If, like my wife and I, you attended the Haldimand municipal candidates Q&A session held in the Hagersville Legion on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, you too might be asking the same question.
Getting underway at 6:30 p.m., all went well for the following two hours under the control of Hagersville and District Chamber of Commerce President Rob Phillips – until the end.
Mayor Shelly Ann Bentley began by declaring that she was going to ditch her prepared two-minute closing remarks and then asked those in attendance to stand.
This took me, and no doubt others, completely by surprise. She then repeated her request, with a greater level insistence.
Was this going to be some sort of kumbaya moment?
She then directed everyone to turn around to face the back of the room. This, for me, bought back memories of kindergarten.
The mayor then went on to allege that people standing at the back of the room were those that were terrorizing her. I could not believe what just happened!
After all the statements that every mayor, councillor, and school board trustee candidate had made throughout the evening concerning their abhorrence for any lack of respect, our mayor just managed to disrespect everyone in attendance by abusing the privilege to address the voters that she had been given.
She used us by drawing us into whatever she might have been alleging. Her actions were not appropriate for this all candidates night gathering and showed a massive lapse in judgment and understanding of what the voters were there for.
I admire Rob Phillips for shutting down the shouting match that followed as quickly as he could. By fomenting the outburst and failing to abide by the stated rules of decorum, a less forgiving moderator would not have allowed Bentley to continue with her prepared closing remarks, of which I took no interest.
For me, she has sunk her campaign and she owes a public apology to the voters of Ward 4 for sabotaging the evening.
Mike Shacklock,
Hagersville
(Mayor Bentley’s closing remarks begin at the 2:08:30 mark)
