After domestic assault charge, Mike Strange’s presence on Niagara Falls council questioned

Niagara Falls City Councillor Mike Strange is facing mounting public scrutiny as he continues to represent constituents after being charged with assaulting his intimate partner. 

He has pleaded not guilty to the charge, stemming from an altercation at his home in early May. The allegations have not been tested in court with the next appearance scheduled for June 6. 

Strange was arrested in the early morning hours of May 3, after Niagara Regional Police responded to a 3 a.m. call at a residence in Niagara Falls. Officers found a woman injured at the scene; she was treated on site. Strange was later charged with assault and released the same day under strict conditions, including no contact with the alleged victim, moving to an address approved by his surety and no possession of any weapon. 

His continued participation on council has drawn sharp criticism from Niagara Regional Councillor Haley Bateman (St. Catharines), who has called for a victim-centred approach to municipal accountability.

“Councillor Strange’s actions following his arrest reek of arrogance, entitlement, and neglect to residents across Niagara. Most specifically, he continues to show a disregard for women, victims and survivors of intimate partner violence,” Councillor Bateman told The Pointer. Strange has not been convicted of any crime in the matter and is presumed innocent prior to any decision in the trial process.

Niagara Region councillor Haley Bateman says the conduct of all elected municipal officials needs to be held to the highest standard.

(Vicki-Lynn Smith)

She has publicly labelled his actions and the silence of his colleagues “unacceptable.”

Bateman pointed to the City of Niagara Falls' Council Code of Conduct, which mandates that council members conduct themselves “with propriety, decency and respect” while ensuring interactions with the public and staff are free from “abuse, bullying, or intimidation.” She argued that Strange’s ongoing presence at public meetings stands in direct violation of these principles.

“The woman who was treated for injuries is a resident of Niagara Falls, therefore a constituent and member of the public,” she said. “He is charged with assault against her and yet, not a single word from the mayor, Jim Diodati, or any other member of Council.”

She revealed that Mayor Diodati, at the first council meeting following the criminal charges, briefly left the chamber and appointed Councillor Strange to chair the meeting in his absence—a decision Bateman called both tone-deaf and irresponsible. “What about his victim?” she asks. “His presence prevents her from participating fully and safely in the democratic process.”

Councillor Strange did not respond to requests for comment. Following the charges, he was quoted in other local media stating he has "never harmed a woman and wouldn’t under any circumstance."

Councillor Mike Strange continues to sit on Niagara Falls council following assault charges; there are no legal requirements for him to step down.

(Joel Wittnebel/The Pointer files)

Just twelve days before his arrest, Councillor Strange attended an event in support of Birchway Niagara (formerly Women's Place), an organization that provides support and shelter for survivors of domestic violence. That appearance has not gone unnoticed by members of the public and local leaders, who view it as a potential contradiction given the allegations he now faces.

“Councillors are arguably the most public facing elected officials integrated into the social and political fabric of the communities they serve, and as such, at a minimum, they need to be held to the same standards as every other person in society, some argue even higher standards due to the nature of position and influence and responsibility,” Emily McIntosh, founder of Women of Ontario Say No (WOSN), told The Pointer. The advocacy group is pushing for reforms to strengthen accountability in municipal governance.

McIntosh wants to see any councillor charged with assault placed on automatic leave “until a court decision is issued.” 

She believes intimate partner violence by an elected official must be addressed in the legislative amendments currently proposed by the PC government, which is looking to streamline council codes of conduct across Ontario.

“The person allegedly assaulted has their democratic access stifled, while the person charged with the violence continues to be at the Council table making decisions on issues such as funding for the local women's shelter, for example. Something is wrong with this picture,” McIntosh says. 

Councillor Strange attends an event in support of Birchway Niagara (formerly Women's Place), an organization that provides support and shelter for survivors of domestic violence.

(Screengrab)

Under Ontario’s Municipal Act,  a municipal councillor is not required to vacate their seat upon being charged with or even convicted of a criminal offence. The Act only requires disqualification under specific conditions, such as losing residency or citizenship, or being absent from council for three consecutive months without authorization.

This leaves elected officials like Strange free to continue their duties until a conviction is finalized, and even then, the rules around removal are limited. This legal vacuum is part of why Regional Councillor Bateman and others are pushing for legislative reform.

“Until the proposed Municipal Accountability Act is passed, municipalities like Niagara Falls lack the authority to remove elected officials for serious misconduct,” Bateman said. “This leaves victims without justice and the public without confidence in their leaders.”

The Municipal Accountability and Integrity Act, referenced by Bateman, is a proposed amendment to the Municipal Act aimed at strengthening codes of conduct for elected officials. The amendments, if passed, would empower an Integrity Commissioner to apply to the courts for a judicial review that could result in the removal of an elected official who has committed serious violations of a code of conduct, which would likely allow for removal from office for a range of criminal acts including intimate partner violence.

McIntosh says that while her organization is pleased to see the government introducing reforms under Bill 9,  current rules requiring unanimous support from council to remove a councillor for a code of conduct violation, is ineffective. 

Emily McIntosh, founder of Women of Ontario Say No, says the PC government’s proposed reforms to municipal accountability mechanisms do not go far enough.

(Submitted)

She argues that requiring full support from council could allow personal relationships to shield offenders from consequences.

“By requiring 100 percent support from the council it would allow a friendly relationship between councillors to save them from removal.” 

She believes the bar is too high and insists that “the threshold needs to be changed to two-thirds, or removed from Council decision entirely and put to an IC (Integrity Commissioner) panel at the provincial level.”

Emphasizing the real-world impact of weak accountability measures, McIntosh says, “We aren't just talking about systems change, we are acknowledging the painful and real lived experience of women, municipal staffers, fellow councillors and colleagues who are all negatively affected, and sometimes forever changed.” 

She adds, “When elected representatives can be removed for egregious violence and harassment, we all win. If convicted, Councillor Strange should be removed, up until this juncture we have never had this option. We encourage citizens to reach out to their MPP to ensure we do.”

The silence and inaction in Niagara Falls stands in contrast to how similar cases have been handled elsewhere in Ontario. In Toronto, Councillor Michael Thompson was charged with two counts of sexual assault in 2022. In response, he voluntarily stepped down from several high-profile council roles, including his position as deputy mayor and chair of the Economic and Community Development Committee, pending the outcome of his trial, which is ongoing. 

Bateman and others argue this kind of proactive accountability is exactly what is missing in Niagara Falls.

“Municipally elected officials need to be accountable for workplace violence, harassment, and sexual violence. There is a long history of abuse of power—this threatens the safety of all those working in municipal government, and that needs to end.”

Bateman and McIntosh are urging municipal governments to adopt victim-centred policies and treat all allegations of violence, particularly intimate partner violence, with the gravity they warrant. 

Bateman says, “Violence against women or gender-based violence is an epidemic. I hope we begin to see men speak out about all forms of abuse. I hope we see councils supporting legislation that will truly hold them to the highest standards in our community.”

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