One New Face on Council: Matheson Joins Returning Anderson, Golden and Dowd
Tessa Swanton (Townson),
Bruce Peninsula Press
Milt McIver will return for another term as mayor of Northern Bruce Peninsula. McIver defeated Brad Gesinghaus in the October 26th Municipal election, receiving 1,935 votes, approximately 60% of the ballots cast.
McIver is making history as one of Canada’s longest-serving heads of municipal government. He was elected reeve of Lindsay Township in 1982, serving until transitioning to mayor of MNBP after amalgamation in 1999. His experience as head of council totals 44 consecutive years, second in Canadian history only to Milton’s Gord Krantz, who has led that town since 1980. At press time, unofficial results showed Krantz trailing challenger George Minakakis by a wide margin, a loss that would make McIver the longest-serving current head of council in the country.
McIver said that his deep roots on the Peninsula are his motivation to serve in municipal government as his family still lives on the farm settled by his ancestors in the mid-1800s. He plans to focus on affordability, managing tourism, balancing growth, traffic and road safety, water and wastewater management, supporting local schools and healthcare, and advocating for cell service and broadband capability.
Rod Anderson won the deputy mayor race with 1,910 votes, retaining his position for another term. He has 22 years of experience as reeve and deputy reeve of St. Edmunds and MNBP deputy mayor. He wants to upgrade facilities and advocate for water/sewage infrastructure.
Replacing councillor Aman Sohrab, who did not seek re-election, is Ryan Matheson. He received the most votes of any council candidate, with 2,548 votes. Matheson is a lifelong MNBP resident, co-owner of Camp Celtic and holds a master’s degree in rural planning and development. He plans to support year-round livability, focus on community groups and non-profits, develop circular economies, and protect vulnerable citizens.
Photo: Returning Councillor Laurie (Smokey) Golden.
Photo: Returning Councillor Todd Dowd.
Photo: The only new face elected to council, Ryan Matheson.
Returning councillor Laurie (Smokey) Golden received the second highest number of votes for councillor with 2,158 votes. Golden will be the only female councillor at the table for the second term in a row. At the October 14th council meeting, she advocated for seniors who struggle with navigating technology, saying that she wants to ensure they are aware of municipal business even if they cannot easily access the internet. According to Statistics Canada, MNBP has a substantial aging and seniors population nearing 64% of the total demographic.
Sitting councillor Todd Dowd was re-elected with 2,057 votes. Dowd served in the Canadian Armed Forces and works as a carpenter and bison farmer. He hopes to work as a team to make the community a better place to live.
The Bluewater District School Board Trustee represents both North and South Bruce Peninsula. Candidate Robert Galbraith holds a commanding lead in North Bruce Peninsula, however the Town of South Bruce Peninsula votes for public school board trustee were not available at press time.
The 2026-2030 Council’s inaugural meeting is scheduled for November 23.
