Siscoe the first to throw his hat in the ring for St. Catharines Mayor
Published May 19, 2022 at 3:01 pm
Niagara Regional Councillor and high school teacher Mat Siscoe is the first to throw his hat in the ring in a bid to become St. Catharines mayor in October.
After the news that Walter Sendzik wouldn’t seek a third term last week, Siscoe, first elected to St. Catharines Council in 2010, filed his papers late yesterday (May 18).
“Since first being elected as a City Councilor in 2010, our city has seen tremendous growth, but when I look to the future I see both considerable opportunities for our city to take advantage of and serious challenges that must be overcome,” said Siscoe on social media.
“We have developed, over the last ten years, a strong foundation for our future. We’ve built new facilities in our downtown and across the city, and the development we’ve experienced has started us down the path of meaningful economic growth. However, there is still work to do,” he noted.
Siscoe, selected in January by council to replace the late Sandie Bellows at regional council, said there were far too many vulnerable and under-represented people in our community that need greater support from City Hall, the Region, and the Provincial and Federal governments.
“They feel as though they’re on the outside looking in. Far too often businesses and individuals don’t know about what is being done at City Hall, on issues that affect their day-to-day life.”
As well as being the St. Patrick’s Ward Councillor since 2010, winning two more subsequent elections, Siscoe is also a high school Physics teacher at Saint Paul Catholic High School in Niagara Falls and a member of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association and the Ontario College of Teachers.
He served as the St. Catharines Budget Chair from 2014-2022 and sat as a St. Catharines Transit Commissioner from 2010-2018, at which time he joined and chaired the Linking Niagara Transit Committee.
“Today is only the start of our conversation. Over the next five months I will be knocking on your door and asking for your thoughts on how to improve life in St. Catharines,” said the married father of four with two dogs and five cats.