HALDIMAND—At the end of the September 16, 2025 Council-in-Committee meeting, Ward 4 Councillor Brad Adams shared some concerns he has related to an ongoing dispute between himself and other members of Council, focusing on Ward 5 Councillor Rob Shirton.
Since winning the Ward 4 seat last spring, Adams has routinely argued that his opposition to Empire Communities submitting an application for a Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO) in Nanticoke – and any conflict it has brought – reflects the will of his constituents.
“I’m doing exactly what I promised I would do and was elected with a two-to-one majority. There’s actually a deeper problem if councillors fail to debate or have a difference of opinion,” said Adams. “If you really think we should all get along and agree, seriously, what is the point of a council?”
Adams added, “I hope we can in time get to a place where our debates are healthier, but I can’t build this house on sand. We can’t build this house on sand. The roots need to be healthy in order for this Council to be fruitful.”
From there, Adams’ focus turned to Shirton, who he claimed was “hovering over my shoulder” during the August 26 meeting while Adams read his motion to rescind County support for the MZO request. Adams and Shirton sit beside each other in Council chambers.
“I lost track of how many times he told me I’m full of s**t and bulls**t, while I tried to speak to represent the vast majority of my constituents,” said Adams.
In an interview, Shirton told The Press, “I said, ‘You’re full of s**t. The numbers are all skewed,'” in response to Adams’ claim that 90% of Haldimand opposes the Nanticoke MZO.
“Some of those allegations are a little bit more damning than what I said. A couple of the comments I’m not going to dispute, but I’m definitely going to call him out on the idea of throwing a fellow councillor under the bus…. Kind of like a school kid snitching on somebody. There’s a kind of code, and I think he crossed the code myself,” Shirton said.
Adams further cited an alleged incident that took place during a meeting with the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care at the recent Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference, in which Adams said Shirton raised his voice at the minister, saying, “What, do you people live in silos and don’t communicate with each other?” in a discussion about potential financing for the expansion of Dunnville’s Edgewater Gardens long-term care facility.
Adams said, “I was embarrassed. I think every one of us in that room wanted to crawl under the table at that moment. I saw the minister’s expression visibly change and he appeared offended and irritated. Not a great negotiation tactic when you’re asking for funding.”
Councillor John Metcalfe came to Shirton’s defence, saying, “I happened to be sitting in on that meeting with Edgewater, and it is frustrating, because we’ve been delegating for Edgewater for four years, five years, maybe six years now.” He said Haldimand’s data hasn’t changed in that time, but the minister and key staff have, so “it’s like every time you go down there, you start over again.”
“If we become a little bit aggressive to get our point across – much like some councillors here do to get their point across – it’s just what it is,” concluded Metcalfe.
Adams then said he took a photo of Shirton’s phone during the August 26 meeting, alleging he witnessed Shirton texting with Haldimand’s recently fired CAO Cathy Case and former Ward 4 Councillor Tony Dalimonte during the MZO discussion.
“It was your Haldimand County phone during a public Council meeting, so I assumed it was to do with official County business. I took a picture of your phone on the table to verify it was in fact your Haldimand County phone. Now, please disclose what you and Cathy Case and Tony Dalimonte were talking about. I feel it’s only fair for the public to know. In fact, I suggest you turn your phone over to the Clerk for transparency. Will you turn your phone over?” asked Adams, adding that he had placed a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to secure the messages.
Shirton said he would comply with the FOI request. He said Dalimonte had messaged ‘good job’ in response to Shirton questioning Adams’ claim that 90% of Haldimand residents opposed the Nanticoke MZO.
“That was his question. You’ll see the response. I just gave him a thumbs up,” Shirton said. “Cathy Case sent me a message later in the day. There was no communication with her during the meeting, so that is untrue.”
Shirton told The Press he plans to address Adams taking a photo of his phone at an upcoming meeting, noting, “My personal space was violated. There’s nothing for me to hide anyway, I don’t care. Why can’t I talk to a previous councillor or CAO? What the heck?”
On the FOI request, Adams said in a follow up interview with The Press that he has “not been given everything that I witnessed being sent on the phone. I will be appealing for the remaining messages…. Councillor Shirton advised in Council that he didn’t have any communication with the former CAO during the Council meeting. I can confirm otherwise.”
While Adams said he does not plan to file an integrity complaint regarding Shirton’s comments or behaviour on August 26, the alleged messages with Case “may be a different story,” noting that the FOI process is “ongoing.”
While speaking at the September 16 meeting, Adams also alleged that at one point during the August 26 meeting Shirton “whipped (his) pen across the room.”
Adams told The Press the allegation was based on testimony from a constituent, who watched the meeting and posted the allegation to a social media page for CARD (Citizens Advocating for Responsible Development) that day.
The Press reviewed the Council video for the MZO discussion. In it, Shirton can be seen holding a pen, and he can be seen leaning towards Adams while Adams gave a speech on the motion, but The Press could not locate the alleged footage of Shirton throwing the pen, either down or across the room.
When The Press asked Adams and the constituent for confirmation on specifically when during the meeting this occurred, neither could confirm when it took place.
At the September 16 meeting, Shirton said, “The idea of throwing a pen? I have no idea what you’re referring to.”
Councillor Patrick O’Neill requested that County Clerk Chad Curtis look into the procedural bylaws to see if there are rules regarding taking photos of other people and/or their screens during Council sessions.
“That would be good to know. Councillor Adams did say he took a photo of Rob’s phone,” said O’Neill.
Haldimand County’s Council Code of Conduct reads:
- Section 10.1, “Members shall conduct themselves with decorum” at meetings.
- Section 7.2, “Members shall show respect for the decision-making process of Council.”
- Section 7.4, “Members may communicate a position that is contrary to that determined by Council. In doing so, Members will accurately communicate the decisions of Council and refrain from making disparaging comments about other Members or about Council’s processes and decisions.”
As the discussion drew to a close on September 16, Mayor Shelley Ann Bentley said, “Our world is very angry.”
She cited incidents where residents had been aggressive with County staff while they were out working in the community, including a time when the OPP had to be called because staff members’ lives had been threatened.
“Folks, we really need to take a step back and we really need to think about our actions. All of us across the municipality. All of us that sit around this table. We really need to take a step back and say, ‘am I being too aggressive?’” said Bentley.
While speaking to The Press after the Council meeting, Adams said, “Councillor Shirton and I continue to have a good working relationship. I hold no animosity about any of this. But it needed to be called out. Social media is a disease where false information is allowed to breed. I had to set the record straight.”
