Good Day,

Election debates and candidate events are underway across the Grand River Watershed with an impressive number of events happening in each municipality. Be sure to take advantage of these opportunities to learn about your local candidates and help support those who will serve the best interests of our communities for the next four years. It is also important to help ensure there is a strong voter turnout.

Woolwich Township has an important Statutory Public Meeting coming up this Tuesday, October 6th on their excellent Official Plan. Please attend and send letters of support to Staff and Council to help ensure this fulsome plan that should be a model for other communities succeeds.

There were more troubling announcements about pipelines from the federal government - overriding environmental regulations, and bypassing consultations with the public and First Nations. Concerns were significant enough that Prime Minister Carney held multiple press conferences in a single day to address concerns and announce additional environmental initiatives - more details below.

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Here's the latest:

1) Woolwich Statutory Official Plan Meeting

Woolwich Township has scheduled a mandatory statutory public meeting for their excellent visionary Official Plan for this coming Tuesday evening.  We need to ensure that the Countryside Line concept is returned to their Official Plan, otherwise this is an excellent document that will serve these communities well. It is a model Official Plan for other municipalities with strong climate change action, farmland protection, environmental initiatives, and more. 

There will be no formal decision at this meeting - it will be up to the new Council to approve this new Official Plan later this year, however it is important that we have strong delegations and letters of support now. Speak up and help ensure this strong 30 year plan succeeds:

Date/Time: Tuesday, October 6th at 7pm

Location: Woolwich Township Council Chambers, 24 Church Street, Elmira

Additional information can be reviewed on the Woolwich Township EngageWR page at:

Action Required: Review the information on the Engage WR site and make plans to attend the Statutory Meeting on Tuesday, October 6th in Elmira.

2) Martin Grove Gateway Industrial Development Concerns

Also, in Woolwich Township, it's great to see awareness growing about the very concerning Gateway Industrial proposal, with good media coverage continuing including recent front page coverage:

Waterloo Region Record @therecord.com - Woolwich Councillors Question Proposed Development and Gravel Pit Rehabilitation:

Local grassroots groups continue to give tours of the area and meet with elected officials at all levels of government to highlight the dire implications of destroying the Countryside Line and breaching the firm City of Waterloo urban boundary that has held strong for over 50 years - protecting Woolwich farmland from urban and industrial development.

Find more information on the EngageWR site: https://www.engagewr.ca/cra-lands-limited

Action Required - Attend the Official Plan Meeting on October 6th in Woolwich and emphasize that this huge industrial development is not currently needed nor anticipated in any Official Plan. Help to protect farmland, water, and our communities by ensuring the Countryside Line is upheld and this proposed development is rejected.

3) Wilmot Mega-Industrial Land Assembly Updates

The absurd Wilmot Mega-Industrial Land Assembly continues to dominate local election debates and meetings. It is great to see some candidates have done their homework - making it clear that they would stand up for the community, show that Wilmot is not a willing host, and push back to help ensure Wilmot remains a small, rural, agriculturally-focussed municipality. We also note that some other candidates advocate for this horrible plan that no one (still!) has any details about, with little understanding of the consequences for our community's future.

Kudos to local journalist Luisa D'Amato for calling out the Wilmot Mega-Industrial Land Assembly and demanding the answers to important questions that remain unanswered during the election period when the public has the greatest chance of finally getting needed answers:

Waterloo Region Record - Luisa D'Amato - The Elections Are All About Money - Your Money:

Meanwhile, around the world, citizens are increasingly pushing back against gigafactories, massive warehouses, and AI data centres that have massive energy demands, and destroy the water and air quality of communities with few benefits or economic returns. It is interesting to note that while Waterloo Region currently has one of the highest office vacancy rates, we have one of the lowest industrial vacancy rates with millions of square feet of new industrial facilities under construction:

Waterloo Region Record - Waterloo Region Struggling With Downtown Office Vacancy While Industrial Demand Is Strong:

Action Required - Attend local election events, support well-informed, community-minded candidates, and demand this absurd waste of taxpayer money is finally cancelled.

4) World News Day 2026 - Support Local Media

Kudos to Mirko Petricevic, Founder and Chief Ink-stigator (Coordinator) of Ink-stained Wretches, a grassroots group advocating for the importance of local media, for his timely column in the Waterloo Record to commemorate World News Day on September 26th. Along with a recommendation for Ontario voters to ask where their municipalities’ advertising dollars go, he shared a reminder of the importance of reliable local journalism:

[L]ike the pipes running under our feet, local media keep us supplied with the essentials of a good life. They keep us connected. And they keep their eyes peeled for abuses of power in our midst. In short, they’re essential community resources worth supporting.

Waterloo Record - Why Ontario Municipalities Should Prioritize Local Media In Their Marketing Budgets:

Ink-stained Wretches is a grassroots advocacy group working to build a culture of appreciation for quality journalism in aid of democracy and civil society. They organize the annual UN World Press Freedom Day in May. Learn more about this organization and their work:

Action Required - Speak up and help ensure we don't lose any more local news outlets after the loss of 570 Newsradio already this year.

5) Municipal Election News

With less than one month left until election day events are taking place across the watershed and the province that present excellent opportunities for voters to ask questions and learn more about the platforms of the candidates running for local municipal councils, regional councils. and school boards. Kudos to the organizers of these events. Keep up the good work! Let's continue to keep ourselves and our communities well informed, and help ensure that the people who are elected share our values and are capable of serving our communities well.

Remember to encourage people to vote as some advance polls start to open soon! There is a lot of room for improvement on recent municipal elections. Province-wide average voter turnout for 2022 was 33%, for 2018 was 38%.

Media Coverage:

Waterloo Region Record - Mayor's race in Woolwich Township has 4 names, 2 campaigns:

Waterloo Region Record - Municipalities Should Support Local Media:

Waterloo Region Record - Watch How Politicians Voted In Waterloo Region:

Waterloo Region Record - Elections Are About Money - Your Money:

Community Groups & Resources with an Election Focus (Non-partisan):

VisionWR - New grassroots volunteer organization dedicated to promoting education, dialogue, and debate on the issues that will shape our shared future in Waterloo Region: climate change, housing, transportation, water, biodiversity, food security, wellbeing and local democracy:

Cambridge Elects - A terrific election resource for Cambridge residents. Ten Town Hall events have been held, featuring the candidates for Regional Councillor, Ward Councillors and Mayor. Recordings are posted on the website:

Waterloo Region Votes - Great information for Waterloo Region voters:

Candidate Information for Waterloo Region - Information for all municipalities, organized into a neat chart format by Bob Jonkman

Get Involved Guelph - Municipal election resources, coordinating survey of candidates with 18 local organizations.

BrantVotes - Excellent non-partisan candidate and election information for the County of Brant organized by John Monkhouse (registered as a third party). Recordings of interviews (done as a podcast) and candidate events posted on YouTube.

Municipal Election Events 

We encourage you to attend local debates, candidates meetings and town hall events. Let us know about events in your community and we will promote them.

Wilmot Township:

  • Monday, October 5th at 6:30pm - Wilmot Board of Trade Mayoral Candidates and Ward 4 Council Candidates - New Hamburg Community Centre, 251 Jacob Street, New Hamburg

  • Wednesday, October 7th from 7pm to 9pm - Wilmot Mayoral Meeting/Debate - New Hamburg Community Centre, 251 Jacob Street, New Hamburg

Woolwich Township:

  • Wednesday, October 7th from 6:30pm to 8pm - Woolwich Mayoral and Ward 3 Candidates Night - Bloomingdale Community Centre, 1031 Snyder Flats Rd, Woolwich

  • Wednesday, October 14th at 7pm - Ward 1 and Mayor All Candidates Meeting - Lions Hall, 40 South St W, Elmira

Wellesley Township:

  • Monday, October 5th from 7pm to 8:30pm - Mayoral Candidates, Community Room, Bill Gies Rec Centre, Wellesley

City of Guelph:

  • Wednesday, October 7th from 6pm to 7:30pm - Mayoral Candidates Debate - 340 Woodlawn Road W, Unit 26, Guelph. Organized by the Guelph Chamber of Commerce

County of Brant:

  • Saturday, October 3rd at 2:30pm - Mayoral Candidates Debate - El-Farram Islamic Centre of Brant, 143 King Edward St, Paris. Ward candidates will also be in attendance.

