Collingwood Municipal Election · October 26, 2026
Elect Deb Doherty for Deputy Mayor.
Experienced Leadership.
Connected Advocacy.
A Sustainable Future for Collingwood.
Oct 26Election Day
Responsible Growth
Affordable Housing
Healthy Environment
Value for Taxpayers
A Stronger Voice
Collingwood needs leadership that is ready on day one. Experience matters when making decisions that affect taxes, growth, infrastructure, and quality of life.
Why I'm running
Growth remains one of the defining issues facing our Town. People are coming to Collingwood from all over the province and beyond and it’s no wonder – it’s a great place to live. But growth brings hard choices, and the decisions we make today will shape Collingwood for generations. Let’s grow sustainably, protecting our small-town feel and the natural features we love, and creating attainable, inclusive living for everyone.
That means ensuring infrastructure keeps pace with development, protecting neighbourhood character while planning for future residents through responsible, well-designed developments. I intend to protect our small town character by creating Safe Streets - addressing road traffic volume, speeds and safety with a Vision Zero transportation framework. And we ensure current and future residents are protected against the effects of climate change, in particular, from flooding risk. I have the experience and the track record to help get us there.
Meet DebThe Plan
Six Priorities for Our Next Chapter
A clear, practical agenda to keep Collingwood thriving — grounded in decades of local service and provincial leadership.
“We need experienced leadership to manage growth, build the facilities our community deserves, strengthen our economy, improve mobility and safety, keep life affordable, and ensure our community has a respected voice with other municipalities and the Province.”
Smart Growth. Strong Leadership.
Thoughtful planning that balances growth with infrastructure, preserves green space, and builds safe, complete, affordable neighbourhoods for all ages.
Read more →Build Community
Advocating for a new recreation centre, arts and cultural facilities, parks, trails and welcoming public spaces that serve every age.
Read more →Move Safely
A Vision Zero approach — safer roads, more transportation choices, expanded active transportation, and accessible streets for all abilities.
Read more →Keep Life Affordable
Responsible budgeting and efficient municipal services that deliver value for taxpayers and keep taxes as affordable as possible.
Read more →Strengthen Our Economy
Support local business and year-round jobs, and restore skilled-trades and post-secondary training with Georgian College, the County and the Province.
Read more →A Strong Voice Beyond Collingwood
Experience and relationships to advocate for Collingwood with neighbouring municipalities, Simcoe County and the Province of Ontario.
Read more →
“
Strong communities are built on diverse perspectives. When more voices are represented at the council table, better decisions are made for everyone.— Deb Doherty
Mark your calendar
Save the date
Make sure you're on the voters' list before Election Day.
26
October 2026
Municipal Election Day · Polls close at 8:00 p.m.
Experience that delivers
From Experience to Action
My priorities for the next four years are built on the work I've already been doing for our community.
What we've done
Achievements you can point to
"What have you done for me lately?" is a great question to ask. This term has seen significant work that has advanced your vision for our community. Here are some of the things we've delivered for you.
The record
A Record of Results
Working together, this Council accomplished a great deal. I'm proud to have played a leadership role in many of these achievements.
1Updated the Community-Based Strategic Plan to guide long-term decisions.
- Created a clear roadmap — Council established a long-term vision based on what residents said they wanted for Collingwood's future.
- Connected plans to action — budgets, infrastructure investments, housing initiatives and community projects have all been guided by the Strategic Plan rather than short-term decisions.
- Improved accountability — the Strategic Plan gives residents a way to measure Council's progress and helps keep decisions focused on community priorities.
2Affordable Housing
- The Affordable Housing Task Force, of which I was part, moved significantly forward with implementation of many Masterplan recommendations — achieving measurable results in the creation of new affordable housing, especially rental housing.
- Significant incentives are now in place to create more housing spaces - from accessory dwellings to multi-residential units like the new Birch Street apartments.
- Council has consistently set aside a minimum $350,000+ toward the affordable housing reserves every year,
- Our housing innovations were recognized by peer municipalities with AMO's coveted PJ Marshall Award.
