Photo: Andre Carrotflower · CC BY-SA 4.0Wawa’s council outspends 90% of Ontario’s single-tier municipalities, per resident
No provincial riding is named for Wawa: northern Ontario’s ridings for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario have no open boundaries. Wawa is in Sault Ste. Marie—Algoma, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP), and the seat belongs to Terry Sheehan of the Liberal Party of Canada. Wawa’s council of 5 was elected in October 2022, with Melanie Pilon as mayor. These names are from the 2022–26 term: Ontario’s municipalities voted on 26 October 2026, but the province’s open list of the results isn’t out.
What stands out in how Wawa is governed
Few residents per seat
Across Ontario the median is one seat per 1,540 residents, above the ratio on Wawa council. Council size ↓
High spending per resident
In 2024, 90% of Ontario’s single-tier municipalities spent less per resident than Wawa 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
Wawa, 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.
The census places Wawa in Algoma, but the municipality is single-tier, with no county or regional council above it.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Wawa, from the most recent elections.
- 1Wawa councilelected October 2022Melanie Pilon
- 2Legislative Assembly of Ontario–
- 3House of CommonsSault Ste. Marie—Algoma
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 Wawa council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Melanie Pilon
- Cathy Cannon
- Mitch Hatfield
- Jim Hoffmann
- Joseph Opato
5 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melanie Pilon | Mayor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Cathy Cannon | Councillor | 406 | 14% | Yes |
| Mitch Hatfield | Councillor | 392 | 14% | Yes |
| Jim Hoffmann | Councillor | 523 | 18% | No |
| Joseph Opato | Councillor | 398 | 14% | No |
Melanie Pilon was acclaimed mayor, with no one on the ballot against them. All of Wawa council is elected at large, with each voter helping fill every seat, the mayor’s as well.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Wawa 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 104–148 km: that is how far the nearest places with figures are from Wawa. 37% of those on the list cast a ballot for Wawa council on 24 October 2022, more than in a typical municipality.
How Wawa voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Wawa votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Wawa council | 26 October 2026 | 28 October 2030 |
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | 27 February 2025 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
Wawa votes next on 28 October 2030: the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 sets municipal elections on the fourth Monday in October every four years. Parliament was last elected on 28 April 2025, and the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on 27 February 2025. Why not 2025? Elections Canada publishes those counts under non-commercial terms, and its open data stop at the 2021 election.
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
Terry Sheehan represents Sault Ste. Marie—Algoma in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Sault Ste. Marie—Algoma · Liberal Party of Canada · first elected 2015
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
Terry Sheehan sits with the Liberal Party of Canada, which holds 71 of the 122 seats from Ontario.
The MP’s record
Elections Canada’s transposition of the 2021 vote onto today’s Sault Ste. Marie—Algoma puts the Conservative Party of Canada first at 36%: Terry Sheehan won it away from them in 2025. The current Parliament is Terry Sheehan’s 4th, counting from a first win in 2015.
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, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing re-elected Carol Hughes of the New Democratic Party
Before the 2023 redistribution, Wawa voted in Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing; these are its 2019 and 2021 results, and Sault Ste. Marie—Algoma is its riding today.
The 2019 result had favoured Carol Hughes as well, at 42%. Carol Hughes (New Democratic Party) took Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing in 2021 with 40% of the vote, 5,010 votes ahead of John Sagman (Conservative Party of Canada). At 60%, fewer of Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing voted in 2021 than Canada as a whole (63%).
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
Wawa 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.
The return counts 35 full-time positions, 12.9 for every thousand residents. Wawa council spent $5,229 per resident in 2024, against a median of $3,796 among Ontario’s single-tier municipalities. No service costs more than roads and transit, at $1,442 per resident and 28% of the total. Property taxes and payments in lieu brought in 47% of revenue, against 37% across the province’s returns. Wawa council’s borrowing is light: $2.1M long term, $788 a resident where the median is $971.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roads and transit | $3.9M | $1,442 | 28% |
| Water, sewers and waste | $2.6M | $961 | 18% |
| Recreation and culture | $2.3M | $859 | 16% |
| General government | $2M | $758 | 14% |
| Social services and child care | $1.7M | $643 | 12% |
| Police, fire and protection | $1.3M | $481 | 9% |
| Public health and paramedics | $152K | $56 | 1% |
| Planning and development | $78K | $29 | 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 590 residents
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
Wawa council has one seat for every 590 residents, fewer than in 81% of Ontario municipalities.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Wawa 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
- 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. Party control (most Canadian councils sit without parties, and the open lists record none) and band councils.
- Election results. Elections Canada redrew the ridings in 2023 and re-tallied the 2021 ballots onto the new map from polling divisions; that estimate, and the official 2019 and 2021 counts on the old map, are what you see.
- Which riding. Ridings are assigned from the 2021 Census: the one with most residents first, then any holding 5% or more.
- Council size. Seats count the head of council and the councillors, and residents are the 2021 Census count; a neighbourhood shows its city’s.
- 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.
Questions about how Wawa is run
Who is the MP for Wawa?
Terry Sheehan (Liberal Party of Canada) sits for Sault Ste. Marie—Algoma, the riding Wawa is in.
Which party won Wawa in the 2021 federal election?
In 2021 it was Carol Hughes (New Democratic Party), in Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing; Sault Ste. Marie—Algoma has elected Terry Sheehan since.
Who is the MPP for Wawa?
Every MPP of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario is on its members page, which is where to find the one for Wawa.
Who heads the council in Wawa?
The open record gives Melanie Pilon, elected mayor of Wawa council in October 2022.
How much does Wawa council spend?
In 2024, Wawa council spent $14.1M in all, for some 2,705 residents, of which $3.9M went on roads and transit, the biggest line.
How is Wawa council elected?
Every seat on Wawa council, the mayor’s included, is filled by the whole municipality.
What was the turnout in Wawa?
Turnout for Wawa council reached 37.4% in October 2022 (Ontario median: 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).