We have a full slate of candidates to elect in the upcoming 2026 Town of LaSalle municipal election. Last time I conducted a survey of the candidates and published the results here (see the 2022 summary here) and in some LaSalle social media communities. I’ve been asked to repeat the survey and add a few new topics.
Election Details
Voting Day is Monday, October 26, 2026.
We will be voting online. Keep an eye out for your voter information card in the mail (mailing out cards begins early October), or contact the Elections Office if you do not receive one. (Contact info is on the Election Website linked below.)
Find out more on the town’s official Election Website.
List of certified candidates. This page includes links to their personal website or social media if available where you can learn more about them.
Survey Process
This is now my second time doing a survey and I certainly forgot what an undertaking it is since the last time! Everyone has busy lives and sometimes email goes to spam folders, and just trying to track down candidates and even get them to respond at all was a challenge. I used 2 different email addresses, Facebook messages and even one candidate’s website contact form to try and ensure everyone had the opportunity to participate. Several folks had technical challenges that I did my best to work around. A couple candidates just flat out declined to participate.
It’s unfortunate when people decline because this is an invaluable opportunity to make clear your position, without surprise ‘gotcha’ questions, without time limits and without an antagonistic interviewer. We have very little in the way of local media these days and I feel that losing access to quality journalism makes democracy more difficult. I’m not a journalist, but I am a programmer and technologist and I feel that data collection and presenting that data to the public in an effort to help people make informed, democratic decisions is a valuable use of my time. I am a parent of 3 children and a life-long resident of LaSalle. My parents live here as well. I have a stake in LaSalle’s future and this is one way I can contribute.
Survey Results
I sent a Google Forms questionnaire to all candidates on Monday September 14 and sent reminders one week later. I followed up to each candidate’s Facebook account and made several efforts to track down candidates who didn’t respond.
A big thank you to everyone who participated (most candidates). Many folks took the time to write long, considered responses, and several candidates thanked me for my time doing this and were very friendly. There is a lot to read here. Our existing mayor and some of the other incumbents wrote a lot of in-depth responses with context and history on issues facing the town, to help us see why we are where we are. Some new candidates brought fresh perspectives and plans to inspire a new direction. I think that all these answers warrant patient reading by the public and the candidates themselves, to learn about the issues facing our town and the many perspectives on them. It is a daunting amount of reading I grant you – but it’s worth it.
I have no plans to summarize this data. If anyone would like to take that on, you are welcome to share a link to what you create in the comments below.
The following are the results. I have exported each response to a PDF file and shared it via Sync.com – a Canadian file hosting service 🇨🇦 that I am evaluating. The public is welcome to download and use this data for any relevant purposes. For the people looking forward to seeing the results of this data – this will be a lot of downloading and reading. I have separated by candidate and I have also created a spreadsheet of all responses aggregated into one. A spreadsheet is not the best way to read this info, but someone might want to perform their own analysis with it so it is there as a resource.
Update: Reader Pamela L. contributed a spreadsheet organized by topic for easy comparison.
This post will be updated if I receive late submissions.
Candidates For Mayor
Dass, Shaun
Website: http://www.dass4mayor.ca/
Response: Shaun-Dass-ElectionSurvey2026.pdf (Sync.com)
Macri, Michael
Website: http://www.michaelmacri4lasallemayor.com/
Response: Michael-Macri-ElectionSurvey2026.pdf (Sync.com)
Meloche, Crystal
Website: https://www.crystalmeloche.com/
Response: Crystal-Meloche-ElectionSurvey2026.pdf (Sync.com)
Candidates For Deputy Mayor
Akpata, Michael
Website: https://www.facebook.com/mike.akpata.2025
Response: Having technical difficulties. Will try again.
