Plenty of drama in Falls mayors’ race
Diodati faces three challengers as he deals with serious illness
The mayors’ election race in Niagara Falls is shaping up to be one of the most fascinating in years.
The incumbent, Jim Diodati, is running for reelection but has been in hospital for nearly three weeks and was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a highly treatable form of cancer.
His opponents offer their own compelling storylines.
First, there is Kim Craitor, a former Liberal MPP and longtime city councillor.
He resigned his provincial seat abruptly, midterm, in 2013, eventually telling The Review he quit due to exhaustion. In 2014, he ran for city council and received the most votes among 33 candidates vying for the eight seats available.
Then in 2016, he was accused of bullying and sexual harassment during his time as MPP by a former staffer in his Niagara Falls constituency office.
Craitor denies the allegations, and on Facebook this week said the Liberal party “wanted to cast me aside” because of his unwillingness to join in “party politics.”
Former Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne has confirmed she asked Craitor to resign after reading the results of a thirdparty investigation into the complaints.
This will be Craitor’s first time facing the Niagara Falls electorate since the accusations surfaced.
And then there are the political newcomers running for mayor.
Kip Finn, a manager with Costco, has deep ties to local history — he’s a great-grandson of legendary Niagara Falls riverman and adventurer Red Hill Sr.
Dinah Lilia Mansour, meanwhile, is chairwoman at a Niagara Falls-based international trading and investment agency and vice-president of a private investigation and security agency. She speaks seven languages, has lived in numerous countries in her 37 years and in 2015 suffered a leg injury during a bomb attack in Egypt.
In his state of the city address this year, Diodati pointed to a number of achievements under his watch as mayor.
They included the city’s use of revenues as a casino host to ease the tax burden while investing in improvements; continued planning for the billion-dollar south Niagara hospital to be built in Niagara Falls and regular GO train service, both by 2023; and plans for an intermunicipal transit system with St. Catharines and Welland.
“It’s not going to stop him,” said Lou Vescio, Diodati’s campaign chair, of the mayor’s illness. “You know he’s a battler, a fighter.”
Craitor, who has not responded to interview requests since announcing his candidacy Wednesday, said in his Facebook statement he “has not been satisfied with the state of the city during the past number of years.”
“City hall needs to be more responsive and respectful” in dealing with residents’ concerns such as infrastructure, roads and taxes, Craitor said.
“I am confident that as mayor I can bring about changes in an open, transparent and responsible manner.”
This week, Finn said he knows “absolutely” he is an underdog in the race, but wants to see improvements in affordable and low-cost housing, and to bring in more jobs that are outside of the tourism industry.
“I just want to help turn things around,” he said. “I want to work with council and all these new people running.
“There’s a great opportunity for the people of Niagara Falls to have a clean slate to work with and maybe turn things around. Take care of things that have been neglected over the years.”
Mansour could not be reached for comment.