Three Northern Ontario mayors confirm they won’t be seeking re-election
Three northern Ontario mayors – in North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie and Mattawa -- have confirmed they aren't seeking re-election in 2022.
North Bay Mayor Al McDonald said he is sticking to the comments he made after the 2018 election.
“I am not running,” McDonald said Monday. “I’ve made that commitment to my wife, who is very supportive, and it’s time for me to go and do some other things.”
McDonald, mayor since 2010, said dealing with criticism can be tough to deal with. That includes the public backlash on the fallout of Invest North Bay, calls for greater transparency over the removal and payout of the city’s CAO, as well as plans regarding the proposed new twin pad hockey arena.
“It’s really important for councils and mayors to listen to the conversation,” said McDonald. “If we listened to the naysayers, we wouldn’t have a new hospital, we wouldn’t have the waterfront or Steve Omischl Park.”
Mattawa Mayor Dean Backer has been on town council for 31 years, 22 as mayor. Backer said it’s time to pass the torch to someone else to take the town into the future. He’s most proud of fighting and securing a new town hospital.
“At the old hospital, they were living out of portables for so many years since 1969 to the early 1970s and getting a new hospital in 2008 was (huge),” he said.
Sault Ste. Marie Mayor Christian Provenzano has already confirmed his name will not be on the ballot, while Timmins Mayor George Pirie is running in the upcoming provincial election for the Conservatives.
Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger is hoping to win next year’s municipal election. He said he is the best choice for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The outlook for Sudbury is great," Bigger said. "The future for Sudbury at this particular time and all that we have done to prepare ourselves for economic recovery.”
Voters go to the polls Oct. 24, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
WHO likely to issue wider alert on contaminated cough syrup
The World Health Organization is likely to issue a wider warning about contaminated Johnson and Johnson-made children's cough syrup found in Nigeria last week, it said in an email.
WATCH Video shows dramatic police takedown of carjacking suspects chased through parking lot north of Toronto
Police have released video footage of a dramatic takedown of a group of teens wanted in connection with an attempted carjacking in Markham earlier this month.
Canada, G7 urge 'all parties' to de-escalate in growing Mideast conflict
Canada called for 'all parties' to de-escalate rising tensions in the Mideast following an apparent Israeli drone attack against Iran overnight.
'It was all my savings': Ontario woman loses $15K to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
Families to receive Canada Child Benefit payment on Friday
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air'
The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time on what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.