FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MAYOR AND COUNCIL ANNOUNCE TRANSITION IN CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER ROLE – And Establish New Chief Transformation Officer Role

Cochrane. Ontario December 13, 2025 – The Town of Cochrane is announcing an important leadership transition in the role of Chief Administrative Officer (CAO).

Council extends its sincere appreciation to our current CAO for the leadership and dedication shown since last May when commencing this interim but important role.

The interim arrangement was designed to prepare for a permanent transition, and thanks to the progress made under the Chris Wray’s guidance, we are now ready to move forward ahead of schedule. On behalf of Council and the community, I extend sincere gratitude to Chris Wray, our outgoing CAO, for his dedicated service. Over his tenure with us, Mr. Wray has been instrumental in helping us stabilize operations and strengthen relationships across the municipality. His steady leadership has provided a strong foundation for Cochrane’s continued growth and success. We thank Mr. Wray for his contributions during this important phase in our community’s socioeconomic development and wish him and his wife Mary all the very best as they enter into the next well-earned chapter of their lives.

Effective January 5, 2026, we are pleased to welcome Daniel Gagnon as Cochrane’s new CAO. Mr. Gagnon brings a wealth of experience in municipal leadership, with a proven track record in communities whose priorities align closely with Cochrane’s bold vision. He played a pivotal role in the development and success of the highly acclaimed crown cottage lot projects in Elliot Lake and successfully leveraged innovations such as the Elliot Lake Act in driving innovative socioeconomics. His expertise in infrastructure and housing development, combined with his reputation for strong managerial and team-building skills, will be invaluable as Cochrane continues to build and forge new opportunities, while seeking to provide the most modern, effective, and valued public service.

As a proud and bilingual northerner who embraces the northern way of life, Mr. Gagnon brings not only the specialized professional expertise we are seeking but also a deep understanding of our region’s values and aspirations. He and his wife Christiane are excited to make Cochrane their home and to become long-term members of our community family.

In addition, we are establishing a short-term Chief Transformation Officer (CTO) role, which will work in parallel with the CAO and report directly to the Mayor and Council. This role will focus specifically on transforming municipal operations from the long-standing structures that have served us for decades into a refreshed, modernized system designed to deliver efficiencies and retooling required to manage the “new normal” brought about by the monumental changes our region has experienced recently, is experiencing, and will continue to experience in the foreseeable future.

The CTO will live in our community, seven days a week at times, and during this short-term arrangement, will meet with residents, businesses, employees, Council, service providers, and other government partners to gain a comprehensive understanding of local needs, challenges, threats, and opportunities. He will leverage his decades of experience as an Executive at IBM and Nortel, against his extensive CAO experience in effectively reorganizing many municipalities from large cities to rural communities, to challenge conventional thinking and make practical recommendations on the development of our public service. From this engagement, a strategy will be developed for the Mayor, Council, and CAO to implement, one that will point the bow of our ship in the right direction, allowing us to set full sail as Cochrane takes its place with the generational development opportunities before us. This role has already been filled and will also commence on January 5, 2026. Further details including the identity of the CTO will be provided in the coming days as the process continues to unfold.

Mayor and Council wish to thank the many individuals who applied for these positions, the many people who helped guide the process, and the two successful candidates for being inspired by Cochrane’s bold vision and choosing to be part of the exciting future that lies ahead for our community.

Contacts:
Peter Politis, Cochrane Mayor, 705-272-9527; Peter.Politis@cochraneontario.com

About the Town of Cochrane
Cochrane, Ontario: A Small Town with Big Ambitions
Blending Rural Charm With Progressive Growth, Cochrane Is Shaping Its Future Through Strategic Development, Strong Industries, And A Thriving Community.

A northern Canadian community odyssey that takes you for a ride through one of the most amazing ways of life, in one of the best backyard’s on the planet!

What makes Cochrane, Ontario truly unique is while sustaining one of the region’s most diversified economies, and while committing to exponential growth and development, Cochrane is just as committed to the development of social experiences as well. Having five times more social assets than educational, environmental, and governmental assets, Cochrane values having a healthy socio-economic balance, with a beach right in the middle of Town on beautiful Lake Commando, one of the region’s most modern recreation and events centers, the newest and one of the region’s most impressive outdoor entertainment facility’s located right on the Lake, new outdoor recreation trail systems traversing the wilds of the boreal forest right from many backyards, and one of only a handful of world class tourist attractions in northern Ontario, the largest natural habitat for captive Polar Bear in the world, the famous Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat.

Come experience the unique combination of small town Canadian rural charm and mainstream urban amenities. Come explore and discover all the great outdoors has to offer. Come discover and recreate in the wilds of the boreal forest. Come take part in developing commercial enterprise in a welcoming regulatory environment.
Come see for yourself why Cochrane, Ontario is so WONDERFULLY UNEXPECTED!