Reg. Chair Bob Gale resigns

Reg. Chair Bob Gale issued an abrupt resignation to Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Robert Flack yesterday (Wednesday, March 11) after it was alleged he owns a copy of Mein Kampf signed by Adolf Hitler.

A release that came out just after noon, by Niagara Region Anti-Racism Association’s (NRARA), Saleh Waziruddin said Gale owed “a public explanation and apology.”

“The NRARA received documentation from someone concerned that Niagara’s highest municipal elected official owns a copy of such well-known antisemitic literature, with the authenticated signature of the genocidal fascist dictator responsible for the holocaust and World War II. The signed book was bought through auction in 2010 and both the book and signature were authenticated in 2018 in a report issued under the authority of the Certified Appraisers Guild of America,” said Waziruddin.

Later in the afternoon, Gale resigned.

“As everyone knows, I am a passionate historian with a broad collection of historical art and artifacts. My collection includes an 1859 letter from anti-slavery advocate John Brown, a letter from George Washington, a letter from Winston Churchill and Vatican archives. I also have a signed copy of the first book in 1685 about Niagara Falls by Father Hennepin.,” wrote Gale.

While portraying the item in question as “a historical book found in many libraries”, Gale stepped aside.

“Please accept this letter as my formal resignation from my position as Regional Chair of the Niagara Region, effective immediately,” Gale wrote to Flack.

“The Churchill piece in my collection states the following: Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. I hope that you will continue this path in support of taxpayers.”

Gale came under heavy scrutiny from regional and local municipal councils for pushing a regional governance plan with no data or public input behind it. Regional council approved a directive for Gale to halt his governance plan immediately, but he persisted in the window of time before the minutes of that meeting were ratified at the next council session.

As well, a meeting of eight Niagara mayors generated a March 3 letter to Flack outlining their own vision for a governance review, then Gale issued a competing document the next day.

Despite his resignation, Gale said the governance review should proceed.

“This work is bigger than any one person, including me. This is about making the changes for the people of Niagara who desperately need and deserve change,” Gale said.

Gale was chosen as regional chair by Flack on Dec. 18, 2025.