Voting ends Monday, October 26 at 8:00 p.m. If you still have questions for the people asking for your vote, the local papers and community groups have been asking them too. Here is where to find the candidate questionnaires for the County of Brant election — what each outlet asked, who answered, and where you can read the answers in full.
A note on sources: the questionnaires below belong to the outlets that published them. This post summarizes them and links out, rather than reprinting their full text.
The Independent’s mayoral Q&A (September 8, 2026) puts 11 reader-submitted questions to the six mayoral candidates: the same nine topics as the ward questionnaires — growth pace, downtown Paris development, public pools, a county-wide transit system, Brant Transit, the airport boundary adjustment, working in a complex organization, a one-year AI data-centre moratorium, and the Long-Term Financial Plan — plus two mayor-specific questions: the leadership culture they would set for staff and council, and whether they would use Ontario strong-mayor powers.
Who answered: Jennifer Kyle, Christine Garneau Bisaillon, David Swanson, Stuart Braid. Did not respond as of press deadline: Graham Horner, Kent Hollett.
Read the full answers here: Municipal Election Q&A — Mayoral Candidates, Paris Independent. In brief: Kyle favours managed, infrastructure-supported growth and says she would not use discretionary strong-mayor powers — “My job is to work with Council and find ways forward, not find ways around it.” Garneau Bisaillon says she would not initiate a boundary adjustment and wants flood mitigation before further downtown investment. Swanson opposes the recent pace of suburban-style growth and would use strong-mayor powers “only after consensus has failed.” Braid says growth should slow while infrastructure is at capacity, opposes the boundary adjustment, and rejects strong-mayor powers: “I am not a king.”
The Paris Independent put the same set of reader-submitted questions to every candidate in each race, ward by ward, in its print editions. The Ward 4 edition (October 7, 2026) is available as a PDF, and it is the deepest single-race questionnaire we found. Here are its nine questions:
- What is your position on the current and projected residential growth and development in the county? Do you believe the pace and scale of development are appropriate for the community, and what factors should Council consider when approving future development?
- Recent approval of a zoning change for properties in downtown Paris represents an important first step toward a significant residential development in the downtown core. What impact do you think this type of development could have on downtown Paris? Please identify both the potential benefits and challenges.
- What changes or improvements would you like to see made to Brant Transit to better meet the transportation needs of County of Brant residents?
- What are your views on establishing a public transit system within the County of Brant to connect communities such as Paris, Brantford, Burford and St. George and how should the County approach the costs and funding associated with implementing and operating such a system?
- How would you improve access to affordable public swimming facilities for County of Brant residents, particularly given the limited access to pools in Brant or Brantford? Would you support the development of a public swimming pool (a new one indoors or another one outdoors) in the County of Brant?
- What specific outcome would you work toward regarding the proposed boundary adjustment involving the Brantford Municipal Airport and surrounding County-owned lands? Include key concerns you would address before supporting any agreement with the City of Brantford.
- The County has adopted a Long-Term Financial Plan to help guide its financial decisions and priorities over the coming years. If elected, how would you use that plan to guide your decisions at the council table, particularly when weighing new priorities, major investments and the long-term affordability of services for County residents?
- Can you provide an example of a time you worked within a complex organization or with a diverse group of people to achieve a successful outcome? What role did you play in reaching that result?
- If elected to Brant County Council, will you propose a motion for Council’s approval to impose a one-year moratorium on artificial intelligence data centers until the water, energy, pollution, and noise issues are thoroughly understood?
Who answered: Corey Donn, Elaine Tully, Heather Keam, Andrea Bowden, Glenn Hughes, Ben Clement. Did not respond before deadline: Claudine Craigie, Robert Chambers.
A few answers that stood out:
- Andrea Bowden, on swimming facilities: “The Brant Sports Complex was originally built without a pool. We are now pursuing a $31 million expansion that still does not include a pool and faces an $8.8 million funding shortfall. Before that project is even complete, we are discussing a separate indoor pool estimated at $38-$49 million.” She adds she is “open to supporting a public pool if there is a demonstrated need and a realistic long-term plan to build and operate it.”
