https://www.facebook.com/1142732018920655/

Concerned Citizens of Pelham

Home
Canada
Niagara, ON
Concerned Citizens of Pelham

Directions

Concerned Citizens of Pelham Corp.

is a grassroots community organization advocating for transparency, accountability, fair municipal governance, lawful planning practices, and open public dialogue on issues affecting neighbourhoods and quality of life.

11/03/2026

🌳 PARKLAND: Is Pelham getting its fair share as we grow?

📍 WHY NOW?
At Wednesday's meeting (Nov 4), council decides what to do with the Growth-Related Planning Tools Study, Report 2026-0228.

One of its three parts is updating Pelham's parkland by-law. The Town asked consultants to bid on the work, but only one firm bid, and its price was about $50,000 over the $40,000 budget. Council's choice decides whether this update goes ahead now, costs more, or waits. Here's what's at stake.

When new homes are built, developers must give land for parks, or cash instead. The rules for this are in Pelham's parkland by-law, and it hasn't been updated since 2015.

📌 WHAT THE 2015 BY-LAW SAYS
• 5% of the land for residential development, 2% for commercial and industrial
• For denser housing, an alternative rate of 1 hectare per 300 units
• Cash instead of land is based on an appraisal of the land

⚠️ WHAT'S CHANGED SINCE
Provincial Bill 23 (2022) overrode parts of it:
• Denser developments now owe less: at most 1 hectare per 600 units in land, or 1 per 1,000 units in cash
• Total contributions are capped at 10–15%
• Some housing is now exempt, such as basement and garden suites and non-profit housing
• Towns must spend or allocate 60% of their parkland reserve every year
The Town is already bound by these rules. The by-law just doesn't say so.

🏘️ WHAT OTHER TOWNS DID
• Lincoln replaced its by-law in 2024
• St. Catharines simply AMENDED its existing by-law in 2024

❓ QUESTIONS TO ASK THE Town of Pelham
• Could staff do a simple amendment in-house now, instead of paying a consultant?

• Will Pelham use the highest rate allowed for apartments and townhouses?

• Will we get actual parkland in growth areas like South and East Fonthill, not just cash?

• Will the Town publish a yearly report on what's in the parkland reserve and how it's spent?

👉 See the "Have Your Say" post for how to send council your comments.

11/03/2026

"Get involved - Stay involved"

📢 WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA: Pelham Council – Wednesday, November 4 at 9:00 a.m.

📍 Council Chambers, 20 Pelham Town Square, Fonthill
📺 Livestreamed at youtube.com/townofpelham/live

Here's what our Town of Pelham council will be looking at this week 👇

🎤 PRESENTATIONS & DELEGATIONS
• Summerfest 2026 recap: 45,700 visits, a single-day record of 15,800, and an estimated $5.1M economic impact

• CUPE Local 2276 on developmental services capacity and its local impact on Pelham

🗳️ DECISIONS COUNCIL WILL MAKE
• Growth-Related Planning Tools Study: Only one bid came in, about $50K over budget. Council must pick one of three options:
1. Defer the Community Benefits Charge study and re-tender the parkland and parking by-laws (recommended by staff)

2. Fund the full study from the planning reserve

3. Defer everything until the zoning by-law review

• Summerfest 2027 (July 15–18): "Municipally Significant" event status, a liquor permit, a noise by-law exemption until 1 a.m., and downtown road closures

• Peace Pole: The Rotary Club of Fonthill's Peace Pole and a plaque would go in Peace Park near the Friendship Bench

• Health & Safety: New policies on psychological safety and on extreme temperatures/air quality, plus updates and repeals of older policies

📜 BY-LAWS
• 50-2026: Part-lot control exemption for 73–89 William Street

• 51-2026: New building by-law covering construction, demolition, permits and inspections

✉️ CORRESPONDENCE TO NOTE
• A resident is asking council to order a recount of the mayoral race, which was decided by 15 votes out of 6,784 ballots. The Clerk's election report is also on the agenda.

• The Province's proposal for weighted voting on Niagara Regional Council. Public feedback closes November 5.

• Letters on flood-related electricity bill relief (St. Catharines), conservation authority consolidation, and municipal law enforcement officer designation

📝 NOTICES OF MOTION
• Councillor Ker re: Niagara Central Dorothy Rungeling (NCDR) Airport

• Councillor Hildebrandt re: Bill 140 and municipal electricity utilities (added in the revised agenda)

✅ CONSENT AGENDA (passed as a group unless pulled for discussion)
• Third-quarter reports from all departments

• A memo confirming all seven council members were re-elected, so there are no "lame duck" limits. The new term starts November 15, and the swearing-in is November 18.