  • Wednesday, October 7th from 7pm to 9pm - Meet the Candidates Election Forum - Candidates for Mayor, Ward Councillor and School Board Trustee - Sojurn Church, 112 Scott Ave., Paris. Organized by County of Brant Chamber of Commerce & Brant County Federation of Agriculture

  • Thursday, October 8th at 7pm - Ward 4 All Candidates Night - Burford Royal Canadian Legion, 4 Park St, Burford. Organized by Burford Lions Club

  • Friday, October 9th from 7pm to 8:30pm - Mayoral Debate & Ward Candidates Meet and Greet - focus is on agricultural and rural issues - Paris Community Church, 164 Grand River St N, Paris. Organized by the Brant County Federation of Agriculture.

City of Waterloo:

  • Sunday, October 4th from 6pm to 8pm - Waterloo Mayoral Candidates and Ward 7 Council Candidates - Community room, Waterloo Memorial Community Pavilion, 101 Father David Bauer Dr. Waterloo.

Region of Waterloo:

  • Wednesday, October 7th from 7pm to 9pm - Regional Council Candidates - Community Room, Waterloo Memorial Community Pavilion, 101 Father David Bauer Dr. Waterloo.

City of Kitchener:

  • Wednesday, October 7th at 6:30pm - Mayoral candidates - Social Development Centre, St. Johns Evangelical Church, 23 Water St. N. Kitchener.

Province-wide Organizations & Toolkits - Election Resources for Municipalities:

NEW! Ontarians Against Corruption (ONAC) - An excellent resource! This network of volunteers is compiling sourced information about the mayoral candidates to inform voters for a growing list of municipalities. For each municipality there is an excellent toolkit that provides candidates' policies and records, including fundraising - provides the ability to do side-by-side candidate comparisons. In addition there is a downloadable printable poster that can be posted to help inform local voters. Currently toolkits available for Brantford, Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo, Barrie, Niagara Falls, Greenstone, Hamilton, Kingston, Markham, Mississauga, Windsor and Sarnia. Other cities are in progress. If your city is not listed, consider volunteering to help! Visit:

Ontario Headwaters Institute (OHI) -  Has compiled a one-pager of important information and questions about water to ask candidates. Please see the downloadable poster in Section B below.

Alliance for Liveable Ontario (ALO) - New! "A Roadmap to a Liveable Ontario" a one-pager to email, or print out to hand to candidates when they knock at your door:

And check out the Building a Liveable Ontario YouTube channel with videos that cover important municipal issues to inform candidates and voters

Municipal Election Toolkit with 10 Actions Municipal Governments Can Take To Help Build Liveable Communities: https://www.liveableontario.ca/alliance-resources/roadmap

Vote Compass (Toronto Star) has created an excellent online tool to query how candidates align with your own views and perspectives for 50 large municipalities including several in the Grand River Watershed:

Who's Running Where & Voting Information 

Candidate lists were finalized for the municipal election on August 21st.

Make certain you confirm your voter registration. It takes just a few minutes.

If you are not currently registered to vote, or need to update your details, contact your municipality. Voting registration can be done right up to election day October 26th. Find the contact info here:

County of Brant - New for 2026! Voting for the municipal election is online and by phone only. There will be locations to provide help with using the new system. Learn more:

Please see also the candidate information from municipalities listed in Section C below.

CBC - Who Is Running Where - Waterloo Region:

CTV News - Waterloo Region Candidates Running In The 2026 Election:

CTV News - Guelph Candidates Running In The 2026 Election:

CTV News - Brantford and Brant County Candidates Running In The 2026 Election:

6) City of Toronto Mayoral Campaign Impacted By AI Powered App, Privacy Concerns

Excellent investigative reporting for the National Observer by Rory White , revealed use of an AI-powered app by the Brad Bradford mayoral campaign in Toronto. Concerns have been raised about privacy and dubious incentives for users of the app:

Bluesky Thread:

Toronto mayoral candidate Bradford using Israeli app that feeds supporters AI-generated comments:

Toronto mayoral candidate Bradford’s campaign appears to have breached its own privacy policy:

Bradford calls CNO reporting of AI app rewards ‘inaccurate.’ Here’s the recording proving our reporting:

CBC News - Campaigns clash over use of AI in Toronto mayoral race

7) Pacific Link Pipeline And Bill C-39

The Pacific Link (aka West Coast) pipeline was designated on October 1st by PM Mark Carney as the first project in the national interest. Estimated completion will be in 2032-33 at a cost of $35.2B to $43.7B. The announcement was not warmly received by First Nations nor environmentally-focussed groups.