- Elaine Tully, on growth: “Brant residential growth has been taking place at an overwhelming pace. Applications are outpacing infrastructure needed to service them… Development should be slowed and carefully considered, without appropriate servicing capacity it will fall on the ratepayers throughout the county to make up the difference.”
- Ben Clement, on AI data centres: “I do not support a one-year moratorium on AI data centers. My position is stronger than that: no AI data centers in the County of Brant, period.”
Read the full Ward 4 Q&A in the October 7 edition (PDF): Paris Independent, October 7, 2026. The full Ward 3 Q&A is covered below.
The Independent’s Ward 1 Q&A (September 15, 2026) puts the same reader-submitted question set to the Ward 1 candidates: growth pace and scale, downtown Paris development, public swimming facilities, a county-wide transit system, Brant Transit improvements, the airport boundary adjustment, working in a complex organization, a one-year AI data-centre moratorium, and the Long-Term Financial Plan.
Who answered: Denise Louise Dyment, Mary-Jane Brown, Steve Schmitt, Mike Petrella, John Kemp. Did not respond as of press deadline: John MacAlpine.
The answers are published in full and free to read here: Ward 1 Candidate Q&A — Paris Independent. In brief, the five respondents split on a county-wide transit system and on a public pool — Dyment backs a County-owned indoor pool and a Paris-hub rural transit network, Brown leans to a YMCA partnership pool and expanded Brant Transit over a new system, Schmitt and Petrella want costs and demand proven first (Petrella prefers splash pads), and Kemp says he needs to study both files before committing. All five back or would consider a one-year AI data-centre moratorium.
The Independent’s Ward 2 Q&A (September 22, 2026) puts the same nine reader-submitted questions to the Ward 2 candidates: growth pace, downtown Paris development, public swimming facilities, a county-wide transit system, Brant Transit improvements, the airport boundary adjustment, working in a complex organization, a one-year AI data-centre moratorium, and the Long-Term Financial Plan.
Who answered: Steve Howes, Jeff Johnston, James McCulloch — all three Ward 2 candidates.
Read the full answers here: Ward 2 Candidate Q&A — Paris Independent. In brief: Howes, the incumbent and the only downtown Paris resident of the three, says an indoor pool is too costly for the current tax base and would plan one for a larger future population — and on the moratorium, simply: “Yes. Happy to.” Johnston calls the pace and scale of development “frantic to say the least” but supports development if infrastructure keeps ahead. McCulloch, the outlier on the moratorium, opposes a blanket ban while no proposal is before Council, preferring case-by-case evaluation, and tests every investment with three questions: “Is it necessary? Is it affordable? Does it provide long-term value to residents?”
The Independent’s Ward 5 Q&A (October 13, 2026) puts the same nine reader-submitted questions to the Ward 5 candidates: growth pace, downtown Paris development, public swimming facilities, a county-wide transit system, Brant Transit improvements, the airport boundary adjustment, working in a complex organization, a one-year AI data-centre moratorium, and the Long-Term Financial Plan.
Who answered: Mike Gatopoulos, Ella Haley, Sonia Brown — all three Ward 5 candidates.
Read the full answers here: Ward 5 Candidate Q&A — Paris Independent. In brief: Gatopoulos runs on “infrastructure before development” and would examine a County-owned pool only after full cost and usage analysis. Haley, the most expansive on transit — minibuses, a restored Brantford–Paris bus, a VIA stop in Paris — flatly opposes any Oakhill/Airport annexation: “I do not support any annexation of land in the Oakhill/Airport area.” Brown would judge development strictly on infrastructure capacity and wants a phased, demand-driven regional transit approach. All three back the one-year AI data-centre moratorium.
