I keep reading that “amalgamation is off the table.”
It’s not.
If you read Bob Gale’s letter carefully, it says:
Niagara needs meaningful governance reform, smaller and more effective councils, and a more efficient regional decision‑making table, while avoiding the disruption and risk of full amalgamation at this time.
“[W]hile avoiding the disruption and risk of full amalgamation at this time” is not the same as being off the table.
Ideas were floated to create the loudest possible uproar, then recommendations were made that would hopefully dial back the intensity of the response from community members.
Please be careful in your assessment of and engagement with local politics, especially as we head into the 2026 municipal elections. Make sure you know who and what you’re voting for when you vote on Monday, October 26, 2026.
Laura Ip - Regional Councillor 