Ashley Irwin
Ashley Irwin is running for Councillor in the Township of St. Joseph.
Ashley Irwin (she/her) is a current Township of St. Joseph Councillor, Registered Social Worker, clinical supervisor, small-business owner, farmer, and mother. Appointed to Council in May 2025, Ashley brings more than 17 years of experience in mental health, community services, and rehabilitation. She holds a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology from Yorkville University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Algoma University. Her professional experience includes clinical leadership with Field Trip Health, rehabilitation services through Abilities Rehabilitation, and counselling through TELUS Health and the Non-Insured Health Benefits program. She is also involved in psychedelic-assisted therapy, including treatments accessed through Health Canada's Special Access Program. Her community involvement includes the St. Joseph Island Country Roads Open House Committee, Seniors Advisory Committee, and Museum Board. A resident of St. Joseph Island since 2009, Ashley operates Bonnyview Farms and is seeking her first full term on Council.
Why are you running for this position?
I am running for Council because I care deeply about St. Joseph Island, the people who call it home, and the future of our community.
Since being appointed to Council in May 2025, I have had the privilege of gaining firsthand experience in municipal governance and contributing to decisions that directly affect our residents. This experience has strengthened my appreciation for the responsibilities of local government and my desire to continue serving our Township.
As a mother raising a young family, a farmer, small-business owner, and Registered Social Worker, I bring several perspectives to the Council table. I understand the importance of maintaining reliable infrastructure, supporting local businesses and agriculture, protecting our rural character, and ensuring our community remains a place where young families can establish roots and seniors can continue to thrive.
Throughout my professional career, I have worked in leadership positions requiring thoughtful decision-making, financial oversight, collaboration, and advocacy. These experiences have reinforced the importance of listening to different perspectives, asking questions, and finding practical solutions.
I believe municipal leadership should be approachable, practical, and accountable. I am seeking the opportunity to serve a full term on Council, continue building on the experience I have gained, and provide a strong, accessible voice for the residents of the Township of St. Joseph.
What do you love most about your community?
What I love most about St. Joseph Island is its people, our rural way of life, and the strong sense of community that connects generations.
My family’s roots on the Island date back to the 1800s, and I have been fortunate to call it home since 2009. Now, raising my own daughter here, I have an even greater appreciation for the opportunities and quality of life our community offers.
As a farmer, I value our agricultural heritage, natural landscapes, and the hardworking people who contribute to the character of the Island. From our farms and maple bushes to our shorelines, small businesses, and community events, there is so much worth preserving.
I especially appreciate how residents support one another. Whether through volunteer organizations, community events, helping a neighbour, or supporting a local business, there is a genuine sense of connection and pride here.
I also have a strong appreciation for our history and the generations who helped build this community. I believe preserving that heritage while welcoming new families and opportunities is an important part of ensuring the Island continues to thrive.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing your municipality right now?
I believe one of the greatest challenges facing the Township of St. Joseph is balancing fiscal responsibility with the increasing costs of maintaining essential infrastructure and municipal services.
Like many small Northern Ontario municipalities, we face rising operational expenses, aging infrastructure, and increasing demands on limited resources. At the same time, we must remain mindful of the financial pressures facing residents, particularly seniors on fixed incomes, young families, and small-business owners.
I believe it is important to manage taxpayer dollars responsibly, maintain healthy municipal reserves, prioritize infrastructure needs, and continue exploring provincial and federal funding opportunities to help offset costs.
Through my experience on Council, I have gained a greater understanding of the complexities involved in municipal budgeting and long-term planning. I have also valued opportunities to participate in regional discussions through the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM), where learning from neighbouring communities and building relationships can help strengthen our approach to local challenges.
Access to health care and essential services is another significant concern, particularly for rural residents and our aging population. My professional background in social work has provided firsthand insight into the barriers individuals and families face when accessing services across Northern Ontario. Although health care delivery is primarily a provincial responsibility, municipalities play an important role in advocacy and regional collaboration.
Ultimately, I believe our responsibility is to make thoughtful, financially sustainable decisions that protect essential services, support our residents, and position the Township for the future without compromising the qualities that make our community special.
What does good local government look like to you?
To me, good local government is approachable, transparent, fiscally responsible, and accountable to the residents it serves.
I believe residents should feel comfortable reaching out to their elected representatives with questions, concerns, or ideas. While we may not always agree, everyone deserves to feel heard and respected.
