Photo: Glenn Ford · CC BY-SA 3.0Only 27% of Petawawa voters cast a ballot in 2022, fewer than in 80% of Ontario municipalities
Petawawa’s council of 7 was elected in October 2022, with Gary Serviss as mayor. Ontario’s councils were renewed on 26 October 2026, but the only open list so far is 2022’s, so that is the term shown. Provincially, Petawawa votes in Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke; the open record doesn’t name its MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, so the legislature’s own list is linked below. Petawawa is in Algonquin—Renfrew—Pembroke, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP), and the seat belongs to Cheryl Gallant of the Conservative Party of Canada.
What stands out in how Petawawa is governed
Many residents per seat
Petawawa council has more people behind each seat than most of Ontario, where the middle figure is 1,540 residents a seat. Council size ↓
Turnout below the norm
In Ontario’s 2022 municipal elections, the middle municipality saw 35% of electors vote; Petawawa council fell short of that. How Petawawa voted ↓
Low spending per resident
Most of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities spent more per resident in 2024 than Petawawa council: 71% 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
Petawawa, 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 public health and paramedics (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.
Renfrew County is the upper tier over Petawawa, a lower-tier municipality.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Petawawa, from the most recent elections.
- 1Petawawa councilelected October 2022Gary Serviss
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioRenfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke
- 3House of CommonsAlgonquin—Renfrew—Pembroke
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 Petawawa council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Gary Serviss
- James Carmody
- Murray Rutz
- Theresa Sabourin
- Lisa Coutu
- Karen Donovan
- Adam Driscoll
7 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gary Serviss | Mayor | 2,446 | 74% | Yes |
| James Carmody | Councillor | 1,760 | 11% | Yes |
| Murray Rutz | Councillor | 1,773 | 12% | Yes |
| Theresa Sabourin | Councillor | 2,128 | 14% | Yes |
| Lisa Coutu | Councillor | 1,497 | 10% | No |
| Karen Donovan | Councillor | 1,565 | 10% | No |
| Adam Driscoll | Councillor | 1,617 | 11% | No |
With 74% of the votes, Gary Serviss carried the vote for mayor. There are no wards on Petawawa council: the whole electorate votes for every seat, the mayor too.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Petawawa voted less than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
When Petawawa council was chosen on 24 October 2022, just 27% of electors took part, under the provincial median.
How Petawawa voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Petawawa votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Petawawa 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. Petawawa votes next on 28 October 2030: the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 sets municipal elections on the fourth Monday in October every four years. Voters last chose the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on 27 February 2025 and the House of Commons on 28 April 2025.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Petawawa votes in Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke 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. Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke takes in Petawawa and elects its MPP to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada
Cheryl Gallant represents Algonquin—Renfrew—Pembroke in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Algonquin—Renfrew—Pembroke · Conservative Party of Canada · first elected 2000
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; Cheryl Gallant is among the 50 from the Conservative Party of Canada.
The MP’s record
Had the 2021 ballots been cast in today’s Algonquin—Renfrew—Pembroke, the Conservative Party of Canada would have led with 50%; Cheryl Gallant held it for them in 2025. Cheryl Gallant has sat in the Commons since 2000, now for the 9th Parliament.
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
Cheryl Gallant kept Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke for the Conservative Party of Canada in 2021
Under the 2013 boundaries of the 2019 and 2021 elections, Petawawa sat in Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke; the 2025 election put it in Algonquin—Renfrew—Pembroke.
67% of electors in Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke voted in 2021, above the 63% turnout across Canada. 16,704 votes separated Cheryl Gallant (Conservative Party of Canada) from Jodie Primeau (New Democratic Party) in Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke in 2021, when the winner took 50%. Back in 2019, Cheryl Gallant took the riding on 53%.
All 6 candidates in Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheryl Gallant | Conservative Party of Canada | 28,967 | 49.5% |
| Jodie Primeau | New Democratic Party | 12,263 | 21.0% |
| Cyndi Mills | Liberal Party of Canada | 11,335 | 19.4% |
| David Ainsworth | People's Party of Canada | 4,469 | 7.6% |
| Michael Lariviere | Green Party of Canada | 1,111 | 1.9% |
| Stefan Klietsch | Independent | 373 | 0.6% |
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
Petawawa 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.
At $7 per resident, Petawawa council’s $131K of long-term debt is less than the $440 median. Property taxes and payments in lieu brought in 67% of revenue, against 42% across the province’s returns. It employs the equivalent of 54 full-time positions, or 3.0 for each thousand people. The largest line is water, sewers and waste: 30% of the total, $462 a resident. In 2024 the median among Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities was $1,901 a resident; Petawawa council spent $1,549. Renfrew County, the upper tier, spent another $2,319 per resident of its whole area, most of it on social services and child care.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water, sewers and waste | $8.4M | $462 | 30% |
| Roads and transit | $7.3M | $401 | 26% |
| Recreation and culture | $5.5M | $303 | 20% |
| Police, fire and protection | $3.6M | $197 | 13% |
| General government | $2.5M | $136 | 9% |
| Planning and development | $894K | $49 | 3% |
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 2,800 residents
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
A seat on Petawawa council covers 2,800 residents; 72% of Ontario municipalities have fewer per seat.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Petawawa 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. 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.
- Who holds each seat. A member who resigned or switched parties last week may still show here: the names are Wikidata’s.
- Not on this page. Band councils, and which party runs the council: the open lists carry no party, and most councils have none.
- Election results. Where the page says “today’s boundaries”, it means Elections Canada’s estimate of the 2021 vote on the 2023 ridings; every other count is official and on the 2013 map.
- Which riding. A place belongs to the riding where most of its 2021 Census residents live, plus any other with 5% or more.
Questions about how Petawawa is run
Who is the MP for Petawawa?
For Petawawa, it’s Cheryl Gallant (Conservative Party of Canada), who holds Algonquin—Renfrew—Pembroke.
Which party won Petawawa in the 2021 federal election?
The Conservative Party of Canada: Cheryl Gallant won Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke in 2021 and is the MP for today’s Algonquin—Renfrew—Pembroke.
Who is the MPP for Petawawa?
Look up Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke on the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s site: that riding, which takes in Petawawa, has one MPP.
Who heads the council in Petawawa?
The open record gives Gary Serviss, elected mayor of Petawawa council in October 2022.
How much does Petawawa council spend?
In 2024, Petawawa council spent $28.1M in all, for some 18,160 residents, of which $8.4M went on water, sewers and waste, the biggest line.
Which regional body is Petawawa part of?
Petawawa is part of Renfrew County, whose council, drawn from its municipalities’ councils, runs county-wide services.
How is Petawawa council elected?
Every seat on Petawawa council, the mayor’s included, is filled by the whole municipality.
What was the turnout in Petawawa?
In October 2022, turnout for Petawawa council was 27.1%, 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).