r/Muskoka

• The member of Parliament for Parry Sound—Muskoka is preparing to leave federal politics, becoming the eighth MP to leave Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s caucus since the 2025 election.
• “I feel very much like last year was especially draining because I found myself constantly saying, you know, ‘Let’s stay focused,’ you know, ‘Let’s stay positive,’ and I did that with a lot of folks,” he says in his Parliament Hill office. "Fundamentally, I’m still a believer in the movement.”
• Read the full article for free with this gift link, no subscription necessary.

A not-at-all-serious TLDR of every candidate

One week out from the election, here's the extremely unofficial, mildly snarky version of who's actually on the ballot.

Sourced mostly from the candidates' own websites and profiles, so take it with a grain of road salt. Not an endorsement. No candidates were interviewed for this post, which makes it about as rigorous as some endorsement lists, just more honest about it. Nobody will be dropping this on your dock. Do your own reading. Further snark and corrections welcome.

Full candidate profiles: see Town of Gravenhurst

---

🏛️ MAYOR

Heidi Lorenz 🛠️ If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It

• Incumbent mayor, 16 years on council: Ward, then District, then Mayor
• Says the foundation for a vibrant downtown has been laid. Judging by the construction, she meant literally. The detour signs are now up for heritage designation.

Jo Morphy 🤫 The Oversharer

• Current Ward 2 councillor, running on the "Morphy Plan" (downtown, the Wharf, ice time... so, everyone's plan, but with her name on it)
• Promises discipline and transparency
• Integrity Commissioner reprimand in 2024 (source) for being a little too transparent with closed-session info. Was disciplined.

Jeff Watson ☕🚒 The Former Everything

• Former councillor, former Deputy Mayor, former firefighter, former Tim Hortons franchise owner (32½ years of double-doubles)
• Hosts his campaign coffee chats at the Old Mill, not Tims. Even he's moved on.
• Soon to be a former mayoral candidate, whatever happens

Marc Mantha 🗳️ The Professional Candidate

• 2018: Ward 4 · 2021: Federal 🟢 · 2022: Mayor · 2026: Mayor again
• Maybe this time?

---

🏛️ DISTRICT (3 seats, 5 candidates)

Penny Varney 🎨 The Artsy Incumbent

• Current Ward 1 councillor, now aiming for District
• Founded the Arts at the Albion co-op
• 2025 Integrity Commissioner finding (source) over sidewalk flag signs for her own gallery. The red flags were literal.

Jaden Hollingshead 🏘️ The Bracebridge Guy

• Executive director of the Bracebridge Chamber of Commerce, treasurer of the Muskoka Community Land Trust
• Campaign promise: "show up prepared." Same platform as the Boy Scouts.
• Was with the Gravenhurst Chamber, left for Bracebridge, now sliding back into Gravenhurst's DMs

Christina Hunter 🌱 The Environmentalist

• Current Ward 5 councillor and Alternate District Councillor
• Instagram handle: @yournextdistrictcouncillor. Manifesting it, apparently.
• Signature issue: waste diversion. Finally, a candidate who admits she's talking garbage.

Erin Strength 🧰 The Municipal Swiss Army Knife

• Pharmacy manager, seniors assistant, Ward councillor, District councillor... a tool for every job
• Committee of Adjustment, BIA, Community and Planning Services... she's nearly collected the full set
• Her self-written profile helpfully identifies "Erin's most outstanding quality." Modesty didn't make the list.

Sandy Cairns ⚖️ The Good-Faith Judgment

• Current District councillor, 26+ years in municipal politics, longtime Communities in Bloom volunteer
• Integrity Commissioner found a conflict over a motion for that very program (source), but ruled it a good-faith error. Even her ethics violations are wholesome.

---

🏠 WARD 1 (1 seat, 5 candidates)

Gordie Merton 🤔 What's a Hectare?

• Local small-business owner, community volunteer, ran for District in 2022
• After the MLA all-candidates meeting, may still be working on the metric system (ask anyone who was there)
• Only candidate campaigning on TikTok, in a town where most voters think TikTok is the kitchen clock.

Heidi Welker 💼 The Other Heidi

• 40+ years in business development and sales. Now pitching herself. All sales final October 26.
• Gravenhurst Library trustee, sits on the Town's Awards and Grants committees
• Platform: concerns about streets. Concerns about snow clearing. Concerns about garbage collection. She's very concerned.

