They're off! Nominations close as race for mayor, city council begins in earnest in Barrie

The field has been set for the October 24th municipal election in Barrie.

The deadline to file papers was 2 p.m. on Friday.

With no incumbent mayor, the race is wide open to replace Jeff Lehman, and seven candidates are in the running including Gerry Marshall, Mike McCann, Alex Nuttall, Andrew Gordon, Weldon Hachey, Rob Haverson and Barry Ward.

Marshall was mayor of Penetanguishene from 2010-18 and was warden of Simcoe County from 2014-18, ran as a Liberal candidate in the 2018 Ontario election, and in a Ward 3 Barre byelection in 2020.

McCann has represented Ward 10 for two terms.

Nuttall is familiar with municipal politics having served two terms on Barrie council from 2006-2014, and represented Barrie-Springwate-Oro-Medonte as a Conservative MP between 2015 and 2019.

Gordon enters the race with a background in finance.

Hachey is taking his first run at a political gig.

This is also the first political try for Haverson, who owns a car detailing company.

Ward has a long history at city hall as a Barrie councillor for 22 years, and the last four as deputy-mayor. He was also acting mayor when Lehman took a leave to run in the June provincial election.

It is a political easy street for Ward 5 councillor Robert Thomson and Ward 7 councillor Gary Harvey, as both were acclaimed for another term at city hall.

There are races in eight of the other wards.

The list is here: