By RAY SPITERI Niagara Falls Review Updated 6 hours ago
What a difference four years can make.
One provincial election removed from a last-place finish in the Niagara Falls riding, the NDP believe they can not only be competitive in this voting district, they believe they can win it for the first time in 21 years.
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath is scheduled Wednesday at 12:05 p.m. to make her second campaign stop in the riding since the writ dropped Sept. 7.
She appeared with NDP candidate Wayne Redekop during a Sept. 24 rally outside Douglas Memorial Hospital in Fort Erie.
On Wednesday, she's slated to visit Redekop's campaign headquarters in Niagara Falls, at 4025 Dorchester Rd., Unit 13.
Progressive Conservative leader Tim Hudak was in the riding on Saturday. Hudak is holding his election night bash at the Scotiabank Convention Centre in Niagara Falls Thursday.
Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty has not visited Niagara during the month-long campaign.
Peter Graefe, professor of political science at McMaster University, said a second visit to a riding in one campaign by a party leader is an indication the leader, and the party, believe they can win that seat.
"I think Horwath has been buoyed by recent polls," said Graefe. "I don't know how credible those polls are … but outside of Welland, they might be thinking the next most likely seat to win could be in Niagara Falls.
"And perhaps, with McGuinty not being there, he feels he has a lock on the riding."
On Saturday and Sunday, a Forum Research poll surveyed people in 27 ridings believed to be close, including Niagara Falls. Out of 870 people surveyed, 36% said they were supporting the Progressive Conservatives, 33% backed the Liberals, 27% said the NDP, 2% said the Green party and 2% said other, said Forum Research's Lorne Bozinoff.
The NDP has not taken the Niagara Falls riding since 1990, when Margaret Harrington won the right to represent the area.
While that was a high-point for the NDP locally, the 2007 provincial election was a "disastrous" one for the party, said Graefe.
NDP candidate Mike Piche finished last, behind winner Liberal Kim Craitor, Progressive Conservative candidate Bart Maves and Green party candidate Melanie Mullen.
Horwath said Niagara Falls is in play this time around, and her visit Wednesday is to give residents and party volunteers "one last push" before Thursday's election.
"There's a lot of energy, momentum and excitement. People are coming our way. They are prepared to vote NDP this time," Horwath told The Niagara Falls Review Tuesday.
"We have fantastic candidates across the province, but particularly in the Niagara Falls riding. Mr. Redekop has been very active in the community and he has a history of elected office in Fort Erie."
Horwath said her visits to the riding during the election campaign follows several trips she made to the area prior to the election, voicing her concerns about the state of health care in Niagara.
"I have fought for the people in the Niagara region before the election, I'm fighting for them now, and whatever happens on Oct. 6, I'll continue fighting for them after that."
Redekop, a former Fort Erie mayor, said he's grateful Horwath has put a lot of stock in his riding.
"She believes we can win this riding and so do I, that's why I'm running," said Redekop. "She's going to rally the troops and make sure we finish strongly, which we will."
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