“I have no data,” responds Bob Gale to more than a few of Mayor Wayne Redekop’s questions on what he is basing his call for municipal amalgamation on
A Steamed Fort Erie Town Council Votes To File Code Of Conduct Complaint Against Gale – View Town Council Meeting Below
A Brief Commentary by NAL’s reporter/publisher Doug Draper and a video of the Town of Fort Erie’s February 23rd council meeting with Niagara Regional Chair Bob Gale in the hot seat
Posted February 25th, 2026 on Niagara At Large
Like Dorothy’s dog Toto pulling back the curtain on the small man posing as Oz, Fort Erie Mayor Wayne Redekop and members of his town council did something quite similar when the Ford government’s recently appointed Niagara Regional Chair Bob Gale stood before them to discuss his call for amalgamating municipalities across the region.
“I have every single right to do what I am doing” insisted Gale after the Fort Erie mayor asked him about recently sending letters, calling for some form of municipal amalgamation, on Niagara Region letterhead to Niagara’s 12 local mayors and to the provincial government without municipal council approval and without first consulting with the public on what the mayor stressed is an issue of such public interest and concern.
Town of Fort Erie Mayor Wayne Redekop, a lawyer by trade, gives Ford appointed Niagara Regional Chair Bob Gale a courtroom-like grilling over municipal amalgamation.
Every one of us out there should take a little time and listen to the whole exchange between Mayor Redekop and his council and Gale during the town’s Monday, February 23rd council meeting, then make up your own mind about what it is that is motivating Gale to push for municipal amalgamation now.
To watch and listen to the council meeting, click on the screen immediately below, then slowly scroll the little red ball at the bottom left-hand corner forward until you get to the beginning of Mayor Redekop’s question of Gale –
You might also want to attend a committee-of-the-whole meeting Niagara’s Regional Council will be holding at 4:30 p.m. this Thursday, February 25th that has been called at the last minute to deal with the amalgamation issue.
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Doug Draper, Niagara At Large
For related news on this issue, click on – file:///C:/Users/owner/Desktop/Fort%20Erie%20filing%20code-of-conduct%20complaint%20against%20Gale.pdf .
For more detailed background on this issue, click on – Niagara’s New Regional Chair Calls For Fewer Local Politicians, Municipal Amalgamation | Niagara At Large
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Niagara At Large 
Thank goodness Niagara residents have some intelligent and well-informed representation at the local government level! I trust we’ll all take note of all that would be lost should any sort of amalgamation model be forced on this region. Watching Fort Erie Council respond to Bob Gale’s presentation was a very informative exercise in understanding the kind of responsibilities a small municipality has to take on in a two-tier system; it’s also instructive in showing what it takes to be a well-run small municipality. Why on earth should Fort Erie’s success — or that of Niagara-on-the-Lake or any of our successful smaller municipalities — doom it to being swallowed up by another, larger municipality that cannot boast of nearly the same kind of success? What’s this called now: reward the mediocre at the expense of the good? I realize the this is the way the world is going right now, but that’s no reason Niagara should have to join the downward spiral.
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TODAYS WEATHER ……………………….. It appears the high pressure coming out of Toronto which is a lot of hot air, has created ”Gale Force” winds in Fort Erie. More turbulence to come later today.
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