Redekop announces run for fifth term
Seeking another term as Fort Erie mayor
Wayne Redekop confirmed Monday he’ll seek a fifth term as Fort Erie’s mayor in the Oct. 22 municipal election.
Redekop was mayor from 1997 to 2006, and elected again in 2014. He said the eight-year break from council “recharged my batteries” and gave him a different perspective on how council’s decisions affect residents.
“Those two terms (away) gave me the chance to stand back and take a look at things in a broader context, understand the implications of the things we’d done before and how they fit into moving Fort Erie forward,” he said.
Redekop, 67, also operates a law practice in Fort Erie. Among the bigger issues he expects council to face in the next four years is redevelopment of the Niagara Parks Commission marina at Miller’s Creek, and the need for more land to be designated for industrial use.
He said it’s also a challenge to bring more housing development to the town while accommodating wildlife habitats and natural heritage.
That’s being tested now through a private company’s plan to develop part of the Waverly Beach area to include a mix
of houses, townhomes and a 10storey condominium tower.
It would include reverting roughly seven acres to public ownership for use as walking trails. The plan was approved by council but is on hold while it is being appealed to the Land Planning Appeals Tribunal, formerly the Ontario Municipal Board.
Redekop said he’s also excited that new Premier Doug Ford committed to reopening the slots at the Fort Erie Race Track.
“They mean jobs, they mean revenue and they mean the potential for new visitors” to the track, Redekop said.
So far, Redekop is the only candidate for the major’s job. The deadline to register with the local clerk’s office is Friday, July 27 at 2 p.m.