• An Official Plan update: The province has suggested changes, and staff have agreed to them. (Another post will give more details)

🔒 CLOSED SESSION
• An external consultation (property security and legal advice)

• A non-union staff matter

👀 COMING UP NEXT
Watch for follow-up posts on:
🔹 What the Growth-Related Planning Tools Study is, and what it means for development, parks and parking in Pelham

🔹 The pros and cons of the decisions council has to make
🔹 Why your voice matters and how to delegate to council

🗣️ WHY DELEGATE?
Delegating means speaking directly to council. You get up to 5 minutes, alone or as a group, and your comments go on the public record before council votes. Decisions on growth, development fees, parks, parking and how the town spends reserve money affect every resident. Council can only weigh your views if it hears them.

To delegate, email [email protected] at least 10 days before the meeting (by noon). You can also email council your written comments ANYTIME.

10/29/2026

Did you know some of the biggest changes on your street get decided at a small monthly meeting most people have never heard of?

It's called the Committee of Adjustment: 5 local residents appointed by Council who rule on property applications here in Pelham.

Their decisions shape what gets built next door, how lots get split up, and what our neighbourhoods look like years from now.

There are two kinds of files.

"🅰️" files are minor variances, where someone asks for an exception to the zoning rules, like building closer to the property line or putting up a bigger garage.

"🅱️" files are consents, which deal with splitting land into new lots, shifting property lines, or setting up easements.

Why does this matter❓
Since 2022, neighbours can no longer appeal these decisions to the Ontario Land Tribunal. The hearing is really your one shot to be heard. If something could cause drainage problems, block your privacy or sunlight, add traffic, take out trees, or change the character of your street, that's exactly what the Committee needs to hear about. Specific concerns carry far more weight than general objections.

Getting involved is easy. You can send in written comments, speak at the hearing in person or on Zoom (just pre-register with the Town), or watch it live on the Town of Pelham YouTube channel. And with a new Council coming in, the Town will soon be appointing new Committee members, so keep an eye out if you'd like to serve.

The next hearing is Monday, November 2 at 4 p.m. at Town Hall. The agenda isn't posted yet, so we've emailed the Town to find out what's on it.

Local decisions are made by the people who show up. Let's try to show up and be informed.

10/27/2026

A wake up call for Junkin

Congratulations and sincere thank you to every candidate who ran across Niagara Region this election. Putting your name forward takes guts and determination.

What a night. The biggest shock: Jim Diodati, mayor of Niagara Falls since 2010, voted out by Lori Lococo. Congratulations, Lori!

Congratulations as well to our new mayors: Tom Insinna in Fort Erie, Vaughn Goettler in Niagara-on-the-Lake, and Tim Whalan in Thorold.

As for Pelham: Marv kept his seat by just 15 votes. Fifteen!! That isn't a mandate, it's a warning.

Just outside 50% of the people who showed up to vote in Pelhm said loud and clear that they weren't happy with the job he's been doing.

Marv, we hope you heard it. The next four years can't be business as usual. People want to be listened to, see transparency, be kept informed and represented, not taken for granted. Tonight proved no seat is safe.

To everyone who voted for change: 15 votes is nothing. Stay involved, show up to council meetings, and keep the pressure on. We'll all be watching and keeping the Town informed.

10/26/2026

Don't recycle the same old broken toys - time for change.

Vote the JUNK out.

10/24/2026

What you're told vs. what the numbers say 🧾

Before Monday, here's what you'll hear from the Marv supporters (they like to scream "fake news") about Pelham's money, and what the Town's own documents actually show.

🗣️ "Marv paid down the debt."
He did, from $31M in 2021 to $22.2M in 2025. Credit where it's due.
BUT his own 2026 budget borrows it back up to $28.3M, and his plan takes it to $34.6M by 2030.

💳 That's like paying your credit card down from $31,000 to $22,000, then planning to run it up to $34,600. That's about $4,900 of debt for every home in Pelham, plus interest.

🗣️"It's only $100 a year."
📺 So is a streaming price hike. But you pay every hike, forever, and next year's lands on top of this year's.

The Town's increases since 2022 were $122, $83, $111 and $100. Stacked up, the average home has already paid about $$1,060 extra to the Town. Even if taxes never go up again, that's about $1,660 more over the next four years.

🗣️ "Most of your tax increase is the Region, not Marv."
True.
🍽️ Your tax bill is a restaurant bill split three ways: the Town, the Region and the school boards. That's why we only count the Town's share.

