Photo: GTD Aquitaine · Public domainEach seat on Peterborough’s council stands for 8,890 residents, more than in 90% of Ontario municipalities
The federal seat carries the town’s name: Peterborough is its own riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP), held by Emma Harrison of the Liberal Party of Canada. Peterborough is in Peterborough—Kawartha 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. Voters in Peterborough chose Jeff Leal as mayor in October 2022, for a 11-seat council. 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 Peterborough is governed
Many residents per seat
Across Ontario the median is one seat per 1,540 residents, well under the ratio on Peterborough council. Council size ↓
Turnout above the norm
The 2022 vote for Peterborough council pulled in more electors than Ontario’s median of 35%. How Peterborough voted ↓
High spending per resident
Peterborough council spent more per resident in 2024 than 84% of Ontario’s single-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
Peterborough, a city 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.
As a single-tier city, Peterborough has no upper-tier council above it.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Peterborough, from the most recent elections.
- 1Peterborough councilelected October 2022Jeff Leal
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioPeterborough—Kawartha
- 3House of CommonsPeterborough
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 Peterborough council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Jeff Leal
- Gary Baldwin
- Andrew Beamer
- Lesley Parnell
- Keith Riel
- Don Vassiliadis
- Kevin Duguay
- Matt Crowley
- Alex Bierk
- Joy Lachica
- Dave Haacke
11 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeff Leal | Mayor | 12,911 | 49% | No |
| Gary Baldwin | Councillor | 3,326 | 40% | Yes |
| Andrew Beamer | Councillor | 4,003 | 38% | Yes |
| Lesley Parnell | Councillor | 3,132 | 41% | Yes |
| Keith Riel | Councillor | 2,964 | 36% | Yes |
| Don Vassiliadis | Councillor | 2,469 | 24% | Yes |
| Kevin Duguay | Councillor | 1,943 | 25% | No |
| Matt Crowley | Councillor | 2,871 | 28% | No |
| Alex Bierk | Councillor | 2,600 | 31% | No |
| Joy Lachica | Councillor | 2,308 | 27% | No |
| Dave Haacke | Councillor | 2,334 | 22% | No |
The contest for mayor went to Jeff Leal, with 49% of the votes. Voters pick a mayor for the whole municipality and the rest of Peterborough council ward by ward.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Peterborough 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 Peterborough council on 24 October 2022 was 40% of electors, higher than the Ontario norm.
How Peterborough voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Peterborough votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Peterborough council | 26 October 2026 | 28 October 2030 |
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | 27 February 2025 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
Voters last chose the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on 27 February 2025 and the House of Commons on 28 April 2025. 28 October 2030 is the next council election in Peterborough, fixed by the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 for the fourth Monday in October every four years. Elections Canada’s open records end with the 2021 election; its 2025 results are under terms that rule out commercial use.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Peterborough votes in Peterborough—Kawartha 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, Peterborough votes in Peterborough—Kawartha, which has one MPP.
Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada
Emma Harrison represents Peterborough in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Peterborough · Liberal Party of Canada
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
Emma Harrison is one of 71 Liberal Party of Canada MPs among the 122 from Ontario.
The MP’s record
Elections Canada’s transposition of the 2021 vote onto today’s Peterborough puts the Conservative Party of Canada first at 39%: Emma Harrison won it away from them in 2025. April 2025 was Emma Harrison’s first election to the House of Commons.
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
A new party in Peterborough—Kawartha in 2021: Michelle Ferreri (Conservative Party of Canada)
Before the 2023 redistribution, Peterborough voted in Peterborough—Kawartha; these are its 2019 and 2021 results, and Peterborough is its riding today.
Maryam Monsef (Liberal Party of Canada) had won it in 2019 with 39%. The 2021 count in Peterborough—Kawartha put Michelle Ferreri (Conservative Party of Canada) first at 39%, with Maryam Monsef (Liberal Party of Canada) 2,738 votes back. At 69%, more of Peterborough—Kawartha voted in 2021 than Canada as a whole (63%).
All 6 candidates in Peterborough—Kawartha, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michelle Ferreri | Conservative Party of Canada | 27,402 | 39.0% |
| Maryam Monsef | Liberal Party of Canada | 24,664 | 35.1% |
| Joy Lachica | New Democratic Party | 13,302 | 19.0% |
| Paul Lawton | People's Party of Canada | 3,073 | 4.4% |
| Chanté White | Green Party of Canada | 1,553 | 2.2% |
| Robert M. Bowers | Independent | 218 | 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
Peterborough 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 single-tier municipalities.
Spending per resident by service, 2024
What pays for it
Shares of revenue, town and province.
Each resident’s share of Peterborough council’s 2024 spending came to $5,044, where the middle of Ontario’s single-tier municipalities sat at $3,796. The return counts 1,174 full-time positions, 14.0 for every thousand residents. The largest line is social services and child care: 25% of the total, $1,270 a resident. At 38%, property taxes count for more of the revenue than the 37% seen across the province. Peterborough council carried $237.7M of long-term debt, $2,842 per resident against a typical $971.
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social services and child care | $106.2M | $1,270 | 25% |
| Police, fire and protection | $74.3M | $888 | 18% |
| Roads and transit | $60.8M | $727 | 14% |
| Water, sewers and waste | $47.4M | $566 | 11% |
| Social housing | $42.4M | $507 | 10% |
| Recreation and culture | $36.4M | $436 | 9% |
| General government | $28.6M | $342 | 7% |
| Public health and paramedics | $18.5M | $221 | 4% |
| Planning and development | $7.3M | $88 | 2% |
Money: Financial Information Return 2024, Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
Peterborough council beside its neighbours
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
Beside its neighbours, Peterborough council is the bar in colour; the headline above has the comparison with the province.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Peterborough 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. 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.
- Which riding. A place belongs to the riding where most of its 2021 Census residents live, plus any other with 5% or more.
- Who holds each seat. The members named here are Wikidata’s, kept up by volunteers; a by-election or a floor crossing may take a few days to show.
- Not on this page. No party tally for the council, which the open lists don’t record, and no band councils.
- 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.
- Council size. Every seat counts, the head of council’s too, against the population of the 2021 Census.
Questions about how Peterborough is run
Who is the MP for Peterborough?
Peterborough is in the riding of the same name, represented by Emma Harrison (Liberal Party of Canada).
Which party won Peterborough in the 2021 federal election?
In 2021 it was Michelle Ferreri (Conservative Party of Canada), in Peterborough—Kawartha; Peterborough has elected Emma Harrison since.
Who is the MPP for Peterborough?
Peterborough—Kawartha is the riding; its sitting MPP is on the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s own list of members for Peterborough and its neighbours.
Who heads the council in Peterborough?
Jeff Leal was elected mayor in October 2022, for the 2022–26 term of Peterborough council.
How much does Peterborough council spend?
Peterborough council spent $421.9M in 2024 for about 83,651 residents; its largest service line was social services and child care, at $106.2M.
How is Peterborough council elected?
Peterborough council: the mayor is chosen by the whole municipality, the councillors ward by ward.
What was the turnout in Peterborough?
40.0% of electors voted when Peterborough 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).