Third Party Advertisers

A third party advertisement is an advertisement in any broadcast, print, electronic or other medium that has the purpose of promoting, supporting or opposing a candidate or a “yes” or “no” question on the ballot. This does not include advertisements by or under the direction of a candidate.

All Third Party Advertisers must register with the Clerk before they can begin advertising during an election in the Municipality of Trent Lakes. Please review the information below, our Third Party Advertisers' Information Package and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Guide for Third Party Advertisers

Register as a Third Party Advertiser

An individual, corporation or trade union may register as a third party by filing the Notice of Registration – Third Party with the Clerk in person during regular office hours, beginning May 1, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on the Friday before Voting Day - October 23, 2026. It is preferred that third party advertisers book an appointment to register by contacting the Corporate Services Department by email or phone at 705-738-3800 ext. 245.

The individual filing the Notice of Registration will be required to present proof of identity, as well as a declaration of qualification, signed by the individual or by a representative of the corporation or trade union.

What you will need for registering:

  • A completed Notice of Registration – Third Party
  • To make a declaration of qualification (included on your completed Form 7), to be signed by the individual or by an authorized representative of the corporation or trade union, as the case may be
  • Proof of identity
  • Evidence that the Union or Corporation you represent has authorized the registration of a Third Party Advertiser

Notices of Registration are public documents and are available for inspection at the Clerk's Office.

Eligibility

Only the following persons and entities are eligible to file a notice of registration:

  • An individual who is normally a resident in Ontario
  • A corporation that carries on business in Ontario
  • A trade union that holds bargaining rights for employees in Ontario

Persons that are not eligible to file a notice of registration include:

  • A candidate whose nomination has been filed under Section 33
  • A Federal or Provincial political party, constituency association, registered candidate or leadership contestant
  • The Crown in right of Canada or Ontario, a municipality or local board

Advertisements

All third party advertisers must be registered at the time of the advertisement. All third party advertisements must contain the following information:

  • The name of the registered third party
  • The municipality where the registered third party is registered
  • A telephone number, mailing address or email address at which the registered third party may be contacted regarding the advertisement

Campaign Period and Finances

Campaign Period

The campaign period for a registered third party begins on the day their Notice of Registration is filed and ends on December 31, 2026. On this date, the registered third party's campaign is automatically closed. Registered third parties cannot accept any contributions or incur any expenses after the end of the campaign period.

If, at the end of the campaign period, a registered third party's campaign expenses are greater than their campaign incomes, their campaign will be in deficit. The registered third party may take action to extend their campaign in order to do some additional fundraising.

If a registered third party's campaign has a surplus, the registered third party must pay the surplus to the Clerk when filing their Financial Statement – Third Party.

The Municipal Elections Act sets out a restricted period for third party advertising. This restricted period runs from May 1, 2026 to the close of voting on October 26, 2026. During this time, the third party advertising rules apply and any third party advertisement that appears must be from a registered third party. 

A withdrawal of registration must be done in person at the Clerk's Office. They must bring in a completed Withdrawal of Nomination/Registration Form and bring the proper proof of identity

If a registered third party advertiser files a nomination to run for office, their third party advertiser registration is deemed to be withdrawn and their advertising campaign automatically closes. 

The last day for a registered third party advertiser to withdraw their registration is 4:30 p.m. on October 23, 2026. If a registered third party advertiser withdraws their registration, they must submit a Financial Statement – Third Party showing all contributions and expenses from the day the third party was registered until the day of withdrawal. This financial statement is due by 2:00 p.m. on March 30, 2027.

 If a registered third party has a deficit at the end of the campaign period, they can extend their campaign for an additional six months to attempt to erase the deficit. To extend a campaign, a registered third party must:

A campaign period will continue until the earliest of the following:

  • June 30, 2027
  • The day the registered third party notifies the Clerk in writing they are no longer accepting any further contributions
  • The deficit is erased

Finances

If you're a third party advertiser, you need to submit financial statements and report campaign finances. 

An individual, corporation or trade union cannot raise or spend any money on third party advertisements that will appear during an election in the Municipality of Trent Lakes until they have registered as a third party and opened a bank account exclusively for the purposes of the election campaign.

Registered third parties are responsible for keeping records of the financial activities related to their campaign and are required to keep these records until November 15, 2030, when the next council or school board takes office.

Campaign contributions are any money, goods or services that are given to a registered third party for use in their campaign, including money and goods that a third party contributes to their own campaign. Registered third parties must issue a receipt for every contribution they receive. The receipt should show who made the contribution, the date, and the value of the contribution.

Contributors may contribute a total of $1,200.00 to a registered third party in relation to third party advertisements that appear during an election in the Municipality of Trent Lakes. The maximum total amount that a contributor can give to third parties registered in the Municipality of Trent Lakes is $5,000.00.

Contributions greater than $25.00 may not be made in cash. All contributions above $25.00 must be made by cheque, money order or by a method that clearly shows where the funds come from.

Registered third parties are required to inform each of their contributors of these contribution limits.

Registered third parties are responsible for filing a complete and accurate Financial Statement – Third Party by March 30, 2027 at 2:00 p.m. The statement covers the period from the day the registered third party filed their Notice of Registration until December 31, 2026.

A registered third party must notify the Clerk, in writing, of any Court extension by 2:00 p.m. on March 30, 2027

The Municipal Elections Act has provisions for extending your campaign period and supplementary filing dates. Third Party Advertisers are responsible for following the rules outlined in the legislation if they are applicable to your campaign.

Mandatory Information for Broadcasters and Publishers

Registered third parties must provide the following information to the broadcaster or publish in writing:

  • The name of the registered third party
  • The name, business address and telephone number of the individual who deals with the broadcaster or publisher under the direction of the registered third party
  • The municipality where the third party advertiser is registered

Broadcasters and publishers are prohibited from running a third party advertisement unless the above information is provided.

The broadcaster or publisher of a third party advertisement is required to retain the following information for a period of four years after the date the advertisement appears:

  • The mandatory information that is required for broadcasters and publishers
  • A copy of the advertisement or the means of reproducing it for inspection
  • A statement of the charge made for its appearance

The broadcaster or publisher must also permit the public to inspect these records during normal business hours.

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