Last evening’s election results have been made official by the City Clerk. See story photo above.

In what ways do you intend to support our new council during the months and years ahead? (Please comment below.)

Read all the stories here

And now, Election Day is yesterday!

Congratulations to all the (unofficial) members-elect of the Council of 2026. And thank you to every candidate who stepped forward.

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The unofficial results announced at Collins Hall, Wednesday, October 26, 2026.

Candidates for Mayor

Csikasz, David ___________ 1034

Wannan, Andrew _________ 2612

Candidates for Council

Bernard, Shannon ________ 1434

Bull, Rick _______________ 1621

Cyr, Luc ________________ 2060

Flintoff, Charles _________ 1676

Lefebvre, Helen _________ 1632

Macknight, Jacquelyn ____ 1534

Meyer, Jeannie __________ 1028

Mills, Karla _____________ 1782

Morrissette, Luc D. ______ 1250

Seidel, Merrill __________ 1453

Size, Michael Gregory ___ 640

Thomas, Mike __________ 1491

Boldface indicates unofficial elected candidate.

Read all the stories here

Vote! Vote! Vote!

Today’s the day Elliot Lakers choose our municipal leaders. So, Vote! Vote! Vote!

By 4:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon, advance voting was already at 20.01 per cent.

Online advance voting is new this year in Elliot Lake; whether that or stronger voter interest - this election is drawing the interest of the voters!

Online voting continues until the poll closes at 8 p.m.

Online voting is available to the close of the polls today, Election Day, Monday, October 26 at 8 p.m.

Instructions for voting are are on the City’s website here: 2026 Election.

The instructions include a video walk through for online voting.

In person voting

You can vote in person at Collins Hall (120 Hillside Dr. N.) at the following times: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Election Day is today, Monday, October 26^th

For more info visit: https://www.elliotlake.ca/2026Election

Read all the stories here

‘We are at 2,125 and 20.01%’ - City Clerk

The number of advance votes cast in Elliot Lake’s municipal election broke 20 per cent yesterday. That’s about eight times the number of people in the story photo above.

In 2022, the total voter turn out was 35.52 per cent.

What yesterday’s advance poll number means in terms of a voter turnout trend is unclear though; this is Elliot Lake’s first time offering online advance voting in addition to in-person advance voting.

What IS known: an email from the City Clerk around 4:30 p.m. yesterday afternoon informed, “we are at 2,125 and 20.01%.”

Vote! Vote! Vote!

For the candidates and citizens, this election is becoming a nail-biter. And elections do have consequences so, Vote! Vote! Vote!

Online voting continues today and Monday

Online voting is available 24 hours a day - through today and Monday - to the close of the polls on Election Day, Monday, October 26 at 8 p.m.

Instructions for voting are are on the City’s website here: 2026 Election.

The instructions include a video walk through for online voting.

Election Day is Monday, October 26^th

On Election Day you can vote in person at Collins Hall (120 Hillside Dr. N.) at the following times: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM

For more info visit: https://www.elliotlake.ca/2026Election

Read all the stories here

Late yesterday afternoon, the City Clerk informed ElliotLakeCitizen, “that as of now, 3:50 PM we are 2,039 and 19.20% voter turn out!”

No direct comparison to last election

Online voting is new in Elliot Lake this year so comparison to past years advance voting isn’t “apples to apples.” With that qualifying information: the total voter turn out in 2022 was 35.52%.

What does it mean? About all that is known for sure …

‘Every vote makes a difference!’

In the 2022 election, one council seat was decided by a margin of just FOUR VOTES!

So, yes, every vote does make a difference!

Online voting continues through the weekend

Online voting is available 24 hours a day - through the weekend and Monday - to the close of the polls on Election Day, Monday, October 26 at 8 p.m.

Instructions for voting are are on the City’s website here: 2026 Election.

The instructions include a video walk through for voting online.

Election Day is Monday, October 26^th

On Election Day you can vote in person at Collins Hall (120 Hillside Dr. N.) at the following times: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM

From yesterday’s City Facebook post …

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Haven’t voted yet? There’s still time to make your voice heard!

Let’s keep the momentum going, Elliot Lake!

Encourage your friends, family and neighbours, to get out and vote.

Every voice counts and every vote matters in shaping the future of our community.

Election day is Monday, October 26.

For more info visit: https://www.elliotlake.ca/2026Election

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Read all the stories here

From the City of Elliot Lake Facebook page

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ELLIOT LAKE, LOOK AT US GO!

We're up to 1,922 votes cast! A huge thank you to everyone who has already taken the time to vote and participate in our 2026 Municipal Election!

TODAY is the last day to visit the voter assistance center (10 AM - 4 PM) before election day on Monday, October 26th.

Haven't voted yet? There's still time to make your voice heard!

Let's keep the momentum going, Elliot Lake!

Encourage your friends, family and neighbours, to get out and vote.

Every voice counts and every vote matters in shaping the future of our community.

Election day is Monday, October 26.

For more info visit: https://www.elliotlake.ca/2026Election

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Read all the stories here

From the City of Elliot Lake Facebook page

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Keep going Elliot Lake!

In the last municipal election, voter turnout was 35.5%. As of today we’re already at 16.7% with over 1,750 votes cast!

Let’s keep that momentum going and set a new record for participation!

Every vote makes a difference. Have you cast yours yet?
Voting is open until October 26 at 8PM

For more info head to ElliotLake.ca/2026Election

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Read all the stories here

At an All Candidates event at Collins Hall, October 14, councillor candidate Charles Flintoff responded to a resident-journalist’s question and comment about the most recently missing CAO and future search.

‘Rapid turnover … breeds public skepticism’ - Resident-journalist

Resident-journalist: “Hello, Lisa Usakov from The Standard. My question is for [council candidate] Deputy Mayor Flintoff.”

“Elliot Lake has faced an intensely turbulent period, cycling through several top administrators in just four years.

“The most recent executive started in March, departed in July. This rapid turnover disrupts operational momentum, burdens taxpayers with onboarding costs, and breeds public skepticism.

“Moving forward, what specific recruitment and retention strategies will council implement to safeguard taxpayer dollars and secure a committed long-term leader?”

‘We’re just going to have to be even more careful and get more involved’ - Flintoff

Flintoff: “Good question. And it has been a very, very trying time. Recruitment is hard to get the proper people to come up here and have it work out.

“And we did hire one firm, they weren’t the greatest, it was basically, I’d call it a bad hire, but you live with your things that happen and you have to move forward.

“I think the next time we’re still out there, we’re still looking, that never stops. You’re always looking.

“We just hired a new director of public works, we have a fantastic building inspector that came here to start. So what are we going to do different? I think we’re just going to have to be even more careful and get more involved, but it’s a hard, hard situation to get the upper management.

“We have fantastic staff that stay here and want to be here, but we still have some holes to plug. And if re-elected, I’ll be right there and I’ll do everything I can to make sure that that doesn’t happen to us again. Thank you.”

Video clip from Rotary Club of Elliot Lake YouTube archived video of All Candidates event. Collins Hall. Oct. 14, 2026.

‘Rapid turnover … breeds public skepticism’

At least six individuals have served

During the Council of 2022’s term, at least six individuals have served as CAO, acting-CAO, co-acting CAO, or Interim CAO.

‘The most recent executive started in March, departed in July’ - Resident-journalist

The most recent CAO departure is Matthew Hough.

Described as “a breath of fresh air,” Hough reached out to Elliot Lakers across the wide spectrum of people interested in municipal matters - from the politically well-connected through to the average ratepayer.

Of particular interest to some less well-connected Elliot Lake citizens, Hough was tackling the long-mired matters of public transit as well as radon education and testing.

Radon education and testing

From information received in response to a Freedom of Information request, ElliotLakeCitizen (ELC) is aware that overtures to the City over a period of many months - offering to host a free radon education and testing program for the citizens, had become mired and stuck in looping and incomplete communication with the City.

The education and free test kits program was an opportunity Hough mentioned to council that he was working on.

Since Hough’s disappearance, Algoma Public Health has partnered with the free radon test kits organization and with promotional help from the Elliot Lake Historical Society, delivered this important education and testing opportunity to the citizens of Elliot Lake.

