And now it gets serious.
Nominations have closed for the city election to determine Barrie’s next mayor and city council.
The deadline for candidates filing their papers was today 2 p.m. for the Oct. 24 election.
When the dust settled there were seven candidates to replace Jeff Lehman as mayor. Alex Nuttall, Rob Haverson, Gerry Marshall, Barry Ward, Mike McCann, Andrew Gordon, and Weldon Hachey all want to sit in the big chair.
Nuttall, 36, served two terms on Barrie council, from 2006 to 2014, and was also Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte MP from 2015 until 2019.
Haverson, 33, who owns a car detailing company, has no political experience.
Marshall, 66, is the former mayor of Penetanguishene (2010-18), former Simcoe County warden (2014-18), ran as the Liberal candidate for Simcoe North in the 2018 Ontario election, and in Barrie’s Ward 3 byelection in 2020.
Ward, 64, has been a Barrie councillor for 22 years, the last four also as deputy-mayor. He was also acting mayor when Lehman ran for MPP in the June 2 Ontario election, after declaring he would not seek a fourth term as Barrie mayor.
McCann, 46, is a two-term Ward 10 councillor.
Gordon, 34, has a background in finance.
Hachey, 52, has never run for political office.
In the 10 races for ward councillors, incumbents Robert Thomson and Gary Harvey were acclaimed in Wards 5 and 7, respectively.
Clare Riepma is the incumbent in Ward 1 and is being challenged by Constance Elliott and Andre Jmourko.
In Ward 2, incumbent Keenan Aylwin did not seek re-election. The candidates to replace him are Craig Nixon, Shanicka Edwards, Tif Arshi, Bob Ossowski, Greg Peach, and Tracy Lee Strohm.
Incumbent Ann-Marie Kungl is opposed by Zohaib Tahir and Ryan Rijo in Ward 3.
With longtime Ward 4 Coun. Barry Ward seeking the mayor’s chair, seven candidates have filed their papers there. They include Donald McLaurin, Tim Abel, Ajmal Noushahi, Amy Courser, Dieter Mueller, Robert Newman, Michael Lewis, and MD Hafizur Rahman.
Natalie Harris is not seeking re-election in Ward 6, where the candidates are Nigussie Nigussie, Darryl Duff, Kevin LePage, Sharon Doran, and Allan Bray.
Jim Harris is the incumbent councillor in Ward 8 and is being challenged by John Webb.
Norman Costello, William Rowe and Adam Wilcox are opposing two-term Coun. Sergio Morales in Ward 9.
Bryn Hamilton, Steven Mirtsos, Ken Lloyd, and Joy Douglas are the candidates in Ward 10, where Mike McCann is the incumbent but is running for mayor.
The list of candidates is expected to be certified by the city clerk's office on Monday
For more information on the city election, visit barrie.ca.
Candidate profiles and other election-related news can also be viewed on BarrieToday's municipal election page by clicking here.
