Welland

This southern Ontario riding in the Niagara region contains the communities of Port Colborne, Thorold, Wainfleet and Welland and stretches north from Lake Erie.

Part of the city of St. Catharines south of St. Paul Street West, St. Paul Crescent, Twelve Mile Creek and Glendale Avenue is included in the riding.

The area is heavily industrialized and a large percentage of the workforce is employed in steel, rubber, textile, automobile and other types of manufacturing. Average family income is $74,256 and unemployment is 6.7 per cent.

In the 2006 census, almost seven per cent listed French as the mother tongue and 4.3 per cent was Italian.

The riding of Welland was re-established in 2004 from 78 per cent of Niagara Centre, 25 per cent of Erie-Lincoln and three per cent of Niagara Falls. Welland riding was established in 1867 and abolished in 1986, becoming Welland-St. Catharines-Thorold. In 1996, Niagara Centre was established from portions of Welland-St.Catharines-Thorold and Erie ridings.

Population: 112,875 (2006 census; an increase of 3.7% since 2001)

Political History

In 2006, Liberal incumbent John Maloney won in Welland to earn his fifth term in office. Maloney won over NDP candidate Jody DiBartolomeo by 2,775 votes.

In 2004, Maloney, former MP for Erie-Lincoln, defeated DiBartolomeo by 5,019 votes.

Liberal Gilbert (Gib) Parent was elected in Welland in 1979 and 1980, but defeated by Conservative Allan Pietz in 1984. Parent was re-elected in Welland-St. Catharines-Thorold in 1988 and 1993 and Niagara Centre in 1997. He served as Speaker of the House of Commons from 1994 to 2001. He did not run in the 2000 election.

Tony Tirabassi won one term in Niagara Centre for the Liberals in 2000, defeating the Alliance's Bernie Law.

Welland:

• 1935-80 - LIB
• 1984 - PC

Welland-St. Catharines-Thorold:

• 1988, 1993 - LIB

Niagara Centre:

• 1997, 2000 - LIB

Welland:

• 2004, 2006 - LIB