Meet Bob Gale

Born in St. Catharines, raised in Niagara Falls, and with business experience throughout the Niagara region, Bob Gale is a well-rounded individual with a plethora of knowledge regarding the trials and tribulations of being a citizen of Niagara. He is married to Vera with three children, Jessica, Bobby and Angela.

In the 1970s, Bob was a Niagara Regional Police officer and was the 1978 Police Officer of the Year, including being awarded the Medal of Merit. Since 1980, he has owned and operated Gale’s Gas Bars Limited. His daughter Jessica has now taken over control of the company.
Over the years he has been a baseball and hockey coach, a Big Brother, and made countless commitments to support fellow residents across Niagara.

Bob spearheaded the Gale family’s involvement in many volunteer and philanthropic endeavours to benefit the community, including:
• Renovation of the Greater Niagara General Site hospital emergency room
• Construction of the Gale Centre
• First and largest private donation to the Niagara Falls Museum

Bob has also donated time to various organizations, including:
• Forming and funding the Bob Gale Recreation Fund
• Forming ‘Ten Men in a Tent’ in 2009 and 2010 to benefit Project SHARE, which raised more money than any other charitable function in the history of Niagara Falls
• President of the Boys and Girls Club where he was made an honorary board member
• Board member of the YMCA, Big Brothers and the Niagara Falls High School advisory board
• Charter member of the Niagara Falls Sunrise Rotary Club

He has been the recipient of the prestigious Canadian Red Cross Power of Humanity Award 2006 and the Paul Harris Award for his Rotarian efforts, in addition to many others.

Through his travels, Bob has also helped people in other areas of the world – most notably, with a friend, financing a school and reservoir being built in southern Kenya for a Masaii tribe.

He is known for fighting for fairness as a past Niagara Parks Commissioner and credited with saving provincial taxpayers up to $300 million when the lease for the Maid of the Mist was fairly tendered out. As a result, he was asked to be an advisory on a National watchdog group over government waste.

Councillor Gale is a member of the St. Catharines Golf and Country Club and plays hockey weekly at the Gale Centre. He is keen on area history and enjoys attending concerts in Niagara Falls.