Photo: maar345 · CC BY 2.0Renfrew’s council outspends 95% of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities, per resident
The October 2022 vote made Tom Sidney mayor of Renfrew, heading 7 seats. The council shown is the one elected in 2022, since Ontario voted again on 26 October 2026 and no open file of the new councils exists yet. Renfrew sends one MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, though no open record we can reuse gives the name. The riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP) covering Renfrew is Algonquin—Renfrew—Pembroke, and Cheryl Gallant (Conservative Party of Canada) represents it in the House of Commons.
What stands out in how Renfrew is governed
Turnout above the norm
Across Ontario, median turnout in 2022 was 35%, and Renfrew council beat it. How Renfrew voted ↓
High spending per resident
In 2024, 95% of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities spent less per resident than Renfrew council. 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
Renfrew, 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.
Local government here has two tiers: Renfrew below, Renfrew County above.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Renfrew, from the most recent elections.
- 1Renfrew councilelected October 2022Tom Sidney
- 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 Renfrew council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Tom Sidney
- Kyle Cybulski
- Andrew Dick
- Jason Legris
- John McDonald
- Clint McWhirter
- Peter Emon
7 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Sidney | Mayor | 873 | 32% | Yes |
| Kyle Cybulski | Councillor | 1,506 | 14% | No |
| Andrew Dick | Councillor | 1,258 | 11% | No |
| Jason Legris | Councillor | 1,619 | 15% | No |
| John McDonald | Councillor | 1,586 | 14% | No |
| Clint McWhirter | Councillor | 1,615 | 15% | No |
| Peter Emon | Councillor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
There are no wards on Renfrew council: the whole electorate votes for every seat, the mayor too. With 32% of the votes, Tom Sidney carried the vote for mayor. A single seat was filled without a contest.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Renfrew voted more than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
On 24 October 2022, 43% of electors voted for Renfrew council, a stronger showing than most of Ontario.
How Renfrew voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Renfrew votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Renfrew council | 26 October 2026 | 28 October 2030 |
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | 27 February 2025 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
Renfrew 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. This page stops at the 2021 vote: elections.ca keeps the 2025 counts under non-commercial terms.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Renfrew 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 ↗Renfrew is in Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, one of the ridings that each elect a MPP to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. The riding comes from the 2013 federal map, which southern Ontario’s provincial ridings match under the Representation Act, 2015.
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.
Cheryl Gallant is one of 50 Conservative Party of Canada MPs from Ontario, where the Liberal Party of Canada has the most seats: 71 of 122.
The MP’s record
Elections Canada’s transposition of the 2021 vote onto today’s Algonquin—Renfrew—Pembroke puts the Conservative Party of Canada first at 50%; Cheryl Gallant held it for the party in 2025. First elected in 2000, Cheryl Gallant is serving the 9th term of a Commons career.
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
Before the 2023 redistribution, Renfrew voted in Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke; these are its 2019 and 2021 results, and Algonquin—Renfrew—Pembroke is its riding today.
At 67%, more of Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke voted in 2021 than Canada as a whole (63%). The 2021 count in Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke put Cheryl Gallant (Conservative Party of Canada) first at 50%, with Jodie Primeau (New Democratic Party) 16,704 votes back. The 2019 result had favoured Cheryl Gallant as well, at 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
Renfrew 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.
At $4,168 per resident, Renfrew council’s $34.1M of long-term debt is more than the $440 median. Property taxes and payments in lieu brought in 34% of revenue, against 42% across the province’s returns. The return counts 88 full-time positions, 10.7 for every thousand residents. At 25% of spending ($824 a resident), water, sewers and waste leads the budget. Spending by Renfrew council reached $3,330 a resident in 2024, well over the $1,901 median of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities. The upper tier, Renfrew County, adds $2,319 per resident of its own, mostly for social services and child care.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water, sewers and waste | $6.8M | $824 | 25% |
| Roads and transit | $6.2M | $763 | 23% |
| Police, fire and protection | $5.4M | $661 | 20% |
| Recreation and culture | $4.2M | $515 | 15% |
| General government | $3.6M | $436 | 13% |
| Planning and development | $1.1M | $130 | 4% |
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 1,250 residents
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
Each seat on Renfrew council answers to 1,250 residents, a lower ratio than 56% of municipalities in Ontario.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Renfrew 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.
- Not on this page. No party tally for the council, which the open lists don’t record, and no band councils.
- 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.
- Which riding. Each place is put in its ridings by where its 2021 Census residents live; a riding holding 5% or more of them is listed.
- 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.
Questions about how Renfrew is run
Who is the MP for Renfrew?
Cheryl Gallant of the Conservative Party of Canada is the MP for Algonquin—Renfrew—Pembroke, which includes Renfrew.
Which party won Renfrew in the 2021 federal election?
Cheryl Gallant (Conservative Party of Canada) took Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke in 2021, and still holds the seat, now Algonquin—Renfrew—Pembroke.
Who is the MPP for Renfrew?
Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke is the riding; its sitting MPP is on the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s own list of members for Renfrew and its neighbours.
Who heads the council in Renfrew?
In October 2022, Tom Sidney won the post of mayor for Renfrew council’s 2022–26 term.
How much does Renfrew council spend?
In 2024, Renfrew council spent $27.3M in all, for some 8,190 residents, of which $6.8M went on water, sewers and waste, the biggest line.
Which regional body is Renfrew part of?
The council of Renfrew County, made up of members from its municipalities, Renfrew among them, is the upper tier.
How is Renfrew council elected?
At large: every voter helps fill all of Renfrew council, the mayor too.
What was the turnout in Renfrew?
Turnout for Renfrew council reached 43.2% in October 2022 (Ontario median: 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).