Early voting begins in Black River-Matheson, where mayor, council were thrown out

Online voting has begun in Black River-Matheson, the northern Ontario community looking to replace its entire township council. (Facebook photo)

Online voting has begun in Black River-Matheson, the northern Ontario community looking to replace its entire township council.

Advance voting will run until election day Aug. 12, the township said on its website. Polls close at 8 p.m. election day.

Voters will choose a new mayor and six ward councillors, who will complete the remaining two years in the municipal term. Residents who have received their voting cards along with a personalized PIN number can vote by telephone or online.

Anyone who hasn’t received their voting card can call the municipal office at 705-273-2313, ext. 315, or the voter helpline at 1-866-810-4838.

A list of candidates for the Aug 12 vote can be found here.

After a bitter, months-long strike by municipal workers, court battles and revolt by half of council, the province removed the mayor and council in Black-River Matheson in April and ordered new elections.

• Download our app to get local alerts on your device
• Get the latest local updates right to your inbox

In February, Ward 2 Coun. Keith Neal resigned, the third township councillor to do so since the 2022 municipal election.

In March, three other councillors began refusing to attend meetings in hopes of forcing a byelection.

Also in April, an agreement was reached to end what was then a six-month strike by municipal workers, but the deal was held up when the town refused to drop legal action and not take reprisals on staff for their conduct during the strike.