In depth with ‘His Worship’ James Diodati

Today the Express publishes the 6th chapter of an ongoing series giving a voice to people in community leadership positions in our region.

So far, the interviews have focused on political people. I will branch out to others as well. Today’s interview is with Niagara Falls, Ontario Mayor James Diodati.

As with every other part of this series, I went old school. That means prewritten questions, pad and paper and no recording.

A friend suggested recording and using software to transcribe so readers can have context for how I write/what the process is. I looked at that but I did not find a free app available to do it on my Google Pixel. Suggestions are welcome. I am an admitted cheapskate.

When a subject offers something very opinionated or controversial, I will quote it directly. Most of the time, however, the objective is to reflect their words in context, often by paraphrasing.

It is about being fair to the subjects in an objective sense. 

As for that cheapskate thing, I just restocked legal pads. Buying yellow saved $2. I save our vegetable trimmings to make my own broth. We have a Technivorm Moccamaster coffee pot because it makes superior coffee and, since it has no burner, nothing goes to waste ever. I grind my own beans (Wegmans Espresso Roast, even at $21 for a 30-ounce bag remains the highest quality cheap beans available. Great Lakes Coffee Roasters Ontario blend, at $11 for 16 ounces, is also a great deal. Don’t try and sell me 12 ounces of beans for $16 at the farmer’s market no matter how good your product is.)

Anyway, to interview Diodati, I intended to ride my bike because you can cross the Rainbow Bridge as a cyclist or pedestrian for $1. It costs $6 to cross in your car.

Alas, on the day of the interview, it was raining as the relentless winter pounds through the shoulder season Vonnegut called “unlocking,” showing zero mercy even if you can find an occasional crocus or some witchhazel blooming on Goat Island.

I drove across the Rainbow Bridge and waited 5 cars to speak to the guard.

I have used my enhanced license to cross ever since the time a year ago, while crossing as pedestrians, an entitled officer demanded passports and lectured us before letting us go. We assumed either 1) He was pissed at his job assignment because he’d rather be in a booth 2) He was a jerk embittered by being cut from his Junior B hockey tryout so they could keep the coach’s son, 3) He was having a bad day or 4) he hated our President and was taking it out on every United States citizen he could. OK, maybe all 4. I approached the booth in our Forester and handed over my license.

“Where are you going in Canada today?” the guard asked.

“Niagara Falls City Hall.”

“Why are you going there?” he asked.

“To meet with the Mayor.”

“For what purpose?” he asked.

“I am a journalist and I want to talk to him about his city.”

“Do you have an appointment? I think you need an appointment for something like that?” he asked.

“I do. At 2:30 p.m. and I have questions.” (I picked up my notepad to show him.

“What are you going to ask him?” he asked. (I was ready to put the overofficious jerk to sleep.)

“Reading up on Canadian news, Premier Ford keeps talking about the need for amalgamation. Your population is about 115,000 and growing. Ford raises the issue that there are 10 cities with 126 elected officials for the Niagara Region population of about 500,000 and he thinks it is too many. Where do you stand on that issue?”

The guard’s eyes glazed over. I got him. I am pretty sure he was sorry he asked. I had nerded him out.

“You can go,” he said.

I drove on, bearing right onto Blondin Avenue and taking a right on John Street before heading north on Niagara River Parkway to Queen Street where the entrance to a faded business district was framed by a gateway reminiscent of the triumphant arch on Pine Avenue commemorating what was once Little Italy.

City Hall is a sleek, modern building, reminiscent of the Niagara Falls, New York police and court building, equally misplaced, wasting prime space on architectural indulgence, less of an abomination than the brutal reality of Niagara Falls Public Library but not by much.

I parked and headed in.

Keep reading for the rest of the story

Here begins the interview

Inside city hall, a cheerful young woman greeted me with a smile in the brightly lit bureaucratic maelstrom, behind a desk with glass, offices right, a staircase across the way, marked off by ribboned barrier. To the left as I faced her was a waiting area.

She checked her list, saw I was on it and called to make sure it was OK to send me up.

“Would you like to take the stairs or elevator, Mr. Genco,” she asked.

“Stairs please.”

She crossed the waiting area and removed the ribbon so I could head up one flight to Floor 2.

Contrasting that experience to Niagara Falls, New York City Hall.

The palatial monument to when Niagara Falls was great 100 years ago is framed by imposing steps and large doors. It looks like city hall from Gotham or some great, forgotten city that used to be. Perry White definitely sent Jimmy Olsen to expose corruption here. Like every Scooby episode, the mayor was the villain.

A uniformed cop sits behind a gray steel desk framed by glass in a cold hallway. He checks his list to be sure there is an appointment on it and then calls the mayor’s office. His assistant Coleen appears, offers a cheerful greeting and ushers the reporter into a conference room decorated with old photos on Niagara Falls, and a two-decade old drawing of showing John Daly Boulevard being extended to what used to be Little Italy (the arches remain but the Como, Time Cleaners, Grana and Son, Michaels and so much more is gone. Much of the property not belongs to Bangladeshi who purchased here because buildings are cheap and there is a growing community as well as a mosque.)

There are also artist renderings of the proposed Centennial Park, a panacea to supporters, a white elephant to naysayers.

On the 2nd floor in Canada

Back in Ontario, another cheerful assistant greeted me from behind a computer. On top rested a colorful toy horse, homage to the Chinese New Year in a multi-cultural city.

