Former Liberal MP Vance Badawey has been appointed at Port Colborne’s new Regional Councillor, replacing the man who defeated him in April’s federal election: Fred Davies.
Badawey lost to Davies in April’s election in the riding of Niagara South, which includes Port Colborne. Badawey had served as the area’s member of Parliament since 2015.
After Davies resigned as Regional Councillor to take his seat in Parliament, Port Colborne City Council chose to fill Davies’ seat by appointment instead of holding a by-election, which the city estimated would have cost $100,000.
Given that the next municipal election will be held in the fall of 2026, Port Colborne City Council felt that it didn’t make sense to trigger a lengthy and expensive by-election process.
Mayor Bill Steele was one of the biggest proponents of going to appointment route.
“We have a big budget coming at Region this year, we have 13 budget meetings over and above all the other meetings that we go to on a monthly basis, we need a good, strong voice down there to represent Port Colborne and represent our feelings also around this table…so we’ve got to get that person there as soon as possible,” said Steele back in early June.
The application to fill the Regional Council seat was open to the public, and applicants were able to apply to an advertisement on the city’s website. Badawey, along with other applicants, would have had to submit a resume and a statement confirming he would accept the position should he be selected.
City staff then offered a summary of applications to Councillors, who in turn made their selection to fill the seat. Badawey’s decade of experience serving the community in Ottawa would have made him a strong candidate for the role.
Badawey also has a long record of service in Port Colborne. He served on Port Colborne City Council in the 1990s and served as mayor from 1997 to 2003 and again from 2006 to 2014.
Upon his swearing in, Badawey issued a statement on social media.
“It was an honour to be officially sworn in last evening as (Niagara) Regional Councillor for the City of Port Colborne. I am grateful for the opportunity to once again serve our community – working alongside residents, local businesses, and fellow leaders across Niagara’s South Coast and throughout the region.”
“Together, let’s continue to build a future that is thriving, inclusive, and sustainable.”
Jay Goldberg is the Canadian Affairs Manager at the Consumer Choice Center. He previously served as the Ontario Director at the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and a policy fellow at the Munk School of Public Policy and Global Affairs. Jay holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Toronto.
