Photo: Andre Carrotflower · CC BY-SA 4.0Sables-Spanish Rivers’s council spends less per resident than 86% of Ontario’s single-tier municipalities
The riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP) covering Sables-Spanish Rivers is Sudbury East—Manitoulin—Nickel Belt, and Jim Belanger (Conservative Party of Canada) represents it in the House of Commons. The Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s northern ridings aren’t the federal ones and aren’t published as open data, so Sables-Spanish Rivers isn’t placed. In October 2022, Sables-Spanish Rivers elected Kevin Burke as mayor, with a council of 7. 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.
What stands out in how Sables-Spanish Rivers is governed
Few residents per seat
The middle municipality in Ontario has a seat for every 1,540 residents; Sables-Spanish Rivers council has fewer behind each. Council size ↓
Low spending per resident
In 2024, 86% of Ontario’s single-tier municipalities spent more per resident than Sables-Spanish Rivers 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
Sables-Spanish Rivers, a township 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 township, Sables-Spanish Rivers answers to no county or region; Sudbury is only its census division.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Sables-Spanish Rivers, from the most recent elections.
- 1Sables-Spanish Rivers councilelected October 2022Kevin Burke
- 2Legislative Assembly of Ontario–
- 3House of CommonsSudbury East—Manitoulin—Nickel Belt
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 Sables-Spanish Rivers council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Kevin Burke
- Edith Fairburn
- Cheryl Phillips
- Mike Mercieca
- Casimir Burns
- Harold Crabs
- Merri-Ann Hobbs
7 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Burke | Mayor | 741 | 69% | Yes |
| Edith Fairburn | Councillor | 537 | 10% | Yes |
| Cheryl Phillips | Councillor | 424 | 8% | Yes |
| Mike Mercieca | Councillor | 829 | 16% | No |
| Casimir Burns | Councillor | 418 | 8% | No |
| Harold Crabs | Councillor | 554 | 11% | No |
| Merri-Ann Hobbs | Councillor | 496 | 9% | No |
Kevin Burke won 69% of the votes cast for mayor. Every seat on Sables-Spanish Rivers council, the mayor’s included, is chosen by the whole municipality.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Sables-Spanish Rivers voted less than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
Distances here run 18–73 km: that is how far the nearest places with figures are from Sables-Spanish Rivers. When Sables-Spanish Rivers council was chosen on 24 October 2022, just 33% of electors took part, under the provincial median.
How Sables-Spanish Rivers voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Sables-Spanish Rivers votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Sables-Spanish Rivers 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. Provincially the last general election was on 27 February 2025, for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario; federally, on 28 April 2025. Councils are elected on the fourth Monday in October every four years, says the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, so Sables-Spanish Rivers votes next on 28 October 2030.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario: riding not placed
Provinces and territories run schools, health care and municipal law; each riding elects one MPP.
Find your MPP on the legislature’s site
ola.org ↗Legislatures: their own member pages
Jim Belanger represents Sudbury East—Manitoulin—Nickel Belt in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Sudbury East—Manitoulin—Nickel Belt · Conservative Party of Canada
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
Jim Belanger 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 Sudbury East—Manitoulin—Nickel Belt, the Liberal Party of Canada would have led with 32%; in 2025 Jim Belanger took it from them. The 2025 general election sent Jim Belanger 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
Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing returned Carol Hughes (New Democratic Party) in 2021
Under the 2013 boundaries of the 2019 and 2021 elections, Sables-Spanish Rivers sat in Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing; the 2025 election put it in Sudbury East—Manitoulin—Nickel Belt.
Back in 2019, Carol Hughes took the riding on 42%. Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing elected Carol Hughes (New Democratic Party) in 2021: 40% of the vote, a lead of 5,010 over John Sagman (Conservative Party of Canada). 60% of electors in Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing voted in 2021, below the 63% turnout across Canada.
All 6 candidates in Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carol Hughes | New Democratic Party | 15,895 | 40.2% |
| John Sagman | Conservative Party of Canada | 10,885 | 27.5% |
| Duke Peltier | Liberal Party of Canada | 8,888 | 22.5% |
| Harry Jaaskelainen | People's Party of Canada | 2,840 | 7.2% |
| Stephen Zimmermann | Green Party of Canada | 726 | 1.8% |
| Clarence Baarda | Christian Heritage Party of Canada | 289 | 0.7% |
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
Sables-Spanish Rivers 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 single-tier municipalities.
Spending per resident by service, 2024
What pays for it
Shares of revenue, town and province.
Sables-Spanish Rivers council spent $2,693 per resident in 2024, against a median of $3,796 among Ontario’s single-tier municipalities. It employs the equivalent of 19 full-time positions, or 5.9 for each thousand people. At 31% of spending ($827 a resident), roads and transit leads the budget. At 49%, property taxes count for more of the revenue than the 37% seen across the province. Sables-Spanish Rivers council carried $1.2M of long-term debt, $368 per resident against a typical $971.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roads and transit | $2.7M | $827 | 31% |
| Police, fire and protection | $1.5M | $451 | 17% |
| Water, sewers and waste | $1.3M | $405 | 15% |
| Public health and paramedics | $1.2M | $360 | 13% |
| Recreation and culture | $940K | $291 | 11% |
| General government | $766K | $237 | 9% |
| Social housing | $158K | $49 | 2% |
| Planning and development | $135K | $42 | 2% |
| Social services and child care | $104K | $32 | 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 490 residents
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
Only 490 residents share each seat on Sables-Spanish Rivers council, fewer than in 84% of Ontario municipalities.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Sables-Spanish Rivers 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. 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.
- Which riding. Where residents of the 2021 Census live decides the riding; any riding with 5% of them or more is named.
- Who holds each seat. Wikidata, edited by volunteers, is the source for each MP, and it can trail a change of seat by a little.
- 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. Every seat counts, the head of council’s too, against the population of the 2021 Census.
Questions about how Sables-Spanish Rivers is run
Who is the MP for Sables-Spanish Rivers?
Jim Belanger of the Conservative Party of Canada is the MP for Sudbury East—Manitoulin—Nickel Belt, which includes Sables-Spanish Rivers.
Which party won Sables-Spanish Rivers in the 2021 federal election?
Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing went to Carol Hughes (New Democratic Party) in 2021. Since 2025, Jim Belanger has been the MP for Sudbury East—Manitoulin—Nickel Belt.
Who is the MPP for Sables-Spanish Rivers?
This page can’t say which riding Sables-Spanish Rivers is in; the Legislative Assembly of Ontario lists every MPP with theirs.
Who heads the council in Sables-Spanish Rivers?
Kevin Burke was elected mayor in October 2022, for the 2022–26 term of Sables-Spanish Rivers council.
How much does Sables-Spanish Rivers council spend?
In 2024, Sables-Spanish Rivers council spent $8.7M in all, for some 3,237 residents, of which $2.7M went on roads and transit, the biggest line.
How is Sables-Spanish Rivers council elected?
At large: every voter helps fill all of Sables-Spanish Rivers council, the mayor too.
What was the turnout in Sables-Spanish Rivers?
It was 33.0% for Sables-Spanish Rivers council in 2022, with Ontario’s municipalities at a median of 35.5%.
Sources: MPs: Wikidata (CC0), 45th Parliament statements, read 7 November 2026; ridings: 2023 Representation Order, 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).