Photo: WB Robinson Photographer · CC BY-SA 4.0Fewer than 80% of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities spend as much per resident as Port Colborne
The October 2022 vote made Bill Steele mayor of Port Colborne, heading 9 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. Port Colborne sends one MP to Ottawa from Niagara South, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP): Fred Davies (Conservative Party of Canada). For the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Port Colborne votes in Niagara Centre; open data doesn’t yet say who its MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) is.
What stands out in how Port Colborne is governed
Many residents per seat
Port Colborne council spreads its seats over a big population; the typical municipality in Ontario has one seat per 1,540 residents. Council size ↓
High spending per resident
Only a minority of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities spent more per resident in 2024 than Port Colborne council: it is ahead of 80%. 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
Port Colborne, a city 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 police, fire and protection (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.
Niagara Region is the upper tier over Port Colborne, a lower-tier municipality.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Port Colborne, from the most recent elections.
- 1Port Colborne councilelected October 2022Bill Steele
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioNiagara Centre
- 3House of CommonsNiagara South
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 Port Colborne council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Bill Steele
- Mark Bagu
- Eric Beauregard
- Ron Bodner
- Gary Bruno
- Frank Danch
- Dave Elliott
- Tim Hoyle
- Monique Aquilina
9 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Steele | Mayor | 3,054 | 63% | Yes |
| Mark Bagu | Councillor | 1,012 | 33% | Yes |
| Eric Beauregard | Councillor | 342 | 25% | Yes |
| Ron Bodner | Councillor | 628 | 41% | Yes |
| Gary Bruno | Councillor | 773 | 41% | Yes |
| Frank Danch | Councillor | 574 | 30% | Yes |
| Dave Elliott | Councillor | 866 | 28% | No |
| Tim Hoyle | Councillor | 352 | 26% | No |
| Monique Aquilina | Councillor | 620 | 41% | No |
The contest for mayor went to Bill Steele, with 63% of the votes. The mayor is chosen at large; everyone else on Port Colborne council answers to a ward.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Port Colborne voted less than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
Port Colborne council was elected on 24 October 2022 with 32% of electors voting, below the provincial middle.
How Port Colborne voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Port Colborne votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Port Colborne council | 26 October 2026 | 28 October 2030 |
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | 27 February 2025 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
The next council election in Port Colborne falls on 28 October 2030, the fourth Monday in October every four years under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996. Parliament was last elected on 28 April 2025, and the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on 27 February 2025. No open copy of the 2025 counts exists, and Elections Canada’s own terms rule out commercial reuse, so 2021 is the last vote shown.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Port Colborne votes in Niagara Centre 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 ↗Southern Ontario’s ridings are the 2013 federal ones by statute, which is how this page places the town. Niagara Centre takes in Port Colborne and elects its MPP to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada
Fred Davies represents Niagara South in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Niagara South · Conservative Party of Canada
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
Fred Davies sits with the Conservative Party of Canada, which has 50 of the 122 seats from Ontario, against 71 for the Liberal Party of Canada.
The MP’s record
Had the 2021 ballots been cast in today’s Niagara South, the Conservative Party of Canada would have led with 33%; Fred Davies held it for them in 2025. The 2025 general election sent Fred Davies to the Commons for the first time.
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
Vance Badawey kept Niagara Centre for the Liberal Party of Canada in 2021
Results in Niagara Centre, the riding Port Colborne belonged to on the 2013 map used in 2019 and 2021; since 2025 it votes in Niagara South.
Vance Badawey was the sitting MP, elected there in 2019 with 35%. The 2021 count in Niagara Centre put Vance Badawey (Liberal Party of Canada) first at 35%, with Graham Speck (Conservative Party of Canada) 2,252 votes back.
All 5 candidates in Niagara Centre, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vance Badawey | Liberal Party of Canada | 20,576 | 35.0% |
| Graham Speck | Conservative Party of Canada | 18,324 | 31.2% |
| Melissa McGlashan | New Democratic Party | 14,086 | 24.0% |
| Michael Kimmons | People's Party of Canada | 4,670 | 8.0% |
| Kurtis McCartney | Green Party of Canada | 1,123 | 1.9% |
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
Port Colborne 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.
Taxes on property make up 43% of what comes in, more than the province-wide 42%. At $1,252 per resident, Port Colborne council’s $25.1M of long-term debt is more than the $440 median. In 2024 the median among Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities was $1,901 a resident; Port Colborne council spent $2,547. On top of that comes Niagara Region: $2,474 a resident across its area, led by social services and child care. Full-time staff number 125, about 6.2 to every thousand residents. No service costs more than water, sewers and waste, at $776 per resident and 30% of the total.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water, sewers and waste | $15.5M | $776 | 30% |
| Recreation and culture | $12.7M | $636 | 25% |
| Roads and transit | $8.7M | $434 | 17% |
| General government | $5.9M | $297 | 12% |
| Police, fire and protection | $5.7M | $283 | 11% |
| Planning and development | $2.2M | $111 | 4% |
| Public health and paramedics | $208K | $10 | 0% |
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 2,440 residents
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
With 2,440 residents behind each seat, Port Colborne council sits above 68% of Ontario municipalities.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Port Colborne 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 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. Seats count the head of council and the councillors, and residents are the 2021 Census count; a neighbourhood shows its city’s.
- Which riding. The 2021 Census homes of a place’s residents fix its ridings, and one is shown once it holds 5% of them.
- Election results. Ridings changed in 2023: the 2019 and 2021 results are on the old map, and the 2021 vote on today’s map is Elections Canada’s own estimate from polling divisions.
- 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. MPs come from Wikidata’s records of the 45th Parliament, which can lag a resignation or a by-election by some days.
Questions about how Port Colborne is run
Who is the MP for Port Colborne?
Port Colborne is in Niagara South, represented by Fred Davies (Conservative Party of Canada).
Which party won Port Colborne in the 2021 federal election?
The Liberal Party of Canada, with Vance Badawey in Niagara Centre; since 2025 Fred Davies represents Niagara South.
Who is the MPP for Port Colborne?
Look up Niagara Centre on the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s site: that riding, which takes in Port Colborne, has one MPP.
Who heads the council in Port Colborne?
In October 2022, Bill Steele won the post of mayor for Port Colborne council’s 2022–26 term.
How much does Port Colborne council spend?
The 2024 return of Port Colborne council shows $51M of spending for roughly 20,033 residents, $15.5M of it on water, sewers and waste.
Which regional body is Port Colborne part of?
Port Colborne is part of Niagara Region, the upper tier, whose regional council runs services such as water and policing.
How is Port Colborne council elected?
By ward for councillors and at large for the mayor, on Port Colborne council.
What was the turnout in Port Colborne?
In October 2022, turnout for Port Colborne council was 31.6%, 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).