Jacques, Simon
Website: https://www.slideshare.net/jacquessimon519
Response: Simon-Jacques-ElectionSurvey2026.pdf (Sync.com)
McKay, Tory
Website: https://www.torymckay.net/
Response: Tory-McKay-ElectionSurvey2026.pdf (Sync.com)
Candidates For Council
Belanger, Jason
Website: https://www.jasonbelanger.ca/
Response: Jason-Belanger-ElectionSurvey2026.pdf (Sync.com)
Burns, Terry
Website: https://www.facebook.com/p/Terry-Burns-Town-of-LaSalle-Council-Candidate-100084998628660/
Response: Declined to answer. “I do not do surveys on line. I am available for in person interviews.”
Carrick, Mark
Website: https://www.facebook.com/mark.carrick.780022
Response: Declined to answer. “Thanks for your email, you’re more than welcome to call me for an interview.”
Krewench, Brad
Website: https://www.bradkrewench.com/
Response: Brad-Krewench-ElectionSurvey2026.pdf (Sync.com)
Lucier, David
Website: https://www.facebook.com/people/Lucier-for-Lasalle/61592983605792/
Response: David-Lucier-ElectionSurvey2026.pdf (Sync.com)
Mason, Collin
Website: http://www.collinforcouncil.ca/
Response: Collin-Mason-ElectionSurvey2026.pdf (Sync.com)
Matis, Chris
Website: https://www.facebook.com/p/Chris-Matis-Candidate-for-Lasalle-Town-Council-100086139529639/
Response: Chris-Matis-ElectionSurvey2026.pdf (Sync.com)
Moore, Robert
Website: https://www.robmoorelasalle.com/
Response: Robert-Moore-ElectionSurvey2026.pdf (Sync.com)
Paddon, Kate
Website: https://www.kateoncouncil.ca/
Response: Kate-Paddon-ElectionSurvey2026.pdf (Sync.com)
Renaud, Jeff
Website: https://www.renaud4council.ca/
Response: Jeff-Renaud-ElectionSurvey2026.pdf (Sync.com)
Riccio-Spagnuolo, Anita
Website: https://www.facebook.com/p/Anita-Riccio-Spagnuolo-LaSalle-Town-Councillor-100063602535696/
Response: Anita-Riccio-Spagnuolo-ElectionSurvey2026.pdf (Sync.com)
Seguin, Mike
Website: https://www.mikeseguin.ca/
Response: Mike-Seguin-ElectionSurvey2026.pdf (Sync.com)
White, Ivana
Website: https://www.ivanawhiteforlasalle.ca/
Response: Ivana-White-ElectionSurvey2026.pdf (Sync.com)
Conclusion
Democracy only works if people invest the time to learn about the issues and then get out and vote. This election is online so it’s a bit easier to access for folks comfortable with technology. If you don’t have a computer at home or you have trouble managing with online voting, you can receive help at the LaSalle Civic Centre on Malden Rd.
This was a lot of work but it’s worth it. No matter my view on any given issue, I appreciate all candidates for being willing to put in their time to serve the town in any capacity. We can all rant and rave about issues in LaSalle, but it takes a brave, hardworking and determined person to put their hat in the ring and run for public office. Thank you to all candidates for caring about LaSalle enough to try, and to our current mayor, deputy mayor and council for your years of service.
(Comments are open on this post. I am moderating comments before they appear, and any hateful, insulting or rude comments will be deleted.)
Disappointed in those saying ‘technical difficulties’
I can confirm, that for those who drafted responses in the form itself and took a while to do so, they experienced the web forms ‘expiring’ and losing everything they typed. As a web developer I can tell you this is a thing (web forms do this as an anti-spam measure) and it really sucks. You hit ‘Submit’ and you just get a blank screen and everything you had typed is gone. A few candidates have assured me that they are working on re-doing their submissions and I’m inclined to be patient for a bit of extra time. It’s demoralizing when that happens.
(I added the advice to draft in an external document and save it offline, later after the reports of difficulties happened.)
The Town can continue the beautification but has to explore Non-taxes income avenues. Like we could a name a trail, the ‘Joe Galati Trail’, if a new 1 km trail costs us 125K in asphalt and labor, I will go sollicit Mr. Galati on behalf of the town so this trail costs us no 125K only 50K, instead of us depleting our reserves. It’s all about the relations with Jacques and using the money in a smart way. Once we are able to lower the taxes, it will be then easier to convince the private donors to participate in our infrastructure and community assets, right now I’m cleary the one who understands and can manifest this vision.
