Adriana Vizzari wants another four years on Niagara-on-the-Lake council to finish what she started: making the town a place where young families can put down roots, especially in St. Davids.
But as she seeks re-election, the incumbent councillor is also standing by the town’s approach to media access and taking a cautious position on some of NOTL’s most contentious decisions, including the Royal George Theatre and Rand Estate.
“I ran in 2022 because I wanted children and families to have a stronger voice at the council table and to be a strong advocate for St. Davids,” Vizzari told The Lake Report in an email.
Her priorities for another term are continued investment in parks, recreation and programming, along with infrastructure that keeps pace with growth.
“Those are things that have a real day-to-day impact on families, and I’d want to keep that focus at the council table.”
Vizzari points to stormwater improvements, safer crossings and better connections as progress made in St. Davids during her first term.
She also highlights soccer nets added at Sparky’s Park, continued investment in the pool, parks and recreation programs, and library programming brought to the village. Her work on the library board has given her another opportunity to advocate for children and families, she said.
“I’ve worked to make sure development is thoughtful, compatible and supported by the infrastructure our community needs, while advocating for adequate school capacity and continuing to ask questions about the need for a high school.”
She says council has also made families a greater priority through initiatives such as the youth discretionary grant. But there is more to do, she said, particularly when it comes to investing in the spaces, programs and infrastructure that make NOTL a place where families can stay and grow.
Vizzari did not support the decision to reduce council to seven members from nine.
“I believe more voices bring more perspectives to the table, especially in a community as diverse as NOTL,” she said.
“With fewer councillors, every voice and every vote carries even more responsibility. It makes it even more important that councillors listen carefully to residents and bring those perspectives to the council table.”
On the future of the old hospital at 176 Wellington St., Vizzari isn’t committing to any one idea for how it should be used yet.
She said the town has completed community engagement and moved into feasibility, design and financial analysis to better understand the options and costs involved. Council has also begun considering potential partners.
“We need to understand the condition and cost of the building, what uses make sense for NOTL, what is financially sustainable and what options provide the best long-term value for the community.”
She takes a similarly cautious approach to the Rand Estate, saying its heritage must be respected while the town considers expert advice, financial implications and a sustainable future for the property.
“I’ll continue to do what I’ve been doing — ask questions, listen, look at the facts and work toward the best outcome for our community.”
Asked what council got wrong in its handling of the Royal George Theatre decision and what she would have done differently, Vizzari did not identify a mistake.
“I think the Royal George decision was a difficult one, and there were a lot of perspectives and competing considerations,” she said. “Council ultimately made a decision based on the information and circumstances we had at the time.”
Going forward, she siad, the focus should be on supporting NOTL’s arts, culture and theatre community.
On the town’s media access policy, Vizzari backed chief administrative officer Nick Ruller. In February, Ruller directed staff not to answer requests supporting opinion, advocacy or commentary pieces, while continuing to answer factual questions from reporters.
“I support the (chief administrative officer’s) approach. Staff need to be able to do their jobs without being put in the position of responding to opinion-based or political questions,” she said.
“The town should provide factual information, and I think the media has an important role in holding elected officials accountable for the decisions we make.”
Vizzari says she does not want local debates reduced to competing camps.
“Developers versus residents, young versus old, heritage versus growth — pick your division. Those divisions might make headlines, but they don’t build communities.”
“I want to be part of finding the right balance, listening to different perspectives and making decisions based on what’s best for NOTL as a whole.”
