Michael Eamon elected mayor of Peterborough, Ont. with 36.5% of the vote

The early bird does get the worm as Michael Eamon, the first candidate to file nomination papers in his community, was elected mayor of the City of Peterborough, Ont., on Monday night.

Eamon entered his name into the mayoral race on May 1, and then six other candidates came forward as Mayor Jeff Leal this summer announced he would not be seeking re-election.

With all seven tabulator locations reporting, Eamon received 10,867 votes — 36.5 per cent of the 29,773 votes cast.

He finished well ahead of runner-up Neil Morton, who received 7,372 votes (24.8 per cent) and longtime city councillor Keith Riel (5,990 votes or 20.1 per cent).

Other candidates included Rebecca Schillemat (2,526 votes or 8.5 per cent), Trent University student Jacob Méthot (1,112 votes or 3.7 per cent), Brian Lumsden (1,106 votes or 3.7 per cent) and Rob Hailman (800 votes or 2.7 per cent). Lumsden previously ran for mayor in 2022, finishing with 2.78 per cent of the votes.

Eamon, principal of the Catharine Parr Traill College at Trent University, also teaches history but his professional experience focuses on administration and management on the federal government level in Ottawa and at Trent. Along with four history degrees, Eamon also holds certificates in project management, project planning and control, procurement, change management and cultural resource management.

In a statement, Eamon commended the other candidates in a “long,” six-month campaign and commended their efforts and dedication.

“You brought many good ideas to the table. And you made it abundantly clear how much you care for this community,” said Eamon. “I hope you will continue to  use your skills for the betterment of our city.”

Eamon specifically thanked Riel for his 16 years as a councillor for Ward 4 (Ashburnham).

The mayor-elect also offered his congratulations to all the candidates who were elected to council.

“Enjoy your well-earned victories. We have a lot of work ahead of us,” he said. “I’m looking forward to working with each and every one of  you.  I look forward to meeting with you in the coming weeks to learn about your priorities so we can hit the ground running  after the inauguration. And to everyone who ran — Thank you! We can’t have a democracy without caring, committed people who come forward every four years to offer their skills and their service to make the city better.”

Eamon will be joined on city council with five incumbents and six new councillors.

Elected to city council (2 per ward)

Ward 1 (Otonabee)
x- Lesley Parnell (incumbent) 2,677 votes (29.3 per cent)
x- Chris Potter 2,318 votes (25.4 per cent)
Kevin Duguay (incumbent) 2,294 votes (25.1 per cent)
Lucas Graham 1,580 votes (17.3 per cent)
Joe Laton-Trickett 260 votes (2.8 per cent)

Ward 2 (Monaghan)
x- Matt Crowley (incumbent) 5,301 votes (43.9 per cent)
x- AJ Shearer 2,241 votes (18.6 per cent)
Ashley Flynn 1,935 votes (16 per cent)
Rose Kitney 1,197 votes (9.9 per cent
Jen Lacey 1,061 votes (8.8 per cent)
Aris Metaxakis 337 votes (2.8 per cent)

Ward 3 (Town)
x- Alex Bierk (incumbent) 3,261 votes (33.4 per cent)
x- Joy Lachica (incumbent) 3,086 votes (31.6 per cent)
Jenni Cathcart 2,296 votes (23.5 per cent)
Nigel Lister 657 votes (6.7 per cent)
Jessica Kuhlmorgen-Hille 468 votes (4.8 per cent)

Ward 4 (Ashburnham)
x- Ashley Bonner 3,536 votes (34.0 per cent)
x- Jason Stabler 3,107 votes (29.9 per cent)
Gary Baldwin (incumbent) 2,570 votes (24.7 per cent)
Andrew MacGregor 1,191 votes (11.4 per cent)

Ward 5 (Northcrest)
x- Andrew Beamer (incumbent) 3,765 votes (32.0 per cent)
x- Charmaine Magumbe 2,371 votes (20.2 per cent)
Jim Wasson 1,536 votes (13.1 per cent)
Gavin Muir 1,528 votes (13.0 per cent)
Debbie Halstead 1,026 votes (8.7 per cent)
Phil Jolicouer 843 votes (7.2 per cent)
Paul Lawton 640 votes (5.4 per cent)
Dennis Nephin 52 votes (0.4 per cent)

The city reported a 40.27 per cent voter turnout – or 30,044 of 74,603 eligible electors. In 2022, voter turnout was also just over 40 per cent. In 2018, turnout was over 48 per cent.