Photo: Julius177 · CC BY-SA 4.0Sturgeon Falls turned out at 48% for its 2022 council election, above 91% of Ontario municipalities
The council for Sturgeon Falls is that of West Nipissing / Nipissing Ouest, a municipality. The October 2022 vote made Kathleen Thorne Rochon mayor of West Nipissing / Nipissing Ouest, heading 9 seats. 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. The Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s northern ridings aren’t the federal ones and aren’t published as open data, so Sturgeon Falls isn’t placed. Jim Belanger (Conservative Party of Canada) is the MP for Sudbury East—Manitoulin—Nickel Belt, the riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP) that takes in Sturgeon Falls.
What stands out in how Sturgeon Falls is governed
Turnout above the norm
In Ontario’s 2022 municipal elections, the middle municipality saw 35% of electors vote; West Nipissing / Nipissing Ouest council did better. How Sturgeon Falls voted ↓
High spending per resident
Per resident, West Nipissing / Nipissing Ouest council’s 2024 spending tops 72% of Ontario’s single-tier municipalities. 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
Sturgeon Falls, a municipality 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 municipality, West Nipissing / Nipissing Ouest answers to no county or region; Nipissing is only its census division.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Sturgeon Falls, from the most recent elections.
- 1West Nipissing / Nipissing Ouest councilelected October 2022Kathleen Thorne Rochon
- 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 West Nipissing / Nipissing Ouest council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Kathleen Thorne Rochon
- Kris Rivard
- Roch St. Louis
- Daniel Gagné
- Jamie Restoule
- Anne Tessier
- Fernand Pellerin
- Jérôme Courchesne
- Kaitlynn Nicol
9 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kathleen Thorne Rochon | Mayor | 2,698 | 41% | No |
| Kris Rivard | Councillor | 768 | 81% | No |
| Roch St. Louis | Councillor | 909 | 70% | No |
| Daniel Gagné | Councillor | 711 | 75% | No |
| Jamie Restoule | Councillor | 868 | 78% | No |
| Anne Tessier | Councillor | 388 | 57% | No |
| Fernand Pellerin | Councillor | 445 | 73% | No |
| Jérôme Courchesne | Councillor | – | acclaimed | No |
| Kaitlynn Nicol | Councillor | 234 | 45% | No |
Each ward chooses its own councillors on West Nipissing / Nipissing Ouest council, while the whole municipality votes for the mayor. None of the members elected had sat on the outgoing council. One seat went by acclamation, with a single candidate standing. Kathleen Thorne Rochon became mayor on 41% of the votes cast.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Sturgeon Falls voted more 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 32–43 km: that is how far the nearest places with figures are from Sturgeon Falls. West Nipissing / Nipissing Ouest council was elected on 24 October 2022 with 48% of electors voting, above the provincial middle.
How Sturgeon Falls voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Sturgeon Falls votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| West Nipissing / Nipissing Ouest council | 26 October 2026 | 28 October 2030 |
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | 27 February 2025 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario was last elected on 27 February 2025, and the House of Commons on 28 April 2025. Under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, West Nipissing / Nipissing Ouest’s next municipal vote is on 28 October 2030, the fourth Monday in October every four years. The 2025 results are left out because elections.ca’s terms forbid commercial reproduction; the open catalogue’s latest is 2021.
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 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 Sudbury East—Manitoulin—Nickel Belt puts the Liberal Party of Canada first at 32%: Jim Belanger won it away from them in 2025. April 2025 was Jim Belanger’s first election to the House of Commons.
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 Marc G. Serré won Nickel Belt, as the Liberal Party of Canada had in 2019
Before the 2023 redistribution, Sturgeon Falls voted in Nickel Belt; these are its 2019 and 2021 results, and Sudbury East—Manitoulin—Nickel Belt is its riding today.
At 64%, more of Nickel Belt voted in 2021 than Canada as a whole (63%). 39% had won it for Marc G Serré (Liberal Party of Canada) in 2019. The 2021 count in Nickel Belt put Marc G. Serré (Liberal Party of Canada) first at 35%, with Charles Humphrey (Conservative Party of Canada) 3,928 votes back.
All 5 candidates in Nickel Belt, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marc G. Serré | Liberal Party of Canada | 17,353 | 35.2% |
| Charles Humphrey | Conservative Party of Canada | 13,425 | 27.2% |
| Andréane Simone Chénier | New Democratic Party | 13,137 | 26.6% |
| David Hobbs | People's Party of Canada | 4,558 | 9.2% |
| Craig Gravelle | Green Party of Canada | 848 | 1.7% |
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
West Nipissing / Nipissing Ouest 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.
Property taxes and payments in lieu brought in 33% of revenue, against 37% across the province’s returns. West Nipissing / Nipissing Ouest council’s borrowing is on the heavy side: $24.6M long term, $1,896 a resident where the median is $971. The return counts 95 full-time positions, 7.3 for every thousand residents. Each resident’s share of West Nipissing / Nipissing Ouest council’s 2024 spending came to $4,543, where the middle of Ontario’s single-tier municipalities sat at $3,796. No service costs more than social services and child care, at $1,495 per resident and 33% of the total.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social services and child care | $19.4M | $1,495 | 33% |
| Water, sewers and waste | $13.2M | $1,018 | 22% |
| Roads and transit | $8.9M | $684 | 15% |
| Police, fire and protection | $7M | $544 | 12% |
| Recreation and culture | $6.2M | $481 | 11% |
| General government | $2.6M | $200 | 4% |
| Planning and development | $1M | $80 | 2% |
| Public health and paramedics | $519K | $40 | 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 1,850 residents
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
A seat on West Nipissing / Nipissing Ouest council covers 1,850 residents; 59% of Ontario municipalities have fewer per seat.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Sturgeon Falls 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.
- Who holds each seat. Each MP’s name and party are Wikidata’s statements for the 45th Parliament, read in November 2026.
- Not on this page. No party tally for the council, which the open lists don’t record, and no band councils.
- 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. Ridings are assigned from the 2021 Census: the one with most residents first, then any holding 5% or more.
Questions about how Sturgeon Falls is run
Who is the MP for Sturgeon Falls?
Jim Belanger of the Conservative Party of Canada is the MP for Sudbury East—Manitoulin—Nickel Belt, which includes Sturgeon Falls.
Which party won Sturgeon Falls in the 2021 federal election?
Nickel Belt went to Marc G. Serré (Liberal Party of Canada) in 2021. Since 2025, Jim Belanger has been the MP for Sudbury East—Manitoulin—Nickel Belt.
Who is the MPP for Sturgeon Falls?
Sturgeon Falls’ riding isn’t placed on this page; the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s members page lists every MPP by riding.
Who heads the council in Sturgeon Falls?
In October 2022, Kathleen Thorne Rochon won the post of mayor for West Nipissing / Nipissing Ouest council’s 2022–26 term.
How much does West Nipissing / Nipissing Ouest council spend?
In 2024, West Nipissing / Nipissing Ouest council spent $58.9M in all, for some 12,964 residents, of which $19.4M went on social services and child care, the biggest line.
How is West Nipissing / Nipissing Ouest council elected?
By ward for councillors and at large for the mayor, on West Nipissing / Nipissing Ouest council.
What was the turnout in Sturgeon Falls?
In October 2022, turnout for West Nipissing / Nipissing Ouest council was 48.3%, against 35.5% for the typical Ontario municipality.
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).