Ontario premier chooses eight regional leaders, replacing Muskoka's elected chair

In Ontario, some areas have regional councils. A regional council serves several towns. Its leader is called the chair. The government of Premier Doug Ford has now chosen eight chairs itself. In Muskoka, it replaced chair Jeff Lehman. Lehman was chosen by the regional council in 2022. He said he was "deeply disappointed." He said communities should choose their own leaders. The new chair is Scott Aitchison, a Conservative member of Parliament. He plans to leave Parliament later this month and start on December 1. The chairs will have strong powers, such as stopping some local rules and proposing budgets.