CBC News - West Coast oil pipeline becomes 1st project designated in national interest:

The Alberta government and the federally owned Trans Mountain Corporation would each own 45 per cent of the pipeline, with the Calgary-based Pembina Pipeline Corporation owning a 10 per cent stake through the construction phase.
Once the pipeline is up and running, the Pembina Pipeline Corporation will have the opportunity to purchase an additional 10 per cent stake.
Carney said that Indigenous communities will be offered a minimum 10 per cent ownership stake in the project.

APTN News - First Nations along Pacific Link pipeline denounce government over lack of consultation:

Rachel Gilmore shared video clips in a post on Bluesky, one with PM Carney on Thursday stating Indigenous consultation was completed in advance of naming this pipeline a project in the national interest and the second from last week with AFN National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak stating the federal major tasks office “don’t know what they’re doing when it comes to First Nations”:

From last week, when omnibus Bill C-39 was introduced:

APTN News - AFN National Chief warns Ottawa not to rush Bill C-39 or West Coast pipeline:

National Observer - Offsetting for habitat loss almost never works. Ottawa wants more of it:

Scientists and environmental advocates across the country argue offsetting is being used to enable projects that should be prevented by species-at-risk legislation.
Evidence shows that offsets are rarely implemented as proposed and, even when they are, almost never deliver the promised results.
The federal government's own review confirms the lack of accountability. A report from the Auditor General's office last year looked at four offsets and found none were progressing as planned.
The audit also found DFO had completed no analyses of the effectiveness of using offsets.

Some excellent points to consider in this opinion piece:

National Observer (Max Fawcett ) - Canada’s pipeline politicking is about to collide with economic reality:

Action Required - Speak up and let the federal government know your priorities and how you would like your tax dollars spent.

8) Recent Articles

Include bizarre comments regarding Doug Ford's use of private planes, secrecy surrounds the provincial government's payout to SpaceX for the cancelled Starlink contract, Ontario's new Minister of Labour shared thoughts about the scandal-ridden Skills Development Fund, there is strong pushback from a coalition in the healthcare sector regarding the province's expensive plan to rip out bike lanes in Toronto - plus some leaked details about that plan, and a new report on Ontario's healthcare system shows the Ford government’s shift towards funding private for-profit facilities for some surgeries and procedures is not only more expensive - it's increasing wait times:

The Trillium - ‘General’ Ford flies private with ‘all his soldiers’: cabinet minister:

Opposition MPPs raised the premier’s penchant for chartered flights during government spending plan reviews

CBC News - Ontario ministers defend secret payout to Elon Musk's SpaceX over nixed Starlink deal:

The Trillium - Ontario’s new labour minister says goal with troubled training fund is ‘using every dollar wisely’:

The Trillium - Tina Yazdani - Leaked script: Ford government prepares [attack] ad taking aim at teacher unions:

Spacing - Exclusive: Inside the contract to rip out Toronto’s bike lanes:

CBC News - Ontario health-care coalition denounces province's plan to remove bike lanes across Toronto:

Doctors, nurses and other front-line workers gathered for a news conference at University Avenue and Gerrard Street to explain the risks of a lack of proper road infrastructure for cyclists, pedestrians and drivers — and to tell stories of those impacted by road violence.

Not adding up: Surgical and diagnostic privatization in Ontario - report by Andrew Longhurst for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) :

The Ontario government favours for-profit delivery of surgeries and medical imaging, but the evidence shows this isn't good health policy

CBC News - Wait times for most priority surgeries in Ontario have increased since 2017, study says:

CTV News - Wait times increasing for some medical procedures outsourced to for-profit clinics in Ontario:

The Hamilton Spectator - Hospitals Set To Lose Thousands Of Beds In Funding Crisis:

The Toronto Star - Toronto Can’t Move Forward When Doug Ford Is Riding The Brakes:

The Hamilton Spectator - Too Nice Liberal Leadership Contenders Head Into Second Debate:

9) Waterloo Water Crisis Update

Public events continue regarding the ongoing Waterloo Region Water Crisis. Plan to attend this upcoming presentation which promises to be excellent:

Better Groundwater Management in Waterloo Region - Featuring well known local expert hydrologist Dr. Hugh Simpson, this presentation will focus on how and why our groundwater management approach has contributed to water uncertainty, and explore opportunities for our communities to better manage groundwater resources for greater water security. Dr. Simpson is an excellent presenter. Please make plans to attend.

