | 19,332 | 30.4% |
| Janet-Lynne Durnford | New Democratic Party | 9,958 | 15.7% |
| Stephen Makk | People's Party of Canada | 4,822 | 7.6% |
| Krystal Brooks | Green Party of Canada | 1,903 | 3.0% |
| Russ Emo | Christian Heritage Party of Canada | 210 | 0.3% |
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
Penetanguishene council spends more 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 57% of revenue, against 42% across the province’s returns. Penetanguishene council carried $11.5M of long-term debt, $1,145 per resident against a typical $440. Simcoe County, the upper tier, spent another $1,228 per resident of its whole area, most of it on social services and child care. Spending by Penetanguishene council reached $2,233 a resident in 2024, well over the $1,901 median of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities. No service costs more than water, sewers and waste, at $606 per resident and 27% of the total. It employs the equivalent of 57 full-time positions, or 5.7 for each thousand people.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water, sewers and waste | $6.1M | $606 | 27% |
| Roads and transit | $5.6M | $556 | 25% |
| Police, fire and protection | $4.1M | $411 | 18% |
| Recreation and culture | $3.9M | $389 | 17% |
| General government | $2.2M | $222 | 10% |
| Planning and development | $501K | $50 | 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 1,590 residents
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
With 1,590 residents behind each seat, Penetanguishene council sits above 53% of Ontario municipalities.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Penetanguishene 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
- Council size. The 2021 Census population is shared over all council seats, including the head of council’s, for this ratio.
- 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.
- 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.
- Which riding. Ridings are assigned from the 2021 Census: the one with most residents first, then any holding 5% or more.
- Election results. Elections Canada redrew the ridings in 2023 and re-tallied the 2021 ballots onto the new map from polling divisions; that estimate, and the official 2019 and 2021 counts on the old map, are what you see.
Questions about how Penetanguishene is run
Who is the MP for Penetanguishene?
Simcoe North’s MP, Adam Chambers of the Conservative Party of Canada, represents Penetanguishene.
Which party won Penetanguishene in the 2021 federal election?
The Conservative Party of Canada: Adam Chambers won Simcoe North in 2021 and still holds it.
Who is the MPP for Penetanguishene?
The riding for Penetanguishene is Simcoe North, and the Legislative Assembly of Ontario lists the MPP who holds it.
Who heads the council in Penetanguishene?
The open record gives Doug Rawson, elected mayor of Penetanguishene council in October 2022.
How much does Penetanguishene council spend?
In 2024, Penetanguishene council spent $22.5M in all, for some 10,077 residents, of which $6.1M went on water, sewers and waste, the biggest line.
Which regional body is Penetanguishene part of?
Penetanguishene is part of Simcoe County, whose council, drawn from its municipalities’ councils, runs county-wide services.
How is Penetanguishene council elected?
Every seat on Penetanguishene council, the mayor’s included, is filled by the whole municipality.
What was the turnout in Penetanguishene?
In October 2022, turnout for Penetanguishene council was 39.5%, 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 · 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).