Ontario polls: Ottawa's first women-majority council, two cities' first women mayors
By Priya NairLeadership & Growth Editor, Peepals Shakti
Representative image: vandesart / Pixabay
Ontario's October 26, 2026 local polls gave Ottawa a women-majority council, 13 to 12, and North Bay and Pembroke their first women mayors.
What Happened
Women won a string of firsts in municipal elections held across Ontario, Canada, on Monday, October 26, 2026. Ottawa, the national capital, elected a city council with more women than men for the first time since the city was amalgamated, by 13 to 12, according to preliminary results. North Bay elected Maggie Horsfield as its first woman mayor, and Pembroke elected Stephanie LeMay as its first woman mayor in a city whose mayors date back to 1877. The results are unofficial until they are certified.
Key Facts
- Election day: Monday, October 26, 2026, in municipalities across Ontario.
- Ottawa: 13 women and 12 men on the next city council, the first women's majority since amalgamation; Mark Sutcliffe was re-elected mayor.
- Ottawa's new members: Erin Coffin, Joanne Chianello and Chelsea Walton each won a seat held by a man last term.
- History: between 2006 and 2022, Ottawa voters elected between four and nine women to council in each election.
- North Bay: Maggie Horsfield won with 9,277 votes, 2,781 ahead of the runner-up, Jamie Lowery; she succeeds Peter Chirico, who did not run again.
- Pembroke: Stephanie LeMay won 1,545 votes to Brian Abdallah's 1,518, a 27-vote margin, in unofficial results; incumbent Ron Gervais had 1,278.
- Turnout: about 36 per cent in Ottawa and 38.83 per cent in North Bay, according to preliminary figures.
Why It Matters
City councils decide the services people use every day: roads, buses, water, housing approvals, parks and local taxes. Who sits on them shapes which problems get attention first. Ottawa's own record shows how slowly that changed: in the five elections from 2006 to 2022, women never held more than nine of the council's seats. This year's result takes that number to 13 of 25 council seats, a majority for the first time since the city's councils were merged into one.
The two mayoral firsts show the different paths women took to the top job. In North Bay, Maggie Horsfield, a sitting councillor, won the open race after the outgoing mayor stepped aside, and did so by a clear margin of more than 2,700 votes. In Pembroke, Stephanie LeMay was a first-time candidate who had recently retired from Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd.. She won a close three-way contest by 27 votes, ahead of the sitting mayor. Her father, Michael LeMay, was Pembroke's mayor from 2014 to 2022.
There are limits to the gains. Ottawa's mayor remains a man, and local reporting noted that the new council still falls short of reflecting the city's racial diversity. Turnout was low, at around 36 per cent in Ottawa, among the lowest this century, which means a minority of voters chose these councils.
For Indian readers, the Ontario results are a useful comparison with India's own local bodies, where many women enter public life through panchayats and municipal wards. In both places, the step from councillor to mayor, and from a few seats to a majority, is where the real test of women's leadership lies.
| Place | Result | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Ottawa | First women's majority on council | 13 women, 12 men |
| North Bay | First woman mayor | Maggie Horsfield, 9,277 votes |
| Pembroke | First woman mayor since 1877 | Stephanie LeMay, won by 27 votes |
Impact
Short-term: The new councils will be sworn in during November; North Bay's inaugural meeting, including the swearing-in of the mayor and councillors, is set for November 16, 2026. Close results, such as Pembroke's 27-vote margin, will be watched until official certification.
Long-term: A women's majority in Ottawa and new women mayors in smaller cities give a larger pool of women experience in budgets, planning and city administration and a wider base from which to seek higher office.
Who is affected: Residents of Ottawa, North Bay and Pembroke, the newly elected councillors and mayors, and women considering a run for local office.
Key Takeaway
Ontario's October 26, 2026 municipal elections gave Ottawa its first women's majority on council and North Bay and Pembroke their first women mayors, though turnout stayed low.
Questions and Answers
Did women win a majority on Ottawa city council in 2026?
Yes. Preliminary results from the October 26, 2026 election give Ottawa's next council 13 women and 12 men, the first time women have held a majority since the city was amalgamated.
Who is North Bay's first woman mayor?
Maggie Horsfield was elected mayor of North Bay on October 26, 2026 with 9,277 votes, becoming the first woman to hold the post. She replaces Peter Chirico, who did not seek re-election.
How close was the Pembroke mayoral race?
Very close. Unofficial results gave Stephanie LeMay 1,545 votes and Brian Abdallah 1,518, a margin of 27 votes. LeMay becomes Pembroke's first woman mayor.
Are these results final?
Not yet. The figures are preliminary and unofficial until each municipality certifies its results, and the new councils are sworn in during November.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
By Priya Nair, Leadership & Growth EditorCovers Leadership & Growth and more for Peepals Shakti. All stories by Priya Nair
Autistic people face harsher menopause symptoms, Bournemouth study finds
'Ferritin face' trend: doctors say only a blood test shows low iron
Get the day's stories in your inbox
Peepals Weekly: the week decoded, free. One email a week, unsubscribe in one click.
Priya Nair is a pen name of the Peepals Global Editorial Team, which researches, fact-checks and publishes every story. The portrait is an illustration.
