By Chad Moore · Updated October 14, 2026
In conversations with clients and neighbours, five subjects keep coming up ahead of Greater Sudbury’s election: roads, the event centre, the city’s response to this year’s winter storm and spring flooding, homelessness and addiction, and gaps in municipal services. In outlying communities, the lack of services and disparities between communities are particular concerns.
People want roads repaired. On the event centre, the location has been decided and work is underway downtown, yet candidates are proposing to halt or replace the project. The people I’m hearing from want it built. There is also frustration over the city’s storm response, followed by concern about spring flooding and how prepared we are for the next major weather event. Current project status, Johnston’s proposal, Rocca-Circelli’s proposed pause.
Those conversations bring the election into focus for me: we need leaders who can deliver reliable services today and make sound decisions about where Sudbury goes next. Housing, property taxes, neighbourhood safety and opportunities for development all belong in that discussion. Local infrastructure coverage, community election priorities.
You’ll find every mayoral candidate and ward race below, with links to help you compare their plans. Election day is Monday, October 26, 2026. The City’s official election website has voter registration information and voting instructions.
Issues to consider before choosing a candidate
Roads and the cost of maintaining the city. Repair promises deserve a funding plan, a timetable and a way to measure progress. Candidates differ over capital spending priorities, borrowing and contributions from other governments. Ask what would happen to other services under each proposal. Mayoral responses on roads.
Storm response and flood preparedness. The March storm disrupted roads, transit, emergency response and other services. An independent review subsequently made 10 recommendations, including clearer escalation procedures, better public communication and stronger coordination of equipment and outside resources. April flooding brought a separate state of emergency, lifted on May 1. Candidates should explain which improvements they would prioritize, fund and track before the next severe event. City account of the storm’s impacts, reporting on the independent review, City flood update.
Housing, homelessness, addiction and neighbourhood safety. Each deserves specific proposals, including how the City would work with health and community organizations to improve access to support. Building rental housing, providing support for people experiencing homelessness, maintaining safe properties and addressing neighbourhood complaints involve different decisions. Community election consultations have also raised food security, accessible community spaces and environmental protection. Those consultations show what participants raised; they are not a representative poll of all voters. Coalition for a Liveable Sudbury election resources.
Taxes, major projects and accountability. Proposals to stop or review event-centre construction, spending oversight and the balance between new projects and existing infrastructure are dividing candidates. Look for explanations of costs, existing commitments and the consequences of changing direction. Johnston’s platform launch, Rocca-Circelli’s platform, Lefebvre’s campaign.
Service gaps and disparities across the municipality. A downtown resident, a Valley commuter and a family in an outlying community may experience city services quite differently. Ward discussions have raised recreation, transit, emergency access, drainage and sidewalk maintenance alongside the larger budget debate. The ward summaries below identify where those concerns have surfaced.
My view on the next four years
I hope voters choose people with a clear vision for Sudbury’s future and the commitment to see it through. Repeated reconsideration and deferral concern me because delay has costs: projects take longer, uncertainty makes planning harder, and opportunities for development can pass us by. I want candidates to explain what they intend to accomplish and how they will work with others to get it done.
On the event centre, my view is straightforward: it is time to get on with building it. Council approved the downtown project in April 2024, and the City confirms construction is underway. The next council should focus on delivery, budget oversight, public reporting and making the most of the completed facility. A proposal to reopen the decision should explain what new evidence justifies doing so, what changing direction would cost and what it would achieve. Official project status.
Sudbury has strengths to build on. Mining expertise, critical minerals, mine electrification, research and workforce training give the city a substantial base for future investment. Health sciences, Laurentian, Cambrian, Collège Boréal and NORCAT add research and training capacity. I want to hear how candidates would turn those strengths into opportunities for local businesses, workers and young people building a future here. City briefing on innovation, workforce and infrastructure.
There are concrete examples of what investment from other governments can make possible. For the Lively–Walden wastewater upgrades, the City reported $34.9 million in provincial funding and conditional federal approval of $27.9 million. The federal announcement says the upgrades are expected to provide capacity for 3,300 additional homes. That is a useful connection between infrastructure planning and the housing our community needs. City project information, federal announcement.
Looking ahead, the federal critical-minerals strategy identifies $1.5 billion in investment between 2026 and 2030 through the First and Last Mile Fund, building on the existing infrastructure fund. That is a national commitment, and Sudbury will need credible projects and strong partnerships to secure opportunities from it. The next council needs to be ready, with practical proposals and the housing, services and infrastructure to support growth. Federal strategy update.