Also when we give the naming rights on a park to a private person like D’Amore, it is now understood that the town will receive the money up-front the donor before ceding any of the Town of LaSalle naming rights… We start at $100K minimum for a 10-year rights, with this money from the donation we finance and maintain at least a part of the park equipment. Lapico, Lapera, Rauti, D’amore, they all made a fortune by doing real estate, we have no problem if they want a park name or a street but they need to show the money or we are not going to cede the park name. If this tradition doesn’t exist, I will create it.
Simon Jacques
Candidate for Deputy-Mayor in LaSalle
simonfor_la_council@yahoo.com
https://www.slideshare.net/jacquessimon519
LaSalle Landings
The town needs a business plan for LaSalle Landings, Last Call Before Fall is the town’s attempt to replicate the business plan of a restaurant bar, all because the Marina ( or what is the Gil Maure access to the water) needs a restaurant-bar.
The Marina needs the fuel to re-fuel the boats. Currently no one will stop in LaSalle.
The Town should not try to operate a boat ramp but be a landlord, leave entirely the operation to the private sector. Look at Wyandotte, MI,
Whiskeys on the Water, or the marina at Grosse Pointe, MI, we can have a business plan with an operator, the town owns the land and subleases back-to-back to operate for 10 years. Mayor Gary Baxter told me he had that building for the row club leased by the Town on a 10 years contract with the University of Windsor ( research institute) even before the final investment decision (FID) on the construction was made. After 10 years the lease expired and the Town got for the community this building ( row boat club) for a fraction of its costs ( mostly paid). I am going to work with Peter Marra and Dale on similar projects where we get the tenants first to develop our Waterfront. We do it at a profit because we increase and capture higher commercial building valuations.
From cash outflows to cash inflows
I don’t need the affluent people of LaSalle constantly to spend the money in Windsor or Michigan all the weekend because there is nothing to do in town. The people’s desire is to socialize and spend in LaSalle but that the Town of LaSalle should stay focused (sewage line, utilities, roads) not interfering or decide for the market, let the business plans come to us.
Benoît House.
I use the same exact approach with the Benoît House, this has to be a commercial lease for 10 years with a tenant with a return for the Town, before we can work on the town plan to transform it into a museum. I think local operator Mary Draper (Mary’s Mindful BakeHouse Ltd) could operate the house with success, but she needs first to prepare her business plan with an investor and then participate in the RFP for the Benoît House.
Simon Jacques Candidate for Deputy-Mayor
in LaSalle
simonfor_la_council@yahoo.com https://www.slideshare.net/jacquessimon519
I find our town’s history fascinating: we went insolvent in both the 1930s and 1959. In both instances, the province had to step in after decades of accumulated debt and infrastructure costs overwhelmed a small tax base. Queens park at some point had enough of us but could not let us default because if so it was all the credit ratings and reputation of the province of Ontario going apart.
Unfortunately, we are repeating the exact same pattern today. Our recent prosperity wasn’t driven by sound policy—they simply got lucky with developments like Seven Lakes and the broader wealth influx around 2005. The town has grown its bureaucracy 60 times since then and should been used this one-time windfall to repare Oliver Farms and all the broken insfrastructure.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH) is on Bay Street.
These sharp-pencils streetwise types smell blood when the Town presents a grant application without thorough preparation. They would see us miles and miles coming if something crucial was missing in the Vollmer grant documentation.
But I can work with MMAH to solve the institutional credibility gap that we have and better sell the Town (if elected).
LaSalle deserves world-class facilities at the Vollmer Complex, but any big vision requires community buy-in. I support holding a referendum on any proposed Vollmer spending that exceeds $10 million.
That is to incentivize Peter, the new CAO, to draw a detailed business case of the money spent on the said infrastucture. What/How/Cost/Demand.
