While Brockville was voting for a new mayor on Oct. 26, another city in Ontario a bit further west was handing over the leadership to a local from Brockville.
Michael Eamon, the newly elected mayor of Peterborough, proudly claims his roots are in Brockville, and he attributes his civic achievements to the Red Ram legacy of excellence.
Eamon triumphed in a competitive seven-person race last week to become Peterborough’s mayor-elect, marking a successful start to his journey in local politics.
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At 54 years old, Eamon grew up in Brockville and finished his studies at Brockville Collegiate Institute in 1991 as valedictorian. He later attended the University of Ottawa, Queen’s University, and the University of Cambridge.
He holds four degrees in history along with various certificates including project management, project planning and control, procurement, change management, and cultural resource management.
As an expert on print culture in early Canada, Eamon authored the book Imprinting Britain (2015), which examines how printed materials influenced colonial society’s growth in British North America.
Currently serving as principal at Trent University’s Catharine Parr Traill College, he also chairs Collegiate Way International-a global network of university colleges that he co-founded. With his new role as mayor requiring full-time commitment in Peterborough, he’ll take a leave from this position.
Eamon moved to Peterborough back in 2005 and has worked as a civil servant for over thirty years.
In 2017, he was honored with induction into BCI’s Hall of Excellence.
During an interview on Monday, Eamon shared that he had considered entering politics but wanted to ensure he was settled within his community first-especially after his children went off to university.
His interest in politics traces back to his time at BCI; particularly inspired by history teacher Boyd Hall.
“He really inculcated a love of civics, of Canada.”
Eamon also acknowledged former principal Robert Lawn for recognizing him as “someone who could believe in good governance.”
Growing up in Brockville instilled Eamon with strong values regarding public service within a small town environment; while larger than Brockville, Peterborough shares similar community vibes.
“At its heart, it had that same sense of community that I loved in Brockville,” said Eamon.
The desire for public good sparked during his BCI days drives Eamon’s ambition to impact an era where civic awareness seems to be fading and division often takes precedence over collaboration.
“Local politics is the one space where, at least in theory, political parties should not exist,” he stated.
Municipal governance like that found both here and in places such as Brockville still relies heavily on individual representatives’ active participation.
As he gears up to lead his adopted city forward, Eamon aims to contribute positively towards enhancing civic literacy and inspiring more citizens to get involved with government processes.
“People are either hyper-partisan or very apathetic,” he observed.
“Most Canadians live in the middle ground-and we just have to reclaim the middle ground.”
I have been a journalist in eastern Ontario since the early 1990s, mostly at the . Nowadays while still chasing news stories across Brockville and surrounding areas I am also The Recorder and Times’s managing editor. I’m honoured to lead our small team and humbled to carry on a tradition dating back to 1821.
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