Elizabeth Shannon 🎹 The Organist

• Arts and cultural-sector background, eight years on the Choral Canada board. Yes, she actually plays the organ.
• Campaign pillars: "Growth with purpose. Development with responsibility." Same clichés as everyone else, but she can play hers to "Baby Elephant Walk."

Brad Rundle 🌙 Shoot for the Moon

• Ran the Gravenhurst Opera House for eight years
• Self-described "unapologetic idealist"
• Lost Ward 4 to Randy in 2022, now trying Ward 1. Shoot for the moon, land in a different ward.

Erin Gauthier 🆕 The Fresh Face

• First run for elected office, five years as a crisis counsellor, so she's arguably overqualified for council meetings
• Running on affordable housing, downtown and roads. Candidate bingo, complete.

---

🏠 WARD 2 (1 seat, 3 candidates)

Stephen Sims 🛒 The No Frills Candidate

• PhD, 29-year Western prof, 20-year lake tester, current Committee of Adjustment member
• Wants staff to "sharpen their pencils" on the budget. Spoken like a man who's graded 29 years of excuses.
• Signs: No Frills. CV: President's Choice. Knows a lot, and wrote a campaign thesis on his website to prove it.

Anita Latner 🏡 The Real Estate Agent

• Longtime Gravenhurst realtor and business owner
• Campaign material currently listed as "N/A". Has seen more listings than platforms.

David Kellam 🤖 Generating Content... 50% Complete

• Website from an AI site builder. Knows where to shop downtown. What he'd do on council? Ran out of tokens.
• Photos: 👍
• Does "The Guy Who Gets It" get it? 👎

---

🏠 WARD 3 (1 seat, 2 candidates)

Carol Ann LeMoine 🎓 The Teacher

• 25 years in education: teacher, math consultant, principal. Council's budget may finally add up.
• Morrison Lake Ratepayers executive. Lifelong cottager, year-round local for a whole two years.

Larry Brassard 🚒👮 Action Man

• 44 years firefighting, 20 policing, Gravenhurst Fire Chief 2012–2021, now volunteers with disaster-relief groups
• Both a cop and a firefighter. Next he'll tell us he cheers for the Leafs and the Habs.
• Personal mantra: "Deeds Speak." If by deeds you mean humblebrags, in the third person.

---

🏠 WARD 4 (acclaimed)

Randy Jorgensen 🏆 Winner by Default

• Current Ward 4 councillor. Nobody else filed.
• Randy, you've got a free shot. Pull up a stump and tell us which of the other 21 might actually deliver the platform they're all running on.

---

🏠 WARD 5 (1 seat, 2 candidates)

Tina Kilbourne 📚 Any Resemblance...

• 26 years in municipal government: transit, economic development, child care, environmental work
• Award-winning novelist. Latest book: 40 Days in Hicksville. Heard it's great. Hope it's not autobiographical.

Samantha Renee Ennest 📝 The N/A Candidate

• No website, and her official Town profile reads "N/A"
• Campaigning exclusively on Facebook, meeting Gravenhurst voters where they already go to argue

---

Voting runs online and by phone, October 14–26. You don't even have to put on pants. If Randy can get elected without a single vote, you can at least cast one. "None of the above" isn't an option, so nine of them are getting the job either way.

Read the actual profiles, then go to the actual all-candidates meeting: tonight (Wed, Oct 7) at the Gravenhurst Opera House, hosted by the Gravenhurst Chamber of Commerce. Doors at 6, Q&A at 6:30, meet-and-greet in Trillium Court after. Then come back and tell me where I was too nice.

I live about two hours from Muskoka and would to visit for a day with my family. It's a huge place, so I have no idea what the best areas to explore would be. I've got a senior with me, so a hike would need to be on the easy side. We enjoy driving, so any recommendations, especially for a good driving path, would be amazing!

I was at Algonquin Outfitters in downtown Huntsville  today, 3rd October around 4.30pm to rent a canoe/kayak, and I saw a guy who was working there and really caught my attention. You had slightly reddish-brown, curly/wavy hair and wore glasses.

We didn‘t speak at all, later on saw the same guy inside the store. I’ve been kicking myself for it ever since.

If you think this might be you, send me a DMand tell me something about our interaction so I know it’s you.

I know this is a long shot, but figured it was worth trying!