ADAMS, David
Status
Registered candidate for Councillor of Owen Sound.
Contact
Relevant background
David Adams moved to Owen Sound in July 2025 after spending part of his childhood and teenage years in the Thornbury and Meaford area. He recently retired following a 38-year career in the automotive industry, including service as President and CEO of Global Automakers of Canada. His professional background includes lobbying, negotiation, collaboration, and working with different levels of government. He has also served on volunteer boards, volunteered with Owen Sound’s Canada Day celebrations, and raised more than $40,000 for Campfire Circle through a cycling fundraiser.
Platform and priorities
David Adams’s campaign identifies four main priorities:
- Revitalizing downtown and diversifying the local economy
- Addressing homelessness, addiction, and community safety
- Developing Owen Sound’s waterfront and tourism potential
- Thoughtful, transparent, and accountable municipal spending
His campaign presents Owen Sound as a potential gateway to the Bruce Peninsula and emphasizes supporting existing small businesses while making it easier for new businesses to open.
Sources
ARAKAL, Thomas
Status
Registered candidate for Councillor of Owen Sound.
Contact
Relevant background
Thomas Arakal is Vice President of CUPW Local 582 and has spoken publicly about Canada Post, rural postal service, public-service delivery, and middle-class employment. His experience includes front-line public service, labour representation, and advocacy concerning rural and community services.
Platform and priorities
Thomas Arakal’s published priorities focus on responsible spending, dependable city services and transportation, housing, community life, local opportunity, and responsive geographic ward responsibility within Owen Sound’s at-large electoral system. He supports transparent decision-making, responsible financial management, and keeping the cost of municipal government reasonable.
Sources
BIANCO, Justin
Status
Registered candidate for Councillor of Owen Sound.
Contact
Relevant background
Justin Bianco is an Owen Sound resident and small-business operator associated with Chameleon DJ Services, an event-entertainment business based in Owen Sound and serving Grey-Bruce. He previously lived in the Burlington area and moved to Owen Sound in 2021. His professional background includes many years providing DJ services for weddings and other events, including Master of Ceremonies services.
Previous public involvement
In 2022, Bianco spoke publicly to Global News about difficulties finding a family doctor after moving to Owen Sound. He described searching across the region for primary or walk-in care and advocated better access for residents without a family physician.
Platform and priorities
No public 2026 council platform has been identified yet.
Sources
HAMLEY, Brock
Status
Registered candidate for Councillor of Owen Sound.
Contact
Relevant background
Brock Hamley is an incumbent Owen Sound councillor, elected in 2022 with 3,201 votes.
Previous positions
In his 2022 campaign, Hamley emphasized significantly reducing or eliminating property-tax increases through better use of existing revenues and a third-party review of City operations. He called for a residential green-bin programme, increased funding for road resurfacing, doubling annual Community Improvement Plan funding for downtown businesses to $180,000, and a dedicated staff position focused on attracting business investment. He also proposed re-establishing a physician-recruitment committee, supported municipal financing assistance for affordable housing projects, and favoured enforceable regulation of short-term rentals that balanced tourism with neighbourhood impacts.
Council record
During the 2022–2026 term, Council implemented a weekly green-bin programme beginning in 2025, closely following one of Hamley’s most specific campaign commitments. A Primary Care Recruitment Task Force was also revived and developed into a broader Grey Bruce/Owen Sound recruitment effort, again broadly following his 2022 proposal. The City implemented the third-party Service Review Hamley had supported, with approximately $2 million in direct and indirect savings anticipated over the council term. His goal of significantly reducing or eliminating tax increases had mixed results: the 2023 municipal levy rose 0.86%, while Hamley joined unanimous Council approvals of increases of 2.58% in 2024 and 2.57% in 2025; the adopted 2026 budget produced an estimated 4.72% overall property-tax increase.
