Residents of Ward 6 in St. Catharines will go the polls on April 14 to select a replacement for the late Carlos Garcia, who passed away late last year during his third term on Council.
There are seven candidates running to replace Garcia and fill the rest of his term: Jonathan Belgrave, Zach Dykstra, Patrick Harb, Nick Kurzawa, Jeff Mackie, Marty Mako, and Norm St. George.
The candidates all participated in an all-candidates meeting last week, fielding questions from residents about how they would handle key issues should they win the by-election to fill Garcia’s seat.
Below is some background on each of the seven candidates.
Belgrave
Jonathan Belgrave first ran for the Ward 6 seat in 2022. He is a marketing manager at Brock University. According to Belgrave’s campaign website, he plans to prioritize transportation and better customer service for city residents. He also plans to place an emphasis on sustainable long-term growth, supporting local neighbourhood groups, improving quality of life for residents, and taking a collaborative approach to preserving local heritage.
Dykstra
Zach Dykstra has worked for both the Conservative Party of Canada and the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party in an organizing capacity. Dykstra is promoting a property tax freeze, is promising to push for the cleanup of the former GM facility, tackle homelessness, and prioritize better services when it comes to snow clearing, parking, and heritage preservation.
Harb
Patrick Harb owns a production company and also has a background in business. He is both a director and producer, according to his LinkedIn profile. Harb doesn’t have a campaign website but accused fellow candidates of making promises they cannot keep at the all-candidates’ debate, according to reporting by the St. Catharines Standard.
Kurzawa
Nick Kurzawa is a local realtor. According to his Facebook page, Kurzawa is running on a platform of increasing transparency, cutting city costs, improving efficiency in infrastructure development, and advocating for sustainable development over the long term.
Mackie
Jeff Mackie is a local business owner and volunteer. According to his website, Mackie would prioritize being a strong and informed voice for residents, as well as supporting local businesses. His website promotes protecting Port Dalhousie’s heritage, enhancing local infrastructure, and pushing for affordable housing.
Mako
Marty Mako is running on a platform of fiscal responsibility, transparency, and accountability. According to his website, Mako works for Niagara Emergency Medical Services. He has an MBA from McMaster and has served on a number of city committees. Mako’s website also mentions prioritizing dealing with affordability and homelessness, as well as protecting local heritage. Mako has run for this seat previously.
St. George
Norm St. George is a retired financial credit officer. He has promised to push for more local economic prosperity while protecting local heritage. St. George has previously run for School Trustee.
Anyone who lives in Ward 6 and is over the age of 18 can vote in the by-election. Advance voting will occur on Thursday, April 3 at Grantham Optimist Club from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday, April 12 at St. John’s Anglican Church from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voting on Election Day will also be from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Jay Goldberg is the Ontario Director at the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. He previously served as a policy fellow at the Munk School of Public Policy and Global Affairs. Jay holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Toronto.
