Photo: Jfvoll · CC BY-SA 4.0Just 577 votes decided Kitchener—Conestoga in 2021, closer than 97% of Canada’s ridings
Federally, Wellesley sits in Kitchener—Conestoga, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP), held by Tim Louis of the Liberal Party of Canada. Wellesley is in Kitchener—Conestoga 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. In October 2022, Wellesley elected Joe Nowak as mayor, with a council of 5. 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 Wellesley is governed
Many residents per seat
Wellesley council has more people behind each seat than most of Ontario, where the middle figure is 1,540 residents a seat. Council size ↓
Turnout below the norm
In Ontario’s 2022 municipal elections, the middle municipality saw 35% of electors vote; Wellesley council fell short of that. How Wellesley voted ↓
Low spending per resident
Spending per resident left Wellesley council below 94% of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities in 2024. Council money ↓
A close federal race
With 1.1 points between the winner and the runner-up (Conservative Party of Canada), Kitchener—Conestoga beat 97% of the 338 ridings for closeness in 2021. How Wellesley has voted ↓
Compared with the province’s municipalities of 1,000+ residents (2021 Census; MAMH, MMAH and Statistics Canada).
Three governments, and who does what
Wellesley, a township 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.
Two councils serve Wellesley: its own, and that of Waterloo Region, the upper tier.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Wellesley, from the most recent elections.
- 1Wellesley councilelected October 2022Joe Nowak
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioKitchener—Conestoga
- 3House of CommonsKitchener—Conestoga
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 Wellesley council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Joe Nowak
- Shelley Wagner
- Derek Brick
- Claude Hergott
- Lori Sebben
5 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Nowak | Mayor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Shelley Wagner | Councillor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Derek Brick | Councillor | 613 | 61% | No |
| Claude Hergott | Councillor | 423 | 57% | No |
| Lori Sebben | Councillor | – | acclaimed | No |
The mayor is chosen at large; everyone else on Wellesley council answers to a ward. No candidate stood against Joe Nowak, who became mayor by acclamation.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Wellesley voted less than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
Wellesley council was elected on 24 October 2022 with 24% of electors voting, below the provincial middle.
How Wellesley voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Wellesley votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Wellesley 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 Wellesley, fixed by the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 for the fourth Monday in October every four years. Provincially the last general election was on 27 February 2025, for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario; federally, on 28 April 2025. The latest vote shown is 2021: the 2025 counts carry Elections Canada’s non-commercial terms.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Wellesley votes in Kitchener—Conestoga 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 ↗Wellesley is in Kitchener—Conestoga, one of the ridings that each elect a MPP to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. The riding comes from the 2013 federal map, which southern Ontario’s provincial ridings match under the Representation Act, 2015.
Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada
Tim Louis represents Kitchener—Conestoga in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Kitchener—Conestoga · Liberal Party of Canada · first elected 2019
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
Tim Louis 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 Kitchener—Conestoga puts the Liberal Party of Canada first at 38%; Tim Louis held it for the party in 2025. Tim Louis was first elected in 2019; the current Parliament is Tim Louis’ 3rd.
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
Kitchener—Conestoga returned Tim Louis (Liberal Party of Canada) in 2021
Results in Kitchener—Conestoga as drawn in 2013, the boundaries of the 2019 and 2021 elections; the riding was redrawn for 2025.
In 2019, Tim Louis had won the same riding with 40%. In 2021, Kitchener—Conestoga went to Tim Louis (Liberal Party of Canada) on 39%; Carlene Hawley (Conservative Party of Canada) finished 577 votes behind. Turnout in Kitchener—Conestoga reached 68% in 2021, against 63% nationally.
All 5 candidates in Kitchener—Conestoga, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tim Louis | Liberal Party of Canada | 20,025 | 39.3% |
| Carlene Hawley | Conservative Party of Canada | 19,448 | 38.2% |
| Narine Dat Sookram | New Democratic Party | 5,948 | 11.7% |
| Kevin Dupuis | People's Party of Canada | 3,690 | 7.2% |
| Owen Bradley | Green Party of Canada | 1,842 | 3.6% |
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
Wellesley 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.
Wellesley council spent $1,140 per resident in 2024, against a median of $1,901 among Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities. The upper tier, Waterloo Region, adds $2,285 per resident of its own, mostly for social services and child care. The return counts 36 full-time positions, 3.2 for every thousand residents. At 41% of spending ($472 a resident), roads and transit leads the budget. Taxes on property make up 41% of what comes in, less than the province-wide 42%. Long-term debt at Wellesley council stood at $10.6M, or $935 a resident, above the $440 median.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roads and transit | $5.3M | $472 | 41% |
| Recreation and culture | $3.9M | $341 | 30% |
| Police, fire and protection | $2.4M | $213 | 19% |
| General government | $914K | $81 | 7% |
| Planning and development | $290K | $26 | 2% |
| Water, sewers and waste | $93K | $8 | 1% |
| Public health and paramedics | $6K | $1 | 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 2,480 residents
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
Only 69% of municipalities in Ontario have fewer seats for their size than Wellesley council, at 2,480 residents each.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Wellesley 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
- 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.
- Which riding. A place belongs to the riding where most of its 2021 Census residents live, plus any other with 5% or more.
- Who holds each seat. The members named here are Wikidata’s, kept up by volunteers; a by-election or a floor crossing may take a few days to show.
- Not on this page. Party control (most Canadian councils sit without parties, and the open lists record none) and band councils.
- 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. The 2021 Census population is shared over all council seats, including the head of council’s, for this ratio.
Questions about how Wellesley is run
Who is the MP for Wellesley?
Wellesley is in Kitchener—Conestoga, represented by Tim Louis (Liberal Party of Canada).
Which party won Wellesley in the 2021 federal election?
In 2021 it was Tim Louis (Liberal Party of Canada), who represents Kitchener—Conestoga still.
Who is the MPP for Wellesley?
The riding for Wellesley is Kitchener—Conestoga, and the Legislative Assembly of Ontario lists the MPP who holds it.
Who heads the council in Wellesley?
The open record gives Joe Nowak, elected mayor of Wellesley council in October 2022.
How much does Wellesley council spend?
Wellesley council spent $12.9M in 2024 for about 11,318 residents; its largest service line was roads and transit, at $5.3M.
Which regional body is Wellesley part of?
The council of Waterloo Region sits above Wellesley’s and runs region-wide services, police and water among them.
How is Wellesley council elected?
By ward for councillors and at large for the mayor, on Wellesley council.
What was the turnout in Wellesley?
Turnout for Wellesley council reached 24.2% 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).