By Doug Draper
It is no doubt one of the last things that those of us, who live in Niagara, Ontario, from our political and business leaders on down, want this region to be known for.
Niagara Falls Federal Conservative MP Calls 'Economic Action Plan' a big economic and job booster.
Yet month after month over the past three years or more, when Statistics Canada releases its monthly unemployment rates, Niagara, Ontario ends up on a very short list of regions, including Windsor, Ontario, suffering the highest jobless rates in the province and country.
And once again, the Statistics Canada figures, released this February 4 for the month of January show Niagara, Ontario experiencing among the worst jobless numbers in the, right their with Windsor with about 9.7 per cent of the potential workforce in this region out of work – up from a little less than 9.5 per cent this past December.
Imagine almost one in 10 Niagara residents of working age now not able to find a job, and that doesn’t include however many are no longer registered with government employment agencies because they have just given up.
On the same day these figures were released, Rob Nicholson, the Conservative government MP for the Niagara Falls riding and Canada’s justice minister, held a consultation meeting with political and business leaders in Niagara,” to discuss ways of creating jobs and economic growth,” while at the same time extolling the successes he feels his government’s Economic Action Plan” has delivered to job creation and the economy.
We are posting the full content of Nicholson’s media release on this February 4 consultation event below and encourage you to share your comments below.
News Release
MINISTER NICHOLSON HOLDS CONSULTATIONS ON THE ECONOMY WITH HARDWORKING CANADIANS IN NIAGARA FALLS
February 4, 2011
Niagara Falls, Ontario – The Hon. Rob Nicholson, MP for Niagara Falls, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today met with business owners and municipal representatives in Niagara Falls to discuss ways to create jobs and economic growth as Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservative Government plans for the next phase of Canada’s Economic Action Plan.
“The economy remains the number one priority of the Prime Minister and our Conservative Government,” said Minister Nicholson. “Our Government will continue to focus on creating jobs for workers, retirement savings for seniors, and the financial security of all Canadian families.”
Launched in 2009, the Economic Action Plan has so far contributed to the creation of more than 440,000 new jobs since July 2009 and helped the country emerge from the global economic crisis faster and stronger than most other major industrial countries around the world.
Minister Nicholson also warned that Prime Minister Harper’s Conservative Government will not jeopardize the fragile economic recovery by adopting the Ignatieff-NDP-Bloc Quebecois plan for higher taxes, increased spending, and more government waste.
“The Ignatieff-led coalition’s economic plan for higher taxes, increased spending, and more government waste, will kill jobs, threaten growth and create economic instability and uncertainty for hard working Canadians and their families at the worst possible moment,” continued Minister Nicholson. “Our Conservative Government is committed to protecting and sustaining Canada’s fragile economic recovery by fighting the high tax and risky economic policies of the Ignatieff-NDP-Bloc Quebecois Coalition.
Over the past several months, the Prime Minister and his Conservative Government have traveled to small towns, communities and cities across the country to listen to and seek the views of Canadians as the next phase of Canada’s Economic Action Plan is being developed.
(Visit Niagara At Large at http://www.niagaraatlarge.com for more news and commentary on matters of interest and concern to our greater Niagara region.)
Niagara At Large 
The unemployment rate is really much higher. The statistics show only those receiving unemployment benefits. It is far worse in reality. Got a laugh out of the mayors’ breakfast at a country club to talk about economic issues. How much did that cost the taxpayers? The better setting would have been at a soup kitchen, sitting down to share a meager meal with people who directly affected by unemployment. There are few new jobs in Niagara, especially in Fort Erie where the real unemployment rate is more like 15%. Anyone who has a good education and wants to get a good job, has to move elsewhere. Our youth are the most vulnerable. Even the jobs at McDonald’s, etc. are being taken by adults and senior citizens. Many companies only hire part time to avoid paying benefits. What average family can live on a minimum wage part-time job? (Oh, and Niagara’s pathetic transit system is so not set up to accommodate people looking for work or going to work.) I put the blame squarely on the shoulders of our local politicians who have no idea what it’s really like to be out of work in Niagara.
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We watched the dismantling of the major city driver, “Atlas Steel” as Mayor Damian played his fiddle or was it just fiddling.
We watched John Deere close it’s tent and even when prior to the decision the late Sandy O’Dell warned this mayor, Building Supervisor and Council of the consequence of allowing developers to build right up to John Deere’s door step, then to have a John Deere delegation itself be literally snubbed by the same “EXPERTS”…I know these few sentences are appropriate
One does not try to dance with an Elephant
One does not try to skate with an Elephant
And when this city tried to Scr… that Elephant the result was/is catastrophic(To the workers affected and their families)
but then as the “NEW” Conservative representative for this area stated on numerous occasions “We do not need industry in Welland” Well this City has almost died because of people like you who had similar ideals. So in my opinion WE don’t need you……..Amen
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And they wonder why the population of Niagara and its economic base is shrinking, not growing … many of us are here because we cannot afford to pick up stakes and move somewhere else. If it were possible, this region would likely be closer to empty, than on the growth side of the equation.
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