3Introduced service-based budgeting and strengthened long-term financial planning.
- A far more transparent and understandable way to decide how your tax dollars are spent — and one that introduces more accountability.
- Long-term financial planning shows how much we have in reserves and how much we must set aside each year for long-term replacement or repair of Town assets.
4Made Collingwood streets safer for everyone.
- Council continued investing in active transportation by expanding trails, improving cycling and pedestrian infrastructure, and supporting a more connected transportation network.
- I brought the motion to adopt a Vision Zero Framework for Collingwood, placing safety at the centre of our Master Mobility and Transportation Plan — reducing speeds through posted limits and traffic calming, promoting safer street design, improving high-risk intersections, data-driven decision-making, and shared responsibility among road users, engineers and policymakers.
- Together, these initiatives shift the transportation system to one that is safer, more accessible and better suited to a growing community — whether residents travel by car, bicycle, mobility device or on foot.
5Invested significantly in parks, trails and public spaces.
- Opened den Bok Family Park.
- As the Waterfront Masterplan evolves, we have opened Dry Dock Junction, the new waterfront public square.
- Planning for the exciting Terminals re-development continues, and we will the transformation over this next term.
- Opened the new downtown park at 84 Hurontario Street, with a vision to create a downtown public square.
- Advanced construction of Wilson-Sheffield Community Park.
- Approved the Triangle Neighbourhood Park.
- Expanded and improved trails, playgrounds and recreational amenities throughout the community.
6Initiated planning for a Multi-Use Recreation Facility.
- Careful public consultation and research has led us to the verge of identification of a location for a much needed MURF. Now we proceed to design - what would you like to see in a multi-use recreation facility?
- Effective leadership must bring the concept to reality over the next four years.
7Advanced planning for a future Arts Centre.
- A performing arts centre will give Collingwood's thriving arts community a permanent home and strengthen our cultural tourism economy.
- In my view, we have spent enough on studies to plan an arts centre — the next term must see a location identified and a plan substantially initiated.
8Construction of the new Water Treatment Plant.
- The Town's largest investment ever, supported by a servicing partnership with Alliston, plus provincial grants.
- Longer term, the agreement with Alliston covers operating costs plus a modest surplus.
- Completing the plant — with a significant increase in drinking-water production — opens the door to more regional sharing agreements, boosting efficiency and taking pressure off property taxes.
9Built a more accessible and inclusive Collingwood.
- Diversity and inclusion is a hallmark of one of the pillars of our Community-Based Strategic Plan — “Connected.” Council increasingly applied universal accessibility as a standard in planning, parks, facilities, transportation and public engagement.
- Council supported accessible playgrounds, barrier-free pathways, improved pedestrian infrastructure and inclusive public engagement — with accessibility becoming an important component of transportation planning, recreation planning and the design of new public spaces, because safe and welcoming communities are built for everyone.
- We will not tolerate loitering, vagrancy or property damage, but we recognize and treat with compassion persons experiencing homelessness — providing options for shelter, warming and cooling, and encouraging access to 211 and county social services.
- We recognize and celebrate First Nations, visible minorities and 2SLGBTQI+ communities.
- I have championed Vision Zero and the creation of the Healing Forest as tangible advancements of inclusion and accessibility.
10Established the roadmap for Collingwood's future — adopting major community plans that will guide growth, housing, sustainability, tourism and long-term investment for decades to come.
- This has been one of the most planning-focused Councils in recent memory. We didn't simply react to issues — we built the policy framework needed to manage a rapidly growing community, completing or imminently completing 16 Masterplans, including:
- Transportation Master Plan update
- Stormwater Master Plan
- The Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw
- Official Zoning By-law update
- Multi-Use Recreation Facility feasibility and planning
- Arts and Culture Centre feasibility and business planning
- The Downtown Masterplan
Now as Deputy Mayor I will champion movement from planning to delivering the projects and outcomes those plans envision. I am done with studies, let’s move forward!!
Let's build the Collingwood we're all proud of.
Volunteer an hour, put up a lawn sign, or simply share the campaign with a neighbour. Every bit of help moves us forward.