> NIAGARA WEST

The Conservatives will see if they can continue their stronghold on Niagara West come Monday’s election.

Here’s a quick rundown of what you need to know:

THE RIDING

Niagara West is Niagara’s largest geographical riding. It encompasses Grimsby, Lincoln, West Lincoln, Pelham, Wainfleet and parts of St. Catharines.

In 2016, Statistics Canada said Niagara West had a population of 90,838, with 989.15 square kilometres of land.

Of that population, 57,295 are between 15 and 64 years old, and 18,110 are 65 years or older.

The median income for a household in Niagara West as of 2015 was $90,481.

THE RACE

Conservative incumbent Dean Allison has been MP since 2004. He’s facing the Liberal’s Ian Bingham, New Democrat Nameer Rahman, Green party’s Joanna Kocsis, the People’s Party of Canada’s Shaunalee Derkson and Christian Heritage Party candidate Harold Jonker.

If re-elected, Allison said he would focus on the proper handling of the pandemic, jobs, health care, civil liberties and the economic recovery of Canada.

Bingham, a 31-year-old former Royal Canadian Navy intelligence officer and now a lawyer, plans to focus on the environment, green industry, food security, connecting young people to the trades and the regulation of cannabis manufacturing.

Rahman, who has run in Niagara West for the NDP before, wants to see Niagara West come out of the pandemic and into the post-pandemic recovery as quickly as possible, by focusing on job creation, manufacturing and agriculture.

Kocsis, a PhD student at University of Toronto, wants to fight for sustainability rather than “maintaining the status quo in which the government prioritizes economic growth that benefits the wealthy minority over the needs and interests of everyone else.”

Derkson, who is running for her first time, said she is running because she is concerned with the direction the country is taking, and wants to protect our rights and freedoms, show fairness and respect. She said that along with fiscal responsibility is paramount to safeguarding future generations.

THE ISSUES

Housing and development is one of the biggest issues in Niagara West. Some people want the area to stay the same to maintain its historic look, but the riding needs more housing, too. Agriculture is another big one in this area. There’s a lot of conventional farming, grape growing/ wineries and tender fruit growing in the area. Farmers and greenhouse operators in Niagara West use the migrant farmworkers programs.

Environment and climate change has already impacted residents, especially for the communities along the Great Lakes, and will likely continue to do so, with lake levels, storms and flooding causing problems.