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 ward representation. He supports transparent decision-making, responsible financial management, and keeping the cost of municipal government reasonable.
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.
Previously stated priorities from the 2022 campaign
In her 2022 campaign, Kukreja supported restraining municipal spending and avoiding tax increases, developing the waterfront to support jobs and investment, recruiting healthcare professionals, waiving development charges for low-income housing, streamlining secondary residential units, regulating short-term rentals, and developing eco-tourism and transportation connections.
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
Current campaign themes
Robertson’s 2026 campaign emphasizes practical leadership, business and problem-solving experience, compassion, active community participation, inclusion, optimism, and creating opportunities for residents to thrive. Her current website presents her experience and leadership approach rather than a detailed issue-by-issue platform.
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
Current public advocacy and campaign themes
Sargent’s published campaign and advocacy material focuses on housing, compassionate responses to homelessness, public participation and civil liberties, healthcare, affordability, education, labour conditions, and protecting public services. Her campaign has identified housing as a major local challenge and has encouraged residents to examine the Glassworks co-operative housing proposal.
2026 platform: A consolidated platform document has not yet been located.
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.
Sources