Public transit

Hough also took an interest in moving public transit beyond what had been years of study and talk - into delivered equipment and service improvement.

At a June 11, presentation to the Accessibility Advisory Committee, Hough said, “We have in the budget, dollars to put towards replacement vehicles for our specialized transit … and certainly, I'm thinking in the coming couple of months to be able to get the vehicles for the specialized transit at least procured.”

And he showed the committee some examples of equipment including low-floor buses.

CAO’s arena report

On June 15, four days after his transit report to the AAC, Hough delivered a report about the arena, to the Committee of the Whole.

The report finally produced a written estimate of the arena cost in one number. It also included a go-forward plan.

The report purpose: “This report is intended to consolidate information regarding the project's history, current status, financial considerations, future operational approach, and lessons learned.”

This morning, a link to the report in a previous story delivers this message from the City’s website:

For that reason, a downloadable version of the report is inserted in this story here:

2026 06 15 Cao Hough Arena Report

2.74MB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

‘Lessons learned’ - Not well received

Hough’s arena report was not well received by council. See story Controversial report from CAO deferred Arena report at $26.6m creates informed ratepayers and an unhappy council.

And Hough began a vacation the next day.

During his absence, Mayor Andrew Wannan conducted a survey of staff. The 37-rating question and 12-written-answer survey form is in this story: What really happened to the CAO, Mr. Mayor?

On June 29, within a couple of hours return from vacation, Hough left the building.

CAO currently

Following Hough’s disappearance, Human Resources Manager, Huda Al Tukmachy and Municipal Clerk Natalie Bray were named co-Acting CAO’s.

Last Friday, during an in person meeting at City Hall, Bray advised ELC that she has stepped down from the role of co-Acting CAO.

‘We did hire one firm, they weren’t the greatest’ - Flintoff

On May 23, 2023, council approved a contract of $34,000 plus disbursements with Tim Dobbie Consulting noting, “that the use of the negotiation method in the procurement bylaw be approved to waive the need for tendering as the same firm is currently engaged with the municipality in preparing its Strategic Plan.”

At the end of 2023, council appointed an Interim CAO.

And on January 27, 2025, council authorized the expenditure in the amount of $39,300 plus applicable taxes and expenses to Odgers-Berndtson.

ElliotLakeCitizen is not aware of a public report of the specific result of either of these searches.

‘We’re just going to have to be even more careful and get more involved’ - Flintoff

Council candidate Flintoff: “We’re just going to have to be even more careful and get more involved.”

“If re-elected, I’ll be right there and I’ll do everything I can to make sure that that doesn’t happen to us again. Thank you.”

Read all the stories here

Arena snow load management

A Final Occupancy Letter from the arena structural engineer, September 3, 2026, commits to provide a maintenance manual for the arena including snow monitoring and management requirements.

Depending upon the specific snow removal procedures it recommends, equipment, training and other staff preparations need to be readied before the snow season.

ElliotLakeCitizen has confirmed the manual has not been received yet.

Structural Health Monitoring System

In an May 11 email message, the engineer advised (then) CAO Matthew Hough that snow management would be covered in “the Maintenance Manual we will develop for you upon completion of the project.”

The email says the snow management instructions were planned to work in conjunction with a smaller version of the Structural Health Monitoring system installed and used during the arena remediation. “It will work in conjunction with the proposed snow removal strategy for large snow events.”

It has since been determined that the smaller-version Structural Health Monitoring system outlined in a May 11 quotation at an annual cost of $300k, is not necessary.

Building Code snow load requirements have increased about 40 per cent

As can be expected, the arena has been designed and built to NBCC 2020 - the building code standard in place at the time.

National Building Code snow load capacity requirements have increased since then. Ontario’s building code can be expected to follow.

The engineer’s letter states “that the updated NBCC 2025 snow loading provisions result in a substantial increase in the prescribed roof snow loading demand applicable to the Arena, estimated to be approximately forty percent (40%) greater than that required by NBCC 2020.”

The Formal Occupancy Letter “formally advises the City of Elliot Lake that a comprehensive roof snow monitoring and snow removal program shall be implemented and maintained throughout the operational life of the Arena if upgrades are not implemented providing for NBCC 2025 suitability.”

Other major considerations need oversight and long range planning

A number of snow management criteria are specified including, “At no time shall snow accumulation on the Arena roof be permitted to exceed an absolute maximum depth of 1.2 meters …”

“This condition shall remain in full force and effect until such time as additional strengthening and/or upgrading works are completed on the Arena substructure and superstructure.”

Read all the stories here

At an All Candidates event at Collins Hall, October 14, councillor candidate Luc Cyr responded to a citizen’s question and comments about 2019 spending on the arena.

‘You voted in favour of spending close to a million dollars without doing proper due diligence …’ - Resident

Resident: “Hi, my name is Chris Whitehead, and my question is for councillor [candidate] Cyr.”

“I was trying to reconcile some of your statements, some of the things that you mentioned in your statement. You were Deputy Mayor from 2014, I believe you said until 2022. You had a bunch of things that you wanted to do, but you’re also highly critical recently of the current council with respect to the arena.

“So, I believe it was 2019, you voted in favour of spending close to a million dollars without doing the proper due diligence on maybe what was happening with the foundation, handcuffing the current council with those decisions. What would be different this time, and why wouldn’t you have accomplished all the things you wanted to accomplish then?”

A new pool. A new arena. A new hall facility with exercise facilities

Cyr: “Okay. First, in 2019, we were focused on building a new hub. So, we didn’t want to be spending $40 million on a hub and then spend another $30 million on repairing the old arena.

“So, we were trying to maintain the old arena as safe as we can, but our focus was on building a new pool, a new arena, a new hall facility with exercise facilities. So, it was an entire hub. And the only thing that stopped us was COVID.

“If it wasn’t for COVID measures, it would have gone through. So, the vote for the hub failed because everything was shut down for COVID. We weren’t ready to spend a $40 million hub project that would probably have doubled or tripled under COVID status for construction.

“So, our focus was on building the hub,” Cyr said.

Video clip from Rotary Club of Elliot Lake YouTube archived video of All Candidates event. Collins Hall. Oct. 14, 2026.

Fact checking

Resident: ‘Close to a million dollars’

• A detailed financial report to council from the CAO and Treasurer of that time, report the cost of the “2019 Roof Repair at Centennial Arena” at $1,002,437.59 Page 32, here.

Opinion: The resident’s cost-figure for the arena work in 2019 is supported.

Resident: ‘Without doing the proper due diligence on maybe what was happening with the foundation, handcuffing the current council with those decisions’

• On April 6, 2022, the Council of 2018 passed resolutions directing staff to pursue replacing the Centennial Arena with a new standalone arena using traditional design and construction methods on Spruce Avenue (Centennial Arena site).

• The decision was informed in part, by a high-level overview letter from Tulloch Engineering comparing the downtown (151 Ontario Avenue) location and the Centennial Arena site (180 Spruce Avenue). The 2-page letter of April 5, 2022 noted, “With no geotechnical investigation available for the 180 Spruce site, the adequacy of the soil to accommodate foundation loading for a new facility is unknown. The existing arena is performing adequately, as such there is good potential for the soil conditions to be adequate for design.” … “We have not completed a geotechnical evaluation nor a comprehensive site assessment of the 180 Spruce Avenue site.” Boldface added. The letter is here.

Upon arrival, the Council of 2022 had a decision handed to them, for a new build on Spruce Avenue. And notification that geotechnical evaluation was still to be done.

At the time of the emergency shut down - about one year into their term, it appears they had not initiated soil testing or advanced the new build.

Opinion: The resident’s comment regarding “due diligence” and “handcuffing” do not appear supported.

Cyr: ‘We were trying to maintain the old arena as safe as we can, but our focus was on building [] new …’

• A staff report to council, June 10, 2019, estimated the roof repairs to “likely secure 3 to 5 years of use of the building.”

• Following the roof and some structural repairs, the Centennial Arena reopened on September 10, 2019.

Opinion: The decisions and information at that time appear to support what Cyr said.

