HALDIMAND—Haldimand Mayor Shelley Ann Bentley is hoping residents around the county are happy with the work she’s done and willing to re-elect her for another four-year term this October.
Citing a desire to build on existing relationships she has established since her election in 2022, Bentley believes she is developing the resources needed to build a stronger Haldimand.
“I find I’m just getting my feet wet on some projects, and I really would like to see them finished in the next term,” she said.
Some of her top priorities for a new term would include:
- Getting concrete answers on provincial plans for a proposed Nanticoke energy project that recently received $500,000 in funding to advance discussions on the site.
- Seeing the Argyle Street Bridge in Caledonia replaced in the next term, along with new traffic-calming lights on Highway 6, and an eventual plan for a bypass around Hagersville. “Let’s get those trucks off Highway 6,” she said.
- Advocating for new local processing plants for local products. “Dunnville would be a great place to have those,” she said, also mentioning industrial lands in Nanticoke and Caledonia.
- Advocating for farmers facing uncertainties due to “political change that is occurring south of the border.”
- Furthering work on dementia and senior-friendly communities, including encouraging developers to build small bungalows and affordable senior residences.
- Advocating for volunteers: “I want to see if we can support them better with our municipal support programs.”
- Monitoring the efficacy of the recently passed traffic management survey.
Asked how she would work to represent all residents within Haldimand’s growing and diverse population, Bentley replied, “I find that our new residents who are moving to the north side of Caledonia don’t realize that they belong to Haldimand County,” pledging to push for more outreach efforts that inform new residents of the range of services available to them.
Bentley also discussed plans with Six Nations Elected Chief Sherri-Lynn Hill to advocate for more Indigenous history in local classrooms: “It’s going to be a collaboration between us,” said Bentley.
She acknowledged the divisiveness that has in some ways defined Haldimand Council meetings since 2022, seen over a range of issues – often development-related – with Council members arguing amongst themselves and sometimes with members of the public seated in the gallery.
Citing her travels as mayor to different municipalities, Bentley said seeing divisive conduct on hot-button issues is not unique in the current climate. She noted that there are educational sessions scheduled for those elected, with topics centred on decorum and team building.
“I’m hopeful that’s going to help, and the team building is going to help build relationships,” she said.
Bentley faced two central controversies during her first term: an audit committee hearing focused on errors in her submitted election campaign finance statement that resulted in a guilty finding, and an integrity commissioner report that concluded she had leaked confidential documents in an effort to discredit Progressive Conservative MPP candidate Amy Martin during the 2025 provincial election.
“I spent tens of thousands of dollars on lawyers’ fees defending myself and my office for the last four years. I guess the lesson learned is ‘do as you’re told,’” Bentley said.
Despite the levied fine, she believes the court found she acted in good faith in terms of the audit results, with a low fine reflective of unintentional errors made by a rookie politician.
As for the integrity commissioner’s report, which led to a fine of four months’ salary, Bentley maintains her position that the report was inconclusive.
“He could not find the concrete evidence that I handed over documents to anyone, and I was found in breach,” said Bentley.
In 2024, Bentley reversed course on her previous stance against strong mayor powers, accepting them without notifying her council peers. She used those powers to fire former County CAO and current Ward 5 councillor candidate Cathy Case.
Asked how she would utilize those powers over the next four years, Bentley said her only planned use is to pass bylaws during meetings: “That’s legislated … and that’s under the strong mayor legislation.”
Bentley called potential data centre development in Haldimand a major issue over the next four years, noting that Premier Doug Ford unveiled a provincial framework for data centres at the recent Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference.
She argued that the need exists for Canadian data centres to store Canadian information, but warned any potential developer there would be “much discussion in our community about these before any decision is made at council.”
Bentley believes voters should re-elect her so she can build on everything she has learned in the past four years.
“Despite my issues, it really has been a productive four years. Especially this last year – you see things finally coming to fruition, and we have more engagement with our ministers. Federally and provincially, we’re really getting things done,” she said.
