Niagara Falls 'at breaking point' over migrant surge

Daily Mail​

29-04-2025

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Niagara Falls is at a 'breaking point' after 'thousands of asylum seekers' have taken refuge in the popular tourist hotspot, the city's mayor has warned. The famous southeastern Ontario city has more migrants per capita than any other city in Canada, Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati told The Telegraph. The influx has placed strain on the city's services, hospitals and schools, Diodati claimed, adding that 'our shelters are full, our transitional housing is full, the drug problem is like it's never been before'.
He also claimed that many of the city's 15,000 hotel rooms have become temporary housing for migrants waiting for their asylum claim to be processed, which Diodati alleges is creating problems for the properties and other local businesses. 'There's been people who've called and said, 'Are there asylum seekers at this hotel?' Diodati told the newspaper. 'They want to stay where they feel like they're on vacation with other travellers.' Over 54,000 asylum seekers arrived in Canada last year, according to the Telegraph's report. At its peak, Niagara Falls - with a population of just over 100,000 people - hosted 5,000 asylum seekers.
But Diodati now fears his country and city will face a surge in border crossings as illegal migrants in the US try to flee President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. It comes as Canadians go to the polls today to elect a new prime minister, with conservative firebrand Pierre Poilievre, who campaigned with Trump-like bravado, promising a hardline approach to illegal migration. Poilievre had hoped to make the election a referendum on former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau , whose popularity declined toward the end of his decade in power as food and housing prices rose and immigration surged.
Immigration is a key issue in today's election, fuelled in part by housing shortages and the surging cost of living crisis. Poilievre has accused the 'out-of-touch' Liberal Party, which has been in power since 2015, inflating housing costs, driving up food prices, having 'unleashed crime on our streets' and 'ruined our immigration system'. Diodati echoed Poilievre's claim, alleging that migrants in Niagara Falls have taken the 'lower rental' housing in the city, which he says 'leaves less for the locals'.
He also highlighted the impact the migrant surge has on tourism, alleging that upper-scale restaurants in Niagara Falls are struggling because the hotels are filled with people who cannot afford to pay for fine dining. Asylum seekers, who are eligible to work while their case is being decided, do provide a 'steady stream' of 'entry level labour' for the tourism-dependent city, according to the Telegraph. However, Diodati warns that a decline in American tourists visiting Canada will leave a 'devastating' impact on Niagara Falls
Canadian tourists crossing into the US has already fallen by 25 percent under the Trump Administration, the report states. Canadians will decide Monday whether to extend the Liberal Party's decade in power or instead hand control to the Conservatives after an election campaign in which Trump's tariffs and musings about annexing Canada became the central issue. Trump's threats ignited a wave of patriotism that swelled support for Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney, a political newcomer who previously led two G7 central banks.
The campaign ended on a sombre note on Sunday after a man rammed an SUV through a crowd at a Filipino community festival in Vancouver, killing at least 11 people and injuring dozens. Carney briefly paused his campaign, and both he and Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre mentioned the tragedy in their final campaign events. It was unclear if the mass casualty event would have any impact on the election. Duane Bratt, professor of political science at Calgary's Mount Royal University, said he did not expect it to deter voters.
Carney's Liberals held a four-point lead over Poilievre's Conservatives in separate polls by Ipsos and Angus Reid, suggesting little movement in the final days. Ipsos on Sunday pegged the Liberals at 42 percent support and the Conservatives at 38 percent. Angus Reid's Saturday poll placed the Liberals at 44 percent support, over the Conservatives' 40 percent support. Those results would likely produce a fourth consecutive Liberal mandate, but Carney might only win a minority of seats in the 343-seat House of Commons, leaving him reliant on smaller parties to govern.
Trump re-emerged as a campaign factor last week, declaring that he might raise a 25 percent tariff on Canadian-made cars because the US does not want them. He said earlier he might use 'economic force' to make Canada the 51st US state. Carney has emphasized his experience handling economic issues makes him the best leader to deal with Trump, while Poilievre has tapped into concerns about the cost of living, crime and a housing crisis. Carney has sought to distance himself from Trudeau, who was deeply unpopular when he said in January he would resign after nearly a decade in power. The Conservatives led polls by some 20 points around that time.
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