Date/Time: Tuesday, October 27th from 6:30pm to 8:30pm

Location: Woolwich Memorial Recreation Centre, 24 Snyder Ave S., Elmira

To learn more and Register, visit:

10) Watershed Security and New Watershed Guardian Awards

Ontario Watersheds at Risk - Recently the Ontario Watershed Guardian Network (OWGN) announced a list of Ontario Watersheds at risk. If you are a regular reader of the weekly updates, it should not be a surprise that the Grand River Watershed is on this list.

OWGN Announcement:

Media Coverage includes:

Woolwich Observer (via Pressreader) - Region among areas where watershed identified as at-risk

New Watershed Guardian Awards - Kudos to the folks at The Simcoe County Greenbelt Coalition for the recognition on their excellent water advocacy efforts:

OrilliaMatters.com - Simcoe County Greenbelt Coalition Honoured For Water Advocacy Efforts:

Canada’s National Water Security Strategy

The federal government has initiated a public consultation period for the National Water Security Strategy. 

Water Canada - Feds launch public engagement on Canada’s National Water Security Strategy

Learn more about this proposed strategy:

Overview by McMillan - Federal Government Seeks Public Input on First National Water Security Strategy:

Direct link to the public survey:

The survey closes October 25th.

Action Required: Take advantage of this opportunity to speak up and provide feedback on Canada's National Water Security Strategy before October 25, 2026.

11) Grand River Watershed Hub 

Here are a few highly recommended resources to check out:

How to Live on Earth - an amazing new feature documentary presented by Benedict Cumberbatch:

It's well worth your time! Watch for free (no ads!). Some of the resources from the excellent, thought-provoking presentations at the recent r3.0 Annual Conference have been made public (recordings of the presentations will be posted eventually too). Check them out here:

Add to your fall reading list:  Ecocivilization a book by Jeremy Lent Bringing Bioregional Learning into the Light - an article by Joe Brewer of the Design School for Regenerating Earth:

If you are passionate about restoring and protecting the Grand River Watershed, connecting with like-minded people and participating in local regenerative and bioregioning projects and events and more, please feel welcome to join us in the Hub. It is free!

12) Next GREN Zoom Meeting

Please make plans to join our next meeting online Friday, October 16th at 5:30 pm. 

Topic: Grand River Watershed Zoom Meeting
Time: Friday, October 16th, 2026 at 5:30pm EST. 
Join Zoom Meeting:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82644695701?pwd=bnRsUGtWSUcrRnFWR21uYVBISG9jZz09

Meeting ID: 826 4469 5701
Passcode: 713374

Thank you for reading, and for all the great efforts so far. Please share any questions or ideas.

Kevin Thomason @kthomason.bsky.social , Mike Marcolongo @mikemarcolongo.bsky.social

and Joan Faux  @joantelferfaux.bsky.social on behalf of all our community groups.

We encourage you share this newsletter.

If you were forwarded this update and would like to subscribe (you'll receive the weekly updates sent directly to your inbox), or to find previous updates, visit:

A) Upcoming Events

Get out and get involved!  And keep us posted on your events so we can share them. 

Tuesday, October 6th at 7pm - Woolwich Official Plan Statutory Public Meeting - Woolwich Council Chambers, 24 Church St, Elmira - https://www.engagewr.ca/official-plan-review

Wednesday, October 7th from 7pm to 9pm - Wilmot Mayoral Meeting/Debate - New Hamburg Community Centre

Wednesday, October 7th from 7pm to 9pm - County of Brant Meet the Candidates Election Forum - Sojurn Church, 112 Scott Ave., Paris

Friday, October 16th at 5:30pm - Grand River Environmental Network Zoom Meeting - https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82644695701?pwd=bnRsUGtWSUcrRnFWR21uYVBISG9jZz09

Tuesday, October 27th from 6:30pm to 8:30pm - Better Groundwater Management In Waterloo Region - Woolwich Memorial Recreation Centre, 24 Snyder's Road S., Elmira - https://rwlibrary.libnet.info/event/17311828

There are many more municipal election events, please see section 5 above.

