Are you passionate about creating change or representing diverse voices at the council or school board table?
You should consider running for election.
Your most important qualification is your desire to learn about the issues and your willingness to research and ask questions to understand how things work. You don’t need to start out with in-depth knowledge of how council or school boards work. Fresh perspectives can lead to better solutions.
You can run for councillor or school board trustee if you:
- Are over 18
- Are a Canadian citizen
- Live, rent or own property in the community
Learn more
Get information on the role of municipal council
- Government of Ontario: The Ontario municipal councillor’s guide
- Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO): Key Municipal Roles
Get information on the role of a school board trustee
Find local resources for women in politics
- Municipal Campaign School: A campaign school collective from Guelph, Wellington & Oxford Counties
- Elect Her Now: An Advisory Council from 17 municipalities from Grey-Bruce
Find information and tools for women in politics
- Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Election Involvement Campaign
- Politics Now: A grassroots collective committed to empowering women in politics This experience opened doors for me to find my confidence and put my name forward. I used the tools from the Guelph campaign school to run a positive, community focused, grass-roots campaign. Although I missed a seat on Woodstock’s City Council by 59 votes in 2018, I knew I would run again in 2022. I connected with the team from Guelph and other campaign schools and I am pleased to share that I was not only successful the second time, but I came out with the most votes for our city wide election.
Kate Leatherbarrow, Woodstock City Councillor 2022-2026
This experience opened doors for me to find my confidence and put my name forward. I used the tools from the Guelph campaign school to run a positive, community focused, grass-roots campaign. Although I missed a seat on Woodstock’s City Council by 59 votes in 2018, I knew I would run again in 2022. I connected with the team from Guelph and other campaign schools and I am pleased to share that I was not only successful the second time, but I came out with the most votes for our city wide election.