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January 27, 2026 - council recap

Presentations

7.1 Council received a presentation from new Niagara Regional Chair Bob Gale.

Delegations

8.1 Brian Blackwell from Stantec spoke to Council about item 11.3 b.

8.2 Council received a written delegation from Michael and Julie Scott about item 12.1

8.3 Scott Lemke from Massey LLP spoke to Council about item 11.3 b.

Mayor’s Report

Mayor Steele discussed attending the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) conference with Councillor Bodner, CAO Bryan Boles, and senior staff. The group made 15 delegations to various provincial ministries and agencies, with focused discussion on the priorities shaping Port Colborne’s growth and long-term sustainability. He invited residents to shape the future of their community by participating in public engagement initiatives for the City’s New Official Plan. Open Houses will take place at the Vale Health and Wellness Centre on Feb. 4 from 3 to 7 p.m. and Feb. 5 from 2 to 6 p.m. He reminded the community about the upcoming SportsFest weekend, presented by CM Steele Insurance and Portage Mutual Insurance, which will feature indoor and outdoor events from Feb. 6 to 8. More information can be found at www.portcolborne.ca/sportsfest. He concluded his remarks by thanking City staff for their hard work, collaboration, and dedication during the snow events of the past week.

Regional Councillor’s Report

Regional Councillor Vance Badawey thanked City staff and emergency services for their work during the recent snow events. He said Regional Council is considering updating its Transportation Master Plan. He spoke about specific details of the Plan, and said the update is timely and overdue.

Staff Reports

11.3 a. Council approved the by-law to authorize the 2026 interim levy of taxes for all property tax classes, from the last revised assessment roll, before the adoption of the estimates for the year and final levy rates are established.

11.3 b. Council approved a privately initiated zoning by-law amendment submitted by Stantec Consulting Limited, on behalf of Asahi Kasei Battery Separator Canada Corporation, for the lands municipally known as 5088 Highway 140.

11.3 c. Council approved a privately initiated zoning by-law amendment submitted by Craig Rohe of GSP Group, on behalf of 1683164 Ontario Ltd. and TODCO Investments Inc., for the lands municipally known as 639 Main Street West.

11.3 d. Council approved invoicing the interim billing of the Northland Estates Municipal Drain in accordance with the Drainage Act.

Correspondence Items

11.4 a. Minister of Seniors and Accessibility Raymond Cho sent a letter to Council congratulating the City of Port Colborne on being officially recognized as an Age-Friendly Community by the Ontario Government.

Items Requiring Separate Discussion

12.1 Council approved an application submitted by 1000427593 Ontario Inc. to facilitate the redevelopment of 4.97 hectares of land located north of the Humberstone neighbourhood in the City of Port Colborne.

Staff Remarks

  • Port Colborne Fire Chief Stan Double thanked City staff for their work during the recent snow event. He said emergency services had no issues responding to incidents in the city.
  • Roads and Parks Operations Manager Curtis Dray thanked City staff for their work during the recent snow event.
  • Director of Development and Government Relations Gary Long said it was great to be part of the City delegation at the ROMA conference. He said the delegations were successful and well-received. He said he is looking forward to having a City delegation at the upcoming Good Roads conference. He is also looking forward to taking part in the upcoming Mayor’s Cup ice hockey tournament during the SportsFest weekend. He thanked Manager of Planning Kelly Martel for her work on the Housing Accelerator Fund.
  • Manager of Planning Kelly Martel spoke about a meeting with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation with respect to the Housing Accelerator Fund. She reported that they exceeded CHMC’s target for 2025, by issuing 78 permits for new residential units. She said the City is on track to continue to meet its obligations and continue receiving funds.
  • CAO Bryan Boles welcomed the City’s new Corporate Affairs Manager Julie Rorison. He thanked the City team for all of their work to prepare for the ROMA conference. He thanked City staff for their work preparing for and clearing snow from the recent winter event.

Councillors’ Remarks

  • Councillor Aquilina echoed her praise for City staff’s efforts to complete snow removal and prepare for ROMA. She acknowledged the work of Senior Health Advisor Renee Bisson on the City’s Healthcare Advisory Committee. She asked about warming centres that could be available to residents during times when it is cold.
  • Councillor Beauregard thanked City staff for their good work clearing the roads as well as at the ROMA conference.
  • Councillor Bagu thanked Public Works for their snow removal efforts. He said it was the best it had been in years. He asked the CAO if there was an update on the child care facility on Main Street.
  • Councillor Bruno thanked Public Works staff for their snow clearance efforts. He said he did not receive any complaints from residents. He praised the work of the Healthcare Advisory Committee.  
  • Councillor Elliott said he was impressed that all of the streets were cleared by 4:30 a.m. the morning after the snow event. He also thanked Canadian Niagara Power for their quick service during the snow event.
  • Councillor Danch reminded everyone to not park their cars on the road during a snow event.
  • Councillor Hoyle thanked the plow crews for their work during the snow event. He also thanked the Fire Department for their work on recent fires. He asked if the St. Lawrence Seaway had communicated when people can walk across the Clarence Street Bridge.
  • Councillor Bodner spoke about the dedication of Senior Health Advisor Renee Bisson during the ROMA conference. He also discussed the work of the Healthcare Advisory Committee. He gave a shoutout to Manager of Communications Jasmine Peazel-Graham for creating informative materials about the City that were shared at ROMA.

The next Port Colborne Council Meeting will be held February 10, 2026, at 6:30 p.m.

Council Meeting agendas and livestream videos can be found at www.portcolborne.ca/councilagenda