A Brief from NAL publisher Doug Draper
Niagara Regional Government Chair Al Caslin’s endorsement of Rick Dykstra, a Conservative candidate running for a fourth term in the Niagara riding of St. Catharines, has raised at least a little ire in regional circles.
Niagara, Ontariio’s Regional government chair Al Caslin called out for endorsing federal Conservative candidate.
The endorsement, which was recently posted on Dykstra’s campaign Facebook site, has raised at least a few eyebrows in regional circles since it was raised by Pelham Mayor and Regional Councillor Dave Augustyn at a meeting of the Region’s Corporate Services Committee this September 23rd and reported in a story in the St. Catharines Standard this September 24th.
“Unfortunately,” said Augustyn (as he argued for a later-to-be-defeatedmotion he tabled to consider allowing residents across Niagara the opportunity to elect regional chairs rather than have chairs voted in by members of regional council) “party politics” has already become a part of governance at the municipal level. To further his point, Augustyn noted that Caslin “has blatantly endorsed a candidate running in this federal election.”
Later, the Pelham mayor added that in the photo of Caslin accompanying the endorsement of Dykstra, he is wearing the regional chair’s chain of office – typically worn when a chair is representing Niagara’s regional government – and that may give people in and outside the region that the government supports the endorsement.
Other regional councillors were either uncertain or supportive of the Caslin endorsement.
In the St. Catharines Standard story, veteran St. Catharines regional councillor Tim Rigby expressed a concern that a number of local mayors and regional chairs have shared over the years – that it may be better to stay away from supporting candidates in federal and provincial elections because municipal governments ultimately have to try to work with the candidates who win, regardless of their political stripes.
Others believe that municipal politicians should have the same right to openly support a candidate, if they want to, as anyone else does.
Rick Dykstra, federal Conservative Party candidate in the St. Catharines riding.
In the case raised here, Caslin’s endorsement of Dykstra reads; “It has been a pleasure for the Niagara Region to work so efficiently and productively with our federal member of parliament in St. Catharines, Rick Dykstra.”
To visit Dykstra’s n Facebook site where the endorsement can be found by clicking on a postage stamp size photo of Caslin in a group of photos on left side of site’s home page click on – https://www.facebook.com/RickDykstraMP .
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Niagara At Large 
He can speak for himself, but he does NOT represent the views of the majority.
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When CASLIN was first elected the Niagara Regional Chairperson I was not familiar with him or his ideology ……but during the last year or so I became very familiar with him and feel nothing but total disgust pertaining to the dictatorial like actions taken by him in respect to “BIODIVERSITY” which in my opinion is nothing but catering to the greed driven cravings of Developers. His support for the devastation of the Thundering Waters property which in my opinion is a selling off of Canada to Chinese Developers …and especially for the remarks and insinuations he made against Mr. Smith pertaining to the requested AUDIT of the NPCA but the again most of the local mayors voted against the audit. NOW He endorses Dykstra (one of Harper’s squad) to run for Hudak’s seat WOW this Caslin likes to lose,.
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