These local candidates are more motivated than ever

Four years ago, the seven-member council of North Frontenac, Ont., ran uncontested. Roy Huetl wasn't going to let that happen again. 

"You know when you don't have a choice of who to vote for, then you don't get the people that you necessarily want … in the positions in local council," said Huetl, who is vying for a council seat.

Huetl is one of 6,044 people running for municipal office in Ontario this year. That number is a drop from the 6,575 who ran in 2018 and lower than the 7,196 who put their name forward in 2014. 

But despite a steady decline in the number of people running in municipal elections, CBC spoke to several candidates who opted to run — citing a need for new voices. 

While this year has seen an increase in the number of acclamations across Ontario, several communities in Frontenac County, the rural region surrounding Kingston, Ont., are bucking that trend.

Last election there were 17 acclamations; this year, just one.

Community frustrated with lack of choice

Unlike in 2018, all three ridings in Huetl's North Frontenac township are contested this year, which he credits to the community's frustration with not casting a ballot four years ago. 

"My wife jokes with me now because I go to the hardware store and it should only take a half hour, and I'm there an hour and a half because people are talking to me."

His election campaign has quickly become a family affair. Huetl, who is colour-blind, was given feedback on his election sign by his wife, who encouraged him to go with a clean navy blue and white design. His son and daughter helped set up his first ever Facebook page.

Huetl said he always had a passion for municipal politics, recently earning his master's degree in public administration from Dalhousie University.

As a retiree, Huetl said he attended almost every council meeting in North Frontenac for the past year and a half, both online and in person. 

"There were many times that I was the only one in the audience participating in the meeting," he said, adding this is likely because meetings are held at 9 a.m.

Online council meetings was game-changer

Duncan McGregor is also running for council in nearby Central Frontenac.

In 2018, two councillors in McGregor's ward were acclaimed. McGregor said he didn't run at the time because it didn't fit into his life, but he committed to running in the next election no matter what.

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Now a father to a two-year-old girl, McGregor said his life is even busier than four years ago, but he's running regardless.

"The community is only as good as what you're going to put into it," he said.

When the pandemic forced council meetings online, more people were able to become involved. McGregor called it one of the best decisions Central Frontenac's council ever made.

"The convenience of being able to watch a council meeting while you're cooking supper, you can't beat that," he said.

'People seem to have hope again'

Bringing council meetings online was also a boon for Marlean McLean, who was able to watch the meetings in the neighbouring municipality of Addington-Highlands from her home in Flinton.

Her reeve, 79-year-old Henry Hogg, was set to be acclaimed when she put her candidacy in on the final day, though she said the decision was long in the works.

In McLean's eyes, the time has come for new voices and she said without them, people become discouraged and less politically engaged. McLean said she hopes by running she's inspiring more people to run in the next election. 

"I feel like I've already won. Not the election, but I've won because I've got people talking."

Volunteer group pushes for more candidates

In the municipality of Grey Highlands, about 100 kilometres north of Kitchener, Ont., the push to get diverse candidates to run for council has been more organized. 

Dave Meslin, a volunteer with the Grey Highlands Municipal League, helped design a colourful pamphlet sent out to every home in the region, advertising the open councillor positions and encouraging people to step forward. 

Meslin said so far, the efforts have cost around $10,000 out of his pocket, but there have been results. In 2018, eight people vied for five councillor positions; this year there are 17.

A lack of knowledge surrounding the municipal nomination process remains one of the main reasons more people don't run, Meslin said, meaning many who do run are political insiders. 

One of the drawbacks of this "insider culture" means council "stays really male-dominated and really white much longer than the rest of our culture is shifting," he said.

When councils aren't representative, Meslin said, that lowers community engagement.

Councils should reflect community, candidate says

North of Toronto in Newmarket, Ont., Nadia Hansen said that's one of the reasons she's running for a council seat for the first time. 

As communities grow and change, so do the councils that represent them, Hansen said, who is the vice-chair of Newmarket's task force on dismantling anti-Black racism. 

"When you have leaders who aren't really reflective of you — much older, different race, or different background — then it's just hard to feel like there's a reason to be engaged," she said. 

At 24, she recognizes she's younger than many who have sat on council, but isn't letting that be a deterrent.

"I really think that it's time that politics becomes more inclusive and more open to people from a wide range of backgrounds."