Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Tuesday he is still keen on amalgamations in the Niagara Region despite not meeting his previously stated threshold for moving forward, though his office later poured some cold water on the idea.
Niagara’s now-former regional chair Bob Gale, appointed by the Ford government, caused a stir last month with a proposal to consider amalgamations as a solution to what he called high tax increases and too many elected officials.
Ford said at the time that he would respect whatever the majority of Niagara mayors decided, and eight of the 12 mayors sent him a letter backing certain governance reforms but not amalgamations.