Photo: Anna Frodesiak · Public domainMorin-Heights’s council outspends 85% of Québec’s local municipalities, per resident
The riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP) covering Morin-Heights is Les Pays-d'en-Haut, and Tim Watchorn (Liberal Party of Canada) represents it in the House of Commons. Argenteuil is the riding Morin-Heights votes in for the National Assembly of Québec, and its MNA (Member of the National Assembly, Québec’s legislature) isn’t named here because no open list records the members. Louise Cossette leads Morin-Heights as mayor, alongside 6 councillors.
What stands out in how Morin-Heights is governed
Many residents per seat
Across Quebec the median is one seat per 380 residents, well under the ratio on Morin-Heights council. Council size ↓
High spending per resident
Only a minority of Québec’s local municipalities spent more per resident in 2024 than Morin-Heights council: it is ahead of 85%. 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
Morin-Heights, a municipality in Quebec, shares the work with the province and Ottawa.
Local services, by-laws and property tax.
morinheights.com ↗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.
MRC Les Pays-d'en-Haut is Morin-Heights’s regional county municipality, which sets the land-use plan the municipalities follow.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Morin-Heights, from the most recent elections.
- 1Morin-Heights councilelected November 2025Louise Cossette
- 2National Assembly of QuébecArgenteuil
- 3House of CommonsLes Pays-d'en-Haut
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 Morin-Heights council
Everyone elected in 2025, seat by seat, with their team and votes.
- Louise Cossette
- Jean-Marc Lacoste
- Gillian Hartley
- Leigh MacLeod
- Nicolem Bélanger-King
- Anne Villeneuve
- Carole Patenaude
7 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Team | Votes | Share | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louise Cossette | Mayor | Independent | 1,237 | 81% | Yes |
| Jean-Marc Lacoste | Councillor | Independent | 903 | 64% | No |
| Gillian Hartley | Councillor | Independent | – | acclaimed | No |
| Leigh MacLeod | Councillor | Independent | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Nicolem Bélanger-King | Councillor | Independent | – | acclaimed | No |
| Anne Villeneuve | Councillor | Independent | 586 | 40% | No |
| Carole Patenaude | Councillor | Independent | 969 | 66% | Yes |
Voters across the municipality choose the mayor and every councillor on Morin-Heights council alike. Every member of Morin-Heights council ran without a team or party.
Every other candidate (6)
| Seat | Candidate | Team | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mayor | André Major | Independent | 295 | 19% |
| Councillor | Claude-Philippe Lemire | Independent | 504 | 36% |
| Councillor | Gilles Saulnier | Independent | 583 | 39% |
| Councillor | François Perron | Independent | 312 | 21% |
| Councillor | Devin Courte | Independent | 345 | 23% |
| Councillor | Renaud Cardinal | Independent | 160 | 11% |
Councils and results: Résultats des élections municipales générales de 2025, MAMH (CC BY 4.0)
The 2025 race for mayor of Morin-Heights
Votes for each candidate for mayor in 2025.
Turnout for mayor was 35%, under the 51% typical of a contested race for mayor in Québec. Louise Cossette won the race for mayor with 81% of the votes, 942 ahead of André Major. Louise Cossette was already mayor and kept the seat.
How Morin-Heights voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Morin-Heights votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Morin-Heights council | 2 November 2025 | 4 November 2029 |
| National Assembly of Québec | 5 October 2026 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
Why not 2025? Elections Canada publishes those counts under non-commercial terms, and its open data stop at the 2021 election. The next council election in Morin-Heights falls on 4 November 2029, the first Sunday in November every four years under the Act respecting elections and referendums in municipalities. Voters last chose the National Assembly of Québec on 5 October 2026 and the House of Commons on 28 April 2025.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Morin-Heights votes in Argenteuil 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 ↗Argenteuil takes in Morin-Heights and elects its MNA to the National Assembly of Québec.
Québec ridings: Répertoire des municipalités, MAMH (CC BY 4.0)
Tim Watchorn represents Les Pays-d'en-Haut in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Les Pays-d'en-Haut · Liberal Party of Canada
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada44
- Bloc Québécois22
- Conservative Party of Canada11
- New Democratic Party1
As Wikidata records them.
