MAYBVM

208 209 NIAGARA FALLS, ONTARIO SMALL CITY WITH A BIG REPUTATION H ome to one of the Seven Natural Won- ders of the World, there is much more to the City of Niagara Falls, Ontario than meets the tourist’s eye. Just ask Jim Diodati –Mayor of “The Falls” since 2010 and one of the helmsmen leading its strategic growth. His successful bid for office was based on a SWOT (Strengths,Weaknesses,Opportuni- ties,Threats) analysis of the city, followed by a 10- year business plan called 2020 Vision-The Road Niagara Falls, ONTARIO Map to Prosperity. Niagara Falls’ population is close to 90,000 and growing extremely quickly. Factored into planning for that growth is a strong leadership push to bring the GO train to the city. Recently, Business ViewMagazine spoke with Mayor Diodati about the exciting GO project, and other amazing go- ings-on in Niagara Falls. The following is the edited transcript of that conversation: BVM: Why is the GO train such a priority? Diodati: “Currently, around 33,000 people from the Niagara Region work in the tourism industry, year-round, but another 50,000 people per day