Even so, a $100 grocery cart in 2022 costs about $111 today. The Town's share of your taxes went up about 20% in the same time, faster than inflation in 3 of the last 4 years.

🗣️ "Pelham's increase was lower than the Region's."
Compare it to your paycheque, not to the Region. Your income didn't go up 20%.

🗣️ "The Town ran a surplus every year. That's good management."

🏠 If your landlord raised your rent every year and still had money left over every year, you'd ask why the rent went up. A surplus means we paid in more than the Town needed, while taxes rose faster than inflation. Where did that money go?

🗣️ "Net debt is the real number."
Net debt is like your net worth. It can look fine while your mortgage keeps growing. The Town's long-term debt is what we actually owe lenders and pay interest on.

🗣️ "It's council's budget, not his."
Since May 2025, Pelham's mayor has "strong mayor" powers. The budget is legally the Mayor's budget: he proposes it and CAN veto council's changes (HE DIDN'T). Council made no changes to the 2026 budget. This plan is his - squarely on Marv's shoulders!

🗣️ "The borrowing is for roads and sewers."
Maybe, but then tell us which projects, what they cost, and how much interest we'll pay. And why borrow millions while running a surplus every year?

Before you vote, ask:
✔️ What is the new borrowing for, and what will the interest cost us?

✔️ Why raise taxes faster than inflation while running surpluses?

✔️ How will you keep the Town's share of your bill close to inflation?

🗳️ Vote Monday, October 26. Check the numbers yourself - don't trust us; it's verifiable.

Here's where you can find the answers yourself. You can even check with the AI michine ;)

Sources: Town of Pelham Annual Reports 2021–25 and 2026 Mayor's Capital Budget; Town budget releases 2023–26; Mayoral Decision 2025-02; Bank of Canada inflation calculator; 2021 Census.

10/23/2026

Do you have a fun or scary display that you would like the kids (and adults) to wonder by this Halloween? Post your address and photos of your spook-tacular set up so we know where the fun is at!! 🧟🎃

10/22/2026

Let's introduce you to the MAYOR WE NEED at the regional table

Starting next term, Pelham's regional councillor is gone. ONLY 1 person will speak for our whole Town of Pelham at Niagara Region, on policing, water, roads, transit and a big share of your tax bill.

So ask yourself: who do you want in that chair? 🤔

Let's take a look at Frank's experience shall we?

Frank Adamson has already done the job, just not from a politician's seat - which doesn't make him less qualified.

🚑He has run a regional service.
As chief of Niagara EMS, Frank managed a $15 million budget and about 200 staff. The service grew from 10 bases to 15, including Fonthill and Grimsby, and added tactical EMS, bike medics and high-angle rescue teams. He also sat across the table in union negotiations and arbitration.

🏨He has delivered for Niagara's hospitals.
As chair of the Niagara District Health Council, he led a $45 million hospital redevelopment task force. He says the Health Minister asked him to lead it personally, working with 6 hospital Presidents, AND the Minister approved its plan.

🪄As VP at Welland Hospital, he brought in Niagara's second CT scanner and the region's first day surgery unit. (Whether you vote Frank or not, this must impress you)

💵 He knows how to stretch a dollar.
He took United Way Cambridge's campaign from $1.6 million to $2 million in just one year, while cutting operating costs.

He IS a leader
As Rotary district governor, Frank led 66 clubs on both sides of the border during the pandemic, and he helped launch a Great Lakes cleanup with more than 450 clubs that is still going today.

🪧He has earned public trust.
He has passed vulnerable sector checks for roles like chairing Pelham's community policing committee.

👑 He received the King Charles III Coronation Medal, the Chamber of Commerce Ruby Award and Kinsmen Citizen of the Year.

AND he showed up readyat the YourTV debate. Frank answered 9 of 12 questions directly, with real numbers on taxes, the Region and policing. He has told PelhamToday the regional role will be "more than half" of the job, and he has warned that weighted voting could leave small towns like Pelham outvoted.

Compare that with the our current Mayor, Marv Junkin. After eight years at the regional table, he said 6 municipalities would make a majority, yet Niagara has 12 municipalities; the math isn't mathing!

He called weighted voting "not a problem," after warning in 2024 that it would leave Pelham "locked into the urban control." He also said taxes rose "at or slightly above inflation," when they rose well above it.

Marvin Junkin is a decent man who has served this town. But Pelham can't afford a voice at the Region that gets the basics wrong.

