A new mayor will lead Selwyn Township over the next four years following the retirement of longtime mayor Mary Smith.
Smith in February announced she would not be seeking re-election after two decades of municipal politics. She was first elected as deputy reeve for the village of Lakefield in 1998 and has been mayor of the newly named Selwyn Township since 2010.
Seeking to replace her are former deputy reeve Andy Mitchell, former councillor Ron Black and entrepreneur Linda Eales.
Candidates
Mayor
Ron Black
Andy Mitchell
Linda Eales
Deputy Mayor
Sherry Senis (acclaimed)
Ennismore Ward councillor (1 to be elected)
Donna Ballantyne
Brad Sinclair
Lakefield Ward councillor (1 to be elected)
Anita Locke (acclaimed)
Smith Ward councillor (1 to be elected)
Gerry Herron (acclaimed)
The Township
Selwyn Township is just north of Peterborough. It is the amalgamation of a number of hamlets and communities including Lakefield, Ennismore, Bridgenorth, Young’s Point. Formerly Smith-Ennismore-Lakefield, the township changed its named to Selwyn in 2012. Nearly 70 per cent of the township is rural with agriculture a leading industry. Tourism is also a major focus with cottagers, anglers and boaters flocking to the area’s many lakes – notably Chemong Lake – and the Trent Severn Waterway which flows through the township. Lakefield College School – a private school just north of Lakefield – gained international attention when Prince Andrew attended for one term in 1977. The town of Lakefield is patrolled by the Peterborough Police Service while the rest of the township is under the jurisdiction of Peterborough County OPP. Selwyn Township is part of Peterborough County.
Population (2016)
17,060
Median total income of couple economic families with children (2015)/Ont. median
$119,893/$75,369
Crime Severity Index (2016) – municipal/Ont.
1870.40*/55.40 – *Excludes the village of Lakefield
Violent Crime Severity Index (2017) – municipal/Ont.
15.83/68.69 – *Excludes the village of Lakefield
Political representation
Federal
Maryam Monsef (Liberal) – Peterborough-Kawartha
Provincial
David Smith (Progressive Conservative) – Peterborough-Kawartha
Comments