Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls occupies the southeastern corner of the Niagara Peninsula, stretching along the western bank of the Niagara River from the Town of Fort Erie at Lake Erie's eastern tip northward through the City of Niagara Falls to the historic Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake where the river empties into Lake Ontario. The riding takes its name from the famous cataracts that draw visitors from around the world, but it encompasses far more than the tourist district—including suburban neighbourhoods, agricultural land in the Niagara wine country, and border communities whose economies are intertwined with the United States.

The City of Niagara Falls recorded a population of 94,415 in the 2021 census. Fort Erie added roughly 33,000 residents, and Niagara-on-the-Lake approximately 19,000. The riding sits approximately 130 kilometres from Toronto by road. Three international border crossings—the Rainbow Bridge, the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge, and the Peace Bridge at Fort Erie—link the riding to the American side, with the Peace Bridge alone handling some 4,000 commercial trucks daily.

Candidates

Tony Baldinelli (Conservative) — Born and raised in Niagara Falls in 1964, Baldinelli holds a degree in political science from McMaster University and a public relations certificate from Humber College. His career in politics began in 1988 as a legislative assistant to then-MP Rob Nicholson. He later worked at Queen's Park and in private-sector public relations before joining the Niagara Parks Commission in 2001 as senior manager of communications and stakeholder relations. He won the seat in 2019 following Nicholson's retirement.

Andrea Kaiser (Liberal) — Kaiser is a businesswoman, former three-term municipal councillor, and lifelong Niagara resident. Her father, Karl Kaiser, co-founded Inniskillin Wines and is widely credited with launching the modern Canadian wine industry. She founded Drea's Wine Company in 2019 and serves as chairperson of the Wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake, an executive board member of the Ontario Craft Wineries Association, and chairperson of the Ontario Sustainable Winemaking Certification program. This was her second federal campaign in the riding.

Brian Barker (NDP) — Barker is a teacher and president of the Niagara-area local of the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario. A father and labour leader, he ran his first campaign in the riding in 2019, finishing third. His platform centred on affordability—particularly reducing costs for prescription drugs, childcare, and housing.

Peter Taras (PPC) — Taras ran as the People's Party of Canada candidate in the riding, carrying the party's platform of fiscal restraint and opposition to pandemic-era restrictions.

About the Riding

Tourism is the dominant economic force in the riding. The Niagara Region's tourism industry generates more than $3 billion annually, attracts upward of 13 million visitors each year, and supports over 40,000 jobs across the region. The City of Niagara Falls is the epicentre of this activity, with its cluster of hotels, casinos, restaurants, and attractions along Clifton Hill and the Fallsview corridor. Niagara-on-the-Lake draws an additional 3.5 million visitors annually to its heritage streetscapes, the Shaw Festival theatre, and more than 30 wineries in the surrounding countryside.

Fort Erie, at the riding's southern end, has a quieter character shaped by its role as a border community. The Peace Bridge links Fort Erie directly to Buffalo, New York, and the cross-border flow of goods and commuters has long been central to the local economy. Fort Erie's racetrack, Crystal Beach waterfront, and historic Fort Erie—site of a pivotal War of 1812 battle—round out the town's attractions.

The riding's reliance on tourism and cross-border traffic makes it particularly sensitive to disruptions. The pandemic devastated the hospitality sector, and border closures curtailed the flow of visitors and commerce. Housing affordability has also emerged as a pressing issue, as the region's growing appeal to retirees and remote workers from the Greater Toronto Area has driven up property values in communities that were once modestly priced.