Niagara-on-the-Lake Councilor and Deputy Mayor Clare Cameron are not running in fall municipal elections

Ahead of Niagara-on-the-Lake’s municipal elections this fall, the town’s deputy mayor, Coun. Clare Cameron has announced that she will not stand for re-election, ending her term on city council.

“It has been an absolute honor and privilege to represent the residents of Niagara-on-the-Lake,” Cameron said during his announcement at the April 25 council meeting.

Cameron has been on the Niagara-on-the-Lake council since October 2018, when she was elected with the most votes of any candidate for council in the race, allowing her to also hold the position. Deputy Lord Mayor for four years.

“I will step down from this role with a deep sense of gratitude to the thousands of people who have trusted me to speak on their behalf,” she told the council.

Cameron ran, in part, with a mission to preserve the character of Niagara-on-the-Lake against the rising tide of development that is surging as the town’s population continues to grow. She also wanted the city to update its official plan and take a strong approach to traffic, parking and transportation management.

She shared some of the contributions she was most proud of during her tenure, such as writing the 2019 official plan, supporting the expansion of the city’s community center to open Niagara Nursery School, defending local history and heritage and promoting a “strategic and renewed” culture of leadership in city administration.

“Of course there have been disappointments along the way, some of them incredibly bitter and frustrating, but such is life,” she said.

Cameron has been part of the Niagara-on-the-Lake community since 2011, when she moved from Jordan to Virgil with her husband. She spent four years volunteering on several advisory boards before joining the board.

His announcement was followed by a standing ovation from council members in the chamber, many of whom, like Cameron, first joined council in 2018. Lord Mayor Betty Disero said Cameron was “a star” for the city ​​and its council.

“I remember four years ago sitting in meetings that were very, very loud and anxious,” Disero said. “You kept your cool and guided people through issues that would have otherwise lacked much leadership.”

“You are an inspiration, you challenge in the right way, you have made an incredible contribution to this city,” Coun said. Wendy Cheropita.

The municipal nomination period for Niagara-on-the-Lake begins next Monday, May 2, and elections are due to be held on October 24.

Cameron did not share the reasons she chose not to run for office, or what her next plans are. In her announcement, she encouraged Niagara-on-the-Lake residents who have never been in municipal government before to use her resignation to answer the call to political service.

“Anyone who cares enough and is determined enough has what it takes to do this job,” she said. “Find your voice and use it.”

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