Photo: Krisco75 · CC BY-SA 3.0One councillor per 180 residents: Ayer's Cliff is more closely represented than 85% of Quebec municipalities
Federally, Ayer's Cliff sits in Compton—Stanstead, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP), held by Marianne Dandurand of the Liberal Party of Canada. Ayer's Cliff sends one MNA (Member of the National Assembly, Québec’s legislature) to the National Assembly of Québec from Orford, though no open record we can reuse gives the name. Alec Van Zuiden leads Ayer's Cliff as mayor, alongside 6 councillors.
What stands out in how Ayer's Cliff is governed
Few residents per seat
Across Quebec the median is one seat per 380 residents, above the ratio on Ayer's Cliff council. Council size ↓
High spending per resident
In 2024, 65% of Québec’s local municipalities spent less per resident than Ayer's Cliff 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
Ayer's Cliff, a village in Quebec, shares the work with the province and Ottawa.
Local services, by-laws and property tax.
ayerscliff.ca ↗Land-use, waste and fire-cover plans.
Schools, health care, highways, municipal law.
assnat.qc.ca ↗Passports, pensions, EI, defence, immigration.
ourcommons.ca ↗Who to ask
Green: municipal. Gold: provincial. Grey: federal.
Its regional county municipality is MRC Memphrémagog: the mayors of its municipalities, Ayer's Cliff’s among them, sit on its council.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Ayer's Cliff, from the most recent elections.
- 1Ayer's Cliff councilelected November 2025Alec Van Zuiden
- 2National Assembly of QuébecOrford
- 3House of CommonsCompton—Stanstead
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 sits on Ayer's Cliff council
Everyone elected in 2025, seat by seat, with their team and votes.
- Alec van Zuiden
- Patrick Proulx
- Joe Stairs
- Christian Savoie
- Stacey Belknap-Keet
- Isabelle Côté
- Pierre Brodeur
7 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Team | Votes | Share | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alec van Zuiden | Mayor | Independent | – | acclaimed | Yes, another seat |
| Patrick Proulx | Councillor | Independent | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Joe Stairs | Councillor | Independent | 256 | 67% | No |
| Christian Savoie | Councillor | Independent | 150 | 39% | No |
| Stacey Belknap-Keet | Councillor | Independent | – | acclaimed | No |
| Isabelle Côté | Councillor | Independent | 229 | 60% | No |
| Pierre Brodeur | Councillor | Independent | 219 | 57% | No |
No seat on Ayer's Cliff council belongs to a ward; the mayor and every councillor face the whole municipality. With no rival, Alec Van Zuiden took the mayor’s chair by acclamation. Every member of Ayer's Cliff council ran without a team or party.
Every other candidate (6)
| Seat | Candidate | Team | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Councillor | Megan Stratton | Independent | 126 | 33% |
| Councillor | Peter McHarg | Independent | 148 | 39% |
| Councillor | Pascal St-Germain | Independent | 83 | 22% |
| Councillor | France Coulombe | Independent | 85 | 22% |
| Councillor | Steeve Cloutier | Independent | 70 | 18% |
| Councillor | John Batrie | Independent | 163 | 43% |
Councils and results: Résultats des élections municipales générales de 2025, MAMH (CC BY 4.0)
When Ayer's Cliff votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Ayer's Cliff council | 2 November 2025 | 4 November 2029 |
| National Assembly of Québec | 5 October 2026 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
There are no 2025 counts here: Elections Canada’s terms bar their commercial reuse, so 2021 is the latest open result. Councils are elected on the first Sunday in November every four years, says the Act respecting elections and referendums in municipalities, so Ayer's Cliff votes next on 4 November 2029. Provincially the last general election was on 5 October 2026, for the National Assembly of Québec; federally, on 28 April 2025.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Ayer's Cliff votes in Orford for the National Assembly of Québec
Provinces and territories run schools, health care and municipal law; each riding elects one MNA.
MNA: see the legislature’s list
assnat.qc.ca ↗For the National Assembly of Québec, Ayer's Cliff votes in Orford, which has one MNA.
Québec ridings: Répertoire des municipalités, MAMH (CC BY 4.0)
Marianne Dandurand represents Compton—Stanstead in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Compton—Stanstead · Liberal Party of Canada
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada44
- Bloc Québécois22
- Conservative Party of Canada11
- New Democratic Party1
As Wikidata records them.
The Liberal Party of Canada holds 44 of 78 seats from Quebec, including Marianne Dandurand’s.
The MP’s record
Mapped onto today’s Compton—Stanstead, the 2021 vote gives the Liberal Party of Canada 37%; in 2025 Marianne Dandurand kept the seat in the same hands. Marianne Dandurand was elected to the Commons for the first time in April 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
Marie-Claude Bibeau kept Compton—Stanstead for the Liberal Party of Canada in 2021
These are the 2019 and 2021 results on the 2013 map of Compton—Stanstead; its boundaries changed for the 2025 election.
