A Note from the citizen-based Port Dalhousie Conservancy
(Niagara At Large is running this note because Carlos Garcia and Bruce Williamson are decent individuals who do not deserve to be slandered and harrassed by some of the neo-con bullies attempting to run progressive thinkers out of political office in this Niagara region.)
Dear friends and supporters of the Port Dalhousie Conservancy,
Carlos Garcia, as most of you know, is running for (St. Catharines) City Council, Port Dalhousie Ward. Voting day is (this Monday, October 27th)!
In the last election, Carlos ran for the Region. He worked very hard but forces opposed to Carlos and what he stands for played a series of “dirty tricks,” the most blatant being the removal of his campaign signs from properties close to all of the city’s polling stations – an illegal activity – but not something that mattered, particularly to some of those in opposition to Carlos.
Carlos lost by a handful of votes. The dirty tactics were successful.
Similar tactics are at play this (municipal election) year: A libellous letter was sent to thousands of households in Port Dalhousie Ward at great expense. The untrue allegations include claims that Carlos and incumbent Port Councillor Bruce Williamson are part of a nefarious conspiracy by big labour and the unions to “take control of the city budget”. It was signed “A Concerned Citizen”. You don’t have to think too hard to theorize about a few of the signatures that should actually be there. Clearly it is worth many thousands of dollars to some people to see Carlos defeated.
Downtown Port has been wrecked. Having Carlos on City Council is one of our best hopes for rational redevelopment and restoration of Port.
ON MONDAY: if you are in Port Dalhousie Ward: PLEASE go out and vote for Carlos. And for long-time defender of Port Dalhousie, Bruce Williamson. Don’t let the forces that oppose what they stand for succeed.
Your Port Dalhousie Conservancy Executive.
NOTE: Our polling stations are listed below. You can vote at any of the four. They are open 10AM to 8PM:
– Port Dalhousie Legion
– Bethany Church on 3rd St.
– St. John’s Ukrainian Church on Lakeshore (next to Metro)
– Grantham Optimist Club on Linwell
(NAL invites you to share your views in the comment boxes below. Remember that we need your full name on this site to post your comment. No pseudonyms allowed.)
Niagara At Large 
I am pleased to give some words in support of Bruce and Carlos. These men are concerned about protecting the environment and heritage, not just in their ward of Port Dalhousie, but throughout the City oof St. Catharines. If you are blessed to live in their ward, I pray you will get out to vote for them today.
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Port Dalhousie has been trashed by big developers, who were the special interests of St.Catharines behind this outrage? The C of C has trashed the Town of Fort Erie. and running a full slate of cronies for office, 2 guys for Mayor and one in every ward.They lost power for the first time in 44 years and anxious to take the Town back under their control.
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I love the phrase ‘Special Interests’. It is like ‘community standards”. Explain please…. I have some special interests which include historical and heritage organizations, and arts institutions. So, are they ‘special interests’? Yup. So is the Chamber of Commerce a Very Special Interest group?. whether here in Niagara North or in Fort Erie, the chambers are a closed very very special interest group. Yet they act as if they speak for all businesses, local mom and pop shops, boutique restraurants, franchises, the whole shebang. There is no bigger ‘Special Interest’ group than the C of C’s. And I suspect they are tied to political parites, too. So….
That said, let’s hope we have some common sense and balance come out of this election. Port was ruined by Developers and their tag team of elected officials. I am a long time member of Port Conservancy, even tho’ I have never lived in Port. It was just such a special heritage place, long long ago.
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