Your Questions Answered

The 2026 Ontario municipal election is scheduled for October 26, 2026. Advance polls will be available in the weeks prior. Check the Township of Georgian Bay website for exact polling locations and hours.

You are eligible if you are a Canadian citizen, at least 18 years old, and a resident, owner, or tenant of property in the Township — including seasonal cottage owners. Contact the Township Clerk's office to confirm your eligibility and register.

The Township will mail a voter notification card before the election. You can also check the Township website or call the Clerk's office for your polling location.

A Township councillor sets policy, approves the annual budget, passes by-laws, and makes decisions on planning, infrastructure, and services. The role also carries influence at the District of Muskoka level, where Township councillors sit on key committees.

The Township handles local services — roads, parks, recreation, and local planning. The District of Muskoka handles larger services including social services, paramedics, waste management, affordable housing, and major water and wastewater infrastructure. Residents pay taxes to both, and Township councillors sit on District committees.

Municipal councillors in Ontario serve four-year terms. The 2026 election will determine who serves from 2026 to 2030.

Laurie believes taxes should be honest, predictable, and tied to clear outcomes. The Township of Georgian Bay's 2026 tax increase was the highest in Muskoka — and Laurie has been scrutinizing budgets at two levels for years: thirty years overseeing complex financial institutions, and six years managing the finances, contracts, and capital plans of a community right here in Muskoka. She knows how to find what is buried in the assumptions and hold institutions accountable before the vote, not after.

More than most residents realize. The District is responsible for paramedic services, waste management, affordable housing, and the $47.8M water and wastewater upgrades — all funded by the District levy on your tax bill. A Township councillor who sits on District committees has real influence over how that money is spent and whether Wards 1 and 3 get their fair share.

Island and boating-access-only residents face unique challenges — water access, emergency response, and waste disposal. Laurie commits to attending island community meetings and ensuring island voices are heard before decisions are made that affect them.

Georgian Bay's economy depends on tourism, marine services, and the tradespeople who keep it running. Laurie will advocate for predictable taxes, good infrastructure, and a community where workers can afford to live — the foundations a healthy local economy needs.

Seniors built this community and deserve to stay in it. Laurie will advocate at both the Township and District tables for housing that allows seniors to age in place, accessible services, and infrastructure that reflects the real needs of an aging community.

For more than six years, Laurie has led a community with shared roads, infrastructure, budgets, contracts, long-term planning, and relationships with developers and government officers. That is a lot like running a small municipality — and her neighbours elected her to do it three times. Add 30 years of executive financial experience at JP Morgan, ABN AMRO, and CIBC, and she is not learning on the job. She has been doing this work for years.