Niagara Falls

The riding of Niagara Falls sits at the southeastern edge of the Niagara Peninsula in Ontario, stretching along the Niagara River from Fort Erie in the south through the city of Niagara Falls to the historic town of Niagara-on-the-Lake at the river's mouth on Lake Ontario. The riding encompasses three distinct municipalities within the Regional Municipality of Niagara, anchored by the city of Niagara Falls with its 2011 census population of approximately 83,000.

Candidates

Rob Nicholson (Conservative) — A lawyer by training, Nicholson held degrees from Queen's University and the University of Windsor law school. He was first elected to Parliament in 1984 as a Progressive Conservative representing Niagara Falls, winning again in 1988 before returning to private law practice. He re-entered federal politics in 2004 and was appointed to Stephen Harper's cabinet in 2006 as Government House Leader. In January 2007, he became Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, a portfolio he continued to hold heading into the 2011 election, making him one of the senior figures in the Harper government.

Heather Kelley (NDP) — Kelley was a community activist in the Niagara region involved with healthcare advocacy, including work with Fort Erie Healthcare SOS, an organization focused on preserving local hospital services.

Bev Hodgson (Liberal) — Hodgson was a Niagara Falls lawyer with extensive experience in real estate, business law, and wills and estates, practising from offices on Drummond Road in the city.

Shawn Willick (Green Party) and Harold Jonker (Christian Heritage Party) also stood as candidates.

About the Riding

The riding's economy is dominated by tourism, gaming, and cross-border trade. Niagara Falls welcomes millions of visitors annually to view the falls, and the tourism district expanded significantly with the opening of the $1-billion Fallsview Casino Resort in 2004 and the Scotiabank Convention Centre in 2011. Together, the Fallsview Casino and Casino Niagara employed thousands of local residents. Niagara-on-the-Lake contributes a thriving wine country and theatre tourism through the Shaw Festival, while Fort Erie serves as a border crossing point to Buffalo, New York, and hosts Fort Erie Race Track. The region also supports a manufacturing base including transportation equipment, fabricated metal products, and food and beverage processing. The 2011 median age in Niagara Falls was 43.3 years, notably older than the Ontario median of 40.4, reflecting the area's retirement-friendly character. Key local issues of federal concern included border infrastructure investment, cross-border trade facilitation, and the economic aftereffects of the 2008 recession on the tourism and manufacturing sectors.