Five questions with Ian Doward, candidate for Carleton Place council in the 2026 municipal election

Editor’s note: To help voters to be better informed, Lanarkist will be asking the same five questions of all council candidates in Carleton Place, Smiths Falls, Perth and Mississippi Mills in advance of the municipal election, which will be held on Monday, Oct. 26, 2026. Questions were sent to all candidates on Sept. 4, 2026. We will publish their responses as we receive them. Below are the responses from candidate Ian Doward. You can view a roundup of all our Carleton Place municipal coverage here.

1) Tell us a little bit about your professional background, including any prior municipal or other political participation, as well as about you, personally. What made you want to run for council?

I have been a retail manager since graduating from Acadia University in 2004. I have managed hundreds of people over the years, and worked for and ran numerous successful retail stores. I currently run and manage a local retail establishment in Carleton Place. I have been the manager there for almost four years.

Although I do not have any personal experience in municipal politics, I grew up in a very politically active household. Whether it be discussions at the dinner table or helping my dad campaign for a younger Alex Munter, politics has always been a very important part of my life. The exact moment I knew I wanted to run for council was when I inquired about leaf bag pickup. I have always been of the opinion that there should be more efficient pickup with more frequency. When I spoke to someone about this, I was told “that’s the way it is and the way its always been, It works just fine.” Honestly, that answer seemed very dismissive and inspired me to want to do better for myself and the town.

2) How would you describe your personal political ideology and/or affiliation?

I do not want to put myself into a specific political affiliation. I feel that is a little short sided as most ideologies/affiliations all have their own positives and negatives. Growing up in a politically active family, my father always voted for NDP, my mother always voted Liberal and my brother and I were left to come up with our own thoughts and opinions. We were never pressured to be “liberal” or “conservative.” I always appreciated that my parents allowed my brother and I to form our own political ideology.

3) What are the three most common issues voters bring up to you as you campaign?

• Traffic
• Garbage/recycling/compost opportunities
• Taxes and utility increases

4) What three issues are most pressing/important to address locally in your opinion?

Although there are almost limitless issues to address to any council, I feel the three most urgent issues are:

• More efficient and cost effective community waste services such as leaf pickup and composting options
• Sustainable infrastructure ready for growth. Specifically, to have the foundations in place before we just start building everything.
• Enhanced and efficient municipal services

5) What do you feel sets you apart from other candidates?

No matter who serves on council, every candidate brings something a little different. If not, that would be boring. I bring years of leadership and management experience. More importantly, I think I bring an outside perspective. Although I have lived here 17 years now, my experiences may be quite different from that of someone who was born and raised here.

They say the only thing that is constant is change. Well, I feel very certain I can bring positive change to the town council of Carleton Place.