Meet the mayoral candidates
Eight people are running for mayor. Below, you’ll find their backgrounds, previous mayoral results where applicable, priorities and answers drawn from published interviews and public forums. Candidates appear alphabetically. The quotations are from the linked coverage, not interviews conducted for this article.
Joseph Boutros
Joseph Boutros is making his first run for office. A registered nurse in the dialysis unit at Health Sciences North, he previously spent 13 years at Costco and earned a business administration–marketing diploma at Cambrian College. He told Sudbury.com that becoming a father sharpened his interest in the city his daughter would grow up in.
His priorities include fair investment across wards, infrastructure renewal, more transparent decisions and stronger public participation. He has proposed a review of operational efficiencies and better communication about major projects, including mail-outs for residents who don’t follow City Hall online.
Asked in July how his leadership would differ from Lefebvre’s, Boutros said, “I feel like I could be more of that advocate figure to the community.” He acknowledged that he was still developing specific changes to the budget and housing policy. His proposal to adopt a housing-first approach also overlaps with a philosophy the City already follows. July interview.
Campaign information: forwardwithjoe@gmail.com, or the City’s mayoral directory.
Troy Crowder
Troy Crowder is a former NHL player returning to the mayoral race after finishing fifth of 11 candidates in 2018, with 4,279 votes, or 8.25%. Official 2018 results.
His Two for Troy campaign emphasizes transparency, accountability for approved spending and direct communication. The website invites residents to submit concerns for public responses. In an email responding to Sudbury.com’s roads inquiry, he wrote: “I am communicating directly with the public through my campaign website twofortroy.ca where no third-party editorial filter is required.”
On roads, Crowder questioned unspent capital allocations and the handling of an asphalt-recycling pilot. The newspaper’s follow-up challenged parts of that account: the capital figure covered a broader range of infrastructure than he described, and language he attributed to the chief financial officer had come from a reporter. September correspondence and fact-check.
Sudbury.com reported, citing CBC, that Crowder pleaded guilty to knowingly submitting a forged document in an insurance matter and that the Ontario Superior Court of Justice denied his conviction appeal. Local reporting.
Campaign information: Two for Troy.
Bob Johnston
Bob Johnston is a local homelessness advocate with previous municipal campaigns behind him. In the 2022 mayoral election, he finished fifth among nine names on the ballot, receiving 1,860 votes, or 3.72%. He also placed second in the 2018 Ward 1 council race. Official 2022 results, official 2018 results.
Johnston proposes stopping the downtown event-centre project, upgrading the existing arena and using the new site for other purposes, including a conference and entertainment centre and a market. He also proposes broader property-tax relief and free transit for seniors, more affordable youth programs and using an old school to provide services for people experiencing homelessness. These were commitments at his June platform launch. Platform coverage.
At the October 5 town hall, Johnston supported housing initiatives but opposed raising taxes to fund them. “Why can’t we get a sponsorship?” he asked. He suggested seeking support within the community; voters can ask which sponsors would commit funding. Town-hall coverage.
Campaign information: kitchencruizin@gmail.com and the linked platform coverage.
Paul Lefebvre — incumbent
Paul Lefebvre is seeking a second term. He won the 2022 mayoral election with 26,187 votes, or 52.44%, finishing first among nine names on the ballot. A tax lawyer and business owner, he previously represented Sudbury in Parliament from 2015 to 2021 and served as parliamentary secretary for natural resources. His community experience includes leadership roles with the United Way, Sudbury Community Foundation and Jazz Sudbury. Official results, City biography.
His campaign centres on continuing economic development, housing construction and infrastructure investment, with partnerships across governments and community organizations. He supports proceeding with the downtown event centre and presents the current term’s projects as work to build on.
Asked about closing the roads funding gap, Lefebvre told Sudbury.com, “There is no quick fix for Greater Sudbury’s long-term infrastructure needs.” His response pointed to multi-year capital planning, the infrastructure levy, coordinated road and underground work, and additional funding from other governments. September roads questionnaire.
As incumbent, he also has a record to defend on costs, service delivery and oversight. At the October 5 forum, he indicated he would not use strong-mayor powers. An August review found that most of his recorded uses during the current term were routine bylaw approvals. Forum coverage, review of mayoral decisions.
Campaign information: Paul Lefebvre’s website and October platform.
