Well, now we have ourselves a race!

August 27, 2026 · 0 Comments

by SHERALYN ROMAN

Buckle up, Caledon, because now we have ourselves a race! In all but one category, a flurry of candidates either registered to run, or withdrew their candidacy and now we residents find ourselves with a plethora of choices in the upcoming election. These are interesting times and as I’ve stated quite categorically, I believe this election to be pivotal in terms of defining the future direction of our town.

So, start doing your research now ‘cause it might take a while.

More than ever before, the message this year is to vote. It is our responsibility to become an informed electorate that actively participates in the democratic process and this year, that means taking the time to vet the candidates running according to what matters not only to you personally, but also with regards to how Caledon grows as a community. With mandates from the provincial government for growth, and other “vested interests” in certain aggregate materials, farmland that’s in the way of a highway, and in housing and other development lands all influencing what happens here, we need a strong, UNITED, Council to stand up for what’s right for Caledon.

Luckily, in almost every category, more than one person has put their name forward for our consideration, with the exception of the Regional Councillor 4,5,6 position where presumably Tony Rosa, as the only declared candidate, will be acclaimed. One mayoral candidate has withdrawn and elsewhere, some wards that previously had only one registered candidate, now have several to choose from.

The updated list even includes candidates who currently sit on council in another city (a position they are presumably not seeking re-election for) and who ran federally during last year’s federal election. Closer to home, it’s encouraging (from my perspective) to see long-time community advocates who already have a strong history of committing time and energy to various issues of great concern to Caledon residents now also putting their name on the ballot.

In my mind, someone who has already shown up for Caledon through their community volunteer work, or issues-based advocacy, is someone who is demonstrating that even without the benefit of a Council paycheque, they are interested in community well-being. We should also give credit where credit is due to those candidates who have already spent their summer learning about, advocating for, and actively listening to constituents because they registered way back in May.

A number of these candidates offer specific skill sets and expertise that would certainly be advantageous at the Council table. Of course, some candidates also bring their past experience as either a Councillor or Regional Councillor and this may or may not be considered a benefit in terms of the experience they offer. What it does offer with certainty, however, is the opportunity to peruse their voting records on matter of concerns such as MZOs, Swan Lake, the future of aggregate or the 413, in order to better understand where they stand (and with whom) on the significant issues facing Caledon now and in our future.

As positive as all of this is, unfortunately we are already seeing the downside of politics too. The name-calling, mud-slinging and even, sadly, some particularly racist commentary, is also picking up speed at an alarming rate. So too is misinformation, which seems to be happening to some candidates more than others. Whether any of this is intentional or not is, of course, difficult to say. It’s why again, I urge residents to do their homework and by homework I mean reading credible news sources (like this paper), attending debates which are being scheduled to take place over the coming weeks, and to review past Council decisions to see who, and how, current incumbent candidates have voted in the past on the issues you are most concerned about.

Frankly, it also means we should be questioning everything we hear. If it sounds “too good to be true,” or sounds “unbelievable,” it probably is. Social media, even well-meaning community hosted pages who are doing things like proactively sending out questionnaires to all candidates (affording each candidate the same opportunity to respond) is still a tool that one must use cautiously, and preferably while avoiding altogether the “comments” sections which can, until the moderators step in, occasionally get pretty ugly.

There’s a lot at stake in Caledon. We’ll try not to harangue you about the election in every column between now and October 26, but this week it felt important to note that with the nomination period closing August 21, 2026 we now know for certain who is running in each Ward, for a Regional Councillor position, or for the role of Mayor.

In other words, we now have ourselves a race. It’s time to buckle up, do your research, then motor on down to your local polling station on October 26th, 2026 to “Have Your Say Caledon.”