Simply we will not repeat the LaSalle Event Center half-baked project and not earn the yes from our residents-shareholders before proceeding with the Vollmer expansion.
I don’t know about statements like “LaSalle deserves world-class facilities at the Vollmer Complex”…. do we? Does a town of ~38,000 people need ‘world class’ facilities? I see candidates speak like this all the time. Like there is some kind of imperative that LaSalle NEEDS fancy facilities. This was the tone around the skate trail on Front Rd.
I just don’t see it. And we’re an active family of 5. We have so many facilities a short drive away from us in several directions. For the size we are, we already have some very impressive facilities – does a town our size really need more? With what funds? We can’t control the budget AND pretend we need ‘world class’ features. If I wanted that I would have moved to Toronto. Or at least to a mid sized-city.
We have many beautiful parks, splashpads, pool, a modern library, the skate & walking trail, a second event space, a skate park, various outdoor sports facilities, and many more things provided by private companies. We host several annual festival type events, and a fireworks show. We have Ojibway, MicMac and Malden parks that are so close they FEEL like they are in LaSalle.
For a town our size – we are already providing a LOT to residents. I agree that the Vollmer needs a few tweaks – already in the works – but beyond that, I just can’t fathom why we need even more.
It’s a 10 minute drive to go to something in LaSalle. 15 minutes to Amherstburg, 20 minutes MAX to something in Windsor. 25-30 minutes for Tecumseh or Detroit. I don’t feel we have to cram everything into LaSalle itself – and pay for it.
Hi Sherri,
Thanks for engaging with me on your blog and also allowing to use my own words. We can debate ;)
As the most pro-market and capitalist person running,in the real-world I build models, I trade these models and exploit my bias to make money, that’s my job.
And at the Town you have my ear if you have ideas to save money, or optimize the assets.
We could use our brains to retrofit some of the existing assets and optimize them without having thinking of spending on new brick-and-mortar. I call them Options.
-An irrigation wheel system that the farmers use can cover 2-3 acres of Vollmer soccer fields and save the chemicals EVERY year spent on killing the grubs. This is a one time project under $100K full cost, will save us 50-70K in soccer lawn maintenance a year.
-The sand at the Volleyball courts on Front Road feels like Concrete under your feet. They have chosen the wrong type of Sand.
It would not cost a lot to fix this. I need a bobcat for an afternoon, to load and remove the old sand into trucks. Also I wonder if they have additional 12 inches (30 cm) of coarse gravel and perforated drain pipes are placed beneath the sand layer to prevent pooling. There is 205 cubic yards of sand needed. About 8 dump trucks ( 36 yards).
1.2 MT/yd (Loose / Dry) is 246 MT.
Jeff Renaud will say yes, and Terry burns.
I will replace it at 0 material cost times the labour, we will use students as labor for the finishing.
World-Class is finding right white type of sand and deliver. Olympic-quality. Improving an existing asset.
World-Class is also creating revenues stream for the Town on existing assets, such the Tennis Courts.
https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/modernizing-tennis-court-access-at-vollmer-complex-smart-booking-solutions/288811273
So we are in a situation in which we have Buffers non-tax income ( maybe 3 or 4 of them at $250k a year we create $10M in ten years).
Vollmer is subsidized, it costs $4mill every single year to operate. -Can we review what we pay and the true costs.
-The pricing model, Are the people coming from Windsor paying the same fees but charge us when we send our kids to their facilities.
Implement realistic ‘User-payer fee models’.
We could still subsidize and harmonize the social value to better reflect a market reality.
Consensus is required to implement any changes. Jeff Renaud, Terry Burns are forced to change how they think only if we put people with a new mindset or they see a culture shift at the Town.
I know for a fact my comments posted will remain on the blogs for many years and we will have people saying that want free stuff, but every town have to ask these same questions.
Simon Jacques Candidate for Deputy-Mayor
in LaSalle
simonfor_la_council@yahoo.com https://www.slideshare.net/jacquessimon519