Regarding COVID impact

• At the April 6, 2022 council meeting, then mayor, Dan Marchesella, also described the impact of COVID as a factor. “Coming out of COVID and looking at the way the financial situation is provincially and federally, everybody’s pinching pennies. We’re looking at some pretty rough future,” Marchesella said

Opinion: Other factors may also have been at play; however, Cyr’s comment is supported by similar comment made at the time.

Resident: ‘You’re also highly critical recently of the current council with respect to the arena’

A story here reported Cyr’s comments from an All-Candidates event, Saturday, October 12.

Cyr: “They didn’t debate the choice of building new versus just plugging away at fixing the old.” And “There’s been a lack of debate and a lack of proper evaluation when it comes to spending our money.”

• On September 11, 2023, a moved-up structural inspection resulted in the arena being closed immediately and the Council of 2022 moved quickly.

• At a Special Council meeting, October 3, 2023, they approved $328k for work to monitor the structure and mitigate the potential for collapse.

• Two days later, on October 5, 2023, (then acting) mayor Andrew Wannan, provided information at a Centennial Arena Community Information Session at Collins Hall. Residents have expressed disappointment that the decision was already made before the community meeting was held.

• This was the first of many expenditure approvals made while residents voiced concern about going ahead in the face of uncertainties.

Opinion: Cyr’s observation of a lack of debate about new vs. repair - and a lack of proper evaluation seems well supported. And many more examples could be provided.

Further, his comments echo what residents were telling the Council of 2022.

Considering the scope of arena-related issues, Cyr’s comments appear restrained

• The one-year arena remediation project is now three years and not finished.

• Costs spiraled from a guesstimated $5m to $26.6m.

• The new CAO disappeared without explanation after questioning a vendor’s approvals and delivering an arena report on June 15, that clearly was not welcome.

• Cost approvals and other financial questions remain unanswered.

It is ElliotLakeCitizen’s opinion that considering the scope of arena-related issues presently, Cyr’s comments appear restrained.

Read all the stories here

Mayoral candidate Andrew Wannan was one of eight candidates participating in the final All Candidates event Saturday, at the Renaissance Active Living Centre.

The first issue-specific question came to him.

‘Have you tied the hands of the new council in any way?’ - resident

Resident: “The question is for Mayor Wannan, and anyone else that wants to jump in.

“I learned after the All Candidate session on Wednesday evening that 24 hours prior, Council had decided to extend the build time on the land where the Civic Centre used to be on 108.

“Could that decision not have waited for a new council coming in, and have you tied the hands of the new council in any way?”

‘It could have but … you have to know the whole history’

Wannan: “It could have. But that, you know, you have to know the whole history of the project.

“So initially when they purchased the property, there was going to be a 5,000 square foot building with hopefully down the road more expansion. The more that the group that purchased the property looked at things, obviously once they got the property, they’re going out to find or recruit businesses for the buildings that they’re willing to build. So over the course of time, the plans changed, and we did a different agreement for over a 10,000 square foot development.

“And then during the course of this summer, obviously it’s very noticeable that nothing’s been happening there. But they’ve done more due diligence, and they’ve expanded their development to over 22,000 square feet. And during the course of this, obviously it changed the scope of the plans and the timing.

“So when they presented to us, you know, you could go to the city, they have all their building permits, they’re all ready to go. Delaying for, what would it be, before council, you know, your first real council meeting might be December. So after the elections and everybody’s sworn in, we’re October 16th.

“So that’s a month and a half of potential work that can be done this fall. With weather cooperating, all I would say is just stay tuned. Watch the property, and there’s going to be some stuff happening.

‘So yes and no is the answer’ - Wannan

“So yes and no is the answer. We could have waited. It would have delayed the process pretty much six months.

“That was their build covenant that we’ve added a year and eight months or so. But they have now until November 30th, 2028. And building season here in Elliot Lake isn’t long.

“So if they can get started as soon as possible, with the changes that have been implemented, then I don’t see any reason why not to delay it any further. And that was the stand at council. So I’m not sure if anybody else wants an answer on that one.”

A long explanation that did not explain how six-weeks becomes ‘six months’

Wannan’s long explanation did not explain how the six weeks before the next council is sworn-in could become a six-month delay when the builder already had a build covenant extending to next March 2027.

‘Wow, that’s a perfect location for a hotel’ - Investors: Ec. Dev. manager

In early 2022, considering the sentiment and needs of the arts community who lost their facilities after the roof collapse at the Pearson Civic Centre, the Council of 2018 sought a federal green grant that would have provided approximately 50 per cent funding for a new facility at the same location - 255 Hwy. 108.

However in June 2022, council was informed the grant application had been rejected.

Subsequently, the Council of 2018 showed interest in offering the site for a hotel investor.

At the July 11, 2022 council meeting, responding the (then) mayor’s question about investor interest, the ec. dev. manager said, “I personally have spoken to two that have had a fairly serious view, multiple others that have come through town doing tours with potential investors for different properties.

“Everyone says, wow, that's a perfect spot to have a hotel.

“And again, going back to earlier on in the note, my answer was always twofold. One, it's in the process of a grant application at the time. And the other one, of course, was their standing resolution of council that it's to be our arts hub.

“But two very solid folks that have shown interest. But again, it's a constant question of any investor that comes through town and drives through our downtown,” he said.

Ec. Dev. manager describes enthusiasm of investors for 255 Hwy 108 as a hotel site. Council. July 11, 2022 Video clip: City of Elliot Lake archive

The full video archive of this topic is in the City video archive here beginning at 57:15.

New council. New mandate. New tone

After the election of 2022, when this topic came up at Ec. Dev. town halls, the Ec. Dev. manager explained that a 2021 survey sponsored by ELNOS found that the local market did not have room for a second hotel.

During summer 2025, ElliotLakeCitizen requested and received a copy of the report.

The February 22, 2021 report, “ELNOS – Fixed Roof Accommodation Study,” finds the market is not adequate for a large hotel; however, it does state, “Our analysis indicated that between 8-10 longer-term stay units could be introduced into the Region by one or multiple operators along the Hwy 17 corridor.”

Residents at recent Town Hall: We need more accommodation options in the city

A synergy of conversation began to form among the resident attendees at an Ec. Dev. town hall meeting earlier this year. Ideas to respond to the accommodation needs of visiting sports teams and other inadequately served needs, began to take form.

It has since become quiet. It’s a topic many Elliot Lakers will discuss off-record but are very cautious to talk about openly.

Last Tuesday’s closed session decision

It appears the “perfect location for a hotel,” is now tied up for an extra year and eight months.

And so are the hands of the next council.

Previous story

2026-10-16 Bull misses key new fact in ‘hotel property’ response

Read all the stories here

The new Renaissance Active Living Centre location is in the lower plaza at 6 Charles Walk across from the LCBO and two doors up from Freitag’s Pharmacy.

Candidate introductions, Q&A’s and meet-and greet opportunities

10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

An All-Candidates meeting including candidate introductions, Q&A’s and meet-and-greet opportunities, begins at 10 a.m. tomorrow (Saturday) at the newly opened Renaissance Active Living Centre.

The five-event series has been hosted at the REN Cen each Saturday through to October 17 - except October 3.

Come out to hear and meet your Election 2026 candidates!

Location: Renaissance Active Living Centre, 6 Charles Walk, Elliot Lake.

Date and time: Saturday, October 17 - 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Previous related stories

2026-10-10 All-Candidates event: Smaller crowd brings bigger questions

2026-09-26 All-Candidates event continues to draw a crowd

2026-09-19 All-Candidates event series growing quickly

2026-09-13 First All-Candidates event gets positive reviews

Read all the stories here

A note for readers

On Tuesday, October 13, all council and mayoral candidates received this week’s question and were invited to participate.

Question of the week

Eighth Week of the Official Candidates list

This week is an opportunity for you to communicate on any subject you would like.

Thank you all for stepping up and being willing to serve this community.

ElliotLakeCitzen and Readers wish you all, positive outcomes.

Candidates for Mayor

CSIKASZ, David

Open topic …

I’d like to talk about the youth growing up here (the forgotten generation).

When we think about what our needs are we tend to forget about our youth.