Marie-Claude Bibeau already held it after the 2019 election, won with 37%. Marie-Claude Bibeau (Liberal Party of Canada) took Compton—Stanstead in 2021 with 37% of the vote, 3,507 votes ahead of Nathalie Bresse (Bloc Québécois). Compton—Stanstead turned out at 67% in 2021; the country managed 63%.
All 8 candidates in Compton—Stanstead, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marie-Claude Bibeau | Liberal Party of Canada | 21,188 | 36.7% |
| Nathalie Bresse | Bloc Québécois | 17,681 | 30.6% |
| Pierre Tremblay | Conservative Party of Canada | 10,087 | 17.5% |
| Geneva Allen | New Democratic Party | 4,288 | 7.4% |
| Yves Bourassa | People's Party of Canada | 2,167 | 3.8% |
| Sylvain Dodier | Green Party of Canada | 1,623 | 2.8% |
| Déitane Gendron | Free Party Canada | 576 | 1.0% |
| Sylvain Longpré | Independent | 186 | 0.3% |
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
Ayer's Cliff council spends more per resident than most
The 2024 financial return: spending by service and revenue by source, per resident, compared only with Québec’s local municipalities.
Spending per resident by service, 2024
What pays for it
Shares of revenue, town and province.
Ayer's Cliff council spent $2,638 per resident in 2024, against a median of $2,394 among Québec’s local municipalities. Pay and benefits made up 31% of spending. More goes to water, sewers and waste than to anything else: $829 a resident, 31% of all spending. At 67%, property taxes count for more of the revenue than the 63% seen across the province. Debt Ayer's Cliff council owes over the long term came to $2.5M, $2,028 a resident, under the median of $2,461.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water, sewers and waste | $1M | $829 | 31% |
| General government | $726K | $591 | 22% |
| Roads and transit | $482K | $392 | 15% |
| Recreation and culture | $384K | $312 | 12% |
| Police, fire and protection | $382K | $310 | 12% |
| Planning and development | $175K | $142 | 5% |
| Financing costs | $76K | $62 | 2% |
Money: rapport financier and profil financier 2024, ministère des Affaires municipales et de l’Habitation (CC BY 4.0)
Ayer's Cliff council beside its neighbours
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
Beside its neighbours, Ayer's Cliff council is the bar in colour; the headline above has the comparison with the province.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Ayer's Cliff is run
Check or update the federal list.
elections.ca ↗Every MP lists an office.
ourcommons.ca ↗Ridings, registration and voting dates.
electionsquebec.qc.ca ↗Council meetings, agendas and services.
ayerscliff.ca ↗What this data can and can’t tell you
- Election results. Where the page says “today’s boundaries”, it means Elections Canada’s estimate of the 2021 vote on the 2023 ridings; every other count is official and on the 2013 map.
- Which riding. The 2021 Census homes of a place’s residents fix its ridings, and one is shown once it holds 5% of them.
- 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. How councillors voted once in office, and band councils, are beyond the open record.
- Council money. Spending by service comes from MAMH’s consolidated 2024 financial report, revenue, debt and reserves from its financial profile, all per resident on MAMH’s population.
- Council size. Every seat counts, the head of council’s too, against the population of the 2021 Census.
Questions about how Ayer's Cliff is run
Who is the MP for Ayer's Cliff?
Marianne Dandurand of the Liberal Party of Canada is the MP for Compton—Stanstead, which includes Ayer's Cliff.
Which party won Ayer's Cliff in the 2021 federal election?
The Liberal Party of Canada, with Marie-Claude Bibeau in Compton—Stanstead; since 2025 Marianne Dandurand represents Compton—Stanstead.
Who is the MNA for Ayer's Cliff?
Orford is the riding; its sitting MNA is on the National Assembly of Québec’s own list of members for Ayer's Cliff and its neighbours.
Who heads the council in Ayer's Cliff?
Ayer's Cliff council is led by Alec Van Zuiden, its mayor.
How much does Ayer's Cliff council spend?
In 2024, Ayer's Cliff council spent $3.2M in all, for some 1,230 residents, of which $1M went on water, sewers and waste, the biggest line.
Which regional body is Ayer's Cliff part of?
Ayer's Cliff belongs to MRC Memphrémagog, a regional county municipality whose council is made up of its municipalities’ mayors.
How is Ayer's Cliff council elected?
At large: every voter helps fill all of Ayer's Cliff council, the mayor too.
Sources: MPs: Wikidata (CC0), 45th Parliament statements, read 7 November 2026; ridings: 2023 Representation Order, Statistics Canada · Québec ridings: Répertoire des municipalités, MAMH (CC BY 4.0) · Councils: Répertoire des municipalités du Québec, MAMH (CC BY 4.0) · Money: rapport financier and profil financier 2024, ministère des Affaires municipales et de l’Habitation (CC BY 4.0) · Councils and results: Résultats des élections municipales générales de 2025, MAMH (CC BY 4.0) · 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).