Three councillors could win without a vote as nomination deadline nears

Three sitting Fort Erie councillors have no one running against them with two weeks left before nominations close, but late filings have made every other council seat a contested race in the October 26 municipal election.

Councillor George McDermott in Ward 1, Councillor Nick Dubanow in Ward 2 and Councillor Ann-Marie Noyes in Ward 6 are each running unopposed, according to the town’s registered candidates page. If no one files to run against them by 2 p.m. on August 21, all three are acclaimed. That means they keep their seats without a vote.

Every other seat on council will go to the ballot.

Jennifer Priestley filed her nomination papers on July 27 to run in Ward 3, where Councillor Darren Flagg had been the only candidate. The ward had no candidates at all through the first eight weeks of the nomination period before Flagg registered on June 26.

Kassandra Ryerson filed on July 31 to run in Ward 5, which is now the largest council race in town. She is challenging Councillor Tom Lewis, along with fellow challengers Thomas Mete and Scott Boumeester.

In Ward 4, Councillor Joan Christensen faces two challengers, Matt Paul and Daniel Turner.

The race for mayor has not changed. Mayor Wayne Redekop is seeking another term against two challengers, Regional Councillor Tom Insinna and Crystal Beach resident Juan Liu.

The next mayor will carry more responsibility than the last one. The province’s Better Regional Governance Act eliminates Fort Erie’s elected seat on Niagara’s regional council. The new council will be made up of the region’s 12 mayors and a chair appointed by the province, so whoever wins the mayor’s race will be Fort Erie’s only regional representative.

Redekop has been mayor since 2014 and held the office before that from 1997 to 2006. He won the 2022 election with 6,195 votes, about 67 per cent. Insinna, a former RCMP officer, currently holds the regional council seat that is being eliminated.

The school board races have shifted as well. Owen Riel filed on July 7 for the English public school board seat, where he will face Susan Jovanović. Tanya Pfaff, who registered in June for the same seat, no longer appears on the town’s candidate list.

Matthew Julian Graham filed on July 31 for the French public school board, Conseil scolaire Viamonde. He joins Amanda Leduc and Marcel Tikeng in a three-way race. Danny DiLorenzo is still the only candidate for the English Catholic school board, and no one has filed for the French Catholic board.

So far, 15 people have registered to run for mayor and council, and six for school board trustee. Voters will elect one mayor, six ward councillors and four trustees.

Nominations close at 2 p.m. on August 21, and the town clerk has until August 24 to certify or reject them. Internet voting opens October 5. Advance polls run October 14 and 17 at the Leisureplex banquet hall, and polls are open on election day from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

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