Photo: P199 · CC BY-SA 3.0South River has a council seat for every 240 residents, fewer than 95% of municipalities in Ontario
Voters in South River chose Jim Coleman as mayor in October 2022, for a 5-seat council. Ontario’s councils were renewed on 26 October 2026, but the only open list so far is 2022’s, so that is the term shown. For federal votes, South River belongs to Parry Sound—Muskoka, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP); Scott Aitchison (Conservative Party of Canada) holds it. Northern Ontario’s provincial ridings differ from the federal ones, and no open file of them exists, so South River’s riding for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario isn’t shown.
What stands out in how South River is governed
Few residents per seat
Across Ontario the median is one seat per 1,540 residents, above the ratio on South River council. Council size ↓
Low spending per resident
Spending per resident left South River council below 68% of Ontario’s single-tier municipalities in 2024. Council money ↓
A safe federal seat
In 2021, 26.3 points separated first and second (Liberal Party of Canada) in Parry Sound—Muskoka, more than in 71% of the 338 ridings. How South River has voted ↓
Compared with the province’s municipalities of 1,000+ residents (2021 Census; MAMH, MMAH and Statistics Canada).
Three governments, and who does what
South River, a village 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.
South River is a single-tier village: no county or region sits above its council, though Statistics Canada still counts it in the Parry Sound census division.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for South River, from the most recent elections.
- 1South River councilelected October 2022Jim Coleman
- 2Legislative Assembly of Ontario–
- 3House of CommonsParry Sound—Muskoka
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 South River council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Jim Coleman
- Bill O'Hallarn
- Teri Brandt
- Brenda Scott
- Robert Brooks
5 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Coleman | Mayor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Bill O'Hallarn | Councillor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Teri Brandt | Councillor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Brenda Scott | Councillor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Robert Brooks | Councillor | – | acclaimed | No |
No candidate stood against Jim Coleman, who became mayor by acclamation. Voters across the municipality choose the mayor and every councillor on South River council alike.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
When South River votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| South River 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. The next council election in South River falls on 28 October 2030, the fourth Monday in October every four years under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996. This page stops at the 2021 vote: elections.ca keeps the 2025 counts under non-commercial terms.
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
Scott Aitchison represents Parry Sound—Muskoka in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Parry Sound—Muskoka · Conservative Party of Canada · first elected 2019
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
From Ontario come 122 MPs: 71 for the Liberal Party of Canada, 50 for the Conservative Party of Canada, Scott Aitchison’s party.
The MP’s record
Elections Canada’s transposition of the 2021 vote onto today’s Parry Sound—Muskoka puts the Conservative Party of Canada first at 48%; Scott Aitchison held it for the party in 2025. Scott Aitchison was first elected in 2019; the current Parliament is Scott Aitchison’s 3rd.
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
Scott Aitchison kept Parry Sound—Muskoka for the Conservative Party of Canada in 2021
Parry Sound—Muskoka as it stood from 2013: the 2019 and 2021 counts, before the riding was redrawn for 2025.
42% had elected Scott Aitchison there in 2019. The 2021 count in Parry Sound—Muskoka put Scott Aitchison (Conservative Party of Canada) first at 48%, with Jovanie Nicoyishakiye (Liberal Party of Canada) 14,586 votes back. Parry Sound—Muskoka turned out at 65% in 2021; the country managed 63%.
All 7 candidates in Parry Sound—Muskoka, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scott Aitchison | Conservative Party of Canada | 26,600 | 47.9% |
| Jovanie Nicoyishakiye | Liberal Party of Canada | 12,014 | 21.7% |
| Heather Hay | New Democratic Party | 9,339 | 16.8% |
| James Tole | People's Party of Canada | 4,184 | 7.5% |
| Marc Mantha | Green Party of Canada | 3,099 | 5.6% |
| Daniel Predie Jr | Independent | 169 | 0.3% |
| James Fawcett | National Citizens Alliance of Canada | 95 | 0.2% |
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
South River 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.
Full-time staff number 8, about 7.3 to every thousand residents. At $3,394 for every resident in 2024, South River council sits below the $3,796 median of Ontario’s single-tier municipalities. The largest line is water, sewers and waste: 28% of the total, $940 a resident. Taxes on property make up 31% of what comes in, less than the province-wide 37%. Debt South River council owes over the long term came to $2.1M, $1,945 a resident, higher than the median of $971.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water, sewers and waste | $1M | $940 | 28% |
| Police, fire and protection | $637K | $578 | 17% |
| Roads and transit | $578K | $525 | 15% |
| Recreation and culture | $554K | $503 | 15% |
| General government | $427K | $388 | 11% |
| Public health and paramedics | $257K | $233 | 7% |
| Planning and development | $186K | $169 | 5% |
| Social services and child care | $63K | $58 | 2% |
Money: Financial Information Return 2024, Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
South River 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, South River 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 South River 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. 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.
- Council size. The 2021 Census population is shared over all council seats, including the head of council’s, for this ratio.
- 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. 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.
- 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 South River is run
Who is the MP for South River?
South River is in Parry Sound—Muskoka, represented by Scott Aitchison (Conservative Party of Canada).
Which party won South River in the 2021 federal election?
Scott Aitchison (Conservative Party of Canada) took Parry Sound—Muskoka in 2021 and is its MP today.
Who is the MPP for South River?
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario lists each MPP with the riding they hold; this page can’t place South River in one.
Who heads the council in South River?
The open record gives Jim Coleman, elected mayor of South River council in October 2022.
How much does South River council spend?
In 2024, South River council spent $3.7M in all, for some 1,101 residents, of which $1M went on water, sewers and waste, the biggest line.
How is South River council elected?
At large: every voter helps fill all of South River council, the mayor too.
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).