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KENORA / NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO – August 18, 2026 – Fewer people are putting their names forward for municipal office in Northwestern Ontario, and online negativity is a major reason, according to the president of the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association.
Rick Dumas said the volume of personal attacks and harassment on social media has discouraged many potential candidates from seeking local elected positions. He noted that the problem has grown in recent years and is contributing to a shrinking pool of people willing to serve on councils across the region.
Municipal elections in Ontario are scheduled for later this year. Nomination periods are underway or recently closed in many communities, and some areas are already seeing fewer candidates than in previous cycles. Dumas and other local officials have called for more respectful public discourse to encourage broader participation in local government.
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