Bob Gale has resigned as chair of the Regional Municipality of Niagara amid calls for an apology from local anti-racism groups that claimed he owned a copy of Adolf Hitler’s book.
Gale submitted on Wednesday a letter to Rob Flock, the Ontario minister of municipal affairs and housing, stating that his resignation was effective immediately.
“Today, a member of the communist party circulated a dated document that listed my name as the owner of a historical book found in many libraries,” Gale wrote in his letter to Flack.
Earlier Wednesday, the Niagara Region Anti-Racism Association and the Justice 4 Black Lives Niagara issued a joint release alleging that Gale purchased and owned a copy of Mein Kampf, Hitler’s political manifesto, signed by the Nazi leader.
The groups said a concerned individual notified them about the matter. Both groups demanded an explanation and apology from Gale.
“Buying and taking the trouble to authenticate hate material signed by Hitler makes any reasonable person wonder. Niagara Region Chair Bob Gale needs to explain himself publicly and apologize for owning one of the most notorious pieces of antisemitic hate,” Saleh Waziruddin of the Niagara Region Anti-Racism Association said in the release.
Sherri Darlene of Justice 4 Black Lives Niagara added, “It’s shocking but not surprising that Niagara’s highest elected municipal official owns hate literature. It’s been no secret that racism has been a problem here for a long time, this is just one more low.”
Gale was not elected but was appointed chair by the province in December.
In his resignation letter, there was no apology. Gale described himself as a “passionate historian with a broad collection of historical art and artifacts.”
He said his collection includes an 1859 letter from anti-slavery advocate John Brown, a letter from George Washington, a letter from Winston Churchill and Vatican archives and a signed copy of the first book in 1685 about Niagara Falls by Father Hennepin.
He claimed that when he was appointed as chair of Niagara Region, there was a “strong vocal minority who decided they would stop at nothing in order to keep their fiefdoms and addiction to power and tax dollars.”
“They wish to paint a picture that is untrue and hurtful to my family, my friends, and those in Niagara that believe in the hard work I have undertaken,” Gale wrote.
“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.”
With files from Siobhan Morris