HALDIMAND COUNTY, Ontario – Jake Vandendool, a lifelong Haldimand County resident, entrepreneur, volunteer, and community leader, has announced his candidacy for Mayor of Haldimand County in the 2026 municipal election.
After earning strong county-wide support in the 2022 mayoral election, Vandendool says his 2026 campaign is focused on bringing people together around experienced leadership, responsible growth, and putting Haldimand first.
Vandendool says Haldimand needs to restore momentum, rebuild public confidence, and focus on the practical priorities residents see and feel every day.
“Haldimand is growing, and growth can bring opportunity,” said Vandendool. “But growth has to be managed carefully. We need infrastructure that keeps up, housing that fits our communities, protection for our farmland and rural character, and a municipal government that works harder for residents and businesses.”
Born and raised in Haldimand County, Vandendool grew up attending local schools and has lived in both rural Haldimand and Caledonia. He has founded and built businesses in Canada and internationally, including Metro Loop, a telecommunications provider serving residential and business customers across Canada, with a significant focus on Haldimand County and the surrounding region. Under Vandendool’s leadership, the company brought tens of millions of dollars in private fibre-optic infrastructure investment to Haldimand County, including a final $35-million project following the company’s sale in 2020.
Beyond business, Vandendool’s campaign is grounded in decades of volunteer service, board experience, and community involvement across Haldimand and the surrounding region.
“This campaign is about putting Haldimand first,” said Vandendool. “Residents want experienced leadership, practical decision-making, honest communication, better customer service, and a County that looks for ways to get things done instead of defaulting to “no.” Haldimand deserves a mayor who understands business, respects taxpayers, values service, and knows this community.”
Vandendool’s campaign is built around four priorities:
Trust. Transparency. Engagement.
Haldimand deserves a municipal government that is open, accountable, ethical, and accessible to everyone equally. Jake will rebuild trust through clearer communication, stronger financial transparency, meaningful public engagement, and decisions that put residents first.
Communities not Subdivisions
Growth should strengthen Haldimand, not overwhelm it. Jake’s smart growth approach means supporting the right development, in the right place, at the right time, while protecting farmland, respecting rural areas, planning infrastructure properly, and building complete communities.
Haldimand. Improved.
Haldimand needs a culture shift from a default “no” to a government that works with residents, businesses, and community groups to find a responsible path forward. Jake will focus on better customer service, clearer communication, practical improvements, stronger accessibility, smarter service delivery, better upkeep of public spaces, and more value for taxpayers.
Clean, Safe, and Welcoming Communities.
Civic pride is reflected in how we maintain the communities we call home. Working streetlights, maintained roads, clean trails, attractive streetscapes, clear signage, well-kept parks, and cared-for public spaces are not luxuries; they are core municipal responsibilities that make Haldimand more welcoming to residents, businesses, and visitors, and less inviting to crime, vandalism, and neglect.
The 2026 Ontario municipal election will be held on Monday, October 26, 2026.
Residents can learn more, request a lawn sign, volunteer, donate, or follow campaign updates at vote-jake.ca.