Michael McIntosh
Michael McIntosh is a welding inspector and rental-property owner who grew up in Sudbury, spent several years in Toronto and returned in 2019. His campaign begins with an everyday service: restoring weekly garbage collection. He argues that the current schedule creates difficulties for residents with limited storage and contributes to litter.
McIntosh also proposes improving roads and addressing homelessness while concentrating on projects the City has already undertaken. His August interview described a preference for a supported encampment away from parks, neighbourhoods and businesses. A clarification attached to that interview explains the model he had in mind. Candidate interview and clarification.
At the October 5 forum, he supported overnight transit to help young people reach jobs. On mental-health and addictions advocacy, he said, “this goes beyond my depth and expertise,” and would “platform groups that are more knowledgeable.” He opposed reopening the supervised consumption site in a yes-or-no round that allowed no explanation. Town-hall coverage.
Campaign information: mcintosh75@hotmail.com and the linked interview.
Keenan Menard
Keenan Menard grew up in the Flour Mill and has worked as a labourer, custodian, cook and caterer. A regular transit user, he wants GOVA’s main routes to operate around the clock. Other proposals include alternative road-building materials, the Barrydowne extension and another road connection for Capreol.
In his July interview, Menard said expanded transit could be paid for within existing budgets, but acknowledged he had not worked out funding for the proposed road materials. At the October 5 forum, he also advocated free transit for seniors. July interview, forum coverage.
His pandemic-era social-media posts also came under scrutiny. Asked in July, he defended his rejection of COVID-19’s reality as described by health authorities and attributed inflammatory political posts to anger during restrictions. Asked whether he could work with residents of different political views, he said: “anybody who lives in Greater Sudbury that has an issue, I’d be willing to talk to them.” Interview and responses.
Campaign information: keenanforsudburymayor@hotmail.com and the campaign Facebook link in his published interview.
Rodney Newton
Rodney Newton is a former ironworker and operator of D&R’s Treasure House, a second-hand store on Bancroft Drive. He ran for mayor in 2018, finishing tenth of 11 candidates with 102 votes, or 0.20%. Official results.
Roads and homelessness are his central issues. In June, he advocated borrowing to undertake extensive road repairs, creating rehabilitation services and using former schools as temporary accommodation. He also proposed requiring people receiving homelessness services to work, including compulsory work if necessary. While questioning the timing of the event centre, he said changing that project was not then a priority. June interview.
His September response to questions about road funding described a multi-year plan combining municipal money, outside funding and coordinated road, water and sewer work. “This cannot be fixed overnight,” he said, calling for annual reporting on spending and road conditions. Roads questionnaire.
At the October 5 forum, Newton said he was unsure how to address high rents and offered no answer on climate action in his first 100 days. Town-hall coverage.
Campaign information: rodneynewton.sudbury@hotmail.com.
Miranda Rocca-Circelli
Miranda Rocca-Circelli works in leadership training and founded Empower U Leadership. Her campaign biography lists two science degrees from Laurentian University, a master’s degree from Athabasca University and experience in education, workplace investigations and training. In 2022, she finished third among nine names on the mayoral ballot, with 6,651 votes, or 13.32%. Campaign biography and platform, official results.
Her platform proposes restoring the auditor general, strengthening ward-level participation, prioritizing existing infrastructure and supporting nonprofit delivery of housing and community services. It also calls for a public review of emergency preparedness that considers the needs of individual communities.
Asked about the event centre at her August 4 launch, she declined to commit to cancellation but called for an independent investigation. “All work will have to cease during the investigation,” she said. That is a proposal to pause construction while deciding what should happen next. Launch interview.
Her pandemic statements have also resurfaced during this campaign. Sudbury.com reported that, in a September 24 interview, she disputed the classification of mRNA injections as vaccines; Health Canada explicitly classifies the products as vaccines. She defended her earlier position as support for bodily autonomy and denied participating in or donating to the convoy. September statements and response, Health Canada explanation.
Campaign information: Miranda Rocca-Circelli’s website.
Every ward race
The lists below follow the City’s certified candidates and council candidate directory. Candidate links lead to campaign websites or the City’s contact directory. The directory also provides available contact details for candidates without a linked website.
Incumbent identifies the person currently holding the seat. Eric Benoit and Michel Brabant joined council by appointment during the current term. Current council, 2024 appointment announcement.
Ward 1
Candidates: William Cable; Tysen Galoni; Mark Signoretti — incumbent.