The Independent’s Ward 3 Q&A (September 29, 2026) puts the same nine reader-submitted questions to the Ward 3 candidates: growth pace, downtown Paris development, public swimming facilities, a county-wide transit system, Brant Transit improvements, the airport boundary adjustment, working in a complex organization, a one-year AI data-centre moratorium, and the Long-Term Financial Plan.
Who answered: John Bell, Emad Yosif, Arooj Shaikh, Clifford Atfield, David Spencer, John Peirce, Riley Mulholland — all seven Ward 3 candidates.
Read the full answers here: Ward 3 Candidate Q&A — Paris Independent. In brief: the ward splits on the moratorium — Bell, Peirce and Yosif (who wants a staff report first) would not back a blanket ban, while Shaikh, Atfield, Spencer and Mulholland would. Spencer is the firmest: “I am completely opposed to AI data centres of any kind in The County of Brant. Period.” Shaikh warns “if you change too fast, it results in chaos,” and Atfield’s approach to a bad deal is blunt: “If we don’t agree with the proposal, we just say no.”
The Brantford Expositor (Brian Thompson) ran a Q&A series covering the mayoral race and all five wards, opening with the most pressing issue facing the County or the ward. The series is paywalled, so we list who answered rather than reprinting answers — readers with a subscription can read the full replies through the Expositor.
- Mayor (5 questions): Answered — Christine Garneau Bisaillon, Stuart Braid, David Swanson, Jennifer Kyle. Did not respond — Graham Horner, Kent Hollett.
- Ward 1: Answered — John MacAlpine, John Kemp, Steve Schmitt, Mike Petrella. Did not respond — Mary-Jane Brown, Denise Dyment.
- Ward 2: All three answered — Steve Howes, Jeff Johnston, James McCulloch.
- Ward 3: Answered — John Peirce, Arooj Shaikh, Emad Yosif. Did not respond — Clifford Atfield, John Bell, Riley Mulholland, David Spencer.
- Ward 4: Answered — Andrea Bowden, Robert Chambers, Corey Donn, Elaine Tully, Heather Keam, Glenn Hughes. Did not respond — Claudine Craigie, Ben Clement.
- Ward 5: All three answered — Sonia Brown, Mike Gatopoulos, Ella Haley.
Find the series through the Expositor’s Q&A articles (search “Q&A with County of Brant candidates” at brantfordexpositor.ca). Note the contrast with the Independent: Ben Clement answered the Independent but not the Expositor; Robert Chambers answered the Expositor but not the Independent; Claudine Craigie answered neither.
Separately, a full candidate-response document was compiled from 11 questions emailed to all certified municipal candidates on August 25, 2026. Responses are sorted alphabetically by last name within each race: mayoral candidates, Ward 1–5 candidates, and school board trustee candidates (trustees provided bios and goals rather than questionnaire answers).
The 11 questions cover: a 25-year vision for the County; the County’s role in health care; transportation within and to/from the County; balancing the County’s rural/urban character; supporting the local economy; natural heritage and the environment; top 3 community-building projects; the major challenges and opportunities facing the municipality; strong mayor powers; the recent property tax increases (+5.8% in 2023, +8.7% in 2024, +6.3% in 2025, +5.0% in 2026) and the forecasts for 2027–2028; and accountability and transparency.
Read the full responses (PDF): 2026 Municipal Election — Candidate Responses.
Better Brant published a full candidate questionnaire with answers from County mayoral and council candidates — the most complete set we found that is free to read: Better Brant 2026 Municipal Election Q&A.
Grand Culture (Brant region arts, culture and heritage) surveyed all County and City candidates with three questions on arts, culture and heritage, publishing answers unedited: Grand Culture 2026 Candidate Survey.
Voting is open online and by phone, 24/7, until Monday, October 26 at 8:00 p.m. You need the PIN from your Voter Information Letter and your birthdate. Voter Assistance Locations are open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily — staff there can add you to the voters list and help you vote on the spot; please bring government-issued ID. Questions? Contact the County at 519-442-7268 (toll-free 1-855-442-7268) or election@brant.ca. Meet your candidates at BrantVotes.ca — then cast yours.