They really need a hangout place, somewhere they can talk about their future, socialize with their friends. I’d like to see a theatre with a games room where they can enjoy some food and drinks, a place they can all enjoy.

Yes, most of them will go to College and University or go to a trade school and get the skills they need to make a living. But there will come a time when they start thinking about moving back to Elliot Lake.

And if they have great memories of living here, they’ll want to move back to raise their families here, so they can enjoy all the things they had growing up.

Contact David Csikasz at email: retiredarmy51@gmail.com

WANNAN, Andrew

(No reply to invitation.)

Contact Andrew Wannan at email: awannan@gmail.com

Candidates for Councillor

BERNARD, Shannon

Open topic …

Polishing the Jewel in the Wilderness is about looking at every layer that molds our community. Issues of deep importance to me are reconnecting to our shared humanity and sustaining our community environment for future generations.

Currently, less than half of Canada’s population reports a high level of well-being, a crisis visibly fracturing Elliot Lake. Homelessness here is not a new issue driven by outsiders; it’s been here all along. Driven by a rising cost of living, it is a systemic failure and a societal issue. If we don’t do something about it now, then we are all part of the problem. And it will get out of hand.

As a society, we are a part of nature not apart from. Nature takes care of nature and somehow we have disconnected from our humanity and forgotten that it is our duty to take care of one another.

Many individuals turn to addiction simply to cope with the trauma or abuse. Social determinants of health prove to heal, people must first have their basic needs met. Securing safe housing is a prerequisite for addressing trauma and preventing long-term physical illness. Which reduces the burden on the health sector.

We can tackle these social and environmental challenges simultaneously through local restoration: Paroisse Sainte-Marie Church.

Instead of shipping waste to Espanola due to our nearing landfill capacity, we should open communication with the diocese and acquire this vacant church. It would serve perfectly as an emergency shelter, hostel, and dedicated outreach space with a kitchen for non profits. This allows interagency and a wider band of services being offered under one convenient location. Cost sharing allows these nonprofits to allocate funds to where they actually are intended and needed.

The fire-damaged derelict, private school near the cemetery is a safety hazard. Restoring it into supportive housing would give struggling families a hand up. It would create more housing and jobs building, it would be great if we could train people locally rather than trying to attract them from elsewhere to do so.

We must also eliminate systemic inequalities in our local support systems. Currently, men face restrictive shelter barriers—including an 8:00 PM entry delay and mandatory police clearance—that do not apply to women. This outdated approach devalues men as the unworthy poor.

Furthermore, homelessness does not mean an individual was previously an addict; sometimes, the addiction follows the trauma of displacement. Consider a young, vulnerable, woman, unprotected living couch-to-couch or standing on a street corner. She may have been SA and in fear to sleep at night. So she gets high to avoid the pain or the fear of it happening again or just maybe she was raised in a toxic environment and can’t find safety. Maybe he has been on his own since a child barely staying above water and his parents are no longer around or struggle themselves. We just don’t know.

Until we start looking at people for who they truly are under it all, instead of who we assume they are, nothing will change. Given the chance to be reminded that they are worthy, some people will completely turn their lives around—and everyone deserves that chance.

Every child, regardless of sex, deserves to know they will receive equal support in times of need.

By choosing to lift each other up, we reduce the long-term financial burden on our municipality and build a thriving, healthy Elliot Lake.

Will you be a part of real actionable change?

Contact Shannon Bernard at email: youcanreachshannon@hotmail.com
Website: Bernard’s campaign page

BULL, Rick

(Invitation declined.)

Contact Rick Bull at email: rickbull9@gmail.com

CYR, Luc

Open topic …

My Vision for Council 2026

To the Citizens of Elliot Lake,

My vision for the new council is simple: set clear objectives, implement them together, and build a strong and focused team from day one. We need a strategic plan that guides every decision, not endless meetings that lead nowhere.

Budgetary priorities come first. Roads and infrastructure must be at the top. We should review spending, reduce what does not support the strategic plan, and realign the budget so every dollar serves the priorities we set as a team.

Procedure by-law proposed changes to restore real public voices and access. Accessibility to your government should be a right, not a privilege. Item 5 of the council meeting’s agenda currently limits people to agenda items only. I propose renaming it “Public Question Period” and removing those restrictions—keeping only a reasonable time limit.

Many residents have disabilities, no internet, or no vehicle. Some cannot easily follow council proceedings or submit requests online. For many it may take two transit buses just to attend a meeting, or they may be limited by a wheelchair. Getting to council on specific dates and times to speak on something important to them can be a heavy burden. They too have the right to be heard. Too often, candidates ask for votes, then put up barriers against people speaking out.

Good leaders listen. Great leaders encourage people to speak. What kind of leader will you be?

Garbage, and specifically recycling, is a real concern for many. How many times do we bring our recyclables to the depot only to find the bins overflowing and materials scattered on the ground? Through multiple councils we’ve been repeatedly told that reviews and new measures are underway, yet years go by and little changes. There are too few bins, and those we have are too small to meet residents’ needs. It is time council stopped discussing this and rather begin directing concrete measures to address the overflow, whether through dual-stream collection every week (plastics and paper collected simultaneously ) or by purchasing enough properly sized bins to meet the city’s real requirements.

Beautification supports tourism and our “Jewel in the Wilderness” identity. Horne Lake and the Miners Monument are valuable assets. We can enhance the entire lakeshore into a more park-like setting with gardens, floral plantings, and careful grooming. Imagine the view from the highway: a well-kept shoreline framing the cliffs across the lake. Ongoing beautification is an investment in the image we present to visitors.

Finally, the economy. Elliot Lake has a shortage of hotel and short-term accommodations, yet the RV and camping market is large and growing. Expanding RV and camping capacity in and around the city can bring more visitors, more local spending, more tax revenue, and greater ability to host events. This is a practical opportunity to strengthen our summer tourism season.

Housing shortages and growth also need to become a central focus of the next council. More homes mean more tax revenue, which helps address our infrastructure deficit. Federal and provincial governments are pushing and supporting housing initiatives at unprecedented levels. Let’s not miss this opportunity to harness that support. Business incubator strategies could help grow our economy by encouraging and supporting our local entrepreneurs. Elliot Lake once funded small-business incubator support, coaching, and services. We could once again look at implementing such strategies and any measures that encourage small business and entrepreneurship in our community. We often have people with dreams and vision who lack experience and guidance in key areas of building sustainable businesses. Homegrown entrepreneurs tend to stay and grow in their own communities. We need to encourage and nurture them, along with partners, to improve their chances of success in the early years.

These are the priorities I will push: a clear strategic plan and team approach, focused budgeting on roads and infrastructure, open public access, expand our economy and continued beautification, and practical steps to grow tourism through RV and camping.

Thank you and please Vote in this upcoming election, make your voices heard before and after the election.

Sincerely,

Luc Cyr

Contact Luc Cyr at email: luc.cyr216@icloud.com

FLINTOFF, Charles

(Invitation declined.)

Contact Charles Flintoff at email: cflintoff2022@gmail.com

LEFEBVRE, Helen

Open topic …

(Helen Lefebvre’s submission was not received by time of publication. It will be added here on receipt.)

Contact Helen Lefebvre at email: helenlefebvre99@gmail.com

MACKNIGHT, Jacquelyn

Open topic …

My wish list for Elliot Lake

1. Establish a local Homelessness and Community Safety Task Force comprising municipal staff, ADSAB representatives, local health and mental health professionals, Indigenous community partners, police and emergency services, and advocates with lived experience. The task force should report within 30 days with a winter response plan and within 90 days with an actionable long-term strategy.

2. Elliot Lake City Council can address rising food insecurity through focused policies, infrastructure investments, and advocacy as emergency programs serve growing numbers of working families, children, and seniors. Establish a dedicated bus stop: The Public Services Committee can coordinate a new stop or route extension to Timber Road, enabling residents without vehicles to transport groceries safely. Integrate food security into the Well-Being Plan: Council can add food sovereignty and poverty-reduction targets to the Community Safety and Well-Being Plan, aligning municipal outreach efforts. Expanding commercial zones can attract major employers and create stable, well-paying jobs that help working households move out of food insecurity.

