Oakville Council Appoints Jamie Bay as Ward 5 Councillor

Ward 5 has a town councillor again. Oakville council appointed Jamie Bay to the seat on Tuesday, September 8, filling the vacancy left by the death of Councillor Marc Grant in July.

Bay has lived in Ward 5 for close to 20 years. He is a pastor, a community volunteer, a husband and a father, according to Jeff Knoll, the ward's town and regional councillor, who described him in a social media post after the vote.

The appointment was originally set for the September 28 council meeting. Knoll brought an alternate motion to identify and appoint Bay on Tuesday instead, so Ward 5 would not go weeks longer without representation.

Council had no choice about filling the seat at all. The Municipal Act requires a vacancy to be filled when it occurs more than 90 days before an election, and Grant died just past that cutoff, so the seat could not simply sit empty until voters go to the polls on October 26.

Mayor Rob Burton said the appointment "both honours his memory and ensures Ward 5 representation is maintained." Bay serves for the balance of the 2022 to 2026 term of council.