Brother vs brother: Mayoral battle in Port Colborne a bizarre family feud
Published August 31, 2022 at 11:38 am
They haven’t spoken in 30 years. One has been a city councillor from 1996 to 2014 and then a mayor since 2018. The other has never set foot in the political arena.
But most importantly, they’re brothers. For two guys without much to say about each other, incumbent Bill Steele and his seven-years older brother Charles are about to get a lot of face-to-face time as both are running to become Port Colborne’s Mayor on October 24.
For Bill, it seems he still doesn’t have much to say about his brother, telling any any members of the media who ask about the race that he simply does not talk about his opponents, familial connection or not.
“I’m here to get Bill Steele elected,” said the incumbent Steele repeatedly. He has been in the insurance business since 1982 and is the owner of C. M. Steele Insurance Brokers Ltd., established in 1898.
For his part, Charles initially would only say he was running so that his brother would not be acclaimed.
Since that time, he’s gotten a little more vocal about his priorities, citing the need for “new thinking,” setting “some directions” and the need for affordable housing.
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Bill said he’s not worried, noting he’s served the community for going on 22 years and that he’s well-known in the city to the voters.
In 2018, Bill won the seat in his first run as mayor, winning 40 per cent of the vote with three other opponents in an election that saw 43 per cent turn-out.
But the only thing that remains certain in this battle? On October 25, the day after the election, there will absolutely be a Mayor Steele in Port Colborne.
Charles Steele, left, and his brother Bill Steele, right, the incumbent Port Colborne Mayor, are going toe-to-toe in the October 24 municipal election. The pair haven’t spoken to each other in over 30 years.