Frank Adamson has the experience, the preparation and the drive to fight for Pelham where it counts.

Election day is Monday, October 26, make your vote count.

Comments are open, and we eagerly await the small majority (sorry, minority ;) ) with something to say.

We don't block people for disagreeing. Well there was Kyle; we just got sick of seeing his name. 🤢 Our page, our prerogative! Unlike some people we could mention, we don't block "tin hat" wearing residents for asking questions.

10/21/2026

3 of 4 candidates

PELHAM MAYORAL DEBATE: CHECKING RANDY GANANATHAN'S CLAIMS

Same standard, third candidate. Every claim Randy Gananathan made at the YourTV candidates forum was checked against published reporting and his own campaign materials. The quotes below are word for word from the video's YouTube captions, with timestamps so you can watch for yourself.

The short version: Randy made fewer specific claims than the other two candidates, but several of the ones he did make were wrong. By our count, he answered 2 of the 12 questions directly.

1. ONTARIO'S SIZE (31:05 to 31:14)
"the province is looking at probably the largest province, largest state in North America"
False on both counts. Quebec is the largest province by area, and California has more than twice Ontario's population.

2. SPEED ENFORCEMENT (33:21 to 33:33)
"That has not worked. Has it ever worked anywhere in the world? I don't think so."
False. A 2025 study by SickKids and Toronto Metropolitan University found speed cameras cut speeding by 45% in Toronto school zones. He promised "other ways" to reduce speeding (33:41) but didn't name any.

3. NEW STUDENT SEATS (43:20)
"there is uh 3,500 more student um seats being opened at Brock University"
Not quite. The province funded 3,586 new seats split between Brock and Niagara College. Brock's share is 2,565.

4. INTERNET AND CELL SERVICE (46:24)
"We have no broadband. We have no cellular coverage. It's horrible."
Exaggerated. Coverage gaps are real, especially in rural Pelham, and they're the centrepiece of his campaign. But "no broadband" isn't literally true for a town of 19,000.

QUESTIONS HE DIDN'T ANSWER

5. THE RESERVE FUND (36:37)
"it's a little premature for me to um answer that question"
Asked whether Pelham's reserve fund policy needs changing, he declined. For a candidate running on his budget and business experience, that was a missed opportunity.

6. "MISMANAGEMENT" (19:44 to 19:52)
"the mismanagement in some degree of various efforts that have happened in the last two terms of the current mayor"
A serious charge with no example attached. The tax side of his complaint holds up: increases of 3.77%, 4.84% and 3.69% have outpaced inflation. But he never said what was mismanaged.

7. AMALGAMATION (18:40)
"amalgamation is something that might help in some ways"
The only candidate to say this, and he didn't explain how. It isn't on his campaign website, and in a town where independence is a top issue, voters deserve to know what he means.

WHAT HELD UP

8. THE SPEED CAMERA BAN (33:33)
"The promise got rid of speeding cameras."
True ("promise" is the captions mishearing "province"). Ontario banned speed cameras effective November 14, 2025.

9. HIS BACKGROUND (52:11 and 8:22)
"I'm a trained electrical electronics engineer. I started my career with Phillips."
Consistent with published coverage describing him as a former corporate manager with Philips. He said he moved to Pelham four years ago, which also matches. He has served as vice-chair of Pelham's seniors advisory committee.

10. HIS PRIORITIES (57:23 to 58:38)
His closing statement matches his campaign website almost word for word: broadband first, then responsible growth, an open town hall and protecting Pelham's heritage. Whatever you think of the platform, his message is consistent.

COULDN'T VERIFY
- "almost 55% of uh respondents cited traffic as the biggest concern" in a recent local survey (18:14)

THE PATTERN
Randy's errors are broad, general statements that fall apart when checked. What's missing is detail: on reserves, climate, housing and development, he offered principles like "listen" and "collaborate" but few specifics. His one consistent, concrete commitment is better broadband.

MY TAKE
This part is my opinion, not a fact check.

Randy Gananathan is a decent man with good intentions, and he didn't say anything embarrassing or out of line. His mistakes were about Ontario, speed cameras and university seats, not about Pelham's own record. On that score he did better than Marvin Junkin, who told voters taxes rose "at or slightly above inflation" when they rose well above it, and blamed the province for Emmett Street when the dispute is over the Town's own bylaw.

But wanting change isn't enough. Pelham needs a mayor who can walk in on day one and answer the hard questions. At this debate, Randy answered 2 of 12 directly. He called the reserve question "premature." He offered no example of the mismanagement he talked about, and no plan for climate or housing beyond listening.

