Meet the Niagara South candidates vying for Fort Erie voters’ support

The stage is set when it comes to candidates from the three major parties who are running to be Fort Erie’s representative in Ottawa after the federal election late next month.

And while Tony Baldinelli, current MP for the Niagara Falls riding (Niagara Falls, Fort Erie, Niagara-on-the-Lake) is running, he won’t be a choice for Fort Erie voters.

This is due to a redistribution of ridings, which has put Fort Erie into the newly-formed Niagara South riding, which also includes Welland, Port Colborne, and Thorold, cities that were previously considered part of the Niagara Centre riding, which will no longer exist federally.

Fort Erie Radio reached out to the Niagara South candidates for the Liberals, Conservatives, and NDP, and received a mix of results.

One candidate agreed to a phone interview and answered a number of questions, another had campaign staff send an emailed statement, and the third did not respond to two attempted interview requests.

Liberal candidate Vance Badawey has been the MP for Niagara Centre since 2015.

As former mayor of Port Colborne from 1997 to 2003 and again from 2006 to 2014, Badawey said he knows the issues Fort Erie faces, many of them similar to what Port Colborne did when he held the top municipal office position up Highway 3.

He said fighting for attention from upper levels of government is something he did with Fort Erie Mayor Wayne Redekop back then, and will continue to do if re-elected on April 28.

“Fort Erie is not new to me,” he said, referring to issues such as fighting for healthcare services at both municipalities’ urgent care centres, as well as infrastructure investments.

“A lot of what I fought for in Port Colborne I also fought for in Fort Erie,” he added.

Ensuring Fort Erie is included and recognized as part of an important international trade corridor will be an order of business, he said.

Tariffs being imposed by U.S. president Donald Trump are an issue affecting the entire country, but also have local ramifications. Fort Erie and Niagara being used as vital channels for trade next to Western New York can “prove to the U.S. how much of a strategic trading partner we are,” said Badawey.

Badawey also said the federal government will be “very aggressive” in terms of retaliation.

Running for the Conservatives is Fred Davies, who is currently Port Colborne’s regional councillor and is a former school board trustee.

The restaurant and brewery owner ran for the Conservatives in the 2022 provincial election. He also ran for mayor of Port Colborne in 2014.

Fort Erie Radio contacted Davies via text message through the number provided on Niagara Region’s website, as he is a regional councillor.

His campaign staff replied the same day and asked if a statement would be acceptable. Fort Erie Radio asked that he address issues related to Fort Erie in that statement.

Below is what was supplied:

“The single biggest issue in this election is cost of living and strengthening Canada’s economy. Throughout the lost Liberal decade, the Liberal government raised taxes, blocked resource projects, and forced our industries, investments, and jobs abroad. As Trudeau’s chief economic advisor, Mark Carney made Canada weaker and poorer, and as a result Canadians are struggling to make ends meet. We need to lower taxes on businesses and families to make Canada an attractive place to invest, and make sure Canadians can keep more of what they earn. We need a strong economy to create more jobs and more powerful pay cheques for our people here in Niagara and right across the country. A new Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre will put Canada First–for a change.”

Fort Erie Radio emailed NDP candidate Chantal McCollum on Tuesday and again on Friday, but did not receive a response.

Her profile on the NDP website says she grew up in a union family and is a “passionate advocate for a more equitable Canada,” and that she is from Niagara and currently lives in Welland.

She was an environmental consultant for approximately five years before becoming a lawyer.

Since 2019, she has owned and operated a law practice based in Thorold and currently sits on the board of the Lincoln County Law Association as treasurer.

McCollum says she is seeking to represent the people of Niagara South “because, like many, she is concerned that income inequality is worsening, access to public health care is declining, and basic needs have become unaffordable, leaving too many behind.”

McCollum says she wants to reverse these trends by “pushing to implement federal policies which will provide good healthcare and affordable housing to residents of Niagara South.”

She believes that everyone should have quality public health care, affordable housing, decent work, and nutritious food.

“After years of cuts and privatization, the federal government must ensure it is working with provinces and municipalities to prioritize the needs of people, not wealthy corporations,” says her profile.

Peter Taras is running for the People’s Party of Canada. He also ran in the 2021 federal election, as well as in the 2022 Fort Erie mayoral race.

It is unclear at this time if the Green Party has a candidate.

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