B) Water and the Election - Questions for Candidates

Download and print the poster below from the Ontario Headwaters Institute here: 

C) Election Resources

Local Municipal and Regional Election Candidate information: 

City of Guelph:

Wellington County:

Waterloo Regional Council - Note: Regional Chair is no longer an elected position:

City of Waterloo:

Kitchener:

Cambridge:  

Woolwich Township:  

Wilmot Township:  

Wellesley Township:

County of Brant:

City of Brantford:

Haldimand County:

Norfolk County:

Caledon:  

If your municipality is not listed above, visit the official municipal website and search “candidate list 2026”.

D) Province-Wide Ford Protests

Make a sign and join in one of the many rallies taking place across Ontario on the last Saturday of the month!  These events are organized locally.

Learn more:

Facebook - Fight Ford Protests:

Instagram - Fight Ford Ontario Protests:

Website - Protest Doug Ford:

E) Contact Info:

Speak Up and Ensure Your Voice is Heard

Wilmot Township Council

All Wilmot Councillors can be reached at a single simple address:  council@wilmot.ca  

Letters should also be sent to: clerks@wilmot.ca to be included as part of the public record.

Natasha Salonen, Mayor, Wilmot, natasha.salonen@wilmot.ca or 519-634-8519 x 9351
Stewart Cressman, Councillor Ward 1, Wilmot, stewart.cressman@wilmot.ca
Kris Wilkinson, Councillor Ward 2, Wilmot, kris.wilkinson@wilmot.ca
Harvir Sidhu, Councillor Ward 3, Wilmot, harvir.sidhu@wilmot.ca
Lillianne Dunstall, Councillor Ward 4, Wilmot, lillianne.dunstall@wilmot.ca
Steven Martin, Councillor Ward 4, Wilmot, steven.martin@wilmot.ca

Region of Waterloo Council

All Regional Councillors and Mayors can be reached at this single address:  regionalcouncillors@regionofwaterloo.ca

Karen Redman, Regional Chair, kredman@regionofwaterloo.ca
Berry Vrbanovic, Mayor, Kitchener, berryv@kitchener.ca
Dorothy McCabe, Mayor, City of Waterloo, dorothy.mccabe@waterloo.ca
Jan Liggett, Cambridge Mayor, Cambridge, liggettj@cambridge.ca
Sue Foxton, Mayor, North Dumfries, sfoxton@northdumfries.ca
Natasha Salonen, Mayor, Wilmot, natasha.salonen@wilmot.ca
Joe Nowak, Mayor, Wellesley, jnowak@wellesley.ca
Sandy Shantz, Mayor, Woolwich, sshantz@woolwich.ca
Doug Craig, Regional Councillor, Cambridge, dougcraig@regionofwaterloo.ca
Pam Wolf, Regional Councillor, Cambridge, pwolf@regionofwaterloo.ca
Colleen James, Regional Councillor, Kitchener, CJames@regionofwaterloo.ca
Michael Harris, Regional Councillor, Kitchener, MHarris@regionofwaterloo.ca
Matt Rodrigues, Regional Councillor, Kitchener, mrodrigues@regionofwaterloo.ca
Joe Gowing, Regional Councillor, Kitchener, jgowing@regionofwaterloo.ca
Jim Erb, Regional Councillor, Waterloo, JErb@regionofwaterloo.ca
Chantal Huinink, Regional Councillor, Waterloo, CHuinink@regionofwaterloo.ca

City of Kitchener Council

Mayor - Berry Vrbanovic - berry.vrbanovic@kitchener.ca 
Ward 1 - Councillor Scott Davey scott.davey@kitchener.ca 
Ward 2 - Councillor Dave Schnider dave.schnider@kitchener.ca 
Ward 3 - Councillor Jason Deneault jason.deneault@kitchener.ca
Ward 4 - Councillor Christine Michaud christine.michaud@kitchener.ca 
Ward 5 - Councillor Ayo Owodunni ayo.owodunni@kitchener.ca 
Ward 6 - Councillor Paul Singh paul.singh@kitchener.ca 
Ward 7 - Councillor Bil Ioannidis bil.ioannidis@kitchener.ca 
Ward 8 - Councillor Margaret Johnston margaret.johnston@kitchener.ca 
Ward 9 - Councillor Debbie Chapman debbie.chapman@kitchener.ca 
Ward 10 - Councillor Stephanie Stretch stephanie.stretch@kitchener.ca

County of Brant Council:

