A seventh person is officially running to be Chatham-Kent's (CK) next mayor.
Former journalist April Colby filed her paperwork moments before the deadline closed on Friday.
She told CK News Today that she planned to run for a council seat but decided at the last minute to run for mayor instead. This is because the mayor can make real changes thanks to strong mayor powers, which give the ability to make final decisions on budgets and bylaws.
"Everybody is worried about it because you can use it for terrible things, but there are things you can do that can actually fix things," said Colby.
She gave one example of using strong mayor powers. Colby believes the municipality's Affordable Homeownership Program, which offers financial help for people buying a home, is redundant, as mortgages still exist. In her opinion, this funding could be used to better help struggling residents.
Helping the less fortunate is a big focus for Colby. This is because she personally dealt with being homeless. She explained that her experience living in a motel and being offered a place to stay by a friend changed how she viewed people living on the street.
"I spent so much of my life thinking people should just work harder; they're just lazy. I felt that way because I was privileged. If I wasn't as privileged, I probably would have wound up on drugs, or I would have wound up in the encampment." Colby added.
Despite not having any personal experience as a politician, she mentioned that she has a good understanding of municipal politics. This is because of her work as a journalist, as well as learning from her uncle Bill Erickson, CK's first mayor, and her dad, who ran in the by-election to replace her uncle when he passed away in 2001.
"I was heavily involved in politics my whole life. I looked up to my uncle, and I looked up to my dad as two incredibly strong men who never shut their mouths and stood up for everything they believed in," she explained.
Joining Colby on the ballot are Lauren Anderson, Michael Bondy, Nelson Burm, Darrin Canniff, Ryan Gow, and Randy Hope.
CK's election is on October 26, 2026.
