Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0Turnout in Stratford reached 44% in 2022, higher than in 82% of Ontario’s municipalities
Federally, Stratford sits in Perth—Wellington, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP), held by John Nater of the Conservative Party of Canada. For the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Stratford votes in Perth—Wellington; open data doesn’t yet say who its MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) is. In October 2022, Stratford elected Martin Ritsma as mayor, with a council of 11. 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 Stratford is governed
Many residents per seat
The middle municipality in Ontario has a seat for every 1,540 residents; Stratford council has far more people behind each. Council size ↓
Turnout above the norm
Across Ontario, median turnout in 2022 was 35%, and Stratford council beat it. How Stratford voted ↓
High spending per resident
Only a minority of Ontario’s single-tier municipalities spent more per resident in 2024 than Stratford council: it is ahead of 70%. Council money ↓
High federal turnout
Fewer electors stayed home in Perth—Wellington than in 69% of Canada’s ridings at the 2021 election. The 2021 turnout ↓
Compared with the province’s municipalities of 1,000+ residents (2021 Census; MAMH, MMAH and Statistics Canada).
Three governments, and who does what
Stratford, a city 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.
The census places Stratford in Perth, but the city is single-tier, with no county or regional council above it.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Stratford, from the most recent elections.
- 1Stratford councilelected October 2022Martin Ritsma
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioPerth—Wellington
- 3House of CommonsPerth—Wellington
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 Stratford council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Martin Ritsma
- Brad Beatty
- Jo-Dee Burbach
- Bonnie Henderson
- Cody Sebben
- Lesley Biehn
- Taylor Briscoe
- Mark Hunter
- Larry McCabe
- Harj Nijjar
- Geza Wordofa
11 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martin Ritsma | Mayor | 4,350 | 37% | Yes |
| Brad Beatty | Councillor | 3,514 | 30% | Yes |
| Jo-Dee Burbach | Councillor | 4,985 | 43% | Yes |
| Bonnie Henderson | Councillor | 4,454 | 38% | Yes |
| Cody Sebben | Councillor | 5,979 | 51% | Yes |
| Lesley Biehn | Councillor | 4,159 | 36% | No |
| Taylor Briscoe | Councillor | 3,991 | 34% | No |
| Mark Hunter | Councillor | 4,676 | 40% | No |
| Larry McCabe | Councillor | 4,340 | 37% | No |
| Harj Nijjar | Councillor | 4,335 | 37% | No |
| Geza Wordofa | Councillor | 3,357 | 29% | No |
Martin Ritsma won 37% of the votes cast for mayor. Every seat on Stratford council, the mayor’s included, is chosen by the whole municipality.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Stratford voted more than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
44% of those on the list cast a ballot for Stratford council on 24 October 2022, more than in a typical municipality.
How Stratford voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Stratford votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Stratford council | 26 October 2026 | 28 October 2030 |
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | 27 February 2025 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
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 Stratford votes next on 28 October 2030. This page stops at the 2021 vote: elections.ca keeps the 2025 counts under non-commercial terms.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Stratford votes in Perth—Wellington 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 ↗The riding comes from the 2013 federal map, which southern Ontario’s provincial ridings match under the Representation Act, 2015. For the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Stratford votes in Perth—Wellington, which has one MPP.
Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada
John Nater represents Perth—Wellington in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Perth—Wellington · Conservative Party of Canada · first elected 2015
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
In Ontario, John Nater belongs to a minority: the Conservative Party of Canada has 50 of 122 seats, the Liberal Party of Canada 71.
The MP’s record
John Nater was first elected in 2015; the current Parliament is John Nater’s 4th. Mapped onto today’s Perth—Wellington, the 2021 vote gives the Conservative Party of Canada 49%; in 2025 John Nater kept the seat in the same hands.
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
Perth—Wellington returned John Nater (Conservative Party of Canada) in 2021
Results in Perth—Wellington as drawn in 2013, the boundaries of the 2019 and 2021 elections; the riding was redrawn for 2025.
The 2019 result had favoured John Nater as well, at 46%. 13,300 votes separated John Nater (Conservative Party of Canada) from Brendan Knight (Liberal Party of Canada) in Perth—Wellington in 2021, when the winner took 49%.
All 4 candidates in Perth—Wellington, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Nater | Conservative Party of Canada | 26,984 | 48.6% |
| Brendan Knight | Liberal Party of Canada | 13,684 | 24.6% |
| Kevin Kruchkywich | New Democratic Party | 9,552 | 17.2% |
| Wayne Baker | People's Party of Canada | 5,357 | 9.6% |
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
Stratford 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 single-tier municipalities.
Spending per resident by service, 2024
What pays for it
Shares of revenue, town and province.
In 2024 the median among Ontario’s single-tier municipalities was $3,796 a resident; Stratford council spent $4,524. The return counts 451 full-time positions, 13.6 for every thousand residents. No service costs more than social services and child care, at $886 per resident and 20% of the total. At 45%, property taxes count for more of the revenue than the 37% seen across the province. Stratford council carried $46.8M of long-term debt, $1,407 per resident against a typical $971.
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social services and child care | $29.4M | $886 | 20% |
| Police, fire and protection | $29.4M | $884 | 20% |
| Roads and transit | $19.5M | $587 | 13% |
| Social housing | $19.2M | $579 | 13% |
| Water, sewers and waste | $15.7M | $474 | 10% |
| Recreation and culture | $15.2M | $457 | 10% |
| Public health and paramedics | $10M | $302 | 7% |
| General government | $7.6M | $228 | 5% |
| Planning and development | $4.3M | $128 | 3% |
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 3,280 residents
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
At 3,280 residents a seat, Stratford council is more thinly spread than 77% of Ontario municipalities.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Stratford 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
- 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. Two maps are in play: the 2013 ridings, on which 2019 and 2021 were counted, and the 2023 ridings, onto which Elections Canada transposed the 2021 vote poll by poll.
- Not on this page. Party control (most Canadian councils sit without parties, and the open lists record none) and band councils.
- 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.
- Council money. Figures are the 2024 Financial Information Return’s totals after adjustments, per resident on the return’s population. Lower tiers stand beside lower tiers only: their county or region spends on top.
- Council size. Every seat counts, the head of council’s too, against the population of the 2021 Census.
Questions about how Stratford is run
Who is the MP for Stratford?
John Nater of the Conservative Party of Canada is the MP for Perth—Wellington, which includes Stratford.
Which party won Stratford in the 2021 federal election?
John Nater (Conservative Party of Canada) took Perth—Wellington in 2021 and is its MP today.
Who is the MPP for Stratford?
Stratford votes in Perth—Wellington; the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s members page gives its current MPP.
Who heads the council in Stratford?
Martin Ritsma was elected mayor in October 2022, for the 2022–26 term of Stratford council.
How much does Stratford council spend?
The 2024 return of Stratford council shows $150.3M of spending for roughly 33,232 residents, $29.4M of it on social services and child care.
How is Stratford council elected?
At large: every voter helps fill all of Stratford council, the mayor too.
What was the turnout in Stratford?
43.9% of electors voted when Stratford 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).