St. Catharines is among the most populated areas in the Niagara Region, with five individuals vying for the mayor’s position.
CHCH News reached out to them and asked each candidate about what they see as the primary challenge facing the city at this moment, and how they plan to tackle it if they win.
“I would like the chance for that second term to finish what I started with the community,” said Mat Siscoe, the current mayoral candidate.
As election day nears, Siscoe says that infrastructure is a major concern he’s been hearing from residents.
“We’ve experienced some pretty severe flooding this summer, and many people have raised questions,” Siscoe noted. “I’m proud of our record this past term; we have tripled funding for water, wastewater, and stormwater initiatives. However, I’ve made it clear that we need provincial and federal support for infrastructure funding as well – it’s unfair to place all these costs on property taxpayers.”
: Everything you need to know about Niagara Falls’ 2026 municipal election
Ann-Marie Zammit, another candidate for mayor in St. Catharines who has a background in project management at Public Health Ontario, also identifies infrastructure as her top priority while referencing recent flooding.
“The first step is making sure it’s prioritized in our budget so we can give it special attention,” Zammit stated. “Ignoring known issues like infrastructure would be doing a disservice to residents, especially now that it’s become such an obvious problem.”
Jimmy Jackson, another candidate who has experience in social services, steelwork, and business ownership believes that infrastructure improvements are overdue.
“People’s homes got flooded,” Jackson remarked. “As a mayor or council member, you should listen to your engineers who provide reports; advocate with the province for funding; and work towards bringing more economic development into the city.”
WATCH MORE: No vote for regional councillors in upcoming Niagara elections
Candidate Anthony Adeoye comes from a background in business management and municipal governance; he sees homelessness as the most pressing issue.
“We have to look back at what causes this issue-poverty and living costs,” Adeoye explained. “Once elected, we’ll announce a cap on property taxes related to city portions which falls under the mayor’s responsibility.”
Henry Bosch is another contender for mayor; he previously served as a paramedic and union rep. He also highlights homelessness as his main concern.
“What current local government seems focused on is just finding places to move people around,” Bosch said. “Instead of that approach, I propose looking into repurposing closed schools or vacant buildings since it’ll be less expensive than building new facilities.”
Jackson has shared various posts on social media from a group called Dominion Society of Canada which advocates mass deportations of immigrants from Canada.
: Everything you need to know about Thorold’s 2026 municipal election
Additionally, he’s been linked with individuals reportedly associated with a white nationalist group named Second Sons.
The team at CHCH News questioned him regarding these associations.
“I don’t completely align with them 100 percent but do I believe they raise significant points? Yes,” Jackson replied. “I’ve discussed things with local services which are stretched thin because there are many people coming here claiming refugee status when they’re not actually refugees.”
A recent conference by Dominion Society of Canada faced opposition in Hamilton along with parts of Niagara due to pressure from local officials and law enforcement over its controversial views.
The public will head to polling stations within less than a week on Oct. 26; CHCH News plans ongoing discussions with candidates before election day arrives.
WATCH MORE: Welland mayoral candidates share focus to improve taxes, infrastructure, homelessness
Source link
