Photo: Skytrain3514 at English Wikipedia · Public domainThornbury spends more per resident than 99% of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities
The riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP) covering Thornbury is Simcoe—Grey, and Terry Dowdall (Conservative Party of Canada) represents it in the House of Commons. Thornbury is in Simcoe—Grey for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, whose current MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) no open source we can use records yet. Thornbury is part of The Blue Mountains, a town by Statistics Canada’s count. Andrea Matrosovs was elected mayor of The Blue Mountains in October 2022, on a council of 7 seats. 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 Thornbury is governed
Turnout below the norm
In Ontario’s 2022 municipal elections, the middle municipality saw 35% of electors vote; The Blue Mountains council fell short of that. How Thornbury voted ↓
High spending per resident
Only a minority of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities spent more per resident in 2024 than The Blue Mountains council: it is ahead of 99%. 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
Thornbury, a town 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 roads and transit (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.
Above The Blue Mountains’s council sits Grey County, the upper tier, which runs services across all its municipalities.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Thornbury, from the most recent elections.
- 1The Blue Mountains councilelected October 2022Andrea Matrosovs
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioSimcoe—Grey
- 3House of CommonsSimcoe—Grey
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 The Blue Mountains council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Andrea Matrosovs
- Peter Bordignon
- Paula Hope
- Gail Ardiel
- Alex Maxwell
- Shawn McKinlay
- June Porter
7 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrea Matrosovs | Mayor | 1,564 | 38% | Yes |
| Peter Bordignon | Deputy Mayor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Paula Hope | Councillor | 2,947 | 19% | Yes |
| Gail Ardiel | Councillor | 2,708 | 17% | No |
| Alex Maxwell | Councillor | 2,160 | 14% | No |
| Shawn McKinlay | Councillor | 2,439 | 15% | No |
| June Porter | Councillor | 2,938 | 19% | No |
A single seat was filled without a contest. There are no wards on The Blue Mountains council: the whole electorate votes for every seat, the mayor too. Andrea Matrosovs became mayor on 38% of the votes cast.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Thornbury voted less than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
The nearest places to Thornbury with figures are 17–27 km away. On 24 October 2022, only 29% of electors voted for The Blue Mountains council, a weaker showing than most of Ontario.
How Thornbury voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Thornbury votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| The Blue Mountains council | 26 October 2026 | 28 October 2030 |
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | 27 February 2025 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
28 October 2030 is the next council election in The Blue Mountains, fixed by the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 for the fourth Monday in October every four years. The Legislative Assembly of Ontario was last elected on 27 February 2025, and the House of Commons on 28 April 2025. Elections Canada’s open records end with the 2021 election; its 2025 results are under terms that rule out commercial use.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Thornbury votes in Simcoe—Grey 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 ↗Thornbury is in Simcoe—Grey, one of the ridings that each elect a MPP to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. By law (the Representation Act, 2015), southern Ontario’s provincial ridings follow the 2013 federal boundaries, so each place is located from those.
Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada
Terry Dowdall represents Simcoe—Grey in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Simcoe—Grey · Conservative Party of Canada · first elected 2019
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
The Conservative Party of Canada, Terry Dowdall’s party, takes 50 of the 122 seats from Ontario; the Liberal Party of Canada takes 71.
The MP’s record
Terry Dowdall has sat in the Commons since 2019, now for the 3rd Parliament. Elections Canada’s transposition of the 2021 vote onto today’s Simcoe—Grey puts the Conservative Party of Canada first at 47%; Terry Dowdall held it for the party in 2025.
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
Terry Dowdall kept Simcoe—Grey for the Conservative Party of Canada in 2021
Counts for Simcoe—Grey within its 2013 boundaries, used in 2019 and 2021; the 2025 election ran on a new map.
In 2021, 64% of electors cast a ballot in Simcoe—Grey, more than the national 63%. The 2019 result had favoured Terry Dowdall as well, at 43%. Terry Dowdall (Conservative Party of Canada) took Simcoe—Grey in 2021 with 47% of the vote, 14,929 votes ahead of Bren Munro (Liberal Party of Canada).
All 6 candidates in Simcoe—Grey, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terry Dowdall | Conservative Party of Canada | 36,249 | 47.3% |
| Bren Munro | Liberal Party of Canada | 21,320 | 27.8% |
| Lucas Gillies | New Democratic Party | 10,140 | 13.2% |
| Adam Minatel | People's Party of Canada | 5,550 | 7.2% |
| Nicholas Clayton | Green Party of Canada | 2,969 | 3.9% |
| Ken Stouffer | Christian Heritage Party of Canada | 382 | 0.5% |
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
The Blue Mountains 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 lower-tier municipalities.
Spending per resident by service, 2024
What pays for it
Shares of revenue, town and province.
At 33%, property taxes count for less of the revenue than the 42% seen across the province. Long-term debt at The Blue Mountains council stood at $5.2M, or $610 a resident, above the $440 median. At $5,416 for every resident in 2024, The Blue Mountains council sits above the $1,901 median of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities. Grey County, the upper tier, spent another $1,694 per resident of its whole area, most of it on social services and child care. It employs the equivalent of 156 full-time positions, or 18.2 for each thousand people. Water, sewers and waste takes the biggest share, 34%, or $1,826 per resident.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water, sewers and waste | $15.7M | $1,826 | 34% |
| Police, fire and protection | $9.9M | $1,153 | 21% |
| Roads and transit | $8.5M | $991 | 18% |
| Recreation and culture | $5.7M | $666 | 12% |
| General government | $3.7M | $433 | 8% |
| Planning and development | $2.8M | $328 | 6% |
| Public health and paramedics | $158K | $18 | 0% |
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 1,590 residents
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
Each seat on The Blue Mountains council answers to 1,590 residents, a higher ratio than 53% of municipalities in Ontario.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Thornbury 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. Where residents of the 2021 Census live decides the riding; any riding with 5% of them or more is named.
- Election results. The 2019 and 2021 figures are Elections Canada’s official counts on the ridings drawn in 2013; the “today’s boundaries” figures are its transposition of the 2021 vote onto the 2023 ridings, an estimate built from polling divisions.
- 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. A member who resigned or switched parties last week may still show here: the names are Wikidata’s.
- 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. Seats count the head of council and the councillors, and residents are the 2021 Census count; a neighbourhood shows its city’s.
Questions about how Thornbury is run
Who is the MP for Thornbury?
Terry Dowdall of the Conservative Party of Canada is the MP for Simcoe—Grey, which includes Thornbury.
Which party won Thornbury in the 2021 federal election?
The Conservative Party of Canada: Terry Dowdall won Simcoe—Grey in 2021 and still holds it.
Who is the MPP for Thornbury?
Simcoe—Grey is the riding; its sitting MPP is on the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s own list of members for Thornbury and its neighbours.
Who heads the council in Thornbury?
For the 2022–26 term, The Blue Mountains council was led by Andrea Matrosovs, elected mayor in October 2022.
How much does The Blue Mountains council spend?
The 2024 return of The Blue Mountains council shows $46.5M of spending for roughly 8,587 residents, $15.7M of it on water, sewers and waste.
Which regional body is The Blue Mountains part of?
The Blue Mountains is part of Grey County, whose council, drawn from its municipalities’ councils, runs county-wide services.
How is The Blue Mountains council elected?
Every seat on The Blue Mountains council, the mayor’s included, is filled by the whole municipality.
What was the turnout in Thornbury?
Turnout for The Blue Mountains council reached 29.3% in October 2022 (Ontario median: 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).