Not the full picture. Built from public records, which leave things out.Read by hand, Oct 2026Details
This is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date. Check the sources, and tell us if you spot a mistake. What this site can't tell youRead by hand. We read Woolwich's own documents for this site in October 2026; the Sources page lists which ones. The comparisons with other places still come from the Province's yearly reports.
Council
Who decides, and how you can hold them to account
Woolwich is run by an elected council of 6 people. They set the budget, approve big purchases and hire the senior staff who run the town day to day.
Current council
- MayorSandy Shantzmayor@
woolwich.ca - Councillor, Ward 1Evan Burgesseburgess@
woolwich.ca - Councillor, Ward 1Nathan Cadeauncadeau@
woolwich.ca - Councillor, Ward 2Eric Schwindteschwindt@
woolwich.ca - Councillor, Ward 3Bonnie Bryantbbryant@
woolwich.ca - Councillor, Ward 3Kayla Grantkgrant@
woolwich.ca
Names and official email addresses from the town's council page. None of the members lists a public social media account there.
How open is Woolwich?
What a resident can find online without asking, as of October 5, 2026.
- YesBudgets posted online
The 2026 budget book and its separate sections, and the 2025 budget and earlier budgets back to 2019, are posted as PDFs on one page. Source
- PartlyAudited financial statements
Audited statements for 2020 to 2024 are posted. The latest opinion (2024) is dated October 10, 2025. We found no 2025 statements on October 5, 2026. Source
- PartlyCouncil pay and expenses (s. 284)
The Township's expenses page lists each member's mileage, conferences and meeting expenses for late 2022 and for 2023, 2024 and 2025. We did not find a statement that shows each member's pay (remuneration), so we left the pay table out. Source
- UnknownMeeting agendas and minutes
The Township says agendas and minutes are on its Council and Committee Calendar. That site returned a security block ("Access to the requested resource has been blocked") when we asked for its robots.txt with a plain download, so we did not read any agenda or minutes. The Township says meetings are livestreamed. Source
- UnknownIntegrity Commissioner and closed meeting reports
We did not find any reports on the pages we read. Source
Where the town speaks for itself
Woolwich's official channels, as linked from its own website. Council members may also post on their own pages; we link only to official municipal channels.
- Township of Woolwich on YouTube
The Township says Council meetings are livestreamed on its YouTube channel and that recordings are posted there. We did not check how many past meetings are kept.
- Woolwich Township on Facebook
Linked from the Township's council page.
- Woolwich Township on Instagram
Linked from the Township's council page.
Ask for the records
Anyone can ask the town for its records under Ontario's Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA). You do not have to say why. Here is how it works, and the wording for the records that would answer the questions on this site.
- Send the request in writing to the town clerk (the freedom of information coordinator), on the town’s form or in a letter, with the $5 application fee.
- Describe the records, not the answer you want. Dates, departments and the kind of record (a list, invoices, emails) make a request quicker and cheaper.
- The town has 45 business days to answer (the law changed in 2026; older guides say 30 days). It can charge for search time and copies, but must send an estimate first if the fees will be over $25.
- Some parts can be held back, such as legal advice or personal information about other people. The town must say which part of the law it relied on.
- If you are refused, or the fees seem too high, you can appeal to the Information and Privacy Commissioner within 30 business days of the town’s decision.
The town's request form (on its Forms page) · The law · Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario
Internal borrowing from reserves, 2021 to 2025
The 2026 budget says internal borrowing was "a high-risk financial practice" that was adjusted. A list by project, amount and repayment date shows what was borrowed and from which reserve. Related question: Why did the Township's working capital reserve show as overdrawn by $3,518,137 in one budget and by $416,283 in the audited statements?.
Show the request wordingHide the wording
Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request a schedule, by year-end from December 31, 2021 to December 31, 2025, of every amount borrowed internally from a Township reserve or reserve fund, showing the project, the reserve borrowed from, the amount, the date, the repayment date and the repayments made, and the staff report to Council that describes the "financial reporting discrepancies" referred to in the Mayor's message in the 2026 budget.
Payments received from Enova, 2020 to 2025
The 2026 budget says surplus Enova dividends covered operating deficits for years. A list of each payment and where it was recorded shows how large they were. Related question: Why is the Township losing the Enova dividend money that covered its yearly operating deficits, and what has it been worth?.
Show the request wordingHide the wording
Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request a schedule of every dividend and every payment of interest on notes that the Township received from Enova Energy Corporation (or its affiliates) in each year from 2020 to 2025, showing the amount, the date received, the budget line or reserve it was recorded in, and the most recent report to Council on the Township's Enova investment.
The wording is a starting point, not legal advice. Narrow the dates if the town says a request is too broad or too costly.
How to raise a concern
From the gentlest step to the most serious. Start at the top.
Integrity Commissioner
The Township says Council appointed ADR Chambers as its Integrity Commissioner in April 2017, to look into complaints under the Code of Conduct. We did not find any Integrity Commissioner reports on the page we read.
Mayoral instruments (strong mayor powers)
The Township posts the Mayor's written decisions made under strong mayor powers, including the 2025 budget direction and the 2026 decisions to waive the budget veto, on the Mayor's page.