3. Create a Grants and funding committee dedicated to securing external funding for Elliot Lake’s services and priorities, improving municipal options while stabilizing the tax base, as demonstrated by Blind River and Sault Ste. Marie.

4. Maintain and modernize Elliot Lake’s infrastructure to support residents sustainably. Address commercial infrastructure gaps by offering incentives for local entrepreneurs to build or revitalize retail space and for new businesses to invest in Elliot Lake, keeping more resident spending within the city. Retrofit public buildings, transit services, and sidewalks to improve accessibility, particularly for the city’s large senior population.

5. While a multi-use recreational complex remains the ideal long-term goal, Council could provide an interim cinema by inviting private operators to hold weekend screenings at Collins Hall using portable or permanently installed commercial digital projection equipment. This would offer local entertainment while keeping spending in Elliot Lake.

6. Prioritize the timely, efficient completion of a multi-use recreational complex to promote community wellness and create local construction jobs. During the design phase, include cinema-ready features—such as acoustic treatments and a projection booth—in a multi-use auditorium from the outset.

7. Expand incentives that encourage nurse practitioners and family physicians to relocate to Elliot Lake by highlighting the area’s lifestyle advantages.

8. Develop Elliot Lake beyond a passive retirement community into an active, self-sustaining economy that attracts and retains a diverse workforce.

9. Build on the region’s natural assets by maintaining ATV, snowmobile, and hiking trails and supporting locally owned hospitality businesses.

10. Partner with regional institutions, such as Cambrian College and Sault College, to offer local micro-credentials in specialized construction, property maintenance, and healthcare services.

11. Explore partnerships that repurpose decommissioned mining lands for projects such as solar arrays or environmental remediation research, creating future-focused local technology jobs.

12. Encourage construction of modern rental units, townhomes, and assisted-living facilities to make more existing single-family homes available to incoming families and service workers.

13. Establish a Youth Council to advise City Council on social, environmental, and municipal issues that affect or interest young people in Elliot Lake.

14. Support the establishment and long-term success of passenger rail in Northern Ontario through municipal advocacy, regional partnerships, and infrastructure planning. Although municipalities cannot build or operate railways, Council can join regional efforts emphasizing the need for modern rail links that help Northern Ontario seniors and families reach specialized medical services in larger southern centers.

15. Seek grants to expand passenger service at the underused airport while ensuring the facility remains equipped to serve larger military aircraft, which can generate substantial municipal fuel sales.

Expand regional partnerships that bring essential service operations to the airport. Potential users include resource survey crews, forest firefighting teams, and air ambulance services. These partnerships could help make the airport a self-sustaining source of revenue.

16. Arts funding and grants: Expand the Event Support Program by increasing the annual municipal contribution beyond the current maximum of $2,000 per eligible organization, helping non-profits deliver local arts, culture, and heritage events. Give the Elliot Lake Museum Advisory Board and local cultural groups a direct channel to Council so resident feedback can shape community programming.

Contact Jacquelyn Macknight at email: jacquelyn.maurice@gmail.com

MEYER, Jeannie

Open topic …

I’d like to thank all those who took the time to speak to me throughout this campaign; I’ve really appreciated the questions you asked and the various aspects of your lives that you’ve shared. A number of the conversations have remained with me, and I’m thankful for all that I’ve learned.

I’ve lived and volunteered here for over 10 years, and there is still so much I don’t know. Sometimes, halfway through a conversation, someone shares knowledge or experience I would never have known to ask about. Learning more about the people in this city has been one of the things I’ve valued most about running.

Taking part in this campaign has meant reading, listening, and thinking about what I could contribute. My work in aging and health, education, regulatory compliance, and nonprofit leadership gives me experience to draw on, but it doesn’t provide every answer.

I ran a $0 campaign (no signs) that made sense for my household while I’m a student. What I could give was my time, and I’m thankful to everyone who shared theirs. Whatever the result on the 26th, I’ll still be here, volunteering and helping where I can.

Living in a multigenerational home, I see every day how decisions affect each generation. The future we’re discussing is one my family will share beside yours, with the hope that each candidate approaches the role prepared, requiring evidence before action, placing representation before title, and sustaining a willingness to learn. That work is ours.

Upcoming Events:

October 17th: 10 am to 2 pm All-Candidates Meeting at the REN Centre

Online Voting

• Ongoing until October 26^th

In-Person Voting & Online Voting Assistance @ City Hall Until October 23^rd

· Monday to Friday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

· Saturday, October 17: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

· Sunday, October 18: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

In-Person Voting @ Collins Hall:

· October 26th: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Contact Jeannie Meyer at email: jjsmeyer@outlook.com
Website: Meyer’s campaign page

MILLS, Karla

Open topic …

A Vision for Elliot Lake’s Future

As a municipal candidate, my vision is for Elliot Lake to grow as a healthy, connected, and resilient city—one that builds on its strengths while addressing the challenges that affect residents every day. Our future success depends on practical planning, realistic timelines, and collaboration among residents, businesses, community organizations, and every level of government.

Healthcare must remain central to that vision. Our hospital provides an impressive range of services, including emergency care, diagnostic imaging, surgery, obstetrics, oncology, hemodialysis, rehabilitation, continuing and palliative care, mental health support, and access to visiting specialists. What if we reimagined healthcare recruitment in Elliot Lake as a community-wide opportunity to attract a broader spectrum of healthcare professionals—not only those working within existing healthcare institutions, but also practitioners serving the community through private practice and independent clinics?

Recruitment, however, is about more than career opportunities. It is also about the lifestyle, environment, and sense of belonging that make a community an attractive place to live and work. Elliot Lake offers lakes, trails, a ski hill, golf, and year-round opportunities for hiking, cycling, ATVing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. Our strong arts and culture community adds to the appeal. By promoting rewarding careers alongside an exceptional work-play-life balance, we can welcome professionals and families who want to put down roots and contribute to northern Ontario.

Growth must be supported by reliable foundations. I will prioritize roads, accessible transit, affordable housing, dependable public services, and infrastructure that supports residents and responsible development. Strategic investment can help local businesses expand, attract new employers, create opportunities for young people, and ensure growth benefits the entire city. At the same time, we must protect the lakes, forests, and trail network that make Elliot Lake the Jewel in the Wilderness.

Finally, our progress depends on rebuilding community connection. Elliot Lake has faced difficult times, but our resilience is one of our greatest assets. By encouraging engagement, volunteerism, active living, and open communication, we can restore confidence and strengthen belonging. My priorities are clear: improve infrastructure, support sustainable economic growth and tourism, promote healthy and active living, protect our environment, and bring people together. With focused leadership and a shared commitment, Elliot Lake can honour its past while building a confident, successful future.

Working Together for a Stronger Elliot Lake

Upcoming event

All-Candidates event scheduled for Saturday, October 17 - 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Renaissance Active Living Centre.

I hope to see you there!

Contact Karla Mills at email: karlamills18@gmail.com
Website: Mill’s campaign page

MORRISSETTE, Luc

(No reply to invitation.)

Contact Luc Morrissette at email: alpflolm@eastlink.ca

SEIDEL, Merrill

(Invitation declined.)

Contact Merrill Seidel at email: mseidel@seidels.ca

SIZE, Michael Gregory

Open topic …

I want to thank everyone who has stepped forward to run for council and is willing to give their time to serve our community. It’s important that people are willing to get involved and take on the responsibility of helping shape Elliot Lake’s future.

My reason for running is simple. I want to serve my community.

If elected, my approach to council would be straightforward. I believe in level-headed, objective and non-partisan decision-making, focused on what is best for Elliot Lake and its residents. I would approach issues with an open mind, listen to different perspectives, ask questions and consider the facts before making decisions. I don’t believe every issue needs to become a political battle and the reality is, everyone has personal opinions and different perspectives.

My role would not be to push a personal agenda or pursue change for the sake of change. It would be to work collaboratively with fellow councillors, staff and residents to find practical solutions to the challenges facing our community. That means being willing to support good ideas regardless of who proposes them, questioning decisions when necessary, being mindful of how public money is spent, and recognizing that not every decision will please everyone. I believe good municipal government is about common sense, accountability, fairness and responsible use of taxpayers’ money. It is also about remembering who we work for, the citizens of Elliot Lake.