My experience on Council has reinforced that municipal decision-making requires careful consideration of legislation, financial resources, infrastructure priorities, staff recommendations, and the long-term interests of the community.
Throughout my professional career, I have held leadership positions involving staff supervision, program budgets, policy implementation, and collaboration with community partners. These experiences have taught me the importance of gathering information, asking thoughtful questions, and making decisions that are both practical and sustainable.
Good governance also means respecting the roles of Council and municipal staff, maintaining financial accountability, exploring funding opportunities, and planning responsibly for future needs.
I believe elected representatives should remain connected to the people they serve, be willing to explain their decisions, and recognize that public trust is earned through consistency, integrity, and follow-through.
How do you approach working with people who disagree with you?
As a Registered Social Worker and clinical supervisor, navigating different perspectives and complex situations has been a significant part of my professional career.
I regularly work with individuals, families, interdisciplinary teams, and community partners who may have different priorities, experiences, or opinions. These experiences have taught me that meaningful collaboration begins with listening and seeking to understand another person’s perspective.
I believe disagreement can be productive when approached with respect, curiosity, and a willingness to consider new information. I am comfortable having difficult conversations and recognize that finding common ground does not always mean everyone will agree.
My experience in clinical leadership and municipal government has reinforced the importance of maintaining professionalism, considering evidence, and focusing on shared objectives rather than personal differences.
I am also willing to reconsider my own position when presented with information that offers a different perspective.
Ultimately, as councillors, our responsibility is not to agree on everything but to work collaboratively and make informed decisions that serve the best interests of our residents.
What does having more women in local leadership change?
I believe having more women in local leadership strengthens representation by bringing different experiences, perspectives, and voices to the decision-making table.
As a mother, Registered Social Worker, business owner, farmer, and current councillor, I recognize how our personal and professional experiences shape the way we understand community priorities.
Women often navigate multiple responsibilities, balancing careers, caregiving, family life, and community involvement. These experiences can provide valuable insight into the practical challenges residents face, from accessing services and managing household finances to raising families and supporting aging relatives.
I also believe representation matters for future generations. As someone raising a young daughter, I want her to grow up knowing that her voice matters, that she can pursue leadership opportunities, and that women have an important role in shaping their communities.
At the same time, effective local government benefits from a diversity of backgrounds, ages, professions, and lived experiences. I believe the strongest councils are those where different perspectives are welcomed and decisions are made collaboratively.
Having more women involved in municipal leadership helps demonstrate that leadership is accessible and encourages others to contribute their skills, experiences, and ideas.
What is something about you that you would like voters to know that they might not learn from your campaign platform?
Something people may not know about me is that my interest in community leadership began long before I became a councillor.
As a teenager, I served as a Youth Representative on the Laird Township Fair Board, which provided an early opportunity to become involved in local government and community decision-making. I later worked as a summer student with the Township of Laird, providing administrative support to the Township Clerk and assisting with youth programming. I subsequently received a Northern Ontario Heritage Fund grant to complete a counselling internship with Algoma Family Services, helping establish the foundation for my career in mental health and community services.
Over the years, I have continued volunteering in various capacities, including serving as President of the Algoma Horse Association and participating in community health and youth-focused initiatives. I currently serve on the St. Joseph Island Country Roads Open House Committee, Seniors Advisory Committee, and Museum Board. My involvement with the museum is particularly meaningful, as my relatives donated the property on which the museum stands, reflecting my family’s longstanding connection to St. Joseph Island.
Outside of my professional and municipal responsibilities, I am also a hands-on farmer. At Bonnyview Farms, we raise goats, horses, and chickens, produce maple syrup, and make handcrafted goat milk soap. Farming is an important part of my life and has taught me the value of hard work, patience, adaptability, and resourcefulness. It has also reinforced the importance of practical problem-solving, resilience, and the vital role that agriculture and small businesses play in sustaining rural communities.
I am equally proud of my family’s history on St. Joseph Island, with roots dating back to the 1800s. That connection, combined with raising my own daughter here, gives me a deep appreciation for both our community’s past and its future.
I believe these different experiences have shaped me into someone who is hardworking, approachable, and comfortable rolling up my sleeves to get things done.
At the end of the day, I am proud to call St. Joseph Island home and grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the community that means so much to my family.
Where can people find you?
Facebook: @ashley.brooke.
Instagram: @bonnyviewfarms
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-irwin-499bb2214/
