Ontario · Municipality of Petawawa

How to run for Council in Petawawa

A plain-English guide to the 2026 cycle — eligibility, deadlines, paperwork, and key local contacts for councillor candidates in Petawawa, Ontario.

Election day: Monday, October 26, 2026
Population (2021)
18,160
Council seats
6 seats
Term
4 years
Wards
None

Step 1

Are you eligible?

On the day you file your nomination paper for councillor in Petawawa, you must be:

  • A Canadian citizen.
  • At least 18 years old.
  • A resident of Petawawa, OR a non-resident owner or tenant of land in Petawawa (or the spouse of one).
  • Not legally disqualified from running.
Common disqualifications include sitting judges, sitting MPs / Senators / MPPs (must resign before filing), municipal employees (must take an unpaid leave or resign), and people serving a sentence in a penal institution.

Step 2

What does the councillor do?

Councillors in Petawawa vote on by-laws, the annual budget, and local services like parks, transit, and zoning. They are the most direct point of contact between residents and city hall.

RoleSeatsTermNotes
Councillor64 yrsAt-large; highest-vote Councillor becomes Deputy Mayor

Step 3

The nomination process

Filing happens at the City Clerk, in person during regular office hours and on nomination day until 2:00 PM. You'll need to bring:

  • Nomination paper, signed in the presence of the clerk or a commissioner of oaths.
  • 25 endorsement signatures from eligible electors of Petawawa.Municipalities with fewer than 4,000 eligible electors are exempt from the signature requirement.
  • Government-issued photo ID showing your name and qualifying address.
  • Filing fee: $100. Refundable in full if you file your campaign financial statement on time.

Where to file

Town of Petawawa Town Hall, 1111 Victoria Street, Petawawa ON K8H 2E6. Clerk's office, by appointment.

Step 4

Key dates — 2026 cycle

DateEvent
May 1, 12:30 p.m.Nomination period opens
Aug 21, 6:00 p.m.Nomination period closes (last day to file)
October 26, 2026Election day
November 15, 2026New term of council begins
March 27, 2027Campaign financial statement due

Missing the financial-statement deadline can trigger automatic disqualification from running in the next cycle and forfeiture of your filing fee.

Step 5

Campaign finance

Petawawa runs under Ontario's Municipal Elections Act, 1996. The headline numbers for the 2026 cycle:

Per-individual contribution
$1,200
max from any one person to your campaign
Aggregate / additional rules
$5,000
across all candidates in the same municipality
Self + spouse contribution
lesser of $5,000 + $0.20 × eligible electors, or $25,000
combined cap
Spending limit
$5,000 + $0.85 per eligible elector
the City Clerk issues your written limit after nominations close
Corporate and union donations are banned. Cash gifts of $25 or less generally don't need to be tracked individually; anything more must be by cheque, debit, credit, money order, or e-transfer that traces to the contributor.

Local

Specific to Petawawa

  • Voting method: Internet and telephone voting authorized via By-law 1719/25 (Jan 20, 2025). No in-person paper poll.
  • Deputy Mayor by votes — campaigning for a top-3 finish among councillors is effectively a campaign for the Deputy Mayor role.
  • Renfrew County warden direct-election proposal — historic shift if implemented for 2026 (would make Renfrew the first Ontario county with a directly-elected warden). Watch for the County by-law before campaign launch.
  • Petawawa is a military town (CFB Petawawa) — military families are a meaningful share of voters but, since most are non-resident-owners or temporary residents, voter eligibility verification is unusually significant.
  • Sign by-law: separate restrictions apply on DND-controlled roads and base perimeter.

Ballot

Other roles on the same ballot

Voters in Petawawa also choose:

  • Mayor — At-large; sits on Renfrew County Council
  • English Public Trustee (RCDSB) — Renfrew County DSB
  • English Catholic Trustee (RCCDSB) — Renfrew County Catholic DSB
  • French Public Trustee (CEPEO) — CEPEO
  • French Catholic Trustee (CECCE) — CECCE

Sources

Official resources

Related guides

Also running in Petawawa?

Considering a different office? We have plain-English guides for every position on the Petawawa ballot:

This page is a plain-English summary, not legal advice. Always confirm details with the City Clerk and the most recent provincial candidate guide before filing. Last reviewed 2026-05-01.

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