Frank Adamson answered 9 of 12 directly, as many as the mayor. He came with real numbers on taxes, the Region and policing, and while not every figure was exact, he knew the files. He has run an EMS service, served as a hospital vice-president, and leads Pelham Non-Profit Housing. That is the experience the job demands.

One more thing to think about. In a race like this, the most votes wins, even without a majority. If people who want change split between Frank and Randy, that helps the incumbent. If you want new leadership in Pelham, I believe Frank Adamson is the candidate who can deliver it.

Election day is Monday, October 26. Get out and vote.

10/20/2026

#2 of 4 posts today

✅ PELHAM MAYORAL DEBATE: CHECKING - FRANK ADAMSON'S CLAIMS

I held the challenger to the same standard as Marv Junkin. Every claim Frank Adamson made at the YourTV candidates forum was checked against the Town's budgets, audited statements and published reporting. The quotes below are word for word from the video's YouTube captions, with timestamps so you can watch for yourself.

The short version: I found no invented claims. A couple of his numbers need fixing, and most of his errors inflate real trends rather than create problems.

1. THE "$54.89 MILLION" SURPLUS (38:22)
"our surpluses right now are to the tune of 54.89 89 mil million that has been funneled funneled to reserves"
This is the one he should correct. The Town's 2023 audited statements show reserves of roughly $10 to 13 million, and the 2025 surplus was reported at about $4.72 million. His figure is most likely the "accumulated surplus," an accounting total that includes roads and buildings, not cash in the bank.

2. THE POLICE BUDGET (31:52)
"the policing budget over the last three years has gone up 45%"
Published increases compound to roughly 30%. The trend is real and steep, but he overstated it.

3. FOUR-STOREY BUILDINGS (29:58 to 30:07)
"anybody can come along with a vacant lot and decide they're going to put up a four-story building"
This isn't exactly correct. Premier Ford has said he is not for "four-storey, six-storey, eight-storey towers, right dead centre in a community with regular housing," and the province has refused to make them automatic. Adamson's underlying concern is fair, though: when the Town stretches its own bylaw, as residents say happened on Emmett Street, neighbours lose their say.

4. LAST YEAR'S TAX INCREASE (38:58)
"It was a 3.5% increase last year in taxes."
Council's 2026 levy rose 3.69%, plus a 0.44% hospital levy. He understated it.

5. THE PROVINCIAL HOUSING TARGET (29:31)
"1.5 million homes built by 2030"
The provincial target year is 2031. A minor slip.

WHAT HELD UP

6. REGIONAL TAXES (38:43)
"The regional municipality of Niagara even more so of 34.87%"
Plausible. The Region's levy rose 24.2% over 2023 to 2025 alone, before the 2026 increase is added.

7. TOWN TAXES OVER FOUR YEARS (38:36)
"property taxes are up 22.33% over the last four years"
Partly checked. Levy increases for 2024 to 2026 add up to about 13%, and we couldn't confirm 2023. It matches what he said in 2022, when he put the four-year increase at about 25%.

8. POLICE EXPERIENCE ON COUNCIL (35:15)
"Deputy Mayor Brian Eckard is a uh retired police inspector"
Verified: Brian Eckhardt is a retired police inspector (that's an incredible rank to attain)

9. HIS OWN BACKGROUND (42:22)
"I taught at Niagara College for 10 years"
Consistent with past coverage, which lists him as a paramedic, EMS chief, college professor, hospital vice-president and small business owner.

COULDN'T VERIFY
- "800 houses over the next uh 20 or so years" in Fenwick (13:43)

- Pelham as one of the only municipalities without a Habitat for Humanity build (14:05). Habitat Niagara runs a ReStore in Fonthill, but I found no record of a home build in Pelham.

- "basically a halftime officer" for Pelham (32:02)
- "it's costing us about a million dollars a year to operate that center" (56:55)

THE PATTERN
Adamson's mistakes are about numbers, not facts invented from nothing. He overstates real problems, and at least once he understated a figure in the Mayor's favour. That points to sloppiness, NOT spin.

OH ....ONE MORE THING
At the 2026 budget vote, the Mayor himself cited core inflation at 2.4% while approving a 3.69% levy increase. That undercuts his debate claim that taxes were "at or slightly above inflation."

Election day is Monday, October 26.

"Democracy is based upon the conviction; there are extraordinary possibilities in ordinary people." - Henry Emerson Fosdick

Address

Pelham
Niagara, ON
L0S1E0

Website

facebook.com

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Concerned Citizens of Pelham posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.