In art and in politics, each and every voice can make a difference.
Before going to the ballot box learn about your candidates views on the arts, culture, and heritage sector and its connections to your community.
This website provides unbiased results of a survey sent to all individuals running for office in the upcoming Niagara Municipal elections on October 26, 2026.
About ArtsVote Niagara
ArtsVote Niagara was founded in 2006 as a cross-disciplinary, non-partisan network of volunteers that encourages artists, arts supporters and arts, culture and heritage workers to vote.
ArtsVote Niagara is inspired by the belief that the arts enhance who we are, how we relate to one another, what we experience, and how we will be remembered.
ArtsVote Niagara is focusing its current efforts on gathering the views of candidates running for municipal office across Niagara in the upcoming October 26, 2026 election using an online survey. Through the survey, candidates’ opinions on a variety of topics related to the arts and culture sector have been gathered and reviewed. The candidates’ responses have been sorted into four categories based on the alignment between their survey answers and the needs and priorities of the arts and culture sector.
In 2024, the Canadian arts and culture sector contributed $65 billion directly to GDP and $131 billion in total economic impact, supporting 1.1 million jobs and generating $17 billion in federal and provincial tax revenue. Ontario’s arts and culture sector is the largest in the country, with a GDP impact of $29.8 billion and 279,536 culture jobs. The Niagara arts and culture sector created $366 million in GDP and 5,780 arts and culture jobs in 2023.
Understand the Candidates' Positions on the Niagara Arts, Culture, and Heritage Sector
In late September 2026 an online survey was sent by the ArtsVote Niagara team to every candidate vying for office in the upcoming 2026 Niagara Region Municipal Elections.
In art and in politics, each and every voice can make a difference, yours included!
Legend: Candidates Response
-
Green
Alignment on social impact and economic priorities
-
Yellow
Alignment on social impact but limited alignment on economic priorities
-
Orange
Alignment on most economic priorities but limited alignment on social impact
-
Red
Limited alignment with the arts and culture sector’s priorities and needs
-
Grey
No response received from candidate at time of survey closure
Find Your Candidates
Click on a link to view the candidates in your local municipality.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Who runs ArtsVote Niagara?
ArtsVote Niagara is a committee of volunteers who live in the Niagara Region and are passionate about the arts and culture sector of this Region. The committee includes artists, arts workers, and patrons of the arts. ArtsVote Niagara is not affiliated with any of the arts, culture, and heritage organizations in Niagara.
-
I saw that a candidate in my area did not respond. Why would that be?
The ArtsVote Niagara survey invitation link was emailed to candidates in late September, with reminder emails sent several days later. Candidates receive hundreds of emails during the campaign period so it is likely that a candidate not completing the survey is due to the high volume of emails causing ArtsVote Niagara’s messages to not reach the candidate.
-
Can I see a specific candidate’s answers to the survey?
No. The ArtsVote Niagara survey did request permission to share the candidates’ responses so candidates’ answers, aside from the comments they knew would be published, will not be publicly shared.
-
Is one of the results better than the others?
The outcomes of the survey are about showing how the candidates' responses align with the priorities of the arts and culture sector. Candidates have different opinions, experiences, and knowledge of the arts and culture sector, causing differences in alignment.
Different levels of alignment on social or economic factors are not necessarily better or worse. The ArtsVote Niagara committee recommends looking at the survey questions and considering your answers to the questions as a way to decide your personal assessment of the alignments.
-
How can I volunteer for ArtsVote Niagara?
Please contact the ArtsVote Niagara committee at arts.vote.niagara@gmail.com to let us know you are interested in volunteering with the committee for future elections.