The mayor draws a crucial distinction between economic impacts and emotional wounds. “Tariffs and all of that stuff, it’s going to take a while for it to hit manufacturing, and it’ll take even longer to hit retailers and even longer to hit households,” he explains.“But off the cuff commentary, those things that create emotional responses, they take longer to heal. They hit harder, faster, and sometimes take longer to heal.” Personal ties amplify professional concerns. “I have family living between Niagara Falls, Ontario and the greater Toronto area. So, I’m a regular back and forth,” Mayor Restaino shares. Local relationships remain strong, but broader Canadian sentiment has shifted. “My concern is people who travelled to us in Canada from other parts of either Ontario or other locations within the country of Canada. They’re impacted by the rhetoric, and I can appreciate that.” Despite tensions, the mayor maintains optimism. “We do our best locally to advertise our welcoming spirit,” he says, working to preserve relationships that transcend political cycles. PRIORITIES AND VISION FOR THE NEXT 24 MONTHS Every city faces defining moments when ambitious plans meet fiscal reality. For Niagara Falls, the next two years will determine whether decades of decline finally give way to sustainable growth, or whether promised transformations remain perpetually just beyond reach. “If I had to target priorities, obviously getting the North Main Street project with the University housing and Theatre, that would be one,” Mayor Restaino states. “Finalizing control of the land to create the event center would be another one. And then obviously sort of hanging out there is the industrial park. Those projects would represent a turning of the corner.” Delivering transformative and practical legal solutions through attentive service, precision, and innovation. HODGSONRUSS.COM ATTORNEY ADVERTISING 56 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 08
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