Erica Commons Niagara West-Niagara Ouest

I was born and raised in St. Catharines to two working-class parents. My father, Frank, worked at a manufacturing company in Grimsby. My mother, Diana, worked at a stationary store in downtown St. Catharines. 

As a child, I would spend time at the stationary store my mother worked at in downtown St. Catharines. My parents separated when I was young and my mother, as my primary caregiver, struggled to find childcare for me and my brother. So we would hang out at the store after school and in the summers, which allowed us to know her regular customers from the many downtown businesses.

However, my mother lost her job as a result of the 2008 financial crisis in the same week I graduated from Denis Morris. With hope and hard work, she found new employment. In addition to working a part-time job in the evenings and on weekends, she worked a full-time job during the week. All just to make ends meet.

I know that my experience during the financial crisis is not unique. For many families in Niagara, the 2008 financial crisis impacted them deeply. It was clear to me, even then, that I wanted more for myself and even more for Niagara. I wanted stable, quality jobs for not just my mother’s generation but for the young generation. I wanted new families to have access to more affordable childcare. I wanted to be able to build my future career in Niagara.

Today, it’s 10 years later and those same desires are just as important in today’s Niagara as they were then. It’s time for change. Together, let’s make Niagara West - Niagara Ouest stronger now for our families and our future generations.

If you are not yet registered to a political party and want to support me, you can register as a Liberal here:

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