Mayors elected or acclaimed in 10 Northwestern Ontario communities after the October 26 vote, including new leaders in Fort Frances and Nipigon
Fort Frances and Nipigon choose new mayors, while eight other communities return their incumbent leaders
THUNDER BAY — POLITICS – Brent Calder will become mayor of Fort Frances and Matthew Dupuis will lead Nipigon following Ontario’s municipal elections on Monday, October 26, 2026.
Across the 10 Northwestern Ontario communities in this roundup, eight incumbent mayors are returning. Six won contested races, while Kenora’s Andrew Poirier and Emo’s Harold McQuaker were elected by acclamation.
The following results were available Tuesday, October 27. Several municipalities continue to label their counts unofficial pending certification by their clerks. Vote totals are included where verified.
| Community | Mayor for the next term | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Kenora | Andrew Poirier | Returned by acclamation; no contested mayoral vote. |
| Red Lake | Fred Mota | Re-elected with 948 votes, ahead of Warren Badiuk’s 767. |
| Dryden | Jack Harrison | Re-elected with 1,351 votes. Derek Ouellette received 1,197 and Brenda Sedgwick 212. |
| Fort Frances | Brent Calder | Elected with 1,561 votes, defeating John McTaggart, who received 1,200. |
| Atikokan | Rob Ferguson | Re-elected with 659 votes, ahead of Liz Shine’s 508. |
| Emo | Harold McQuaker | Returned by acclamation; no contested mayoral vote. |
| Nipigon | Matthew Dupuis | Reported elected over incumbent Suzanne Kukko. |
| Marathon | Rick Dumas | Re-elected with 852 votes, ahead of Louise Hamilton’s 723. |
| Terrace Bay | Paul Malashewski | Re-elected with 281 votes. Richard St. Louis received 231 and Aaron Fewkes 195. |
| Greenstone | James McPherson | Re-elected with 718 votes, ahead of John Alexander Spridgeon’s 550, Karen Stephenson’s 346 and Patti David-Myros’s 65. |
Calder’s victory in Fort Frances came by a margin of 361 votes over McTaggart. In an interview with the Fort Frances Times, Calder said he wanted greater transparency at town hall, and stronger relationships with neighbouring First Nations.
McTaggart, who served two terms as a councillor, accepted the result and wished the incoming mayor and council success.
In Nipigon, Dupuis defeated Kukko in her bid for a second term. The township’s public results announcement also identifies Dupuis as the winner.
Several returning mayors faced competitive races. Harrison won Dryden by 154 votes, while Ferguson’s margin in Atikokan was 151. Dumas finished 129 votes ahead in Marathon, and Malashewski won Terrace Bay by 50 votes over his nearest challenger, St. Louis.
Dumas, who also serves as president of the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association, has been Marathon’s mayor since 2006. His re-election retains an experienced regional representative as the new councils prepare to take office.
In Kenora and Emo, the mayoral outcomes were settled before election day. Acclamation means a candidate was elected without a contested vote for that office. Poirier and McQuaker will therefore continue as mayor even though neither had to defeat an opponent on Monday.
The new four-year council term begins November 15, 2026, and ends November 14, 2030. Residents should check their municipality’s notices for inaugural meeting dates and final certified results.
