Voters reshape Kawartha Lakes council with six new faces

There will be many new faces on Kawartha Lakes’ next council. 

Along with Ward 7 Coun. Charlie McDonald becoming mayor, six new councillors have been elected following the Oct. 26 municipal election. 

McDonald captured 51 per cent of the mayoral vote, while Ward 6 Coun. Ron Ashmore, who gave up his council seat to run for mayor, finished second with 32 per cent. Current Mayor Doug Elmslie did not seek re-election. 

Ward 2 Coun. Pat Warren and Ward 4 Coun. Dan Joyce lost their bids for re-election. Terry Blackmore was elected in Ward 2, while Guru Bhat will represent Ward 4. Bhat, the owner of Oakwood Groceries, identified improved roads and infrastructure, community safety, expanded child-care services and library upgrades among his priorities for Ward 4, which includes Oakwood, Little Britain, Woodville and Manilla. 

Following the election, Bhat told Kawartha Lakes Weekly that as Ward 4 councillor he will “work hard to get the best results for the people” of his ward. 

He added that it was a valuable experience knocking on people’s doors and meeting with them to discuss his campaign and, most importantly, to listen to their issues. 

“I met so many people during this journey, and I made a lot of good friends,” he said. “A lot of people opened the door for me to share their concerns and ideas. … At my store, I say ‘you walk in as a customer and walk out as a friend,’ and that’s exactly how I will represent this ward.”

 Blackmore, a Burnt River resident and retired Air Force veteran, has spent decades involved with the community and doing volunteer work. 

Two priorities in his campaign were improving road conditions in Ward 2, which includes the communities of Bobcaygeon, Burnt River and Kinmount, and helping residents of the geographically large ward feel better represented. 

Blackmore said one lesson he learned from his campaign was the “importance of getting out there and knocking on doors and talking to people.” 

“We learn what’s important from this communication,” he said. “The campaign is not about the candidate; it’s about the residents. I always asked, what is important to you? And people talked to me.” 

Blackmore, who received 67 per cent of the Ward 2 vote, added that this was his first time running for an elected position, and he is pleased with the outcome.

“The result was really good,” Blackmore said of his win. “I worked hard to get it, but I did well. I’m happy.” 

Ward 6 councillor-elect Jasmine Marshall will be the only woman on the incoming nine-member council. 

During her campaign, Marshall knocked on doors to distribute a community feedback form and collect residents’ input on their top priorities for Ward 6, which includes Omemee, Dunsford and Downeyville.

She is also an advocate for bringing a transit link to connect Omemee, Lindsay and Peterborough, and cited increased accountability on deferred projects and a stronger focus on road maintenance as city-wide priorities. 

In a Facebook post congratulating Marshall on her victory, Ward 6 candidate Mary Ann Martin noted that Marshall had knocked on more than 3,000 doors during her campaign. 

Martin, who served on council from 2014 to 2018 in what was then Ward 15, also praised the respectful nature of the Ward 6 race, noting that the candidates treated one another positively throughout the election period. 

“We spoke and acted the way politicians should,” Martin wrote. 

Marshall, who received 82 per cent of the vote in the ward, thanked Martin for her years of dedication to the community and praised the positive tone of their campaigns. 

“Thank you for showing what strong women can accomplish for our communities,” Marshall wrote. 

Eric Smeaton, who was elected Ward 5 councillor in 2022 but resigned for health and personal reasons in November 2024, made a political comeback by being elected Ward 7 councillor. 

Smeaton’s platform focused on controlled development, equal treatment for property owners, fair access to health and social services, support for the arts, environmental protection, fiscal responsibility and improved road maintenance and infrastructure. 

“Being elected is certainly a privilege, and it’s particularly gratifying to see voter turnout up a little,” Smeaton told Kawartha Lakes Weekly. 

In the election’s most closely contested race, Brian Bartley, who faced four other candidates, was elected Ward 1 councillor, but securing under 33 per cent of the vote. The current Ward 1 councillor, Emmett Yeo, did not run for another term. 

Bartley campaigned for lower tax increases, reduced administrative costs, more rural-friendly development rules, improved road maintenance and snow removal, support for emergency and health services, and efforts to minimize the impact of the Over-the-Horizon Radar Project on Ward 1 residents. 

Ward 8 will also have a new councillor. In a three-way race, Tom Hickey received 69 per cent of the vote in the ward, where Deputy Mayor Tracy Richardson did not seek re-election.

In an earlier interview with Kawartha Lakes Weekly, Hickey, who is retired from the Kawartha Lakes Police Services, said he wasn’t running on a particular platform, but his campaign website emphasized integrity in municipal government, working collaboratively with council in the best interests of constituents and supporting Kawartha Lakes’ growth as priorities. 

Ward 3 Coun. Mike Perry and Ward 5 Coun. Mark Doble were the only incumbent councillors to be re-elected. 

The next council will begin Nov. 16.