Niagara Falls Review e-edition

NIAGARA CENTRE

Candidates vying to win the Niagara Centre riding in the upcoming provincial election will have to work hard to earn name recognition.

That’s because it’s logical to assume many of the people moving into a vast number of new homes in the riding are folks who’ve decided to pick up stakes a and head to Niaa Greater Toronto Area.

THE RIDING

The riding that includes Welland, Thorold, Port Colborne and a slice of south St. Catharines has seen Welland and Thorold booming and growing by leaps and bounds, and e half century of population decline.

The riding has a population of almost 110,000 and covers an area of 490 square kilometres, according the 2016 census data. That makes it more manageable travelwise for candidates compared to neighbouring Niagara Falls riding at 680 square kilometres and massive Niagara West riding, which devours 1,122 square kilometres of space.

Long known as a blue-collar city home to massive paper mills, Thorold has seen big industry leave but is seeing massive population growth: 2022 data from Statistics Canada shows the city’s population exploded by 26.7 per cent from 2016 to 2021. Thorold has also seen a renaissance in its formerly grimy downtown now home to stunning refurbished heritage buildings.

A former industrial powerhouse, Welland has seen huge manufacturing employers such as Atlas Steel exit, leading to periods of economic doldrums that have given way to an impressive housing boom. For example, Empire Communities has plans for thousands of new homes in Dain City, including the former John Deere property. Statistics Canada figures show the city’s population grew by 6.6 per cent from 2016 to 2021.

Port Colborne, which long ago lost the Inco manufacturing powerhouse, has experienced economic challenges and a population decline that lasted a half century. Statistics Canada figures show the city’s population actually plunged from 21,420 way back in 1971 to 18,306 in the 2016 census, which was slightly lower than the previous six census counts. But the city has finally become a destination for people to move to again, with its population surging by more than nine per cent from 2016 to 2021, Statistics Canada figures show.

THE RACE

Incumbent NDP candidate Jeff Burch hopes to maintain the decades-long NDP dynasty in the riding, but he’ll face off against Progressive Conservative Fred Davies, Liberal Terry Flynn, New Blue’s Gary Dumelie, Ontario Party’s Vincent Gircys, and Green Party’s Michelle McArthur.

THE ISSUES

Health care is a huge issue for Welland and Port Colborne, both of which continue to nervously eye the Port Colborne urgent care centre and Welland’s aging hospital, with plans underway for a new south Niagara hospital to be built in Niagara Falls.

All three cities are also stressing the importance of tourism, from Port Colborne’s Canal Days and beaches and Thorold’s heritage homes to Welland’s iconic Rose Festival, so post-pandemic recovery efforts for that sector will be seen as key. The Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce said in response to the recent provincial budget that it will take “years” for the tourism and hospitality sector o return to its pre-pandemic levels. While the three cities are seeing substantial growth, they’re also struggling with the housing crisis that’s pushed home prices beyond the reach of many — something candidates can expect to hear a lot about while knocking on doors. Yet Thorold politicians recently expressed concerns over the provincial task force on housing affordability that aims to streamline approval processes, fearing it could lead to more large-scale buildings and homes being shoehorned into e

BACKGROUND

Niagara Centre is a powerhouse NDP stronghold dating back 47 years that included the late, longtime MPP Mel Swart from 19751988, then the late Peter Kormos, followed by Cindy Forster and then Burch in 2018.

ONTARIO VOTES

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2022-05-21T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-05-21T07:00:00.0000000Z

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Toronto Star Newspapers Limited