In Quebec, 44 of 78 ridings are held by the Liberal Party of Canada, the party Tim Watchorn sits with.
The MP’s record
Mapped onto today’s Les Pays-d'en-Haut, the 2021 vote favoured the Bloc Québécois with 48%, which makes Tim Watchorn’s 2025 win a gain. Tim Watchorn is new to Parliament, first elected in the April 2025 vote.
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
Stéphane Lauzon kept Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation for the Liberal Party of Canada in 2021
Results in Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation, the riding Morin-Heights belonged to on the 2013 map used in 2019 and 2021; since 2025 it votes in Les Pays-d'en-Haut.
Stéphane Lauzon was the sitting MP, elected there in 2019 with 38%. Stéphane Lauzon won the 2021 race in Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation for the Liberal Party of Canada, polling 38% and beating Yves Destroismaisons (Bloc Québécois) by 1,529 votes. In 2021, 61% of electors cast a ballot in Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation, under the national 63%.
All 6 candidates in Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stéphane Lauzon | Liberal Party of Canada | 19,371 | 38.3% |
| Yves Destroismaisons | Bloc Québécois | 17,842 | 35.3% |
| Marie Louis-Seize | Conservative Party of Canada | 6,547 | 12.9% |
| Michel Welt | New Democratic Party | 3,390 | 6.7% |
| Marc Vachon | People's Party of Canada | 2,777 | 5.5% |
| Paul Lynes | Free Party Canada | 686 | 1.4% |
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
Morin-Heights 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.
Salaries and benefits took 36% of the total. Morin-Heights council spent $3,371 per resident in 2024, against a median of $2,394 among Québec’s local municipalities. The largest line is roads and transit: 33% of the total, $1,112 a resident. Property taxes and payments in lieu brought in 74% of revenue, against 63% across the province’s returns. Morin-Heights council’s borrowing is on the heavy side: $25.2M long term, $5,141 a resident where the median is $2,461.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roads and transit | $5.4M | $1,112 | 33% |
| Recreation and culture | $3M | $620 | 18% |
| Police, fire and protection | $2.4M | $486 | 14% |
| General government | $1.8M | $375 | 11% |
| Water, sewers and waste | $1.6M | $332 | 10% |
| Financing costs | $1.2M | $246 | 7% |
| Planning and development | $959K | $196 | 6% |
| Social services and child care | $22K | $4 | 0% |
Money: rapport financier and profil financier 2024, ministère des Affaires municipales et de l’Habitation (CC BY 4.0)
One seat for every 730 residents
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
At 730 residents a seat, Morin-Heights council is more thinly spread than 71% of Quebec municipalities.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Morin-Heights 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.
morinheights.com ↗What this data can and can’t tell you
- Which riding. A place belongs to the riding where most of its 2021 Census residents live, plus any other with 5% or more.
- 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. Band councils, and what members did once elected: the open record stops at the vote.
- 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.
- Council money. Per resident uses MAMH’s population; the 2024 financial report gives charges by service and the financial profile the revenue, debt and reserves.
- 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 Morin-Heights is run
Who is the MP for Morin-Heights?
Les Pays-d'en-Haut’s MP, Tim Watchorn of the Liberal Party of Canada, represents Morin-Heights.
Which party won Morin-Heights in the 2021 federal election?
Stéphane Lauzon won Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation for the Liberal Party of Canada in 2021; the riding is now Les Pays-d'en-Haut, held by Tim Watchorn.
Who is the MNA for Morin-Heights?
Argenteuil is the riding; its sitting MNA is on the National Assembly of Québec’s own list of members for Morin-Heights and its neighbours.
Who heads the council in Morin-Heights?
Louise Cossette is mayor, at the head of Morin-Heights council.
How much does Morin-Heights council spend?
The 2024 return of Morin-Heights council shows $16.5M of spending for roughly 4,894 residents, $5.4M of it on roads and transit.
Which regional body is Morin-Heights part of?
Morin-Heights’s mayor takes a seat on the council of MRC Les Pays-d'en-Haut, the regional county municipality.
How is Morin-Heights council elected?
Every seat on Morin-Heights council, the mayor’s included, is filled by the whole municipality.
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).