St. Catharines

St. Catharines, the largest city in the Niagara Region with a population of roughly 136,000, had been represented by NDP MPP Jennie Stevens since 2018. Stevens had broken a long stretch of Liberal representation in the riding when she won her first term, becoming the first woman ever to hold the seat. Heading into the 2022 election, the riding was considered a competitive battleground, with the NDP defending against a Progressive Conservative challenge in a province-wide political environment that strongly favoured Doug Ford’s government.

The contest attracted nine candidates, though the primary race was between the NDP incumbent and the PC challenger, with the Liberals seeking to rebuild support in a riding they had historically held.

Candidates

Jennie Stevens (NDP) — Stevens is a lifelong resident of St. Catharines who served as a city councillor for the Merritton Ward for fifteen years before her 2018 provincial election victory. She held community roles including membership on the St. Catharines Budget Committee, the Merritton Athletic Association, and the board of the Niagara Folk Arts Multicultural Centre. In April 2021, she introduced a private member’s bill modelled on Clare’s Law to provide protections for individuals at risk of intimate partner violence.

Sal Sorrento (Progressive Conservative) — Sorrento is a two-term city councillor representing St. George’s Ward in St. Catharines. He immigrated from Italy as a child and earned two undergraduate degrees from Brock University and a Master of Science in Education from Niagara University. He worked professionally as an outreach worker helping people in need.

Ryan Madill (Liberal) — Madill is a captain with St. Catharines Fire Services who served as a firefighter in the city for thirty years. He had been president of the St. Catharines Professional Firefighters Association since 2011 and attended Brock University, studying political science.

Michele Braniff (Green Party), Keith McDonald (New Blue Party), Michael Goddard (Ontario Party), Judi Falardeau (Libertarian), Rin Simon (Communist), and J. Justin O’Donnell (Ontario Alliance) also contested the riding.

Local Issues

The opioid crisis and homelessness emerged as urgent concerns in St. Catharines during the 2018–2022 term. Paramedics in the Niagara Region responded to over 1,000 suspected opioid overdoses in 2021 alone, reflecting a deepening public health emergency. The city invested in the Niagara Assertive Street Outreach Team operated by Gateway to help move people living rough into housing. Council also sold a surplus property on Geneva Street with the requirement that its redevelopment include social and affordable housing.

Affordable housing was a closely related concern. Rising rents and home prices across the Niagara Region put pressure on lower-income residents, and the waitlist for subsidized housing remained long. The city focused on strategies to increase housing supply while preserving affordability.

Healthcare access was another pressing issue. Like much of Ontario, St. Catharines faced staffing shortages at local hospitals that worsened during the pandemic, leading to longer emergency department wait times. Stevens, as MPP, had been vocal about the need for more long-term care beds and improved working conditions for healthcare workers, themes that featured prominently in the local campaign debate.