Breaking the 'Default': Your Designation, Your Voice
Ontario's Assessment Act assigns every residential property a school support designation: English public, English Catholic, French public, or French Catholic (CECCE). Without an explicit request, that designation stays English public by default.
What your designation actually changes
Since 1998, Ontario school board funding has been pooled provincially and calculated per student: the residential school tax rate is uniform no matter your designation. What your designation does change is different, and just as real: being counted as a CECCE taxpayer, and gaining the right to vote for your Zone 6 school board trustee on October 26, 2026. Same bill, same amount — but your voice counts for the francophone board.
Check and change your designation
The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) keeps the school support record. The City of Ottawa keeps the voters' list. These are two separate records.
Before you start: MPAC requires you to be Roman Catholic, a Canadian citizen, and eligible under one French-language education rights condition. French immersion or French as a second language does not qualify.
The June 1 deadline has passed
- Change your MPAC record through the route below. MPAC still accepts changes, but a change made after June 1, 2026 does not enter the preliminary voters' list.
- Give MPAC's email confirmation to the City of Ottawa Elections Office so it can correct the final voters' list.
- Then check your Ottawa record. The City accepts voters' list changes from September 1 until voting closes on October 26, 2026. You cannot change school support at the polling place on voting day.
If you own your home
- Check your designation on your MPAC Property Assessment Notice or in AboutMyProperty. A new account needs the roll number and access key from that notice.
- If you qualify, request French-Separate (Catholic) support in AboutMyProperty.
If you rent your home
- You do not receive a property tax bill. Use the MPAC School Support portal and search with your name, date of birth, municipality, and address.
- If you qualify, request French-Separate (Catholic) support in that portal.
This process moves no money to CECCE. Ontario pools education funding and calculates it per pupil. The residential rate stays the same: same bill, same amount. Your designation changes which board counts you as a ratepayer and which trustee you may elect.
Need help? MPAC Customer Contact Centre: 1-866-296-6722. City of Ottawa Elections Office: 613-580-2660.
Confirm your registration on the voters' list through Ontario's official Register to Vote service, ahead of the October 26, 2026 election. This isn't a tool our campaign built — it's a public service, and we're urging you to use it today.
Vote for Our Schools, Ward by Ward
Discover the French Catholic schools in your area and the francophone history around them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the default designation?
By default, without an explicit request, your property is designated to English-language public school support.
Who can be designated to French Catholic support?
People whose first language is French, who attended a French-language school in Canada, or whose children attend or have attended one. French immersion does not qualify for this designation.
Does my designation change how much I pay in school taxes?
No. Since 1998, the residential school tax rate has been uniform across Ontario regardless of designation. What changes is that you're counted as a CECCE taxpayer and gain the right to vote in its elections.
Why does the October 26, 2026 date matter?
It's Ontario's school board election day. Only people designated to French Catholic support can vote for their CECCE trustee, including the Zone 6 seat.