Photo: Unknown author Unknown author · Public domainCouncil seats in Welland are spread thin, 5,110 residents each, more than in 84% of Ontario municipalities
Fred Davies (Conservative Party of Canada) is the MP for Niagara South, the riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP) that takes in Welland. Welland is in Niagara Centre 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. The October 2022 vote made Frank Campion mayor of Welland, heading 13 seats. 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 Welland is governed
Many residents per seat
Welland council spreads its seats over a big population; the typical municipality in Ontario has one seat per 1,540 residents. Council size ↓
Turnout below the norm
Welland council drew fewer of its electors to the polls in 2022 than the typical Ontario municipality (35%). How Welland voted ↓
Compared with the province’s municipalities of 1,000+ residents (2021 Census; MAMH, MMAH and Statistics Canada).
Three governments, and who does what
Welland, a city 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 police, fire and protection (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.
Local government here has two tiers: Welland below, Niagara Region above.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Welland, from the most recent elections.
- 1Welland councilelected October 2022Frank Campion
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioNiagara Centre
- 3House of CommonsNiagara South
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 Welland council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Frank Campion
- John Chiocchio
- Tony DiMarco
- Bonnie Fokkens
- Bryan Green
- Mary Ann Grimaldi
- David McLeod
- Adam Moote
- Claudette Richard
- Graham Speck
- Leo Van Vliet
- Sharmila Setaram
- Jamie Lee
13 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frank Campion | Mayor | 6,456 | 59% | Yes |
| John Chiocchio | Councillor | 1,060 | 30% | Yes |
| Tony DiMarco | Councillor | 911 | 28% | Yes |
| Bonnie Fokkens | Councillor | 840 | 28% | Yes |
| Bryan Green | Councillor | 1,197 | 36% | Yes |
| Mary Ann Grimaldi | Councillor | 781 | 28% | Yes |
| David McLeod | Councillor | 1,013 | 28% | Yes |
| Adam Moote | Councillor | 893 | 32% | Yes |
| Claudette Richard | Councillor | 927 | 36% | Yes |
| Graham Speck | Councillor | 910 | 36% | Yes |
| Leo Van Vliet | Councillor | 745 | 21% | Yes |
| Sharmila Setaram | Councillor | 961 | 27% | No |
| Jamie Lee | Councillor | 668 | 22% | No |
Frank Campion won 59% of the votes cast for mayor. Seats on Welland council are tied to wards, apart from the mayor, whom every voter helps choose.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Welland voted less than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
26% of those on the list cast a ballot for Welland council on 24 October 2022, fewer than in a typical municipality.
How Welland voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Welland votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Welland 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 Welland falls on 28 October 2030, the fourth Monday in October every four years under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996. 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
Welland votes in Niagara Centre 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 ↗Ontario’s southern ridings copy the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), and the town is placed by them. The riding is Niagara Centre: it sends one MPP to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and Welland votes in it.
Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada
Fred Davies represents Niagara South in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Niagara South · Conservative Party of Canada
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
Fred Davies sits with the Conservative Party of Canada, which has 50 of the 122 seats from Ontario, against 71 for the Liberal Party of Canada.
The MP’s record
On today’s boundaries, the 2021 vote in Niagara South would have gone to the Conservative Party of Canada with 33%, and Fred Davies kept it for them in 2025. The 2025 general election sent Fred Davies to the Commons for the first time.
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
Niagara Centre returned Vance Badawey (Liberal Party of Canada) in 2021
The 2019 and 2021 counts in Niagara Centre, Welland’s riding before the map was redrawn; it now votes in Niagara South.
35% had elected Vance Badawey there in 2019. Niagara Centre elected Vance Badawey (Liberal Party of Canada) in 2021: 35% of the vote, a lead of 2,252 over Graham Speck (Conservative Party of Canada).
All 5 candidates in Niagara Centre, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vance Badawey | Liberal Party of Canada | 20,576 | 35.0% |
| Graham Speck | Conservative Party of Canada | 18,324 | 31.2% |
| Melissa McGlashan | New Democratic Party | 14,086 | 24.0% |
| Michael Kimmons | People's Party of Canada | 4,670 | 8.0% |
| Kurtis McCartney | Green Party of Canada | 1,123 | 1.9% |
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
Welland 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 lower-tier municipalities.
Spending per resident by service, 2024
What pays for it
Shares of revenue, town and province.
Local taxpayers carry a smaller share than elsewhere: 31% of revenue, where the province’s returns show 42%. At $1,150 per resident, Welland council’s $64.1M of long-term debt is more than the $440 median. Residents are also served by Niagara Region, which spent $2,474 each across its area, chiefly on social services and child care. Each resident’s share of Welland council’s 2024 spending came to $1,842, where the middle of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities sat at $1,901. More goes to water, sewers and waste than to anything else: $728 a resident, 40% of all spending. 323 full-time positions are funded, 5.8 per thousand residents.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water, sewers and waste | $40.6M | $728 | 40% |
| Police, fire and protection | $20M | $359 | 19% |
| Roads and transit | $16.8M | $301 | 16% |
| Recreation and culture | $15.5M | $278 | 15% |
| General government | $4.8M | $86 | 5% |
| Planning and development | $3.8M | $69 | 4% |
| Social services and child care | $986K | $18 | 1% |
| Public health and paramedics | $222K | $4 | 0% |
Money: Financial Information Return 2024, Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
Welland council beside its neighbours
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
How Welland council compares is at the top of the page; here it stands beside its neighbours.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Welland 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. The 2021 Census homes of a place’s residents fix its ridings, and one is shown once it holds 5% of them.
- 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. No party tally for the council, which the open lists don’t record, and no band councils.
- Who holds each seat. Each MP’s name and party are Wikidata’s statements for the 45th Parliament, read in November 2026.
- 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. For residents per seat, the head of council is counted as a seat, and the population is the 2021 Census figure.
Questions about how Welland is run
Who is the MP for Welland?
Niagara South’s MP, Fred Davies of the Conservative Party of Canada, represents Welland.
Which party won Welland in the 2021 federal election?
Vance Badawey won Niagara Centre for the Liberal Party of Canada in 2021; the riding is now Niagara South, held by Fred Davies.
Who is the MPP for Welland?
Niagara Centre is the riding; its sitting MPP is on the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s own list of members for Welland and its neighbours.
Who heads the council in Welland?
Frank Campion was elected mayor in October 2022, for the 2022–26 term of Welland council.
How much does Welland council spend?
Welland council spent $102.7M in 2024 for about 55,750 residents; its largest service line was water, sewers and waste, at $40.6M.
Which regional body is Welland part of?
The council of Niagara Region sits above Welland’s and runs region-wide services, police and water among them.
How is Welland council elected?
Welland council: the mayor is chosen by the whole municipality, the councillors ward by ward.
What was the turnout in Welland?
It was 25.9% for Welland council in 2022, with Ontario’s municipalities at a median of 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).