Candidate responses emphasize affordability, spending oversight, road and underground infrastructure repairs, and public safety. Ward 1 candidate responses.
Ward 2
Candidates: Eric Benoit — incumbent, appointed in 2024; Christel Brandle; Glen Duffy; Tracy Oost; Dan Xilon.
The ward forum focused on investment in outlying communities, aging infrastructure and recreation, including Anderson Farm and the loss of Meatbird Lake as a swimming destination. Candidates disagreed over whether current investments adequately address local needs. Ward 2 forum coverage.
Ward 3
Candidates: Michel Brabant — incumbent, appointed in 2024; Marcel Montpellier; Devin White.
Published priorities include road work, pedestrian safety and accessible community facilities. Brabant’s response specifically identifies school-area crossings, the Onaping Community Centre and Vermillion Lake Road. Ward 3 candidate responses.
Ward 4
Candidates: Vincent Bolt; Pauline Fortin — incumbent.
Housing, roads, seniors’ needs and access to services feature in the candidates’ responses. Specific concerns include transit service in Azilda and gaps in pedestrian connections. Ward 4 candidate responses.
Ward 5
Candidates: Mike Parent — incumbent; Roger Trottier.
Local issues identified in candidate coverage include roads, recreation at Kalmo Beach, flooding in the Flake subdivision and youth mental-health needs. Ward 5 candidate responses.
Ward 6
Candidates: Dan Boulard; Keegan Dutrisac; René Lapierre — incumbent.
Candidate responses raise infrastructure planning, dependable core services, value for taxes, communication and coordination on homelessness and addiction. Ward 6 candidate responses.
Ward 7
Candidates: Natalie Labbée — incumbent; Dave Rajotte; Aaron Walsh.
Emergency road access to Capreol and delays at railway crossings were prominent at the ward forum. Infrastructure, debt and local representation also featured. Ward 7 forum coverage.
Ward 8
Candidates: Karanbir Badhesha; George Lalonde; Carla Ross-Arsenault; Shawn Rossi; Natalie Tessier.
Property maintenance, rental-property standards and bylaw enforcement dominated the ward forum. Residents raised concerns about occupancy, parking and waste. No incumbent is on the ballot. Ward 8 forum coverage.
Ward 9
Candidates: Eddie Astgen; Wanda Berton-Heyerichs; James Borg; Carly Gasparini; Shawn Poland.
Candidate responses raise road conditions, drainage, speeding, transit, housing, lake protection and recreation. Fair service levels for outlying communities are another recurring concern. No incumbent is on the ballot. Ward 9 candidate responses.
Ward 10
Candidates: Tay Butt; Cora DeMarco; Trinity Mary Hollis; Cathan Pasanen; Suzanne Seiling; Paul Stopciati; Derek Young.
Downtown safety, homelessness, event-centre accountability and businesses affected by construction feature in candidate responses. Other priorities include housing, arts, accessibility and protecting lakes and green spaces. No incumbent is on the ballot. Ward 10 candidate responses.
Ward 11
Candidates: Mike Bleskie; Daniel Larocque; Bill Leduc — incumbent; Shawn Ouimet; Robert Rovinelli; Roxanne Tessier; Amy Voz.
Candidate responses include rat problems in Minnow Lake, road and winter sidewalk maintenance, safe routes near schools and seniors’ residences, housing supports and accountable representation. Ward 11 candidate responses.
Ward 12
Names on the ballot: Ron Goswell; Jeff MacIntyre; Colin McKerral — deceased, name remains on the ballot; Matteo Raso; Linnet Rimmer.
The City announced McKerral’s death on October 5. Because the withdrawal deadline had passed and ballots had been prepared, his name remains on the ballot. The City will provide notices to voters. Official City notice.
The ward forum raised homelessness, roads and sidewalks, Junction Creek flooding, neighbourhood investment and Flour Mill heritage. No incumbent is on the ballot. Ward 12 forum coverage.
Before you vote
Choose the issues that matter most to your household, then compare what the candidates actually propose. Ask how a promise would be funded, what approvals it needs, when it would happen and how progress would be reported. For storm response and flooding, ask what has changed and what still needs to be done.
My hope is that we elect a mayor and council who can turn a clear vision into practical results: better roads, dependable services, completed projects and opportunities for people to build their lives here. Look for candidates who understand Sudbury’s strengths, can work constructively with others and are prepared to follow through.
Read beyond a campaign slogan. The links above give you a starting point, and the City’s voter information page provides the official instructions for casting your ballot.