Photo: The Welland riding’s candidates Liberal Benoit Mercier, Libertarian Andrea Murik, NDP Cindy Forster, Conservative Frank Campion and the Green Party’s Donna Cridland. Photo by Bullet News Niagara
Bullet News Niagara reports, “At an all-candidates night at city hall, hosted by the Council of Canadians’ South Niagara chapter, the future of healthcare in the area was an issue candidates had plenty to say about. …Ontario’s three major parties’ candidates in the Welland riding can agree on one thing – the Welland County General Hospital should remain in the community.”
The article notes, “Incumbent and NDP candidate Cindy Forster has publicly said in the past she supports a new hospital for south Niagara but that it shouldn’t be at the expense of facilities in smaller communities – such as Welland. …Conservative candidate Frank Campion has also gone on the record after the writ was dropped – saying he supports building a hospital in Niagara Falls – only if the Welland County General Hospital is not closed as a result and is instead. …Beniot Mercier, the Liberal candidate, also said he does not support his party’s direction of building a new state-of-the-art healthcare facility in Niagara Falls – if it means the hospital in his community is put on the chopping block.”
Last week, the Niagara Tribune reported, “Council of Canadians South Niagara Chapter president Fiona McMurran said recent discussions about hospitals and long term care motivated the group to organize a political debate, planned for 6:15 to 8:15 p.m., Tuesday in the community room at the Welland Civic Square, 60 East Main St. Although other Council of Canadians chapters have organized similar events, she said the debate is a first for the south Niagara chapter.”
And in a Niagara This Week article, McMurran says, “So far we are only hearing from the party leaders on a very limited number of issues. We are providing the an opportunity to bring it all back home. It promises to be an interesting and informative evening.”
The provincial election in Ontario is on June 12.
