An ice salesman from Niagara Falls, N.Y., found a loophole in a Canadian citys election laws so he could run for mayor outside of his home town.

July 6, 2010

1 Min Read
N.Y. Man Rents Self-Storage Unit to Qualify for Mayor Race in Canadian City

An ice salesman from Niagara Falls, N.Y., found a loophole in a Canadian city’s election laws so he could run for mayor outside of his home town.

John Beam rented a self-storage unit in St. Catharine’s, Ontario, Canada, which made him eligible to run in the city’s mayoral race. Rather than rent an apartment to establish residency, the 51-year-old decided to rent a self-storage unit for $50 a month.

To qualify as a candidate in a municipal election in St. Catharine’s, a person must be a resident of the municipality, a non-resident landowner or tenant of land. Beam’s rental of a 25-square-foot self-storage unit qualifies him as a tenant.

Beam is also using his storage-unit savings as an election platform, claiming he’s focused on cutting cost and finding innovative ways to fund big projects such as free public transit and a new hockey arena.

Beam will run against incumbent Brian McMullan.

Source:  The Standard,  From Storage Locker to Mayor’s Chair

Related Articles:

Photovoltaic Systems and Self-Storage: Ontario Facility Owners Make Money From Their Rooftops

Self-Storage Real Estate in Western Canada: A Review of 2009, Predictions for 2010

N.Y. Self-Storage Owner Loses Land in Eminent Domain Case

Self-Storage Talk: To Turn Away a Customer, It Would Take ...

Subscribe to Our Weekly Newsletter
ISS is the most comprehensive source for self-storage news, feature stories, videos and more.

You May Also Like