View source for Wayne Thomson

{{Short description|Canadian politician}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=December 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{For|those of a similar name|Wayne Thompson (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix = 
| name             = Wayne Thomson
| image            = 
| caption          = 
| office1          = 20th [[List of mayors of Niagara Falls, Ontario|Mayor of Niagara Falls]]
| term_start1      = 1978
| term_end1        = 1983
| predecessor1     = [[George Bukator]]
| successor1       = [[Bill Smeaton (politician)|Bill Smeaton]]
| term_start2      = 1991
| term_end2        = November 30, 2003
| predecessor2     = [[Bill Smeaton (politician)|Bill Smeaton]]
| successor2       = [[Ted Salci]]
| birth_name       = 
| birth_date       = 
| birth_place      = 
| death_date       = 
| death_place      = 
| party            = [[Independent politician|Independent]]
| occupation       = Politician
| residence        = [[Niagara Falls, Ontario|Niagara Falls]], [[Ontario]], Canada
}}

'''Wayne Thomson''' is a Canadian politician who served as the [[List of mayors of Niagara Falls, Ontario|mayor of Niagara Falls]] from 1978 to 1983 and from 1991 to 2003.<ref name="Cal">"[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mQVlAAAAIBAJ&sjid=l34NAAAAIBAJ&pg=5771,4617203&dq=wayne-thomson+mayor+niagara&hl=en Prostitution Law Praised]", ''[[The Calgary Herald]]'', June 9, 1982, p. A12, retrieved 2011-07-27</ref><ref name="NiagaraIndependent2024">{{cite news |last=Goldberg |first=Jay |date=October 15, 2024 |title=Niagara Falls gives Thomson keys to the city |url=https://niagaraindependent.ca/niagara-falls-gives-thomson-keys-to-the-city/ |url-status=live |work=The Niagara Independent |location=Niagara Falls, Ontario |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241203033025/https://niagaraindependent.ca/niagara-falls-gives-thomson-keys-to-the-city/ |archive-date=December 3, 2024 |access-date=December 2, 2024}}</ref>

In 1983, Thomson resigned as mayor amid controversy over a vacation given as a gift by a Toronto development firm, and a land purchase made by his then-fiancé Bonnie Dickson. His fiancé bought some land in Niagara Falls from a seller who did not want it to be sold to [[Marineland of Canada|Marineland]]. Seven months later, she sold the plot to Marineland. Marineland owner John Holer stated she acted as trustee and was accompanied by Thomson when the arrangements were made.<ref>{{cite news |work=Toronto Star |title=Mayor's resignation puts a stop to probes of land deal, free trip  |date=December 21, 1983 |page=C10}}</ref>

On September 1, 1998, Thomson was attacked in his office by Joe Pietrangelo, a former city worker who was meeting with Thomson to discuss the city's decision to rezone his family property.<ref name="NiagaraThisWeek2013">{{cite news |author=<!--not stated--> |date=November 18, 2013 |title=Attacker of former Falls mayor dies |url=https://www.niagarathisweek.com/news/attacker-of-former-falls-mayor-dies/article_a38c6b78-f393-5528-add7-a5bce22eac50.html |url-status=live |work=NiagaraThisWeek.com |agency=Fort Erie Times |location= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241204193402/https://www.niagarathisweek.com/news/attacker-of-former-falls-mayor-dies/article_a38c6b78-f393-5528-add7-a5bce22eac50.html |archive-date=December 4, 2024 |access-date=December 4, 2024}}</ref> Pietrangelo drew a metal cane and struck Thomson repeatedly before his assistant was able to intervene.<ref>{{cite news |last=Gillis |first=Charlie |date=September 9, 1999 |title=Niagara Falls mayor didn't fear beating, he feared for his life: Accused irate over zoning |url= |work=[[National Post]] |location=Don Mills, Ontario |page=A9 |access-date=}} {{ProQuest|329605307}}</ref> Thomson was left hospitalized and required surgery.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--not stated--> |date=March 4, 2000 |title=Man gets 25 years for beating mayor with pipe |url= |work=[[The Sudbury Star]] |location=Sudbury, Ontario |access-date=}} {{ProQuest|348724285}}</ref> Pietrangelo was convicted of attempted murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison.<ref>{{cite news |last=Makin |first=Kirk |date=March 4, 2000 |title=Beating of Niagara Falls mayor earns man 25 years in jail |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/beating-of-niagara-falls-mayor-earns-man-25-years-in-jail/article4161291/ |url-status=live |work=[[The Globe and Mail]] |location=Welland, Ontario |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241204191151/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/beating-of-niagara-falls-mayor-earns-man-25-years-in-jail/article4161291/ |archive-date=December 4, 2024 |access-date=December 4, 2024}}{{subscription required}}</ref> However, in 2008, he was found not criminally responsible due to a mental disorder.<ref name="NiagaraThisWeek2013"/>

Thomson was defeated by [[Ted Salci]] in the [[2003 Ontario municipal elections|2003 municipal election]].<ref>{{cite news |last=McCarten |first=James |date=November 11, 2003 |title=Across Ontario, tides of change |url= |work=[[The Kingston Whig-Standard]] |location=Kingston, Ontario |page=8 |access-date=}} {{ProQuest|352807690}}</ref> He subsequently ran and won re-election to [[Niagara Falls City Council]] as a councillor in the 2010 municipal election.<ref name="NiagaraIndependent2024"/> He stepped down in September 2024.<ref>{{cite news |last=Spiteri |first=Ray |date=September 10, 2024 |title=Wayne Thomson 'bled Niagara Falls': Longtime politician steps down from city council |url=https://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/news/council/wayne-thomson-bled-niagara-falls-longtime-politician-steps-down-from-city-council/article_c6c79601-d286-5e6d-be08-cb54441676fc.html |url-status=live |work=Niagara Falls Review |location=Niagara Falls, Ontario |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240923095907/https://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/news/council/wayne-thomson-bled-niagara-falls-longtime-politician-steps-down-from-city-council/article_c6c79601-d286-5e6d-be08-cb54441676fc.html |archive-date=September 23, 2024 |access-date=December 4, 2024}}{{subscription required}}</ref>

In October 2024, the city of Niagara Falls awarded Thompson the [[List of Keys to the City in Canada#Niagara Falls|Key to the City]].<ref name="NiagaraIndependent2024"/>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Mayors of Niagara Falls, Ontario}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomson, Wayne}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century mayors of places in Ontario]]
[[Category:Mayors of Niagara Falls, Ontario]]
[[Category:Niagara Falls, Ontario city councillors]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]

{{Ontario-mayor-stub}}