Mayoral Candidate Nate Morris says Smiths Falls needs more responsive leadership, lower water bills and a fresh vision for the future

As the race for mayor of Smiths Falls begins to take shape ahead of the October 2026 municipal election, candidate Nate Morris is positioning himself as an unconventional choice, yet a passionate one. His campaign is one focused on affordability, environmental stewardship and community engagement.

Morris, who has lived in Smiths Falls for nearly a decade, comes from a unique background rooted in cannabis advocacy, environmental science, farming and climate advocacy rather than traditional politics. In a wide-ranging conversation with Lanarkist, Morris says that an fresh outsider perspective may be exactly what the community needs.

Morris discussed everything from housing and homelessness to water rates, economic development and his vision for the future of Smiths Falls.

Q: Can you tell readers a little about yourself and your connection to Smiths Falls?

“I guess I have a non-traditional background for a political candidate,” Morris opened. “I wear a bunch of hats.”

Born and raised in Toronto, Morris spent years living in California, where he operated an experimental cannabis farm and became involved in cannabis advocacy, especially working with children with pediatric epilepsy.

“I operated an experimental cannabis farm in the remote wilderness for about six years, and that’s when I was on the TV show,” Morris stated. “I was on PBS and MSNBC, and there was a TV series that I was on the Discovery Channel.”

He later returned to Canada with his wife, whom he met through this advocacy work, and the couple decided to settle in Smiths Falls nearly 10 years ago.

“We looked around at a lot of places, but we really fell in love with Smiths Falls,” he recounted. “It’s very much my speed. It’s a great place to raise our kids. I love this place.”

His professional interests have evolved over time from cannabis education and advocacy to environmental remediation, biochar research and other climate initiatives.

“The past decade it’s become a real focus,” he said of his work. “I guess to put it in layman’s terms, I have a lot of bacteria and fungi that I like to grow on biochar…I’m a science geek.”

Q: What do you love most about living in Smiths Falls?

For Morris, the answer comes down to the authenticity of the people.

“There’s so much to love about it,” he told Lanarkist. “I love how down-to-earth and kind of fun-loving we are.”

He describes Smiths Falls as a community built on hard work and resilience.

“There’s just nothing pretentious about Smiths Falls,” Morris said. “There’s kind of a rugged individualism about this place that I really respect.”

As a self-described history enthusiast, he is also particularly fascinated by the town’s railway heritage.

“The history of Smiths Falls is really a people’s history,” he said. “We don’t usually hear about where they actually lived, and they had a whole shanty town here. The early history of Smiths Falls has got this incredible history of how the country was actually built.”

He sees significant untapped tourism potential in both the community’s history and its natural environment.

Q: What inspired you to run for mayor in 2026?

For Morris, the community’s greatest strength lies in its people.

While researching and preparing for his campaign, he says he had spent countless hours studying municipal issues, attending council meetings and speaking directly with residents.

“No two people see this town through exactly the same lens,” he said. “I’ve been going door-to-door and talking to people and it’s been fascinating to get everyone’s perspective.”

Morris says that while he has been interested in politics for decades, municipal government has always been the only level that truly appealed to him.

“The only elected office that I’ve ever been remotely attracted to is the role of mayor,” he shared.

One of the major factors motivating his campaign is his concern over local water issues and his desire to improve the water safety for the community. In recent years, Morris has been consistent in speaking publicly about water contamination issues in Smiths Falls that he believes requires greater transparency and accountability from municipal leadership. He argues that restoring public confidence in the town’s water system begins with open communication and stronger oversight.

“It’s not going to be about trying to investigate the past,” he emphasized. “It’s about trying to improve the future.”

Q: What professional, volunteer or community experiences have prepared you for this role?

Morris points to a lifetime of unconventional experiences that he believes have shaped his leadership style today.

One of the most significant challenges in his life that really helped shaped him was growing up with severe dyslexia.

“I was one of the first people in the educational system that was double-designated gifted and learning disabled,” he shared. “I didn’t learn how to read until my late teens.”

Rather than viewing those challenges as setbacks, Morris says they taught him resilience and humility.

“I’m a good communicator,” Morris responded. “My brain is kind of an interesting thing, it’s like I have some real gifts and some real weaknesses, but I think this has kind of influenced my leadership style and part of the reason I’m comfortable with public speaking and I’m comfortable leading teams of people.

“It’s just the humility that has come with that kind of upbringing, I’m like I’m used to making mistakes and owning it.”

He also highlighted his experience with environmental remediation initiatives, including his work with Climate Protection Working Group and local climate accounting and harm-reduction advocacy.

Q: What is your vision for Smiths Falls over the next four years?

Morris envisions a community that embraces its history while investing in environmental restoration and tourism.

Central to that larger vision is the approaching 200th anniversary of the Rideau Canal lock system.

