Ontario · City of Pembroke

How to run for School Trustee in Pembroke

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

Election day: Monday, October 26, 2026
Population (2021)
14,364
Boards
by board
Term
4 years
Wards
None

Step 1

Are you eligible?

On the day you file your nomination paper for school trustee in Pembroke, you must be:

  • A Canadian citizen.
  • At least 18 years old.
  • A resident of Pembroke, OR a non-resident owner or tenant of land in Pembroke (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 school trustee do?

School trustees represent voters on a school board and oversee policy, budgets, and the hiring of senior staff for public schools in Pembroke.

RoleSeatsTermNotes
English Public Trustee (RCDSB)by board4 yrsRenfrew County DSB
English Catholic Trustee (RCCDSB)by board4 yrsRenfrew County Catholic DSB
French Public Trustee (CEPEO)by board4 yrsCEPEO
French Catholic Trustee (CECCE)by board4 yrsCECCE

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 electors who support the same school board from eligible electors of Pembroke.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

City of Pembroke City Hall, 1 Pembroke Street East, Pembroke ON K8A 3J5. Clerk's Office, filing in person, 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

Pembroke 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 Pembroke

  • Voting method: Internet voting only (computer, tablet, smartphone) — authorized by By-law 2024-70. Voting period: October 16–26, 2026. A Voter Help Centre runs at City Hall during the voting window. No in-person paper poll.
  • Direct-elected Deputy Mayor — both head-of-council races run city-wide.
  • Pembroke is separated from Renfrew County for municipal-government purposes (rare for a city its size). Strategic implication: no County seat to chase, but joint-board memberships (Renfrew County and District Health Unit, Renfrew County DSSAB, etc.) are appointed by Council.
  • New term begins November 15, 2026; Inaugural Meeting November 17, 2026.
  • Strong-mayor powers do not apply.

Ballot

Other roles on the same ballot

Voters in Pembroke also choose:

  • Mayor — At-large
  • Deputy Mayor — At-large; directly elected
  • Councillor — At-large

Sources

Official resources

Related guides

Also running in Pembroke?

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