Bluewater District School Board

Bluewater's Municipal Elections 2026 page

Municipal Elections 2026

The municipal elections will take place on Monday, October 26, 2026.  The information and resources in this section are being provided to assist those who are interested in running for the position of school board trustee.

Bluewater District School Board serves approximately 18,900 students in 41 elementary schools and nine secondary schools across Bruce and Grey counties, and employs about 3,700 permanent and casual staff. To view the current Board of Trustees and the areas they represent, click here.

Bluewater District School Board trustees and staff are guided by the vision, mission, and priorities that are outlined in the board's Multi-Year Strategic Plan.  More detailed information on the implementation of the Multi-Year Strategic Plan and the work of the board can be found in the Director's Annual Report 2025.

School Board Trustees - Who are they?
School board trustees are locally-elected representatives of the public and they are our community’s advocate for public education. Their role is to assist the board in fulfilling its duties under Ontario’s Education Act. They must maintain a focus on student achievement and well-being and help make decisions that benefit the whole school board district while representing the interests of their constituents. They must also communicate the views and decisions of the board back to their constituents.

Additional information regarding trustee roles in Bluewater District School Board can be found on our website: https://www.bwdsb.on.ca/trustees/trustee_roles  

Trustee Determination and Distribution
Before each general election, every Board of Trustees must determine the number of trustee positions on their board and distribute these positions across the board’s area of jurisdiction. This process is known as trustee determination and distribution.

The following report, entitled “Trustee Election 2026 – Trustee Determination and Distribution”,  includes the Bluewater District School Board-approved trustee determination and distribution calculations for the upcoming election. The number of elected trustees (nine) and their distribution across the municipalities remain unchanged from the last term of office (2022-2026).


Key Dates

Nomination/campaign period begins  May 1, 2026
Nomination Day: last day to be nominated August 21, 2026
Final day for withdrawal of candidacy August 21, 2026
Election Day October 26, 2026
School board trustee term of office begins November 16, 2026
Financial filing deadline March 30, 2027
School board trustee term of office ends  November 14, 2030


Additional Resources and Information
Municipal Elections website: https://www.ontario.ca/page/municipal-elections

2026 Candidates' Guide: Ontario Municipal Council and School Board Elections

2026 Voters' Guide: Ontario Municipal Council and School Board Elections 

The following centralized website has been developed by the Ontario Education Services Corporation (OESC) in partnership with Ontario's school board/trustee associations.:
elections.ontarioschooltrustees.org {currently under construction}

Bluewater District School Board is located on the traditional land of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation, which is represented by the communities of Saugeen First Nation and Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation.
Website by SchoolMessenger Presence. © 2026 SchoolMessenger Corporation. All rights reserved.