A petition calling for the election of Niagara's Regional Chair to go ahead as previously planned is now in the hands of MPPs.
This morning St. Catharines council candidate Karrie Porter delivered the petition containing hundreds of signatures to NDP MPPs Jeff Burch and Jennie Stevens.
It was one week ago that Premier Doug Ford made the sudden announcement to cancel the regional chair elections for several areas, including Niagara.
This would have marked the first time Niagara's Regional Chair was elected at large.
Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch says, "This undemocratic move by the provincial government does not save a single penny and strips us of our right to directly elect Niagara’s next Regional Chair. This petition will help us keep up the fight at Queen’s Park."
St. Catharines MPP Jennie Stevens also stated, "I'm pleased that Karrie brought forward this petition to defend local democracy in Niagara and applaud her continued efforts to raise awareness. Cancelling the election for Regional Chair is terribly undemocratic and I'll continue to raise this issue with the Premier."
So far the petition has almost 500 signatures, but the online version remains active for people still wishing to add their name.