I’m not running because I think I have all the answers. I’m running because I’m willing to listen, learn, ask the difficult questions when necessary, and do my part to help our community move forward.

Thank you

Michael Gregory Size

Contact Michael Gregory Size at email: michaelgregorysize@hotmail.com

THOMAS, Mike

Open topic …

Participation and Representation

Over three terms of council I have been an active and vocal participant at our city council meetings. I was introduced to civic engagement in grade 10 by my teacher Mr. Lowrey. He instilled in me that democracy only exists if we participate with our voices and our energy to make a difference.

There are many reasons and ways to serve the community. We all have different issues and groups that are important to us. We are a diverse group of people that live in a place where we are surrounded by contributions and contributors to history.

Loggers, Miners, Artists, Educators, Naturalists, Innovators, Entrepreneurs, Doctors, Lawyers, Athletes, Government Leaders and Entertainers. Elliot Lake has been the birthplace and home to many renowned members of these vocations.

Common Purpose, Shared Values, Collective Responsibility

We live in a world filled with challenges that question our health, our finances, our environment, our community and the hope of future generations. We have a duty to exercise our voices and our efforts to ensure that they have a solid foundation. We must provide them with the ability to fulfill their dreams in a home where there are opportunities to live their lives with hope and enthusiasm. This includes amenities and services that they can rely on to sustain and enrich their lived experience.

The Goals, The Process, The Leadership Required

- Teamwork provides confidence and consensus in the community

- Listening acknowledges the value and input of our citizens

- Communication provides awareness that we all work together

- Decisions demonstrate vision and deliberation that ensure progress

It Takes All of us to contribute to the future of our community.

Your Questions Deserve Answers calls on everyone to participate in order achieve the best results.

My role at council relies on you, the people of Elliot Lake to be informed, involved and represented in every decision that moves us forward to grow and sustain our community.

I’ve included the flyer circulated in the mail and my speech from Collins Hall to show the whole picture of the philosophy, the priorities and the commitment to serve.

Thank you for talking with me and sharing your thoughts during this journey to elect our next council.

Elliot Lake Election Guide 2026 Thomas

229KB ∙ PDF file

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2026 The Speech

37.7KB ∙ PDF file

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Upcoming events

I will be attending the All Candidates meet and greet / town hall scheduled for Saturday, October 17 at 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Renaissance Active Living Centre.

Contact Mike Thomas at email: mtfelc@gmail.com
Website: Thomas’s campaign page

Candidates Speak Responses To October 16 2026

98.3KB ∙ PDF file

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Note: The addition of “Participating: No submission” helps ELC readers identify at-a-glance, the participant submissions received without a “yes or no” vote, from those where there was no submission received.

Previous Candidates Speak stories

2026-10-09 Candidates Speak: Bylaw enforcement. General communications

2026-10-02 Candidates Speak: Equity in recreation spending

2026-09-25 Candidates Speak: How should council respond to citizen petitions?

2026-09-18 Candidates Speak: Procurement Oversight & Sole-Source Purchasing

2026-09-11 Candidates Speak: The role of citizens on committees

2026-09-04 Candidates Speak: Risk mitigation for large capital projects

2026-08-29 Candidates Speak: On accountability and transparency

At an All Candidates event, Wednesday evening, candidate Rick Bull missed a key fact when he responded to a citizen’s question about the property at 255 Hwy 108 - beside Tim Horton’s.

The fact - a closed session decision he participated in 24 hours earlier.

The decision extended a build covenant for the completion of the first phase of construction on the property, by a year-and-eight-months to November 30, 2028.

The original build covenant required the first phase of 5,000 sq. ft. for a planned pancake house restaurant and other commercial space to be completed by next March.

The extension was announced at the council meeting Tuesday evening by the mayor when council returned to open session.

Next council - hands tied?

At Tuesday’s council meeting, candidate Mike Thomas addressed the matter during the Public Input Session.

Thomas: “It's my understanding that this property - the covenant, was not to expire until March of 2027.”

“I think in the best interest of the next administration of our municipality, that it would be proper that any other further decisions made on that property would be made after the transition. And that's my public input, Mr. Mayor,” Thomas said.

What was the urgency?

The new council - whoever that will be - will be sworn-in next month.

In the opinion of ElliotLakeCitizen - considering the pace of the project so far, passing the decision to the next council who may have a different vision mandated by the voters, seemed the most responsible thing the current council could do for Elliot Lakers.

And notably, four years ago, the Council of 2018 passed some hotel proposals - with no commitments - forward to the Council of 2022.

At the start of their term, hands were not tied; veteran councillor Norman Mann informing that in addition to two known hotel proposals, there was a “third expression of interest.”

Tuesday evening at the All Candidates event

Moderator: “Yes, sir, your name?”

Resident: “Gary Kirk. Question for Rick Bull, please.”

“Rick, I bring it to you because you mentioned business growth in Elliot Lake.

“I’m trying to reconcile that with the idea that Council voted to divide the property on 108, which had three active proposals for a new hotel.

“Personally, I am fully in favor of a new hotel in Elliot Lake, and yet Council, with three proposals in hand, as I recall, decided to tank those proposals and sever the property, which was not then large enough to accommodate a hotel.

“How does that come about if we are trying to promote new business in Elliot Lake?” the resident asked.

‘Quite a few plans … best one we came up with was to subdivide it’ - Bull

Bull: “When that property came up for sale, there was quite a few plans for development of it, and Council looked at all of them, and the best one that we came up with was to subdivide it, and that’s what we did.

“And now we have a proponent that’s building, I can’t remember how big the property is, something like a 15,000 square foot building or a couple of buildings on that property, so we’ve made the right choices.

“I’m not the builder, but we’ve given them the opportunity, and I believe they’ve gone through quite a few of the processes, and if all goes well, that should be starting pretty soon,” Bull said.

Video clip from Rotary Club of Elliot Lake YouTube archived video of All Candidates event. Collins Hall. Oct. 14, 2026. Permission requested.

24-hours earlier

A crucial fact about the property at 255 Hwy 108 was announced by the mayor when council came out of a closed session, Tuesday evening.

The decision made in a closed session, tied the hands of the next council well into their next term.

Bull participated in the closed session deliberation and voted in favour in open session.

Video clip: Council. 255 Hwy 108 build covenant extension. Tues. Oct. 13, 2026

Wannan: “So, we have a resolution and a motion that the memo from the manager of economic development regarding the covenant update for the property at 255 Highway 108 be received and that a one-year, eight month extension on the construction deadline to November 30th, 2028 be authorized as per the requested date, October 1st, 2026, subject to the applicable fee of $1,000.

“Mover?” Councillor Mann. Seconded? Councillor Lefebvre. All in favor. That's carried.”

‘I know there was a request at public input …’ - Wannan

Wannan added, “I know there was a request at public input to delay this; however, this builder is very anxious and eager to get started, and we are granting this extension.

“Further, there's no reason to delay it. Council is not in lame duck, and therefore business can be carried out as usual,” the mayor said.

Key fact. Key question

Construction does not appear started. Winter months are ahead. And the new council will be sworn-in next month.

While it is possible to inadvertently miss a key fact, the key question is: With a new council being sworn-in next month, why did the Council of 2022 tie the next council’s hands on this crucial matter?

Final All Candidates event is tomorrow!

Bull and the other incumbents have an opportunity tomorrow, to attend the final scheduled All Candidates events at the Renaissance Centre to be available to residents for further questions about this matter.

Read all the stories here

An all-candidates event hosted by the local Rotary Club at Collins Hall last evening, drew a crowd of about 240 residents to the meet-and-greet, candidate speeches, and two question and answer periods.

The first question period was reserved for questions to councillor candidates. Candidates were allowed up to 3 minutes to reply; the second period, for mayoral candidates with up to 5 minutes to reply.

To borrow from a popular theme, the event did not go into overtime. In fact, more time was available for questions than there were questions to fill the time.

Some candidates did not receive any questions. Councillor candidate Charles Flintoff was frequently called upon.

