The big guns of the Niagara Regional Police showed up at Pelham Town Council on Wednesday, with a presentation delegation that included Chief Bill Fordy, Deputy Chief Todd Waselovich, and Inspector Dave Gomez.
While the deputation was basically a brief update on policing on Pelham, council members raised concerns around matters of enforcement and communication.
“I’m extremely biased towards you in a good way, however, I’m not above keeping you accountable,” former NRPS officer and Ward 2 Councillor Brian Eckhardt said. “At some point in time there needs to be enforcement … what are you doing to ensure that traffic initiatives in Welland extend up here to Pelham?”
Gomez replied that the force’s traffic specialists have developed a “heat map” of repeat offence zones, centred along Hwy. 20 in Fonthill between Rice Road and Pinecrest Court.
“I know you’re aware that we have an officer that’s assigned to Pelham regularly,” Gomez said.
Eckhardt thanked the force for some recent enforcement efforts, saying that a two-day stop-sign blitz at Haist Street and Brewerton Boulevard in July yielded 38 violations.
Ward 1’s Kevin Ker said the police need to do a better job of communicating various tools to the public – specifically a traffic offence hotline, where concerns can be reported by calling 289-248-1060 or through the force’s website.
The doubled-edged sword of the social media age then reared its head, with Gomez saying that the NRPS regularly endeavours to push information out on various platforms, but that the increasingly siloed nature of society sometimes means information doesn’t always come back their way.
Citing a situation where he asserted a handful of property crimes went unreported in Fenwick whilst members of the public concurrently complained on Facebook about a lack of a police presence, Gomez said the most efficient way to report an issue is still by telephone.
“We have to be a little old-fashioned,” the inspector said. “If something’s happening, you still have to get it to us the right way, and social media is really not the correct way to do that.”
Despite that, the Chief Fordy said he still hears a common refrain that cops want to be seen more in the community.
“Nobody ever says, ‘We want to see less police,’” Fordy said, perhaps contradicting another viewpoint seen, where else, on social media.
“Everybody says, ‘We want more boots on the ground, we want to see more of you.’ It’s not only in Pelham, it is in every community we attend,” he added.
“The days of just a police officer wearing sunglasses and not getting out of the car are hopefully behind us. But Covid was a challenge, it was a challenge for all of us because it forced all of us to disengage and uncouple from those personal relationships. We’re trying to reinvest and re-engage.”
In all, the NRPS’s presentation stated that there were 144,333 calls for service across the Region in 2023 – down almost three percent from 2022, but still some 15,000 calls more than the pre-pandemic average between 2017-2020.
Motor vehicle collisions have by far been the most frequent calls for service in Pelham the past three years, with theft a distant second.
More on speed
Elsewhere in the world of speed enforcement, council rejected a Niagara Region response – and CAO David Cribbs’ own advice – over a request to lower the speed limit on Effingham Road between Webber and River from 80 to 60 kilometres per hour.
The Town had initially made the reduction request to the Region per an Active Transportation Committee recommendation due to the volume of cyclists on the rural stretch of roadway east of the airport. However, the Region responded that it was only appropriate to drop the speed limit from 80 to 70.
“Posting a speed limit lower than that recommended by our speed limit policy will not lower operating speeds, resulting in lesser adherence to the speed limit,” the Region’s response read.
“This answer is totally unacceptable, it’s a boilerplate answer,” Eckhardt remarked, insisting that the request to drop the limit to 60 – in-line with River Road – be re-submitted.
Cribbs suggested that council simply accept the 70 km/h limit for the moment and then request a further reduction, but members disagreed.
“It’s all or nothing then?” Mayor Marvin Junkin asked.
“Roll the dice,” Eckhardt replied.
Additional council news as provided by the Town of Pelham:
2025 budget open house
Town of Pelham Council received several presentations from local sporting groups, residents and community organizations regarding requests for consideration in the 2025 Budget. The requests included:
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A resident request for the review and update of park equipment for the Lookout subdivision
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Special Olympics Welland/Pelham for the installation of Bocce Ball courts in Pelham
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Pelham Art Festival for financial support for the storage of art display panels
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Fenwick Pickleball Courts player requests for improvements in shade for players and potential updates to the driving area in the park
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Pelham Minor Baseball Association for support for improvements to diamonds and infrastructure to increase capacity for players
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Pelham Active Transportation Committee for the consideration of additional support for activities to promote bike-friendly designation
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Fonthill Rotary Club for consideration of enhanced bike pathways to create connected cycling routes
Council will include the above requests into the 2025 Budget cycle for consideration. Residents can stay connected to the budget process at www.pelham.ca/2025budget
Joint Board of Management, Niagara Region Courts
The Joint Board of Management, Niagara Region Courts, provides a forum for local area municipalities to co-ordinate the performance of their obligations in respect of the Memorandum of Understanding, the Local Side Agreement, and the Inter-municipal Agreement as they relate to Provincial Offences Court Administration. Council appointed Councillor Brian Eckhardt to represent Pelham for a one-year term beginning in 2025.
Animal Control By-law
Council received Report #2024-0213 – Town Solicitor, Proposed Animal Control By-Law, for information and approved in principle, the proposed Animal Control By-law as amended. The By-law sets out general requirements for keeping animals, including procedures for animals found at large, identifies prohibited animals, and requires dogs and kennels to be licensed. Council directed that the amended Animal Control By-law be presented to council for consideration at the next regular meeting of council.
Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund grants
Council received two Memos regarding the Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund – Stream 1 Repair and Rehabilitation and Stream 2 New Builds, Signature New Builds. Council approved the proposed grant applications to the Ontario Ministry of Sport’s Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund – Stream 1 and 2. If awarded, the grants would support infrastructure improvements in Centennial Park. The Centennial Park projects align with the Town’s strategic plan objective of infrastructure investment and renewal. These projects are currently in the Town’s 10-year capital plan; therefore, if the Town receives this grant, it will decrease the required transfer from reserves to fund these projects.
