City Hall Marker
THUNDER BAY / KENORA – October 26, 2026 – Voters across Northwestern Ontario are casting ballots today in municipal elections. In Thunder Bay the mayoral race is open. The first-ever Indigenous mayoral candidates forum was held Thursday evening and drew more than 100 people. It was hosted by the Ontario Native Women’s Association and Fort William First Nation. Candidates were questioned on commitments to truth and reconciliation. Advance voting has already been recorded in several communities. Results will begin to appear after polls close this evening.
In Kenora, Andrew Poirier has already been acclaimed as mayor. It is the first mayoral acclamation in the city since amalgamation in 2000. Other northwestern communities, including Dryden, Sioux Lookout, and Fort Frances, have contested races. Housing, affordability, economic development, and infrastructure have dominated candidate debates across the region over the past month. Public safety has also been raised, particularly in Thunder Bay, where social service agencies and some businesses have called for a collaborative approach from the next council. The Indigenous forum in Thunder Bay is the one local event that has been reported in detail. The rest of the record is the list of races and the issues that candidates have said they will address once the results are in.
The weather is not expected to interfere. Environment Canada has called for sunshine and a daytime high of 5°C in Thunder Bay. Winds are lighter than the weekend. The rest of the day is the count. Results will be posted by the municipalities as they become available. The next council in each community takes office in mid-November. The issues that were raised in the debates—housing, infrastructure, and public safety—are the ones that will be on the table once the new terms begin.
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