Bob Gale has resigned as the chair of the Regional Municipality of Niagara amid reports he owns a copy of Mein Kampf signed by Adolf Hitler.

The Niagara Region Anti-Racism Association (NRARA) claims it has documentation that “Niagara’s highest municipal elected official” bought the signed book at a 2010 auction and that the book and signature were authenticated in 2018.

The NRARA, along with Justice 4 Black Lives Niagara (J4BL), issued a joint statement on Wednesday, calling for an explanation and a public apology from Gale.

“Buying and taking the trouble to authenticate hate material signed by Hitler makes any reasonable person wonder,” said Saleh Waziruddin of the NRARA. “Niagara Region Chair Bob Gale needs to explain himself publicly and apologize for owning one of the most notorious pieces of antisemitic hate.”

In a letter to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Rob Flack, Gale does not apologize nor directly address the accusations, saying that a member of the communist party circulated a dated document that listed his name as the owner of a historical book “found in many libraries.”

Gale goes on to say that he is a “passionate historian” and owns a broad collection of historical art and artifacts, including an 1859 letter from anti-slavery advocate John Brown, as well as letters from George Washington and Winston Churchill and Vatican archives.

Gale was appointed to the position by Flack on December 18, 2025, following the death of longtime MPP and Niagara Regional Chair Jim Bradley last September.

He blamed a “strong vocal minority” for getting in the way of his work to fix the issues at Niagara Region.

“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.”

There was no immediate comment from the Ford government.