THE LORD MAYOR OF CANADA’S FRIENDLIEST TOWN: MEET BETTY DISERO By Victoria Gilbert
Betty Disero may carry an ostentatious title as the “Lord Mayor” of Niagara-On-The-Lake, a historic town at the mouth of the Niagara River, but the petite woman with darting eyes and not a slip of make-up, is anything but flashy. Six weeks into her new job as Lord Mayor of a town known for its soft fruit agriculture, fine wines, English heritage and a short war with the Americans in 1812, Mrs. Disero has a vision for the scenic town of 18,000 residents. “I’m a practical person, I’m a pragmatist,” says Disero. “I think that’s why I stayed in municipal politics. I have been invited by both the Conservatives and the Liberals at one point in my life to join their parties both federally and provincially, but I like to make decisions that show results and affect people’s lives. I like being close to the people I represent and work with; it’s just been my life,” says the Lord Mayor. If you were walking the pretty streets or taking a horse-drawn carriage ride in the town last fall, you may have seen Mrs. Disero, who knocked on more than 300 doors a day in the months preceding the municipal election last October. She has been called “a fixer” all her life. Disero was a city councillor in Toronto for 18 years where she represented 56,000 people in her ward. Shortly after moving to Niagara-On-The-Lake she ran and won as a city councillor in 2016. When asked about Niagara-On-The-Lake compared Photo courtesy of Victoria Gilbert
