Photo: Nelro2 · Public domainRockwood’s council spends less per resident than 98% of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities
Rockwood sends one MP to Ottawa from Wellington—Halton Hills North, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP): Michael Chong (Conservative Party of Canada). Wellington—Halton Hills is the riding Rockwood 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. For local government, Rockwood falls under Guelph/Eramosa, a township. Guelph/Eramosa’s council of 5 was elected in October 2022, with Chris White as mayor. 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 Rockwood is governed
Many residents per seat
The middle municipality in Ontario has a seat for every 1,540 residents; Guelph/Eramosa council has far more people behind each. Council size ↓
Turnout below the norm
The 2022 vote for Guelph/Eramosa council drew fewer electors than Ontario’s median of 35%. How Rockwood voted ↓
Low spending per resident
Most of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities spent more per resident in 2024 than Guelph/Eramosa council: 98% 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
Rockwood, a township 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 social housing (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.
Guelph/Eramosa is a lower-tier municipality: Wellington County, the upper tier, has its own council and services over it.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Rockwood, from the most recent elections.
- 1Guelph/Eramosa councilelected October 2022Chris White
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioWellington—Halton Hills
- 3House of CommonsWellington—Halton Hills 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 Guelph/Eramosa council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Chris White
- Steven Liebig
- Mark Bouwmeester
- Bruce Dickieson
- Corey Woods
5 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris White | Mayor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Steven Liebig | Councillor | 718 | 70% | Yes |
| Mark Bouwmeester | Councillor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Bruce Dickieson | Councillor | 341 | 63% | Yes |
| Corey Woods | Councillor | 237 | 49% | Yes |
With no rival, Chris White took the mayor’s chair by acclamation. Councillors on Guelph/Eramosa council are elected by ward, the mayor by the whole municipality. The voters returned every sitting member.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Rockwood voted less than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
Guelph/Eramosa council was elected on 24 October 2022 with 28% of electors voting, below the provincial middle.
How Rockwood voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Rockwood votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Guelph/Eramosa 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. 28 October 2030 is the next council election in Guelph/Eramosa, fixed by the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 for the fourth Monday in October every four years. Provincially the last general election was on 27 February 2025, for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario; federally, on 28 April 2025.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Rockwood votes in Wellington—Halton Hills 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 ↗For the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Rockwood votes in Wellington—Halton Hills, which has one MPP. 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
Michael Chong represents Wellington—Halton Hills North in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Wellington—Halton Hills North · Conservative Party of Canada · first elected 2004
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
Michael Chong 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
The current Parliament is Michael Chong’s 8th, counting from a first win in 2004. Mapped onto today’s Wellington—Halton Hills North, the 2021 vote gives the Conservative Party of Canada 47%; in 2025 Michael Chong kept the seat in the same hands. In Ottawa, Michael Chong has been Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs (2006) and President of the King's Privy Council for Canada (2006).
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
In 2021, Wellington—Halton Hills re-elected Michael Chong of the Conservative Party of Canada
Before the 2023 redistribution, Rockwood voted in Wellington—Halton Hills; these are its 2019 and 2021 results, and Wellington—Halton Hills North is its riding today.
16,873 votes separated Michael Chong (Conservative Party of Canada) from Melanie Lang (Liberal Party of Canada) in Wellington—Halton Hills in 2021, when the winner took 52%. In 2019, Michael Chong had won the same riding with 47%. 67% of electors in Wellington—Halton Hills voted in 2021, above the 63% turnout across Canada.
All 5 candidates in Wellington—Halton Hills, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Chong | Conservative Party of Canada | 35,257 | 52.1% |
| Melanie Lang | Liberal Party of Canada | 18,384 | 27.2% |
| Noor Jahangir | New Democratic Party | 7,050 | 10.4% |
| Syl Carle | People's Party of Canada | 4,359 | 6.4% |
| Ran Zhu | Green Party of Canada | 2,606 | 3.9% |
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
Guelph/Eramosa 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.
Roads and transit takes the biggest share, 33%, or $358 per resident. The return counts 43 full-time positions, 3.0 for every thousand residents. The upper tier, Wellington County, adds $2,797 per resident of its own, mostly for social services and child care. At $1,087 for every resident in 2024, Guelph/Eramosa council sits below the $1,901 median of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities. Guelph/Eramosa council carried $2.9M of long-term debt, $196 per resident against a typical $440. Taxes on property make up 53% of what comes in, more than the province-wide 42%.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roads and transit | $5.2M | $358 | 33% |
| Water, sewers and waste | $3.5M | $241 | 22% |
| Recreation and culture | $2.8M | $190 | 17% |
| Police, fire and protection | $2.4M | $164 | 15% |
| General government | $1.8M | $121 | 11% |
| Planning and development | $197K | $14 | 1% |
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 2,970 residents
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
2,970 residents share each seat on Guelph/Eramosa council, more than in 74% of Ontario municipalities.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Rockwood 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. Official counts for 2019 and 2021 are by the 2013 ridings; Elections Canada also re-counted the 2021 ballots onto the 2023 ridings by polling division, and that estimate is what “today’s boundaries” means here.
- Which riding. The 2021 Census homes of a place’s residents fix its ridings, and one is shown once it holds 5% of them.
- Who holds each seat. Who holds each seat is read from Wikidata, so a very recent change in the Commons may not appear yet.
- Not on this page. Band councils, and which party runs the council: the open lists carry no party, and most councils have none.
- 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. Residents per seat divide the 2021 Census population by every council seat, the head of council’s included.
Questions about how Rockwood is run
Who is the MP for Rockwood?
Michael Chong of the Conservative Party of Canada is the MP for Wellington—Halton Hills North, which includes Rockwood.
Which party won Rockwood in the 2021 federal election?
The Conservative Party of Canada: Michael Chong won Wellington—Halton Hills in 2021 and is the MP for today’s Wellington—Halton Hills North.
Who is the MPP for Rockwood?
Wellington—Halton Hills is the riding; its sitting MPP is on the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s own list of members for Rockwood and its neighbours.
Who heads the council in Rockwood?
In October 2022, Chris White won the post of mayor for Guelph/Eramosa council’s 2022–26 term.
How much does Guelph/Eramosa council spend?
Guelph/Eramosa council spent $15.8M in 2024 for about 14,530 residents; its largest service line was roads and transit, at $5.2M.
Which regional body is Guelph/Eramosa part of?
The council of Wellington County, made up of members from its municipalities, Guelph/Eramosa among them, is the upper tier.
How is Guelph/Eramosa council elected?
Guelph/Eramosa council: the mayor is chosen by the whole municipality, the councillors ward by ward.
What was the turnout in Rockwood?
28.2% of electors voted when Guelph/Eramosa 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).