Provincial employment and declarations of interest
Hamley has held senior political staff positions with the Government of Ontario throughout his council term. He served in the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks, including as Interim Chief of Staff in 2024, and Ontario’s 2025 public salary disclosure lists him as Chief of Staff at the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, with a salary of $175,934. His provincial employment has resulted in frequent declarations of interest on City business involving the Ontario government. The City’s written-statement indexes record 31 such declarations from 2023 through July 2026, involving matters including provincial gas-tax funding, court-security funding, Strong Mayor powers, Bill 185 and the Provincial Policy Statement, conservation-authority legislation, provincial grants, housing-enabling funding, Ministry of Transportation agreements, and the Safe ’N Sound Neighbourhood Response Team pilot. These declarations reflect compliance with the City’s conflict-of-interest process, while also preventing Hamley from participating in a recurring range of municipal matters involving his provincial employer.
2026 platform
No dedicated public 2026 council platform has been identified yet. His documented 2022 positions and 2022–2026 council record are presented separately from any future 2026 commitments.
Sources
KUKREJA, Suneet
Status
Registered candidate for Councillor of Owen Sound.
Incumbent Owen Sound councillor, elected in 2022.
Contact
Relevant background
Suneet Kukreja was elected to Owen Sound City Council in 2022 with 2,916 votes. She is Program Manager of Immigrant Services at the YMCA of Owen Sound Grey Bruce, supporting newcomers across Grey and Bruce counties. She received the 2026 JCI International Women’s Day Award for Excellence in Leadership and Inspiration and has represented Owen Sound at Association of Municipalities of Ontario conferences.
Platform and priorities
2026 platform: A detailed platform has not yet been located.
Previous positions
In her 2022 campaign, Kukreja emphasized holding down property taxes and limiting municipal spending to necessities. She also supported stronger physician recruitment, making secondary housing units easier to create, removing development charges for low-income housing, further waterfront development, and strict licensing of short-term rentals.
Council record
During the 2022–2026 term, Council implemented a short-term-rental licensing system and continued advocating for improved physician recruitment, broadly following priorities Kukreja had identified during the campaign. Her commitment to stopping property-tax increases was less successful: municipal taxes continued to rise during the term, and she supported budgets containing levy increases, including the unanimously approved 2024 budget. More recently, Kukreja has argued that the City cannot simply continue adding staff while expenses and taxes rise, maintaining her earlier emphasis on controlling municipal operating costs.
Sources
MIDDLEBRO’, Melanie
Status
Registered candidate for Councillor of Owen Sound.
Contact
Relevant background
Melanie Middlebro’ is an incumbent Owen Sound councillor, first elected in 2022 with 3,443 votes. She moved to Owen Sound in 2005, holds a Doctor of Chiropractic degree, owned Bluewater Chiropractic from 2006 to 2020, and currently owns The Rocking Horse Toy Store in downtown Owen Sound.
2022 campaign positions
In her 2022 campaign, Middlebro’ emphasized fiscal responsibility, growing the tax base, reducing regulatory barriers, flexible zoning, increased housing construction, regional cooperation and shared services, and economic development. She also supported stronger regulation of full-time commercial short-term rentals in residential areas.
2022–2026 council record
During the 2022–2026 term, Middlebro’ frequently raised concerns about project costs and infrastructure priorities. Examples include voting against the over-budget Downtown River Precinct Phase 2 contract, questioning enhanced pedestrian-tunnel work when its funding would effectively eliminate 2027 road resurfacing, favouring a more basic “status quo with modernization” approach for 4th Avenue West, supporting a motion to avoid approving further City funds for the Harrison Park marker tree, questioning the timing and feasibility of a collision working group before the election, and arguing that Grey County should meet minimum condition standards or fund rehabilitation before transferring roads.
2026 platform
No dedicated public 2026 campaign platform has been identified yet. Her documented 2022 campaign positions and 2022–2026 council record are presented separately from any future 2026 commitments.
Sources
O'LEARY, Brian
Status
Registered candidate for Councillor of Owen Sound.
