Thunder Bay mayor election 2026

Election day is Monday, October 26, 2026. Advance polls are open October 19 and October 21, 2026. Advance and election day polls are open from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Ontario municipal elections are held on the fourth Monday of October every four years, and the new term of office begins November 15, 2026.

Peter Diedrich has filed nomination papers for Mayor of Thunder Bay, along with several other individuals. Nominations close August 21, 2026 at 2:00 p.m., and the City Clerk certifies candidates on August 24, 2026 — no one is an official candidate until then. The City of Thunder Bay's election page carries the current filings and the certified list.

Under Ontario's Municipal Elections Act, you can vote if on election day you are at least 18 years old, a Canadian citizen, and either a resident of Thunder Bay or an owner or tenant of property in Thunder Bay (or the spouse of such a person), and you are not otherwise prohibited from voting. You must be on the voters' list to vote.

Confirm, add, or update your information at RegisterToVoteOn.ca — the deadline to do this online is August 12, 2026. The voters' list is then prepared on September 1, 2026. On or after September 1, changes must go through the City of Thunder Bay Clerk's Office rather than the website.

You are required to show identification to vote. If your name is on the voters' list, you need one piece of ID showing your name and address — a photo and signature are not required. Ontario publishes the full list of acceptable documents.

Voting locations and the voting method for the 2026 election are set and published by the City of Thunder Bay Clerk's Office, and your voter information card lists the location assigned to your address. Contact the City Clerk to ask whether alternative methods such as vote by mail are being offered.

The Mayor is head of council and chairs City Council. Thunder Bay is also a designated municipality under Ontario's strong mayor powers regulation, which gives the head of council added authority — including proposing the annual budget, vetoing certain by-laws, and appointing senior staff — subject to council override thresholds set out in the Municipal Act. Most decisions still require working with council.

Six priorities: economic growth, city operational transformation, infrastructure and services renewal, safe streets, streets to stability, and housing. Each priority page sets out the challenge, the plan, and what success looks like.