Niagara Regional Chair says openness, transparency will continue

The 2018 municipal election was considered a turning point for Niagara Regional Council.

Often mire in controversy prior to the election, the council was getting reported on for all the wrong reason amidst allegations of back-room dealings and an utter lack of transparency to Niagara residents.

The 2018 election saw a clean sweep of former incumbents, a quick exit of many senior staffers and in the eyes of the public, hopefully a fresh start.

During his “State of the Region” address yesterday (March 29) at the Balls Falls Conservation Area, Regional Chair Jim Bradley touched on the past ever-so-briefly, noting that restoring the Region’s reputation in the eyes of constituents and other levels of government was job one when they came into this term.

“In the past, I have avoided commenting on the legacy of turmoil we inherited from the previous term of council. I always wanted to focus on the positive, and focus on our future,” said Bradley.

“But I think it is worth remembering how far we have come, and the role that this Regional Council has played in getting us where we are today,” he continued. “In late 2018, the Region was on the front page of the paper seemingly every day, and for all the wrong reasons.”

(As a sidenote, yesterday’s sold-out meeting was the first public annual address offering from Bradley since the pandemic began in March 2020.)

After the topic of renewed accountability at the regional level, Bradley stressed the positive accomplishments achieved thus far by the Class of 2018-22. Some of the accomplishments that he highlighted include:

• The numerous investments being made in local hospitals and long-term care
• Historic decisions made by this term of council, including the decision to consolidate public transit into a single, enhanced service provider for all of Niagara
• The importance of the 2022 Canada Summer Games to Niagara
• This term of Council’s commitment to protecting the environment, while ensuring responsible growth and development
• Council’s approach to housing affordability, homelessness and the opioid crisis
• Strides that have been made in terms of building a more diverse, equitable and inclusive Niagara

Bradley also highlighted the region’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in regard to mass vaccination efforts, as well as providing a high-level overview of the state of Niagara’s economy and what trends are occurring within our labour market and business community.