HALDIMAND—Ahead of the 2026 municipal election, The Press reached out to the community via social media to find out if residents had any lagging questions or concerns for the candidates. We received numerous replies.
Mayor Shelley Ann Bentley has faced a mix of support and criticism related to her decision to use strong mayor powers to fire former CAO and current councillor candidate Cathy Case in June 2025, with a number of her critics citing a lack of clarity as to why the decision was made.
The Press asked Bentley why she chose to fire Case.
Her response was: “The past four years have brought both opportunities and challenges for Haldimand. Through it all, my focus has remained the same: making thoughtful decisions, protecting taxpayers, and planning responsibly for the future … We’ve made real progress on many of the issues that matter most to our community. We’ve helped prepare Haldimand for continued growth, strengthened our finances, supported healthcare and agriculture, and continued investing in Haldimand’s future.”
Mayoral candidate Jake Vandendool has continued to see pushback following his use of a billboard to advertise his campaign. Vandendool maintained in his election profile that the billboard should be considered print advertising as a permanent structure, asserting it differs from the temporary election signage outlined in the bylaw. County staff disagreed.
Concerns were expressed over current Ward 1 Councillor Debera McKeen’s response to an integrity commissioner investigation that required she give a public apology for her behaviour in a series of emails amongst Council peers and staff between March 4-7, 2026.
McKeen told The Press, “If I were a constituent, before coming to a conclusion, I would want to read all of the emails in that chain, not the bits and pieces parsed by the integrity commissioner. My private responses suited the tone of the entire email chain and reflect what other councillors display publicly in council chambers without penalty.”
Current Ward 2 Councillor John Metcalfe was the target of expletive-filled shouting from one attendee of the Cayuga mayoral and ward candidate debate on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, questioning his changing votes regarding the Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO) request for Empire Communities’ Nanticoke lands.
Metcalfe said he originally supported the MZO when Haldimand itself submitted the request in 2022.
Following provincial policy changes requiring Empire to submit the request instead, Metcalfe withdrew his support in a 2024 vote based on community feedback and reporting on potential Ford government overuse of MZOs. However, Metcalfe then voted against Councillor Brad Adams’ motion to withdraw County support in August 2025.
“A landowner, developer can go straight to the minister and request an MZO, bypassing the municipality all together,” said Metcalfe on his reasoning. “I thought it best to keep a seat at the table, rather than have the developer get fed up with Haldimand County and go straight to the minister or Ontario Land Tribunal.”
The Press also received multiple comments regarding Ward 7 candidate Russell McTear, primarily in relation to an impaired driving charge that is still unproven before the courts. An OPP report said that at approximately 5:45 p.m. on February 12, 2026, officers responded to a vehicle that left the roadway on Third Line near Hagersville.
McTear was arrested and charged with operating a vehicle while impaired; failure or refusal to comply with demand; careless driving; and driving a motor vehicle with no currently validated permit.
While an initial court date was scheduled for March 24, McTear said the matter remains before the court and no determination has yet been made.
“Nobody is perfect, and I hold myself to a higher standard than what transpired that afternoon. My years of community involvement, fundraising, sponsorships, and participation in committees and Council chambers are a far better reflection of my character than one winter afternoon on a backroad,” said McTear. “The circumstances are more complex than what has been reported publicly, and while the matter is before the courts, I will not debate those details through the media.”
He urged voters to reach out directly to address any concerns.
McTear also addressed concerns related to content on his personal Facebook page, such as a post made September 22, 2025 in which he wrote, “Time to step in Donald J. Trump, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, Canada is falling apart and anyone who stands up for freedoms, against 3yr old children being raped by trans genders, theft and the immigration take over is being punished at the full corruption of the law … Canada is lost. WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!”
McTear said he made the post following the sexual assault of a three-year-old girl in Welland on August 31, 2025. A registered sex offender, Daniel Senecal, later pled guilty. Social media posts suggested that Senecal had requested transfer to a women’s prison. While a Facebook profile with the name ‘Dani Senecal’ used ‘she/her’ pronouns, Senecal was referred to as ‘Daniel’ and he/him pronouns were used during the trial.
“Any person should have an emotional reaction to something like that. Whether the offender is transgender, straight, gay, or identifies in any other way, sexually assaulting a child is wrong and inexcusable,” said McTear.
“We are all entitled to our own thoughts and beliefs,” he continued. “What I will not support is disrespect toward others or pushing adult political or sexual issues onto young children. Having that position does not mean I would treat a resident differently. When elected, my responsibility is to represent all of Ward 7, including people whose beliefs, lifestyles, or opinions are completely different from my own.”
Click here to read more of the Haldimand Press’ election coverage.
