Eric Smeaton announces he will run in Ward 7

Eric Smeaton announced today that he will be running for Ward 7 councillor in the Oct. 26 municipal election.

Smeaton, 54, is executive director of the Kawartha Community Foundation, and formerly served as Ward 5 councillor from 2022 to 2024, when he resigned due to health issues.

Twenty months later, Smeaton said he now has “a completely clean bill of health and I am feeling great” and is ready to jump back into municipal politics.

“People ask me, ‘have you missed it?’ And to be honest, yes, I have missed it,” Smeaton told Kawartha Lakes Weekly.

The Ward 7 seat is currently held by Charlie McDonald. McDonald is not seeking re-election in the ward, and is instead running for Kawartha Lakes mayor.

Smeaton said he feels it’s the “right time” to be getting back into civic politics. During his hiatus, he said he has missed being in the council chamber.

But what Smeaton said he has missed most has been having the opportunity to engage with all facets of the community through council’s work, adding that, as a councillor, there are opportunities to serve on a variety of committees that impact the city.

“You’re really given a privilege in terms of the opportunity to see so many different levels of your community,” he said, calling it a “meaningful” experience.

One thing that Smeaton — a former educator — said stands out for him is being on council when the decision was made to adopt the green bin organics collection program, which became operational in January 2025.

“That’s a good example of something I’ve missed; seeing something come to fruition that you were a small part of is really rewarding,” he said. “My wife will laugh at this, but when I put my green bin out, I actually feel really proud.”

One of the things Smeaton said he learned from being a councillor is that candidates get an education about residents’ needs.

“You really learn a lot on the campaign trail,” he said. “Getting out and knocking on those doors will be very eye-opening for me.”

Smeaton added that he also plans to speak with McDonald to gain insight into the top needs and concerns of Ward 7 residents, which he said will be important to shaping his campaign.

“I have the opportunity to speak to the current councillor and find that out,” he said.

Asked what he most wants Ward 7 residents to know about him, he said it’s his track record as a previous councillor and as a community leader.

“It’s going to be very, very difficult to find somebody in Lindsay who would say they didn’t trust Eric Smeaton, and that’s something that I hold really dear to my heart,” he said.

“I think the voters believe that and know that I make mistakes – I’m human – but I’m trustworthy and honest, and that’s important in a municipal politician.”