The event was livestreamed and recorded. It’s on YouTube here.

Nerve-wracking for candidates and their supporters

These types of events are notoriously nerve-wracking for candidates and their supporters because one ill-delivered statement, or one well-timed quip, can change a tide-sentiment.

And for those who follow politics like a team sport, those moments can feel like the prize itself.

But not so much for those who simply want infrastructure maintained, equitable spending, decent services, and opportunities for the average residents.

In the opinion of ElliotLakeCitizen (ELC) there weren’t any big movements one way or the other last evening, from those types of moments.

Respectful

Fairly early on last evening, a sprinkling of murmuring at a candidate’s statement and a clear call out from an attendee drew a general reminder from moderator, Shawn Heard, “One of the projects of Rotary is peace, so let’s be respectful, please.”

Heard has moderated these events before. And Heard is quite capable of ‘herding cats.’

What they said

With thirteen candidates attending last evening, posting the full text of their comments would do a disservice to those who trail at the end of a very long piece. For that reason, ELC suggests viewing the candidate speeches on the Rotary Club’s recorded video.

The speeches

The event was livestreamed and recorded. It’s on YouTube here. The video goes live at 13:22.

Candidates in order of speaking

Karla Mills at 18:33

Mike Thomas at 21:46

Rick Bull at 24:34

Shannon Bernard at 27:48

Jeannie Meyer at 30:42

Charles Flintoff at 33:55

Merrill Seidel at 37:12

Helen Lefebvre at 40:38

Luc Cyr at 43:53

Luc Morrissette at 46:46

Jacquelyn Macknight at 50:15

Dave Csikasz at 54:00

Andrew Wannan at 58:50

Questions and answers (responses)

In a few days, a subsequent story will examine the question and answer (response) portions of the event including related context for the benefit of readers who have not been able to follow local municipal politics meeting-by-meeting, during the past four years.

And ELC expects that local social media will contribute too, with helpful critique and other comment.

Previous stories

2026-10-14 Tonight: Arena - How will the incumbents defend the result?

2026-09-27 Rotary Club announces All-Candidates Evening

Read all the stories here

Wednesday, October 14, 2026

A morning of sun and cloud start the day at the arena.

An All-Candidates meeting this evening at Collins Hall is expected to offer incumbent candidates an opportunity to explain the arena decisions of their term.

Event details follow below including a link to the planned YouTube livestream.

From the Rotary Club Facebook page

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The Rotary Club of Elliot Lake “All Candidate’s Evening” for the 2026 Municipal Election will be held at Collins Hall on Wednesday, October 14. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. and the speaking will begin at 7:00 p.m.

Candidates will be asked to provide a brief statement, and questions will be taken from the floor. The event will be moderated by the Rotary Club of Elliot Lake.

We are asking all candidates and the general public to support the Elliot Lake Food Bank by donating a non-perishable food item. A depot will be set up at the hall.

We plan to livestream the event at https://www.youtube.com/results... and it will be recorded for viewing at the same address.

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Previous story

2026-09-27 Rotary Club announces All-Candidates Evening

Read all the stories here

City news release

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Municipal Election Voting Begins Tomorrow, October 14th

The Voting period for the 2026 Municipal Election begins tomorrow.

Beginning tomorrow, October 14th at 9AM, voters will be able to make their selections and cast their vote online using the information contained in your Voter Information Letter which you received in the mail. If you did not receive your Voter Information Letter, please reach out to elections@elliotlake.ca or call 705-848-2287 ext. 2103

- Need help voting online or would rather vote in person?
Visit our Voter Help Centre for in-person assistance or to cast your vote on a paper ballot.

The Voter Help Centre will be available at Elliot Lake City Hall (45 Hillside Dr. N.) from October 14th to 23rd at the following times:
• Monday to Friday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
• Saturday, October 17: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
• Sunday, October 18: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

The final day that the Voter Help Centre will be available at City Hall is October 23rd from 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM. The Voter Help Centre will not be available Saturday, October 24th or Sunday, October 25th.

- Election Day is Monday, October 26th.
On Election Day you can vote online or by paper ballot at Collins Hall (120 Hillside Dr. N.) from 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM

- Need help travelling to a Voting location?
The City has added a stop to the Central and Lakeside transit routes which stops directly outside City Hall for those wishing to visit the Voter Help Centre. For more info. please Click Here

Additionally, City transit will be made free on Election Day (Monday, October 26th) to make it easier for voters to visit the Collins Hall and cast their vote. Transit will also be running until 8:30PM on Election Day.

Read this article on our website.

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Read all the stories here

A last-minute comment from a resident at Saturday’s All-Candidates event raised the arena remediation topic.

The comment was about recently incurred debt to replenish reserves.

As the resident finished speaking, councillor candidate Luc Cyr indicated he wished to speak.

‘The thing that I fault this council - the present council, is that they didn’t debate the choice of building new vs. just plugging away at fixing the old’

Cyr: “Just to respond to that, I was on council up until 2022. We had built up our reserves to over $20 million, if I remember right. And the thing that I fault this council - the present council, is that they didn’t debate the choice of building new versus just plugging away at fixing the old.

“So they just chose. There was nothing in the debate. And that’s what I fault them at. I would have been okay if they would have decided to repair the old with evaluating the pros and cons. But that wasn’t done.”

‘Those older buildings have been a source of big liability and a drain on our resources’

“And by choosing just to fix the old buildings, and we all know that in Elliot Lake, those older buildings have been a source of big liability and a drain on our resources. That’s the biggest problem for me. Had they chose at the time to tear it down - it was condemned, pretty well.

“If they would have just condemned it, tore it down, build a new one, all of that could have been done with grants and long-term loans. And it wouldn’t have impacted our reserves. Our reserves would have still been basically at $20 million intact.

“And we’d have a brand new probably $40, $50 million build over long term, but it would probably be good for 60 to 80 years. Instead of right now we’ve repaired our 60-year-old arena for $30 million - we hope. But we’re not even sure of that.

“And we hope it’s going to last us 20 years, but we don’t know.

“We still have to cross our fingers to hope that that was $30 million well spent, and we all have to question whether that was.”

‘There’s been a lack of debate and a lack of proper evaluation when it comes to spending our money’

“So we have another 20 years of wondering, ‘Was it well spent?’

“So that’s my only - that’s my biggest complaint with this current council, that there’s been a lack of debate and a lack of proper evaluation when it comes to spending our money.

“Thank you,” Cyr said, concluding his remarks.

Sault Ste. Marie - ‘$18 million provincial grant. The difference: proactivity versus reactivity’

Councillor candidate, Jeannie Meyer, also spoke to the arena topic.

MEYER: “I happened to be up in Sault Ste. Marie the last couple of weeks, and I took the opportunity to tour the new twin-pad ice arena that was built a couple years ago for $25 million.

“They received $18 million provincial grant. The difference between their build and our repair was proactivity versus reactivity. They had a brand new build put on to an existing building.

“I actually toured both the old and new building because it was a pre-walk-in. And they have elevator service to the second. They do have all the amenities,” Meyer said.

‘Seats with backs on them … a walking track’

“It is a beautiful building. They did actually have seats with backs on them.

“They have a walking track. It was an amazing experience to go and tour. And I looked at it and went, ‘Oh, here’s the difference!’

“So reacting to a series of events led us down one path. We can’t go back in reverse time. We can’t change it.”

‘$7 million for a twin-pad arena after grants versus our reconstruction’

“This is where we’re at. But what we can do is a direct contrast and go, okay, here is the difference. They spent approximately $7 million for a twin-pack arena after grants versus our reconstruction.

“That is the difference. And yes, there is a population difference, but they also got a twin-pack versus single. So if you want to compare apples to apples, these are the differences that can make a difference,” Meyer said.

‘Somebody has to be held accountable’ - Resident

Another resident described how they followed the stories of funds going into the arena remediation and followed with a question.

Resident: “Why didn’t even the mayor step up and say, ‘Hey, let’s go back to the table here. Let’s address this. Somebody has to be held accountable.’

“You can’t just say, well, they didn’t do a good job. Right? Because then you guys get voted in, and then what if you guys can’t proceed forward?

