By Doug Draper
Listen up Niagara regional council. You now have a guy with a no-B.S., kick-butt, suffers-idiot-remarks-lightly record on your hands.
His name is Peter Kormos, the former Ontario NDP member for the Welland Riding and once Ontario cabinet minister, who won a byelection this March 26 for a seat as a Welland respresentative on regional council.
Kormos beat out about half a dozen rivels, including former Welland Mayor Damian Goulbourne, who lost a bid in the municipal elections more than a year ago to win a regional council seat, then lost an attempt in December of 2010 to become Niagara’s regional chairman.
The regional chair seat went to former Niagara-on-the-Lake Lord Mayor Gary Burroughs, and Welland’s two regional councillor seats went to George Marshall and Cindy Forster – the second of whom ran in last year’s provincial election and is now serving as the NDP representative for the Welland Riding.
Forster’s vacant regional council seat left the opportunity open to Kormos, who had retired from provincial politics after more than two decades but remanined anxious to play a public service role that was more local.
It will now obviously be interest to see how it goes for this most dynamic and outspoken individual on a body that has had a history of being a bit of a yawn in all due respect to those who have tried to stir things up over the years.
To be sure, many more people than usual will be turning on Cogeco on a Thursday night – if that channel ever decides to play the regional council meeting live, in front of a hockey game – to see how this new regional councillor functions on a body with a reputation for being kind of dry.
At the very least, it should make regional politics a hell of a lot more interesting.
(Niagara At Large invites you to share your views on this post below.)
Niagara At Large 
great – now we’ll know what they are doing to or for us – Peter will cut through the spin and encourage participation. THANKS FOR STAYING INVOLVED – PETER KORMOS
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Peter Kormos does’nt suffer fools lightly , looks like Regional Council is going to be a much watched event for political news junkies. I predict fur and feathers will fly , Welland wil finally have a voice at the Thorold Headquarters, Something will happen I don’t know what, we will have to hang on to our seats and enjoy the show.
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Peter Kormos will be a great addition to regional council. He and Andy Petrowski will certainly make it interesting anyways.
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Sure hope that Peter argues for the Region to have GO Transit run the GO Train through Welland to Niagara Falls, after strengthening the old TH&B railway line to enable faster travel.
The GO Bus already goes through St. Kitts to Niagara Falls on the QEW.
It’s time to serve Niagara South by having the GO Train serve Fonthill, Welland, Thorold & Port Colborne-Wainfleet.
And it will save the exorbitant cost of building a train bridge over the Welland Canal.
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Once again the NDP mafia make sure our part of Ontario isn’t going to get anything from the Provincial or Federal government . We will continue to be the repository for Ontario people in need without the the benefits to look after them. Walk the streets of Welland Downtown and find people of need who can’t get what they need. Go to Welland Hostpital and wait for hours for treatment. How many jobs has the NDP gang created in the last twenty years? Another nail in the coffin of Welland . Goodbye jobs, goodbye dignity. Hello jobs for the (the boys) and girls.
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Congrats. to Peter ! So glad he is still involved.
He has always been a great supporter of heritage preservation
and we need that ! He attended many of our designations over
the years and always delivered just the right message to those
of us working in the field.
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This ought to put Niagara on the map }P
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Musical chairs at the trough !!!!!
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In baseball terms when one strikes out so often they usually are sent to the minors
In this case
STRIKE ONE attempting to become Welland’s Regional council member
STRIKE TWO for the ill advise run to become the Regional Chair
AND NOW
STRIKE THREE for once again attempting to become Welland’s Regional council member
Does this mean the person just might see the light???? We hope so..Eyes on CIty Hall
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Watching Parliament has not been the same without Peter,,,,except of course for the recent Opposition concerted effort to depose the incompetent Health Minister.
Be assured Welland that you have found a voice to represent you well in Niagara.
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Well done, Welland! Perhaps we’ll earn that eco-title for Niagara after all.
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Congratulations Peter. 🙂
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And again the sheeple of Welland bleat the same worn refrain. Seems they’re incapable of learning anything new.
Not having met them, I can’t say anything about the other candidates.
Larry Lemelin put on a suit and attended EVERY Regional Council meeting and related committee meeting. He truly wanted to represent Welland, and was determined to upset the Regional status quo and get things done for his city.
I didn’t see Mr Kormos when I was there. He didn’t even have to pretend to care what was going on, as he knows Welland sheeple only recite one line — “en dee pee, en dee pee, en dee pee…”
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i was sorry when Peter left provincial politics …but second best, i guess, to have him locally. every politician should have half the talent (& balls) that Kormos has and then we might see things being done and in an even handed and fair way in this country.
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My husband and I are so happy to hear that you WON!!! We both have great confidence in you and know that you will do a exceptional job for our town.
Helen & Andy Berger
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