Noyes, McDermott acclaimed to Fort Erie council as nominations close
August 22, 2026 at 7:30 AM
Ann-Marie Noyes and George McDermott will keep their Fort Erie council seats without a single ballot being cast, after town clerk Peter Todd declared both acclaimed Friday afternoon, hours after the municipal nomination deadline.
Todd confirmed the acclamations to Fort Erie Radio after certifying the full candidate list Friday. Nominations closed across Ontario at 2 p.m., setting the ballot Fort Erie voters will see on October 26.
Noyes filed on May 1, the first day candidates could register, and nobody joined her in Ward 6 in the 16 weeks that followed.
McDermott’s acclamation in Ward 1 arrived through a wrinkle in provincial election law. Giovanni Mollicone registered against him on August 19, two days before the deadline, but filed a nomination in West Lincoln later that same day, which effectively withdrew his Fort Erie application, Todd told Fort Erie Radio.
Ontario’s Municipal Elections Act requires the clerk to declare a candidate elected and post a declaration of acclamation whenever there are no more certified candidates than there are seats to fill.
Ward 1 and Ward 6 residents will still vote in October for the mayor and a school board trustee, the same as everyone else.
Just over 550 of the 2,842 municipal seats on the ballot in Ontario in 2022 had only one candidate, according to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario.
Wayne Redekop, mayor since 2014, faces three challengers for the town’s top job: Regional Councillor Tom Insinna, Juan Liu and Mike Campbell.
Ward 2 Councillor Nick Dubanow faces Jon Nadeau, who filed August 14.
Andrew Holdsworth joined the Ward 3 race on August 20, making it a three-way contest with Councillor Darren Flagg and Jennifer Priestley.
Ward 4 Councillor Joan Christensen faces three challengers: Matt Paul, Daniel Turner and Tavis McGlashan, who filed August 17.
Ward 5 Councillor Tom Lewis has three challengers of his own: Thomas Mete, Scott Boumeester and Kassandra Ryerson.
Fort Erie shares all four of its school board seats with neighbouring municipalities, so voters elsewhere help decide each one.
Susan Jovanovic, Keith Sutherland and Steve Webb are certified for the English public board seat, which covers Fort Erie and Port Colborne. Jovanovic held that seat until she resigned in March and is now running to get it back.
Danny DiLorenzo won the English Catholic seat by acclamation, which covers Fort Erie, Port Colborne and Wainfleet, Todd confirmed to Fort Erie Radio.
Amanda Leduc, Marcel Tikeng and Matthew Julian Graham filed for the Conseil scolaire Viamonde seat, which stretches across eight municipalities, and Jean Max Philome filed for the Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir seat, covering Fort Erie, Port Colborne, Wainfleet, Pelham and Welland.
The City of Welland handles both French-board races and has yet to confirm their candidates.
Certified candidates receive the voters’ list September 1, the same day residents can start correcting or adding their own names. Election signs can go up September 11.
Online voting opens October 5 and stays open until the polls close. Advance polls run at the Leisureplex banquet hall on October 14 and 17, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., with the same hours on election day.
The new council sits for the first time November 16.
Town of Fort Erie hiring planner and arena attendant
GFESS student wows at Skills Ontario Competition, headed to nationals in Quebec
Cause of fire affecting shed and garage undetermined
About The Author
Andrew Hawlitzky
Andrew is a Niagara community journalist who has covered everything from local politics to annual festivals and breaking news. He works to make local news a platform where community voices lead the conversation. "If you don't like the news, go out and make some!"
Stay Informed