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Many Chatham-Kent residents have been clamouring for change following a number of decisions made by Council during the 2022-26 term.
The process of change begins on Friday when the nomination period for the 2026 Municipal Election opens.
And there are already some major changes heading into the October 26 election.
There will be three fewer councillors, as the Council approved a motion to go from 17 representatives down to 14 for the next term.
There are also major changes to the wards with new boundaries established in the outlying area, while Chatham proper has been divided into three wards.
Local residents are directly affected as the current Ward 3 East Kent is merging with Ward 2 South Kent to create a new Ward 2, with reductions in size from both existing areas.
The new Ward 2 will be represented by two councillors, down from five – three in South Kent and two in East Kent – in the current system.
Along with voting for a mayor and 14 councillors, residents will also be electing school board trustees, based on their chosen school board jurisdiction, as there will be five positions on the English Public board in Chatham-Kent, four positions on the English Catholic board and one each for the French Separate Providence and French Public Viamonde boards.
The nomination period for the Municipal Election begins Friday, May 1 and closes Friday, August 21, 2026, at 2 p.m. Nomination forms are already available on the municipality’s ‘Running For Office’ webpage www.chatham-kent.ca/localgovernment/elections/
Candidates are required to file Nomination Form 1 and Endorsement of Nominations Form 2, each with 25 signatures. Proof of identification, a declaration of qualifications and consent to release personal information are also required. All candidates must book an appointment with the Clerk’s Office to file their nomination papers by emailing ckclerk@chatham-kent.ca.
Candidates cannot begin campaigning until nomination papers have been officially filed, and campaign signs cannot be displayed until August 27.
The new Ward 2 will be bordered by Charing Cross Road to the west, the 401 to the north, the Elgin County border to the east and Lake Erie to the south, as Charing Cross and Cedar Springs will remain in the new ward because of their connections to nearby Blenheim.
The current Ward 3 is bordered by Kent Bridge Road to the west, the Lambton County border to the north, the Elgin border to the east and Lake Erie to the south.
Ward 2 extends from Merlin Road to the west, the Thames River in both Raleigh and Harwich Twps. to the north, Kent Bridge Road and Lake Erie to the east and south.
The new Ward 2 will see several communities leave their current wards – including Thamesville and Bothwell, which will be a part of the new Ward 3 north of the 401. At the same time, North Buxton, South Buxton and Merlin will become part of Ward 1’s expanded territory.
Two current councillors – John Wright in Ward 3 and Trevor Thompson in Ward 2 – have already announced they will not be seeking re-election in October.
Ward 3’s Morena McDonald said she has not decided whether to run again. McDonald was appointed as the East Kent councillor in May of 2024 to replace Steve Pinsonneault, after he was elected MPP for Lambton Kent Middlesex in a riding by-election earlier in the month.
Ward 2’s Anthony Ceccacci, of Blenheim, and Ryan Doyle, of Harwich Twp., have also not declared their intentions for the October election.
Doyle’s residence on the Doyle Line is now part of the new Ward 8 in Chatham, which covers the south side of the city, bordered by Bloomfield Road to the west, Communication Road to the east, the 401 to the south, and Park Ave. E., and the Thames River to the north.
The three new wards in Chatham will each have two councillors, as will Ward 1 (West Kent) and Ward 5 (Wallaceburg-Dover), while the new Wards 3 and 4 in northwest and northeast Chatham-Kent will have one councillor each.
Three other Councillors have announced they will not be seeking re-election – Ward 4 North Kent’s Jamie McGrail, Ward 5 Wallaceburg’s Carmen McGregor, and Aaron Hall.
Ward 6’s Michael Bondy announced last year that he would run for mayor in the October election.
Randy Campbell and Angela Richards are the current English Public school trustees for Wards 1, 2, and 3, while Jann Tooshkenig is the English Catholic trustee for Ward 3.
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