I am pleased to announce my candidacy for the seat of District & Town Councillor in the Town of Huntsville in the 2026 municipal election.
My connections with Huntsville and Muskoka span a lifetime, and the desire to live and serve in this community is strong. I bring with me an extensive background that I feel will serve the citizens of Huntsville and broader Muskoka as well. Outside my current municipal life, my career spans 40 years in Information Technology and business management, including building an IT services company, holding leadership roles in Healthcare IT (both within the Ministry of Health and in the private sector), and later providing best-practice and governance consulting to organizations across North America. I have served on Armour Council for 8 years, including 4 years as mayor, and was president of the Three Mile Lake (Armour) lake association for 16 years prior to that.
My real passion is municipal government and how it serves the community. At its best, this public service is incredibly important in shaping the future and protecting future generations. It requires vision, but it also requires positive energy. I am a tireless worker, and I fuel this with that positive energy. This can’t be done alone and it requires a team to work toward that vision. I am a leader by nature and the most rewarding part of leadership is being part of a highly effective and positive team.
Public service, done effectively, is also a huge commitment. Each four-year cycle requires thoughtful review on what the next cycle looks like, both personally and professionally. The commitment goes beyond yourself for sure. In making the decision to run in Huntsville, this also means that I will not be seeking re-election as Mayor in Armour Township after having served on Armour Council for 8 years. Armour Township is a small well-run municipality. A high degree of trust exists among council and staff. I’m proud to have been part of this Council and know that the people in Armour are in good hands.
Looking back on my role as a mayor, my vision centred on how Armour Township could be part of a broader, collaborative approach across the Almaguin Highlands and beyond. My roles as chair of the Almaguin Highlands Health Council (representing 10 municipalities) and as chair of the South East Parry Sound Planning Board (representing 6 municipalities) demonstrate this view of the bigger picture. I am proud of my leadership role in support of the Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare (MAHC) hospital redevelopment project through the municipal ‘local share’ initiative. And my work on many healthcare-related committees as part of the newly-named Muskoka Almaguin Ontario Health Team further demonstrated commitment to the broader community. Advocacy work with MAHC and with the Huntsville Hospital Foundation, as well as all of the municipalities across Muskoka and Almaguin, has been in efforts to improve healthcare across the entire region through collaboration.
One of my favourite sayings is ‘learn how to teach but never forget how to learn.’ I continually expand my knowledge through education, including many courses related to municipal government administration and governance. You can’t lead by just talking. You need to talk from a base of knowledge. And you need to listen to gain that knowledge.
Huntsville and the broader Muskoka region are vibrant and growing communities. At the same time, they are vast, complex, and deeply connected to the natural environment that makes this area so special. With recent announcements from the province, the District of Muskoka is at an important moment in its future. It is one of the key reasons I want to represent Huntsville in these discussions and help shape the path forward for our community. When you live in a place as beautiful and unique as our region, it is natural to be cautious about change. We want to protect what makes it special. At the same time, thoughtful and well-managed progress is important if we want our communities to remain strong, sustainable, and vibrant for future generations. That means planning carefully, being transparent, listening to residents, and considering the long-term impacts of the decisions we make. We cannot pursue growth at any cost, but we also cannot stand still. The challenge is finding the right balance — protecting the character and natural beauty of the region while ensuring our communities continue to thrive. My years in municipal government, together with my 16 years as president of the Three Mile Lake (Armour) Association, have given me a strong appreciation for both responsible planning and environmental stewardship. Those experiences continue to shape my belief that Muskoka’s future depends on balanced, thoughtful decision-making that reflects the values of the people who live here. I would be honoured to serve Huntsville and the broader region of Muskoka as one of your District and Town Councillors. News and updates will be forthcoming at https://www.facebook.com/4HuntsvilleMuskoka/.
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Good luck Rod. Your previous political experiences should mean that you will hit the ground running. New ideas and perspectives are needed on this council.
Responding to two comments made regarding my bid for District and Town Councillor seat in Huntsville. My wife and I own a house in Huntsville and we are making a permanent move from our place in Armour Township to Huntsville. I too believe that you must live in the community you serve, hence my decision not to run in Armour and instead seek to serve the community in Huntsville. I have been very involved in initiatives across the regions of both Muskoka and the Almaguin Highlands. I am not a ‘career politician’ – my career has been in Information Technology. Serving the community is more of a passion than a career.
You sound like a career politician, do you live in the municipality of Huntsville or Armour Township of which you are mayor?
A true politician. One question, do you live in Huntsville in Armour Twp? I firmly believe that a person should have to live in the municipality if they want to represent the community.