CENTRE WELLINGTON 2026 ELECTIONS – Neil Dunsmore is back in the Centre Wellington mayoral race, this time for the 2026 election.
Dunsmore spoke with The Grand @ 101 in a series where Centre Wellington’s mayoral candidates are interviewed about their platform and their vision for the Township.
After sitting on council in 2018 and coming within a few hundred votes of the mayoral seat last term, Dunsmore is campaigning for an actionable and well-managed Township to address growth strains.
Growth
Dunsmore said one of the ways Centre Wellington should manage its growth is by passing a Community Planning Permit System which he said would get residents more involved with local developments while simultaneously developing a strategic plan about one of Centre Wellington’s most pressing matters.
He also said bringing a defensible argument to the Ontario Land Tribunal can make growth more manageable; a study completed by Western University said comparing to the period from 2014-2017 to 2021-2024, “applicants may generally be less motivated to pursue engagement with the municipal council process when ultimate approval by the Tribunal is so likely.”
Dunsmore said ultimately the problem is not growth itself, but rather how it is managed.
He said the provincial mandates have residents “frustrated” with current growth projections, but under an appropriately managed plan Centre Wellington can take advantage of a growing population.
Another one of Dunsmore’s ideals is to fill the Fergus Business Park which could bring local jobs and keep the talented employers in Centre Wellington.
In regards to land-use Dunsmore said in this age of growth farmland is “too important” to be giving up on a whim; he was presented with the idea of an agricultural trust from local farmers and said it would be a great initiative to protect farmland.
Budget and Infrastructure
Dunsmore said managing growth also relates to managing the local economy and ensuring local jobs are available.
While he recognizes the important relationship with the surrounding cities such as Guelph, Kitchener/Waterloo and their associated corridors Dunsmore would like to see more of their big businesses start a branch here in Centre Wellington.
Every day thousands of local residents travel outbound to work in the larger cities and Dunsmore said retaining the workforce would create a closer community.
However, it’s not open season.
Dunsmore said land-use is a critical factor in local developments and the local environment needs to be considered when industrial development is being planned.
In regards to the potential pause on AI data centre development, he said it’s just another example of taking some precaution for the best interests of the community.
Though Dunsmore said local infrastructure has already been strained due to growth and does not want Centre Wellington to carry the burden of upper-level government projects if it’s not in the best interest of the Township
He said residents should no longer be “carrying the cost of growth” and said the tax levy should not be used as a financial cushion for over-expenditures.
To keep residents in-the-loop of local developments Dunsmore wants to distribute a “score card” for residents to be informed of and provide feedback on infrastructure construction projects.
Dunsmore also said there are too many people in a “severe housing crisis” in Centre Wellington, which he defines as someone who pays more than half of their income on the living minimum such as rent, and prevents up-and-coming families from making this their permanent home.
He said one of the factors of local housing struggles is a supply and demand issue with rentals; he wants to see more rental units being built on-top of more affordable housing.
Tourism
Due to recent growth Dunsmore said the local tourism draw needs to be managed more directly; something he would take action on is installing enforceable signage to deter illegal parking.
He said Centre Wellington can still preserve its “way of life” and community connection by taking manageable steps to break down the problem piece by piece.
Transit
Dunsmore said another way to address the masses of people eager to check out the local sights is to encourage them to park outside of Elora and use the free Downtown Shuttle.
On the topic of public transit as a whole Dunsmore said Centre Wellington is in the right spot to be considering more transit options for its residents, critically before that 50,000 population mark due to federal funding tightening its criteria after that threshold.
He would also like to see the Downtown Shuttle be expanded into Belwood.
Strong Mayor Powers
Dunsmore is not seeking to use strong mayor powers and would prefer to have collaborative discussions with the elected council.
He said he does not approve of the strong mayor powers being related to provincial mandates and would rather see Centre Wellington benefit from its own influence.
Looking at the potential councillors Dunsmore said there is not a single name he would not work well with.
To ensure a fair and equitable publication process The Grand @ 101 has reached out to every candidate (Bronwynne Wilton, Kelly Linton, Neil Dunsmore, Shawn Watters and Stephen Kitras) and ensured all avenues have been opened for an opportunity to speak with reporting staff. Publications will be released and broadcasted on weekdays based on a first-come first-serve basis.
Stay tuned with The Grand @ 101 for coverage on the mayoral debate (Sept. 23, 2026) and the next candidate report, to be published Wednesday (Sept. 23, 2026).
