Niagara’s two Liberal MPs took to their social media accounts this week to thank outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who announced Monday he will resign after serving almost a decade as the country’s leader.
Chris Bittle (St. Catharines) highlighted Trudeau’s impact on him.
“In 2013, I spent a day with Justin Trudeau in Niagara during his leadership campaign. At a time when I had grown disillusioned with politics, he reignited my passion for public service and inspired me to one day run for Parliament. Since then, his vision and dedication have been a guiding light.”
Vance Badawey (Niagara Centre) offered thanks to the outgoing Prime Minister and best wishes to him and his family for the future, posting a photo of the two of them.
Unlike the GTA, which has been a major bulwark and base of electoral strength for the federal Liberals, Niagara has been a mixed bag with the region’s four federal seats split between the Liberals and the Conservatives throughout the almost ten-year tenure under Trudeau’s leadership.
Both Badawey and Bittle were first elected as part of the 2015 Liberal wave, when the longshot young leader and his Party built momentum through the 11-week campaign to win a majority government, partly a reaction to nine years under Stephen Harper.
While Badawey was well known in the Niagara Centre riding, having served two stints as Mayor of Port Colborne, covering 14 years, Bittle, a local lawyer, was contesting his first run for political office. Both Liberals defeated incumbents in 2015, with Badawey unseating Malcolm Allen (NDP), who had served since 2008, and Bittle besting Rick Dykstra (Conservative), the controversial St. Catharines representative since 2006.
Neither Badawey nor Bittle rose to the level of cabinet during the decade of Liberal governments; however, both recently held Parliamentary secretary positions, Badawey for the Minister of Transport and Bittle with the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities.
In his recent role, Bittle’s home municipality of St. Catharines received federal funding under the Housing Accelerator Fund. At the start of last year he announced $25.7 million for the city as part of the $4 billion initiative that offered financial support so local governments could expedite the development of new homes. The future of the program could be in jeopardy with the Conservatives far ahead in the polls, vowing to cancel almost all of Mr. Trudeau’s key policies. Leader Pierre Poilievre has indicated he will eliminate the housing fund if he becomes prime minister. St. Catharines has used program funding to form a Municipal Development Corporation and to fund its Accessory Dwelling Unit strategy, among other initiatives.
Badawey was also part of a major announcement in 2024, alongside Trudeau, Premier Doug Ford and other political dignitaries, when Asahi Kasei, a multinational corporation based in Japan, announced a $1.56 billion investment in an electric vehicle battery separator plant in Port Colborne.
Trudeau, in a media release at the time of the May announcement, touted his government’s commitment to be a global leader in the electric vehicle market.
“Canada bet big on electric vehicles, and today, the biggest manufacturers in the world are building them right here in Canada. Asahi Kasei’s investment is another vote of confidence in our auto industry and auto workers. We’re creating good-paying jobs, keeping the air clean, and putting Canada at the forefront of this exciting opportunity.”
Whether being a global leader in the electric vehicle market will be a priority of the next federal government remains to be seen.
Polievre and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh have indicated they will vote to bring down the minority Liberal government when Parliament resumes on March 24, triggering a spring election.
Despite his Party falling as much as 20 points behind the Conservatives in the polls, Bittle indicated to The Pointer that he will run again to represent St. Catharines. On social media he wrote that “a new leader will build on our achievements, continue the vital work of serving Canadians, and chart a renewed path forward.”
The St. Catharines Conservative Electoral District Association (EDA) has a candidate, Bas Sluijmers, in place. Mr. Sluijmers, according to the EDA’s website, is a Brock University graduate, a founding board member of Safe Families Niagara and an International Key Account Manager at Big Country Pet Company in Niagara. The St. Catharines Federal NDP are having a nomination meeting scheduled for the last weekend in February. There are two candidates vying for the nomination: Karen Orlandi and Kate Baggott.
The Pointer reached out to Vance Badawey about his future but a response was not received by press time. If he does seek re-election, he will be running in the new electoral riding of Niagara South. The riding still consists of Port Colborne, Welland and Thorold but will no longer include the southern portion of St. Catharines. Due to the 2022 Canadian federal electoral redistribution, the new Niagara South riding will include Fort Erie, which will no longer be part of the former Niagara Falls riding (renamed Niagara Falls-Niagara-on-the-Lake).
If he does run, Badawey will be facing current Regional Councillor, and fellow Port Colborne resident, Fred Davies, who will represent the Conservative party. There is no indication yet on who will represent the NDP in Niagara South.
Dean Iorfida is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter based at The Pointer.