“Every municipality along the waterway is going to be celebrating the 200 year birthday, which is actually celebrating the locks’ completion, but for Smith’s Falls, if I’m elected mayor, I want to celebrate the process of building it.”

His plan includes rehabilitating local waterways, addressing environmental contamination, expanding fish habitats and promoting fishing tourism.

“I want to use that upcoming birthday as an opportunity to revitalize our economy and reboot the Smiths Falls identity,” he shared “I want to begin a program of restocking the waterways with various native game fish and really build up the fishing tourism industry here.”

Q: If elected, what would be your top priorities as mayor?

Morris did not hesitate on this question, saying that affordability for residents would be front and centre.

“I am absolutely committed to lowering the water bills,” he said. “One of my key campaign promises is to lower the water bill, and I’m very, very serious about delivering on that one.”

“We live on a river, but there are a bunch of people that cannot afford the water,” Morris told Lanarkist. “To be in a position where you can’t afford to get your water turned back on is just not acceptable.”

He also says he wants to promote greater transparency and accountability surrounding municipal water management.

“At the very top level, I feel very strongly that we need to replace the CEO, and that is one key campaign promise is almost immediately once I take office,” Morris stated.”I want to ensure that the CEO is replaced, so that is definitely makes one of the top priorities.”

When asked why he feels so adamant about this, Morris said his concerns stem primarily from the handling of the water contamination situation in Smiths Falls, which has been unfolding for well over a year.

“They basically have a mechanism for ghosting documents that show contamination, and that’s incredibly troubling,” he alleged. “When our top leadership has been exposed doing that, it pulls into question any evidence that they can present showing that the system is safe.”

Q: Housing affordability and availability remain major concerns across Ontario. What role should the municipality play?

Morris believes that increasing housing supply in the region must be part of the solution.

“In order to reduce the market price of apartments and make them more affordable, you need to create more housing,” he said. However, he argues that the municipality also needs to improve how efficiently development applications are processed.

“We need to get better and faster at approving building projects,” Morris stated. “I would like to reorganize the process so as much as possible we lower the amount of time it takes to get a building project approved.”

He elaborated that he would like to see municipal approvals happen simultaneously rather than sequentially in an attempt to reduce delays and encourage more development investment.

“If this municipality had a reputation for being very efficient and getting projects across the runway, that would change everything.”

Q: How should Smiths Falls address the epidemics of homelessness, mental health and addictions?

Morris says his approach would emphasize harm reduction, building support services and rethinking targeted enforcement.

“Issues with substance abuse and addiction are near and dear to my heart,” he shared. “Drug policy reform has been something I’ve been active in for decades.”

He said the supports maintaining the services of the Smiths Falls Police Service (SFPS) rather than transitioning to the Ontario Provincial Police, arguing that having local control allows municipal leaders to respond more directly to community needs.

Morris believes police resources should be more focused on serious crimes whereas addiction and mental health crises should be addressed through health and social support systems.

“If somebody’s in a mental health crisis, I want to keep them as far away from the criminal justice system as we possibly can and work on getting them the help they need,” he stated.

At the same time, he says police should focus resources on protecting vulnerable residents and would rather laser-focus police resources on other pervasive issues such as domestic violence and child protection.

Q: What makes you different from the other candidates in this race?

While Morris readily acknowledges that he is not a traditional politician or a financial advisor, he argues that his background in environmental science, agriculture, cannabis advocacy and community activism gives him a different perspective than many municipal candidates.

“I think somebody from the cannabis space is about as opposite to a financial advisor as you can get,” he joked.

While he understands some voters may view his cannabis advocacy background skeptically, he reiterates he has no intention of distancing himself from it.

“I’m not going to try to run away from that,” Morris said. “I’m proud of it.”

Q: What qualities do you possess that would make you an effective mayor?

Morris points to his willingness to listen, accept criticism and remain accessible to residents.

“I’m used to making mistakes and owning it,” he told Lanarkist. “If you can’t own your mistakes, you’re really limited in what you can do.”

He also emphasizes his drive to work hard and make change.

“I’m literally knocking on everyone’s door,” he said. “I’m really trying to make an effort to work harder than any other candidate has ever worked to seek this office.”

Q: If residents remember one thing about your campaign, what would you want it to be?

Morris did not hesitate with his response.

“A vote for me is a vote to lower your water bill.”

He says that message captures both his campaign’s central promise and his broader commitment to improve affordability.

“I’m serious about lowering your water bills,” he added. “I’m serious about making this government more responsive.”

Morris says he wants residents to know he intends to remain accessible throughout the campaign and to stay that way if elected.

“I’m going to continue going door-to-door,” he detailed. “I’m going to continue listening. I want people to feel heard.”

You can learn more about Nate Morris and follow along on his campaign journey on his Facebook page or website.