One veteran Southwestern Ontario mayor is stepping away after five terms, two rookie mayors are heading back into the ring, and the future of another area leader is uncertain amid a raft of sexual assault charges.
One veteran Southwestern Ontario mayor is stepping away after five terms, two rookie mayors are heading back into the ring, and the future of another area leader is uncertain amid a raft of sexual assault charges.
With six months before voters head to the polls to vote in the 2022 municipal election and just days before politicians can file their paperwork to enter races officially, questions remain across the region about who is gearing up to run.
One of the longest-serving mayors in Ontario, Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley, said a nasty political environment may be making some think twice.
“The climate has changed as it relates to respect for people in public office,” he said.
“The distemper of our times, the nature of what municipal office is about, or any office, is different, and it’s not pleasant. The best night of your political career will be the night you get elected, then you enter into the swamp. It’s two per cent glamour, and 98 per cent challenging,” said Bradley, who’s sometimes called the “dean of mayors” because of his long tenure.
Now in his 10th term, Bradley was coy about whether he’ll run again, saying he doesn’t want to cast a political shadow over the rest of the work this council term.
London voters similarly are in the dark as Mayor Ed Holder refuses to announce his own re-election plans. He recently told The Free Press he will make an announcement in May.
Holder, a former MP under Stephen Harper’s government, is away from work right now, recovering at home after a medical procedure.
He’s been mum throughout the term about whether he’ll run again. He entered the 2018 race late in the game, formally announcing his mayoral run in July, a few weeks before the deadline.
Municipal election candidates across Ontario can file their nomination paperwork as of Monday. The nomination period closes Aug. 7 p.m.
Voters go to the polls Oct. 24, in what will be the third election in 13 months for Ontario voters, following federal and provincial races. Voting apathy is a major concern.
In Woodstock, questions surround Mayor Trevor Birtch, who’s on a paid leave of absence – suggested and approved by his council colleagues – while he faces sexual assault charges. It’s unclear whether he’ll be back by October and whether he’ll seek re-election. Three new sexual assault charges were made public by London police on Tuesday. Birtch already faced a trio of charges, for assault, sexual assault and sexual assault with choking, first reported by The Free Press in February.
Longtime Stratford Mayor Dan Mathieson announced late last year he wouldn’t seek re-election, saying “new leadership and fresh ideas should be on the agenda.”
Two rookie mayors in the region already have committed to running again, including forming MP Joe Preston in St. Thomas and Chatham-Kent Mayor Darrin Canniff.
“We’ve come a long way in Chatham-Kent in the last four years, even through COVID. There’s a lot of great things happening here and I’m very much looking forward to being a part of that,” Canniff said, pointing to the community’s growth.
“Chatham-Kent has such potential. The whole region, Southwestern Ontario, has so much potential.”
WHO’S IN AND WHO’S OUT
Chatham-Kent: First-term mayor Darrin Canniff said he’ll run for re-election, announcing his plans for the first time Tuesday in a local radio interview and confirming his intentions with The Free Press.
London: Mayor Ed Holder said he’ll make clear his intentions in late May.
Norfolk: Mayor Kristal Chopp did not respond to requests for comment but previously said she was weighing up the “monumental personal sacrifice” involved before deciding whether to seek a second term.
Sarnia: Longtime mayor Mike Bradley says he’ll announce whether he’s seeking an 11th term before nominations close in August.
Stratford: Five-term mayor Dan Mathieson is stepping away from public life after 27 years on city council. He announced late in 2021 he wouldn’t run again, or seek a provincial nomination ahead of the June 2 provincial election, saying it’s the “first time in close to three decades I will not have my name on a ballot.”
Strathroy-Caradoc: Mayor Joanne Vanderheyden, elected to the top job in 2010, did not respond to a request for comment, but previously has said she will seek a fourth term.
Woodstock: It’s unclear whether Mayor Trevor Birtch, now facing six assault and sexual assault charges after a new trio was announced by London police on Tuesday, will run again. He’s in his second term, though he’s currently on a paid leave of absence, while his case moves through the courts.
St. Thomas: MP-turned-mayor Joe Preston announced earlier this month he’ll seek a second term as mayor, saying he wanted to share the news early and “move our beautiful city forward.”