Contact
Relevant background
Brian O’Leary is a lifelong Owen Sound resident and former City Councillor. He served two terms on Council from 2014 to 2022, including as Deputy Mayor from 2018 to 2022. He ran for re-election as Deputy Mayor in 2022, receiving 2,233 votes to Scott Greig’s 3,717. O’Leary currently serves his third term on the Owen Sound Police Service Board, his first as a provincial appointee, after earlier terms as a City Council representative, including time as Deputy Mayor. He also has a long history in local hockey, including coaching roles with the Owen Sound Platers, Attack, and Greys.
Previous positions
During his earlier time on Council, O’Leary supported development-charge incentives for purpose-built rental housing, brownfield redevelopment incentives, and tourism investment. In 2020, he supported sending the police operating budget back to the Police Services Board for further savings review.
Platform and priorities
No public 2026 campaign platform has been identified yet.
Sources
ROBERTSON, Meghan
Status
Registered candidate for Councillor of Owen Sound.
Previous 2022 council candidate.
Contact
Relevant background
Meghan Robertson has lived in Owen Sound for most of her life and is raising two sons in the community. She has operated Meg’s Drywall for more than 20 years and advocates for women in the skilled trades. Robertson has served on the City’s Operations, Heritage, and Community Services committees and has participated in local volunteer organizations. She ran for Council in 2022 and received 2,723 votes.
Platform and priorities
2026 campaign themes
Meghan Robertson is campaigning on practical leadership, community experience, and an inclusive vision for Owen Sound. She has operated Meg’s Drywall for more than 20 years and has served on the City’s Operations, Heritage, and Community Services committees. Robertson says she would bring compassion, optimism, business experience, and a commitment to helping residents feel welcome and able to thrive.
Key themes
- Practical municipal leadership
- Small-business experience
- Experience on City committees
- Strong and inclusive communities
- Compassion and optimism
Her current campaign website emphasizes experience, leadership style, and community commitment rather than a detailed policy platform. It does not currently provide specific proposals, costs, service changes, or implementation plans.
Sources
SARGENT, Tamara
Status
Registered candidate for Councillor of Owen Sound.
Contact
Relevant background
Tamara Sargent is an Owen Sound community advocate who has spoken to City Council about Charter-protected public participation and petition activity. She has also written publicly about homelessness, affordability, healthcare, education, labour conditions, and public services.
Platform and priorities
2026 campaign platform
Tamara Sargent’s 2026 campaign focuses on expanding everyday municipal services. She proposes later and seven-day transit service, library hours from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. seven days a week, and two garbage bags per household on each collection day without tags. Sargent proposes a vacant residential property tax to encourage vacant homes to return to use and to help fund these measures. She says any remaining revenue could support municipal reserves or property-tax relief.
Key priorities
- Later and seven-day transit
- Seven-day library service, 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
- Two included garbage bags per household per collection
- Vacant residential property tax
Sargent’s campaign literature states that roughly 500 Owen Sound homes were recorded as vacant in the last census. She argues that a vacant residential property tax would encourage owners to rent or sell vacant homes, while revenue from properties remaining vacant could help fund the proposed service expansions, municipal reserves, or property-tax relief. HelpOS has not independently verified that the proposed tax would generate enough revenue to fund these measures.
Sources
SCHINBEIN, David William
Status
Registered candidate for Councillor of Owen Sound.
Contact
Relevant background
David William Schinbein has substantial previous municipal-government experience. The telephone number in his Owen Sound registration matches official Esquimalt election records for David Schinbein. He served on Esquimalt Council in British Columbia from 2011 through 2014. Before that, his published candidate biography reported service on Hanover Town Council and representing Hanover at Grey County Council.
During his Esquimalt term, Schinbein served in the acting-mayor rotation and held appointments involving the Greater Victoria Public Library Board, heritage, planning, local grants, community events, environmental matters, and municipal insurance. He later served as chair of Esquimalt’s Advisory Planning Commission and held a Greater Victoria Harbour Authority board role.
Platform and priorities
Previous municipal experience and positions
Earlier campaign material emphasized collaborative committee work, municipal and regional coordination, policing and shared-service governance, and experience with municipal amalgamation discussions.
2026 platform: A current Owen Sound platform has not yet been located.
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