Ontario · Municipality of Strathroy-Caradoc

How to run for School Trustee in Strathroy-Caradoc

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

Election day: Monday, October 26, 2026
Population (2021)
23,871
Boards
by board
Term
4 years
Wards
2

Step 1

Are you eligible?

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

  • A Canadian citizen.
  • At least 18 years old.
  • A resident of Strathroy-Caradoc, OR a non-resident owner or tenant of land in Strathroy-Caradoc (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 Strathroy-Caradoc.

RoleSeatsTermNotes
English Public Trustee (TVDSB)by board4 yrsThames Valley DSB
English Catholic Trustee (LDCSB)by board4 yrsLondon District Catholic SB
French Public Trustee (Viamonde)by board4 yrsCS Viamonde
French Catholic Trustee (Providence)by board4 yrsCSC Providence

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 Strathroy-Caradoc.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

Strathroy-Caradoc Municipal Office (Clerk's Department), 52 Frank Street, Strathroy ON N7G 2R4. 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

Strathroy-Caradoc 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 Strathroy-Caradoc

  • Strathroy-Caradoc is the result of the 2001 amalgamation of the Town of Strathroy and the Township of Caradoc — the two-ward layout intentionally preserves urban (Strathroy) vs rural (Caradoc) representation balance.
  • Direct election of the Deputy Mayor is uncommon for Middlesex County member municipalities; both elected positions sit on County Council.
  • Sign by-law: Strathroy has restrictions on highway / road allowance signage — check the Town's election sign policy before printing.
  • Voting method: confirm the 2026 by-law (paper, internet, or hybrid) on the Town elections page; recent elections used internet voting plus an in-person help centre.

Ballot

Other roles on the same ballot

Voters in Strathroy-Caradoc also choose:

  • Mayor — At-large; sits on Middlesex County Council
  • Deputy Mayor — At-large; sits on Middlesex County Council
  • Ward 1 Councillor (Strathroy) — By ward
  • Ward 2 Councillor (Caradoc) — By ward

Sources

Official resources

Related guides

Also running in Strathroy-Caradoc?

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