Most elections have some form of scandal, and Gravenhurst’s municipal election is no different.
In a now-deleted Facebook post on her campaign page, mayoral candidate Jo Morphy used photos from a OPP Marine Unit Ride-Along. During the ride along, which she described as “extra special” in her caption, Morphy talked to members of the OPP about some of the concerns regarding water safety. What she didn’t include in her caption however was the fact that she had won the ride along as a prize rather than her setting up the meeting herself.
In response, the OPP issued a press release in the hopes of informing people that the ride-along Morphy was a part of was indeed a prize:
The website for the auction states that Morphy won the prize with a bid of $380. Muskoka411 reached out to the Rotary Club of Gravenhurst to ask further questions about this auction, but our e-mail was not answered.
Page 11 of the Town of Gravenhurst 2026 Municipal Elections Procedures, which were published on May 1, states that:
- Municipal Identifiers shall not be used, printed, posted, or distributed on Campaign Materials, or included on any Election-related websites, domains, or social media platforms, except when linking to the Municipality’s official website(s).
- Candidates shall not use photographs featuring Employees wearing or operating equipment bearing Municipal Identifiers.
- The use of photographs or videos not produced by the Municipality and taken from publicly accessible locations is permitted in Campaign Activities, provided they do not incorporate Municipal Identifiers in a manner that contravenes this Policy.
- Municipal Resources shall not be used for any element of Campaign Materials or Campaign Activities in relation to Candidates, Registered Third Party Advertisers or those intending to become a Candidate or Registered Third Party Advertiser.
While the OPP are traditionally a provincial asset, there are instances in which they become a municipal one. In communities that choose to not establish their own standalone municipal police force – like Gravenhurst – a municipality can explicitly contract the OPP under the Community Safety and Policing Act to serve as their local police department.
By posting the photos from the OPP ride-along on her campaign Facebook page, Morphy broke the above listed election procedures.
In an email statement provided to Muskoka411, Kayla Thibeault, who is the Clerk in charge of the election, said that the complaint regarding Morphy “is not under the jurisdiction of the Town of Gravenhurst.”
According to Thibeault, a complaint such as this is a provincial level matter. This has been disputed by those at OPP HQ, who say complaints like this would be handled by the Clerk for the election at the town level.
Thibeault added that an accountability mechanism for this matter could be through a complaint with the Compliance Audit Committee at the time of filing financial statements.
This issue is coming to light just weeks after complaints regarding a Gravenhurst Chamber of Commerce board member aiding in Morphy’s campaign efforts.
Morphy also missed the most recent mayoral debate hosted by Cogeco’s YourTV due to an illness. In a post on her campaign Facebook, Morphy said that she was “fully prepared and genuinely looking forward to participating” in the debate, adding that she was “disappointed to miss the opportunity, particularly because she had put considerable time into preparing for the discussion.”
