CAO Rob Axiak Taking New Role As City Manager In Cambridge

WELLAND – Chief Administrative Officer Rob Axiak has announced his departure from the City of Welland to become the new City Manager for the City of Cambridge, effective Tuesday, November 4, 2025. While his departure is a significant loss for Welland, it marks an exciting new chapter in his distinguished municipal career — and a proud moment for our community as one of our own takes on the top role in another growing Ontario city.

“Rob is an incredible leader, and his ability to unite people, inspire collaboration, and move projects forward with vision and purpose has made a lasting difference in our city,” said Mayor Frank Campion. “He brought a level of professionalism, empathy, and strategic thinking that elevated how we operate as a municipality. I’m sad to see him go, but I’m also incredibly proud to see him take this next step in his career — it’s a testament to the quality of leadership we’ve been fortunate to have in Welland.”

He joined the City of Welland in 2021 and was appointed Chief Administrative Officer in 2023. Bringing decades of municipal experience and a reputation for collaborative leadership, innovation, and community-building, he guided the organization through a period of growth and transformation, leading the development of Welland’s most comprehensive Strategic Plan, strengthening regional partnerships, and advancing initiatives that enhance livability, engagement, and civic pride. His focus on transparency, teamwork, and people-first service has left a lasting impact on both City Hall and the broader community.

“Everything I’ve done in Welland has prepared me for this next opportunity to grow my career,” said Axiak. “I have every confidence in our leadership team and staff to continue the positive, progressive momentum we’ve built. The community will continue to benefit from the dedication and professionalism of the City’s team as they carry this work forward.”

Under Rob’s leadership, Welland modernized its services and planned strategically for future growth. He championed operational improvements across departments, ensuring the City remained responsive to residents’ needs and positioned as a forward-thinking, innovative municipality.

His appointment to lead Cambridge reflects not only his exceptional talent and commitment but also the caliber of leadership and professionalism cultivated within the City of Welland. The Mayor will soon begin the process of selecting a new Chief Administrative Officer to continue building a thriving, connected, and sustainable city.

We extend our sincere thanks to Rob Axiak for his leadership, dedication, and service to our community, and wish him every success in his new role with the City of Cambridge.

Attribution: City of Welland media release.

‘This Award Means A Great Deal To Me’: Michael Power

WELLAND — Michael Power was presented the Canadian Catholic Historical Association’s G.E. Clerk Award during the group’s virtual Annual General Meeting, Friday, October 9. 

The Welland resident and member of St. Kevin parish was announced as recipient of the award in June. It is presented “to honour an individual who has distinguished him/herself in one of three categories: research and writing of the history of the Catholic Church, or service to the CCHA, or exceptional work in the preservation and promotion of materials in Catholic archives,” according to a news release from the CCHA. 

The Clerk award, the Association’s highest, is presented every two or three years. While it is “very rare” that a recipient has demonstrated excellence in all three categories, Power “has worked with distinction in all of them,” says the release.

G. E. Clerk Award recipient Michael Power. (Photos: Kathleen Power)

The inscription on the plaque reads:

“Michael Power’s dedication as a CCHA President and various other Executive Positions (1980-1988), his dedication to preserving and promoting Catholic archives, and his extensive written contributions to the CCHA and the Ontario Catholic Education System has fundamentally preserved and promoted Canadian Catholic studies.”

Below is the acceptance speech Power made for the virtual annual meeting. It is presented in its entirety: 

“To my Colleagues and Friends in the Canadian Catholic Historical Association:

I am deeply grateful and humbled to have been chosen to receive the G.E. Clerk Award for 2020. I am now in the excellent company of sixteen previous recipients. This Award means a great deal to me. It is an affirmation of the highest order of my work as a Catholic historian. The smartest move I ever made in my career as a writer and researcher was to join the CCHA, which welcomed and nourished me, published three of my articles and allowed me to participate in its operations at the executive level. I have fond memories of our annual meetings at different campuses across Canada. The fellowship was always congenial, with plenty of stories and laughter filling the air. The beer was good; the wine was even better.

It is impossible to thank everyone who has been a blessing to me in the great adventure of Canadian Catholic historiography. You are as numerous as the stars in heaven. And among those stars are all the wonderful people at the archives of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto. Time and again, you were a lifeline. You have my gratitude.

I would be remiss, however, if I did not acknowledge by name at least four people who have done so much on my behalf: Father Ed Jackman, for his kindness and generosity over the years; the late Jack O’Farrell, professor, historian and friend; Mark McGowan, the gold standard of Catholic historians who taught me a great deal about the history of the Church in Ontario; and Kathleen, my wife. Her wide knowledge and appreciation of the English language, and her gentle editorial suggestions, from one assignment to the next, especially during the early years when I was in the swim or sink phase of my writing life, made me the writer I became.

God Bless! May the good work of the CCHA continue.”

A story about the CCHA’s announcement of Power as recipient of the Clerk Medallion can be found on the blog, as can a story based on a personal interview with Power, by correspondent Wayne Campbell. Both were posted in June.

Power accepted delivery of the medallion at his home.