Local
With the Aug. 21 nomination deadline now passed, the candidate fields are set across Niagara’s 12 municipalities. The final days brought a handful of late registrations, a few unexpected names, some notable absences and, overall, plenty of interest from residents willing to put their names forward for public office.
Over the coming weeks, this column will work its way across Niagara, examining the municipal races taking shape and the issues likely to define them. It won’t be possible to profile every candidate individually, but the goal is to provide useful context about each community, take a closer look at the most significant contests and explore where candidates differ, where they agree and where there may be room for compromise. Along the way, readers may also gain some insight into issues unfolding beyond their own municipality and identify questions they believe deserve greater attention during the campaign.
One major change will shape every municipal race this time around. There will be no elections for Regional Council. Instead, Niagara’s regional governance will rest with the 12 elected mayors and a regional chair to be appointed by Premier Doug Ford later this fall. That makes the ongoing debate over amalgamation, and how Niagara’s municipalities respond to it, an issue that will extend well beyond any single local campaign.
Local
Niagara Transit is expanding Sunday and holiday service across the region beginning on Sept. 6.
Regional and holiday service will be introduced on regional bus routes, route 751, and Niagara Transit Plus services.
Sports
Three teams, the Welland Jackfish, London Majors and Hamilton Cardinals, all finished tied for top spot at (31-17) in the Canadian Baseball League standings – two of those three teams, Welland and London will now face each other in a best-of-seven opening round CBL playoff series beginning Friday night from London.
National
The Labour Day holiday weekend in Canada is an end-of-summer rite for Canadian workers to reflect on their achievements of their toil and for their families and friends to come together to discuss what to expect with the resumption of a daily routine.
Provincial
Ontario’s negotiations with teacher unions are bubbling up right when our public finances are deep in the red. Ontario Premier Doug Ford needs to keep the union bosses at bay and keep teachers’ salaries affordable for taxpayers.
National
Tax issues are back on the agenda, as they should be. In the wake of the breakdown of Canada-U.S. trade talks, there is a renewed focus on what Canada needs to do to get its economy out of the doldrums.
National
Cabinet and caucus retreats are set to kick off in the next couple of weeks, unofficially spelling the end of summer in Ottawa as political parties sprint to align messaging and policy positions ahead of what is sure to be a hectic fall.