Mayor David Bailey  david.bailey@brant.ca   226-387-2490
Councillor Ward 1 Jennifer Kyle jennifer.kyle@brant.ca 519-242-0898
Councillor Ward 1 John MacAlpine john.macalpine@brant.ca 519-757-9359
Councillor Ward 2 Steve Howes steve.howes@brant.ca 519-442-4955
Councillor Ward 2 Lukas Oakley lukas.oakley@brant.ca  226-216-3037
Councillor Ward 3 John Bell john.bell@brant.ca 519-209-2277
Councillor Ward 3 John Peirce john.peirce@brant.ca 519-442-7134
Councillor Ward 4 Robert Chambers robert.chambers@brant.ca 519-449-2633
Councillor Ward 4 David Miller jedamiller@sympatico.ca 519-449-1240
Councillor Ward 5 Brian Coleman brianatbridgeview@gmail.com 519-753-2798
Councillor Ward 5 - Ella Haley ella.haley@brant.ca 226-802-2801

Province of Ontario

Premier Doug Ford - doug.fordco@pc.ola.org or 416-325-1941 - available 24/7 - all calls confidential, 
Call or text Doug Ford’s Personal Cell Phone - 647-612-3673

Andrea Khanjin - Minster of Environment, Conservation and Parks - andrea.khanjin@pc.ola.org or 705-722-0575
Vic Fedeli - Minister of Economic Development- vic.fedeli@pc.ola.org or 416-326-8475
Rob Flack -  Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing- rob.flack@pc.ola.org or 416-326-3074
Michael Parsa - Associate Minister of Housing - michael.parsaco@pc.ola.org

Local Conservative MPPs:

Mike Harris Jr - Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, MPP Kitchener-Conestoga - mike.harris@pc.ola.org or 519-669-2090
Brian Riddell - MPP Cambridge - brian.riddell@pc.ola.org or 519-650-2770
Jess Dixon - MPP Kitchener South - jess.dixon@pc.ola.org or 519-650-9413
Will Bouma - MPP Brantford-Brant - will.bouma@pc.ola.org or (519) 759-0361
Joseph Racinsky- MPP Wellington-Halton Hills - joseph.racinsky@pc.ola.org or (519) 787-5247
Ernie Hardeman - MPP Oxford - ernie.hardeman@pc.ola.org or (519) 537-5222
Matthew Rae - Associate Minister Energy-Intensive Industries, MPP Perth-Wellington - matthew.rae@pc.ola.org or (519) 272-0660

Local NDP MPPs:

Catherine Fife - MPP Waterloo - cfife-qp@ndp.on.ca or 519-725-3477

Local Green Party MPPs:

Mike Schreiner - MPP Guelph - mschreiner@ola.org or (519) 836-4190
Aislinn Clancy - MPP Kitchener Centre - aclancy-co@ola.org or 519-579-5460

Independent MPPs:

Bobbi Ann Brady - MPP Haldimand-Norfolk - babrady-co@ola.org or (519) 428-0446

Federal Members of Parliament

Prime Minister Mark Carney - mark.carney@parl.gc.ca

Local Liberal MPs:

Tim Louis - MP Kitchener-Conestoga - tim.louis@parl.gc.ca or (519) 578-3777
Bardish Chagger - MP Waterloo - bardish.chagger@parl.gc.ca or (519) 746-1573
Dominque O-Rourke - MP Guelph - dominique.orourke@parl.gc.ca or (519) 837-8276

Local Conservative MPs:

Michael Chong - MP Wellington-Halton Hills - michael.chong@parl.gc.ca or (519) 843-7344
Dan Muys Flamborough-Glanbrook-Brant North - Dan.Muys@parl.gc.ca or (519) 448-1483
TBA - MP Brantford-Brant South Six Nations -  (Note: Larry Brock resigned effective Sept 18, 2026)
Connie Cody - MP Cambridge - connie.cody@parl.gc.ca or (519) 624-2828
Matt Strauss - MP Kitchener-South Hespeler - matt.strauss@parl.gc.ca or (519) 571-5509
Kelly Deridder - MP Kitchener-Centre - kelly.deridder@parl.gc.ca or (519) 746-8867
John Nater - MP Perth-Wellington - john.nater@parl.gc.ca or (519) 273-1400

Kevin Thomason
Vice-Chair, Grand River Environmental Network

www.gren.ca
Phone: (519) 888-0519

Mobile Phone/WhatsApp: (519) 240-1648
Twitter: @kthomason
E-mail: kevinthomason@mac.com