Mayor and Council

Contact Councillor McDermott

You can contact Councillor McDermott by email or give him a call at 905-871-1600 or on his mobile phone at 289-696-6452.

About Councillor McDermott

George McDermott was born and raised in Fort Erie and resides in town with his family. Over the years, George has been an active volunteer in the community mostly in youth programs. George has been a coach in the YMCA League for 22 years and has served as President of the Greater Fort Erie Minor Ball Association. George has also served as the Chair of the Community Gaming and Development Corporation and is a former Vice President of the Fort Erie Library Board. George was also the provincial liaison to the Mayor's Hospital Task Force and as an advocate responsible for bringing the provincial funding for the Bridges Community Heath Center.

Over the past number of  years George has also advocated on behalf of the Fort Erie Racetrack for their fair share of Provincial funding to operate the track and to keep jobs in Fort Erie. Over the past number of years George has been an active fundraiser for the Fort Erie Navy League and many other local worthwhile causes.

George was awarded the Queens Diamond Jubilee Medal for Community Service and the Gord Wilson Memorial Award for Outstanding Support and Contribution to the Navy League Cadet Program.  First elected to council in 2014 George has served as Chair of Planning, Vice Chair of Infrastructure and is presently Corporate Services Chair.

George also sits on both the Community Health and Community Gaming Boards.

Councilor McDermott will continue to bring the same energy and determination as he has in the past to improve our local healthcare and will work to advocate on the Affordable Housing file which he believes are the two most important issues facing this community.

Contact Councillor Dubanow

You can contact Councillor Dubanow by email or give him a call at 905-871-1600 or on his mobile phone at 905-871-9309.

Contact Councillor Flagg

You can contact Councillor Flagg by email or give him a call at 905-871-1600 or on his mobile phone at 905-991-0991.

About Councillor Flagg

Darren and his wife Janine have 5 children, Amanda, Kyla, Jordan, Caleigh and Megan as well as 3 grandchildren, Amelia, Jack and Madilyn.  All of the children share their parent’s love of travel, sports, good food and adventure.

His grandfather, Allan Benner served as a councillor in the 50’s and 60’s and he is proud to follow in his footsteps and represent Ward 3.    

Born in Wainfleet, Darren attended Humber College where he studied Funeral Services.  At the age of 19 he moved to Fort Erie and started his career that spans nearly 40 years.  Currently he is the managing Partner of Williams Funeral Service and Benner Funeral Services, the only 2 licensed Class A funeral establishments in our communities.  

Always an active member of the community, Darren has served as the President of the Chamber of Commerce and the Fort Erie Jaycees an organization he later served as the National President of.  In addition he had led the Niagara Funeral Directors Association, sat on the cemetery board of the town of Fort Erie and participated as a speaker in the effort to save the Douglas Memorial Hospital.  A hockey official for 40 years, his activities and involvement continue Provincially and Nationally as an Officiating Developer, coaching and mentoring officials at most levels of amateur hockey.   

Contact Councillor Christensen

You can contact Councillor Christensen by email or give her a call at 905-871-1600 or on her mobile phone at 416-895-8911.

About Councillor Christensen

First elected in 2022 as Councillor for Ward 4 (Ridgeway-Thunder Bay) for the 2023-2026 term after 30 years working in senior policy and program management positions with Metro Toronto, York Region and the Ontario government. Having to make the decisions is really different from giving advice!

I’m involved with the community as Chair of Fort Erie’s Community Health Services Committee, a board member at the Carefirst Seniors Association and Bridges Community Health Centre and member of the Beachcombers and Advancing Crystal Beach.

Professional satisfaction has always been about government policies and practices around supports for vulnerable people and access to community services. This extends to helping non-profits like Pathstone and Quest Community Health Centre to set their future directions in light of those policies.

What I do is based on a belief that all people are of equal value in this world despite differences of historic, economic, social and genetic circumstances. Those blessed with advantageous circumstances are obligated to ensure that inequitable laws and institutions must change to eliminate the inequities arising from those differences.

Fort Erie is home because it’s also home to some of the most caring people I’ve ever known, people who reach out to neighbours in crisis or in friendship. It’s a place that has lots of room for me to make myself useful through community initiatives like the Greater Fort Erie Community Hub, the Crystal Beach sign and finding funding for local agencies

Outside of work, I’m pretty much the same – driven to solve serious policy problems. Seeking to make our corner of the world better. Meeting with friends at the Pie Guys or Our Corner Cafe. Meeting with friends at the dog park. Extremely boring and I love it! Oh yeah! and my three standard poodles are still US citizens so we celebrate Memorial Day and July 4^th as well as all the Canadian holidays. And I have delusions of becoming a concert pianist the easy way – too little practice + the Fort Erie School of Music.

Contact Councillor Lewis

You can contact Councillor Lewis by email or give him a call at 905-871-1600 or on his home phone at 289-599-1717.

About Councillor Lewis

Born and raised in the Ridgeway/Crystal Beach neighborhood of Fort Erie, Tom Lewis has always proudly called Fort Erie home. He has been deeply involved in his community from a young age and advocacy approach centers on grassroots activism. He has also, successfully lobbied the provincial government for QEW signage to include the village of Ridgeway, initiated the process/petition to keep the Bay Beach Lands public, and was part of a citizens group that resulted in an Ontario Ministers Zoning Orders to preserve and protect Marcy’s Woods.

With a passion for public service and community engagement, Lewis was first elected to Fort Erie Council in 2003 at the age of 19, representing Ward 5 in Crystal Beach. During his tenure, he worked with colleagues to establish the Town’s Ecological Environmental Advisory Committee (EEAC), initiated the Regional Award-Winning Crystal Beach Neighborhood Plan #1, and created the Crystal Beach Business Improvement Association.

In his second term on council, Lewis brings nearly two decades of executive level experience in the public, private, and non-profit and charity sectors; having worked in project management, communications, and policy on various domestic and international projects.

Professionally, Lewis was part of the senior development team that built two locally owned renewable energy infrastructure projects, contributing to Niagara's designation as the “Green Energy Capital of Canada.” He has held positions within the Ontario Public Service, including Executive Assistant to the Parliamentary Assistant of the Ministry of Children & Youth Services and the Ministry of Environment & Climate Change. He has also supported senior provincial government roles related to Seniors Affairs and Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs. During his tenure in provincial politics at Queen’s Park, Lewis effectively navigated the provincial level as Executive Assistant to the Chief Government Whip and supported the Government Caucus Service Bureau. Currently, Lewis is the Executive Director of the Poultry Industry Council in Guelph Ontario.

His policy priorities for council include local economic development and tourism, balanced and responsible growth, increased waterfront access, community inclusivity, access to healthcare services, and building a vibrant and sustainable community.

Lewis currently serves as the Chair of the Infrastructure Services Committee and is a council appointee on the Way Finding and Traffic Coordinating committee, Crystal Beach Business Improvement Association, Ecological Environmental Advisory Committee, and the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Coalition committee.

Contact Councillor Noyes

You can contact Councillor Noyes by email or give her a call at 905-871-1600 or on her mobile phone at 905-382-2352.

About Councillor Noyes