Ontario’s NPDP party has released a plan proposing their commitments to Southwest Ontario, including the Niagara Region, ahead of the upcoming provincial election.

“As Premier, I will fight for every single job and defend every single worker in this province,” Marit Stiles, leader of Ontario’s NDP said in a Tuesday press conference.

Late last month Ontario Premier and PC leader Doug Ford called a snap election. Candidates have been campaigning for their seat in parliament ever since.

“Ontario should be a province full of opportunity,” the NDP said in their plan. “But after seven long years of Doug Ford’s bad deals and costly scandals, life is more expensive in Ontario.”

Here are Niagara’s candidates in Ontario’s upcoming election (so far)

Here is what the NDP party has committed to Niagara in their plan:

Universal school food program

Th NDP has pledged to create a universal school food program so children are set up to succeed and to help save families money, according to their plan.

“We will support local farms by using fresh food prepared and grown right here in Ontario,” the plan states.

$10 per day childcare

Creating 53,000 new, public or not-for-profit childcare spaces is a priority for the NDP “after years of delay’s by Ford’s government.”

They also plan to establish a regional waitlist to “make it easier to find quality child care close to home.”

Making commuting more “affordable, reliant and convenient”

Expanding intercity bus and rail transit is a priority for the NDP Party, according to their plan for the region.

They say commuters will finally be able to ride the “long-planned and long-delayed” expansions and improvements to the GO Lakeshore West rail line. This also includes moving ahead on the Grimsby GO station, the plan said.

Partnering with Ontario employers and unions

“Ontarian’s need a government that won’t leave them behind and defend our families against hard economic times,” the NDP stated in their plan.

With the threat of tariffs looming, the NDP has promised to “defend” families, jobs and businesses in Southwest Ontario.

They have committed to partnering with employers and unions in the region “to protect the jobs of Ontario workers.”

Homebuilding with Homes Ontario

The NDP has committed to what they say is the “largest homebuilding program in generations.”

Their proposed program, called Homes Ontario, is set to provide grants and low-cost financing to ensure more non-market housing providers are able to build up co-operative housing in the Niagara Region, the plan states.

“We will speed up the purchase of existing privately-owned rental units, to be converted to permanently affordable public, non-profit or co-op housing,” it said.

Eliminating parking fees at hospitals

Getting rid of parking fees at hospitals for visitors, staff and patients is also a priority, according to the NDP’s plan.

“No one should be worries about paying for parking at a hospital during an affordability crisis, whether you are a patient, a loved one, a front-line worker or a doctor,” the plan stated.

Bringing back the stay-cation tax-credit

In order to encourage tourism and travel in Ontario, the NDP has said they will bring back the stay-cation tax credit.

“This will help stabilize Niagara region recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and the threat of tariffs,” their plan said.

Supporting the technology and innovation sector

Investing in the technology and innovation sector is another commitment that has been made by the NDP.

They have pledged to invest in Niagara’s public post-secondary education by “permanently increasing base funding and investing in research and innovation to maintain our competitive edge.”

Protecting the Niagara Escarpment

The party has also promised to protect the Niagara Escarpment and restore the power of conservation authorities to review projects that threaten farmland, groundwater and wetland systems.

Ontario’s snap election will be held on Feb. 27. With just weeks to go until residents cast their votes, Niagara’s candidates have been canvassing the region to try and garner support.

Local candidates canvas across Niagara ahead of provincial election

To read the full proposed plan by the NDP click here.