“There’s got to be, somebody’s got to be held accountable and say, come on, let’s get together.

“How does it work?” the resident asked.

‘I think the citizens this time around are going to vote for at least a more balanced council’ - Cyr

Cyr: “I think the citizens this time around are going to vote for at least a more balanced council. Like that. I’m confident.

“But in 2014, when I was first elected, the city was in a fairly big predicament with almost no reserves at all.

“And from 2014 to 2022, we went to I think about $20 million. COVID helped us because the budgets were funded, but none of the work could be done. So the reserve was artificially funded by COVID.

“That basically shut down the city for two and a half years. So I have to admit that it helped our financial situation. It hurt every single citizen in town because we’re still paying taxes, and we weren’t getting the services.

‘It’s about proper management’

“But it’s about proper management and making sure that staff are directed to do their work, but also are directed to manage the budgets that are assigned to them. Their budgets also have to be managed by the [master] budget,” Cyr said.

Resident: “And who’s doing that, though?”

Cyr: “Council. It’s council’s role to manage and direct staff. But if council aren’t directing staff... They can’t direct staff individually. You have to use the CAO.”

“Right now, we don’t have a CAO. We have an interim CAO, but that’s not the same thing.

The missing CAO … ‘We can try to guess at many reasons for why we’re in that pickle’

“And that’s another challenge, and that’s a whole other debate. We can try to guess at many reasons for why we’re in that pickle.

“But we don’t know all the details as well. Still, we will have a lot of challenges. We’ll have a lot of challenges.

“But it’s up to them to make sure that staff are not running them, that council is running them, is directing the city staff at doing their job,” Cyr concluded.

No incumbents available for a rebuttal

There were no incumbent candidates available at Saturday’s All Candidates event to respond to the new candidate’s comments.

Final All-Candidates event at the Ren Centre: Saturday, October 17 - 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Location: Renaissance Active Living Centre in the lower plaza at 6 Charles Walk across from the LCBO and two doors up from Freitag’s Pharmacy.

Next: All-Candidates event, Collins Hall, Wednesday, October 14 - 6 p.m.

Announcement here: Rotary Club announces All-Candidates Evening

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2026-10-10 All-Candidates event: Smaller crowd brings bigger questions

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‘A concern about property taxes’

Attending the all-candidates series event for the first time yesterday, a 3-year resident began their question, “I just have a concern about property taxes.

“I know that the city has a budget and there’s lots of infrastructure, and money has to be delegated. But from what I see - and I’ve been here three years - my taxes are [high] enough, and I haven’t really received anything.

“When I do call and I talk to them, they say, ‘Well, we’re cheaper than the city.’ And I say, ‘Yeah, you may be, but you don’t offer what the city offers.’”

“I want to know, how is the city getting money to do this stuff without constantly increasing our taxes for something that’s been needed to be done for a long time?”

“So that has to be addressed. How is it being addressed? Is it being addressed?”

Macknight: ‘One way, is fundraising and grants’

Councillor candidate, Jacquelyn Macknight, began the candidate responses.

“One way to do that is through fundraising and through grants,” Macknight said adding, “there are so many out there.”

Macknight said there are grants available “that we could use to augment everything that goes on in the city - literally everything that goes on in the city, and help with all these [expenses].”

“So there is the money to pay for the things that we absolutely have to have, like the streets, like the housing and that. So there are ways to do it, and that would be one of the ways that I would suggest we go at that.”

Thomas: Taxes - the political question ‘nobody wants to talk about’

Referring to taxes as “the age-old toxic political question nobody wants to talk about,” councillor candidate, Mike Thomas, began a detailed answer.

‘Population growth. Housing expansion capitalized on federal / provincial programs’

Thomas: “In the flyer that came to every house in Elliot Lake, the last thing - on population growth, was: Housing expansion capitalized on federal and provincial programs. That’s a piece of it.”

“Increase the tax base to improve calculations for federal provincial funding. That’s another piece of it,” he said referring to his page in the 8-page brochure.

One of Thomas’s brochure slogans is: “Your questions deserve answers!”

‘Why that matters to your question …’

Thomas: “Why that matters to your question is the city needs X number of dollars to run every year regardless of how many people live here.”

And he explained some recent history including the tax cuts of 2010. “Services were cut. Taxes were cut. Staffing was cut. The scope of responsibility for the municipality was cut.”

Addressing the resident’s question directly he said, “So you came into the picture 16 years after all the cuts were made. Through three terms of council, the auditors and everybody came up and said in order for you to catch up from the cuts that were made in 2010 it would cost 10% increase every year for five years.”

“So anybody who says that your taxes aren’t going to go up next year - they are definitely not telling you the truth,” he said.

Growth solution. ‘Realistic: 5 years. Full benefit: 10 years’

Thomas explained, “The solutions I’m telling you about that will provide some sort of relief to the rate payers of Elliot Lake will only come through growth. And for any realistic program of growth, we know that there’s federal and provincial money available to create housing. And that will take a minimum two and a half years, realistic five years, and to feel the full benefit of it, ten years.

‘If you don’t get a council elected that’s actively pursuing that …’

“But if you don’t get a council elected that’s actively involved in pursuing that, it’s never going to happen, which means your wallet’s always exposed. Right?”

You can’t say, ‘there was no tax increase’ - because there was. - Thomas

Describing the City’s election year budget, Thomas said, “We got a 0% tax on operations and actually it was a 7% increase on the other side.

“Magic math, right? You can’t say 0% operational and 7% on the other side and say there was no tax increase, because there was,” he asserted.

External agencies cost increased by 4.5% to 11%

The City is responsible for their portion of the OPP, Algoma District Services Administration Board (ADSAB), and Algoma Public Health. Those budgets increased by 4.5% to 11%.

They increase the City’s operations budget. It was somewhat offset by staffing cuts and other reductions.

No incumbents available for a rebuttal

There were no incumbent candidates at yesterday’s All Candidates event to respond to Thomas’s comments.

However, video archive and reports on the City’s website reveal as follows.

Property taxes increased about 25% during this council term

At the budget meeting of December 15, 2025, the Director of Finance and Treasurer brought forward a recommendation of (not zero, but) a 0.41% increase on the levy to support continued City operations; and 3.05% increase on the levy for outside boards and agencies.

Whether it was goodwill or perhaps the election year on the horizon, Deputy mayor Charles Flintoff sought a method to reduce the 0.41% increase on City operations, to zero; it was determined that reducing a contribution to Public Works by $92k would achieve that goal.

Flintoff at budget committee, December 15, 2025: “It’s not too often we may have an opportunity to say, ‘thank you,’ because we did 22 per cent - really 25 per cent for the last three years - is a lot of money.

“And a lot of people out there do not have the income. So every $150 we can save them, that means a lot to some families.

“And I think this is the one year we could probably do it,” he said.

Video above: Deputy mayor Charles Flintoff at Ad Hoc Budget Committee. December 15, 2025

‘Honest conversations with you during budget time’

Thomas: “So as a customer - I refer to every voter as a customer - you tell us what services you want to have and we’ll honestly tell you how much it’s going to cost.

“The only thing we can hope for is that you elect people that are willing to have honest conversations with you during budget time to give you the goods about what the costs are and what we can do to change that to best serve your interests,” he said.

‘How will you guys bring more money in besides just property taxes?’ - Resident

Resident: “I understand that, but like I said, I’d just like to see how will you guys bring more money in besides just property taxes?”

Thomas: “There’s three vehicles. There’s your taxes, there’s growth in the population - there’s provincial and federal money, and there’s economic development.

“Those are the resources we have to run the business of the city,” he said.

Final All-Candidates event at the Ren Centre: Saturday, October 17 - 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Location: Renaissance Active Living Centre in the lower plaza at 6 Charles Walk across from the LCBO and two doors up from Freitag’s Pharmacy.

Previous stories

2026-10-10 All-Candidates event: Smaller crowd brings bigger questions

2026-09-26 All-Candidates event continues to draw a crowd

2026-09-19 All-Candidates event series growing quickly

2026-09-13 First All-Candidates event gets positive reviews

Read all the stories here