Niagara-on-the-Lake voters will have seven candidates to choose from when they cast ballots in the Feb. 27 provincial election.

Representing the Niagara Falls riding are incumbent Wayne Gates for the NDP, independent candidate Joedy Burdett, Gary Dumelie for the New Blue Party, Shafoli Kapur for the Liberals, Ruth-Ann Nieuwesteeg for the Progressive Conservatives, Andrew Soifert for the Ontario Party and Celia Taylor representing the Green Party.

Kapur was announced as the Liberal candidate last week.

Despite the short notice, Kapur is more than ready to represent NOTL’s riding, she told The Lake Report.

“I had 20 ridings to choose from but I chose Niagara Falls because I felt to represent Niagara Falls is an honour for me,” she said.

Based in Toronto since coming to Canada in 2009, Kapur made the move to Portage Road in Niagara Falls shortly after her candidacy was announced last week.

“Just because I was not born here and just because I (didn’t) live in Niagara Falls doesn’t make me any less Canadian,” she said.

“I want to do things for the community. I want to give back to Canada,” she said. 

If elected, Kapur’s top priorities for the residents of Niagara are health care and affordability, along with an emphasis on tourism, she said. 

Celia Taylor was made official as the Green Party’s candidate for NOTL’s riding earlier this month.

When The Lake Report reached out for comment, Karen Fraser, chair of the Niagara Falls riding explained Taylor is a “paper candidate” and cannot do any interviews with media.

“She’s not refusing, she’s just following the rules,” Fraser said.

Fraser described a paper candidate as someone who will hold a space on the ballot so residents can vote Green if they wish to.

“She’s very dedicated, but because she’s only a paper candidate, head office asked her not to be part of anything,” Fraser told The Lake Report.

While the party is grateful for their work, because many paper candidates are new to the process, they have been asked to abstain from interviews, Fraser said.

Taylor is an enthusiastic leader nonetheless, being born and raised in Niagara Falls, Fraser said.

Her “about” page on the Green Party website highlights a focus on preserving the region’s natural environment and ensuring sustainability for future generations.

Incumbent Gates has been in the running for months, nominated by his party back in October.

Gates, who has been involved in NOTL politics as a New Democrat since 2014, promised to keep up what he called a number of “big wins” the NDP has won for the riding.

His priorities for NOTL include health care and keeping an open line of communication with residents, Gates said in an earlier interview.

“If I get the honour of representing the residents for another term, I’ll continue to be the hardest-working MPP in Ontario,” Gates said.

Progressive Conservative candidate Ruth-Ann Nieuwesteeg has not responded to several interview requests.

On the party website, Nieuwesteeg is identified as a lifelong resident of Niagara Falls and a business owner.

Nieuwesteeg has owned and operated Patterson Funeral Home with her family for more than 25 years, the page says.

Independent candidate Joedy Burdett’s website outlines his role as someone born and raised in Niagara, with special links to the community as owner of Niagara Tinting.

“I will be working to advance our community’s general wants and needs and ensure that proposed legislation benefits our local riding in both the short and long term,” Burdett said on the webpage.

Gary Dumelie is running as candidate for the New Blue Party, which vows to reduce administrative costs in education, support alternative schooling, end “woke” activism with the removal of critical race theory and gender identity theory from schools, support the elimination of government-funded green policies, defund elective abortion and more. 

Andrew Soifert is a candidate for the Ontario Party, running on a basis of freedom, family and faith, according to the party’s website.

juliasacco@niagaranow.com