Third-party advertising is when an individual, corporation or trade union pays for advertisements or other materials that support, promote or oppose a candidate or issue.

Any eligible individual, corporation or trade union that intends to spend money on advertising, must register with the City of Burlington as a third-party advertiser between May 1 and Oct. 23, 2026. The link to register will be made available soon.

More information is available through the Ministry of Municipal Affairs’ Guide for Third Party Advertisers.

How do I/we register as a third-party advertiser?

You're eligible to register as a third-party advertiser if you are:

• An individual resident of Ontario
• A corporation carrying on business in Ontario
• A trade union that holds bargaining rights for employees in Ontario

You are not eligible to register as a third-party advertiser if you are:

• A candidate in the municipal or provincial election
• A group, association or business that is not a corporation
• A federal or provincial political party
• The Crown in right of Canada or Ontario, a municipality or local board

What do I need to do as an individual third-party advertiser?

If you’re registering as an individual, you must provide identification confirming your identity and that you live in Ontario.

There is no restriction against family members or campaign staff of candidates registering to be third-party advertisers. However, third-party advertising must be done independently of the candidate.

If a person with close ties to a candidate plans to register, they should consider:

• How these activities may be perceived by the public
• How they can demonstrate they are acting independently and not in coordination with the candidate

What do corporations need to do?

If you’re registering on behalf of a corporation, you must provide:

• Proof that the corporation operates in Ontario and you are a director or officer of the corporation. This could include a corporate search or incorporating documents (letters patent).
• A piece of government-issued identification

If the corporation has more than one director, provide a resolution from the board authorizing you to act as the corporation’s representative.

If the same people or person own or control multiple corporations, or if one corporation controls another, only one corporation can register as a third-party advertiser.

What would a trade union need to do to register?

If you are registering on behalf of a trade union, you must provide:

• Proof the trade union exists
• Proof you have been appointed to act on the trade union’s behalf such as resolution from the board authorizing you to act as the trade union’s representative.

What is the registration process?

To register, you, or a representative from your corporation or trade union, will need to complete a Notice of Registration form and submit it, along with all the required documents, to the Office of the City Clerk, City Hall at 426 Brant St.

Notice of Registration form will be made available soon.