“The mayor is running a few minutes late,” she said. Indeed, they already rescheduled our 2 p.m. meeting for 2:30 p.m. What’s another 15 minutes among friends? She said we would meet in the conference room.

“Would you like coffee or water?” she asked.

“Water,” I said, settling into the waiting area on comfortable furniture and admiring a large picture of the Horseshoe Falls.

She brought me a glass of water. No plastic bottle. No ice. Just water. I abhor disposable plastic water bottles. Being served water in a glass was a simple, positive gesture from an exceedingly car-centric place.

“The mayor will see you now,” she said, leading me into his office, not his conference room. We sat at a cluttered table. Diodati is, in a word, affable.

In the office

“Thanks for agreeing to meet with me,” I said. “My wife and I love visiting Canada.”

“Do you want to record our conversation?” he asked.

“I would like to but I haven’t figured out my phone. I’ll stick to pencil and paper.

“Our favorite place to visit ever was Newfoundland because the people were so nice. We just bought tickets to fly from Hamilton to Halifax for vacation. We figure Trump can’t mess with the FAA or the TSA in Canada” I told him.

“Let me tell you a story about a visit to Nova Scotia many years ago,” he said (this story, like a lot of this article, is paraphrased. The context is there. The words are adapted to fit the narrative.)

“We had a rental and we were watching the seals in the harbor. My car rolled forward and hit a bollard” he explained.

Someone pointed him to a collision shop.

“I don’t know what to do,” he said to the collision shop operator, fearing a $1,200 bill “if I were home I’d know where to go and they’d take care of it.”

“What would they charge you?” he asked.

“About $300,” Diodati said to the collision shop owner.

The guy stayed late and did the repair for $300. People remember being treated well anywhere they go. I will bet the mayor has told that positive story about Nova Scotia 20 times over the years since. The positive sticks when we share it.

Another piece of Diodati wisdom is his business card. The front has all the information you’d expect printed in front of the Horseshoe Falls.

The back beckons: “Visit Niagara Falls. Free Pass. Good anytime.

• Bring your friends and family.
• Stay as long as you like.
• Come back again soon.

Expiration Date: Never

So where did that idea come from?

“I am a marketer” he said, talking about promoting events at clubs he once ran and knowing how to draw a crowd.

“Funny story about that card. When I first started handing them out, people were presenting them for free admission at attractions.”

Diodati said staff came to him in a bit of a panic over the perceived impropriety. He did what any good marketer might. He told them not to worry about it. If people running attractions were silly enough to offer free admission he reasoned, let them.

On to the questions

You have a strong presence on social media as a charismatic leader. Did it happen organically or did someone council you? Does it offend anyone?

The mayor explained his background in business networking, marketing, running clubs and always being on the mic. It came naturally and transitioned easily into government. It even started in high school with posters and a campaign for student council. He became mayor by being himself.

I have Canadian friends who cross the border all the time for live music and are disappointed friends won’t join them. What do you say to people boycotting the US?

“It is not the US,” Diodati said. “It is the President.” A lot of Canadians' feelings are hurt by President Trump making comments about Canada becoming the 51st state or calling the prime minister governor. Lots of people like Diodati grew up before cable when Irv Weinstein and Rocketship 7 were things. They still feel the same way no matter who the United States elected.

What do you say to people from the US who want to visit?

“We roll out the red carpet. I was just at the Shaw Theater for an event. Half the people there were from the US. People from Ohio, Pennsylvania and Indiana. I am glad they are here.”

Most importantly, about that soup

We love wonton soup from Country Fresh Donuts. What other culinary delights just across the border should we check out besides the Rogers cel tower? (Editor’s note: Country Fresh Donuts is at 5076 Victoria Ave. It is cash only but a quart of soup is $11 USD ($8 Canadian).

Diodati laughed at the question and also mentioned the Ontario minister of tourism had just been in town recently with a filmmaker scouting locations. He sent them for soup, a twofer including lunch and a chance for the artist to visit places that might look good on film. As for the mobile phone issue, he acknowledged the problem is as bad in Canada as it is on the US side.

We get “welcome to Canada” messages in our living room. He’s walked across his office and found a “welcome to the United States message” mid-call. They are adding new towers in Canada which should help with things. If you look across the river from near the Whirlpool Bridge and see a hotel that says “The Hatch” city hall is just out of sight but right there. As for culinary delights: Pizza and wings from Yanks Bar & Grill at the top of Clifton Hill and Antica Pizzeria and Ristorante (not to be confused with the place on Center Street in Lewiston.)

About those prices and apologies

Why is everything in Canada so expensive? It costs $36 to park, $25 to take a walk and all of the infrastructure is car centered?

“You are absolutely right but all we are saying is we are cheaper than Toronto. Park farther away and use public transportation.”

Why are Canadians so polite and why do they apologize so much?

The mayor laughed again. He admitted he owns “I’m sorry” socks. He also mentioned the Canadian saw: “If you stab a Canadian with your fork, he will apologize for getting blood on your fork."

An exploding city

Niagara, Ontario is growing by leaps and bounds. Is there a plan for faster rail to Toronto? How about an easier train crossing from Niagara Falls, New York?

Trains are now GO – Government Ontario. Via Rail is gone. About 1.3 million people are now using the system annually. GO is investing $16 million in the next 3 years. There are plans for more trains to be added and for a parking garage.

High speed rail in an Asian or European sense, is not possible because the track would need to curve around Lake Ontario. There is hope to create a 90-minute express train.

There already has existed a chance to fly from Niagara Falls, Ontario to Toronto. It costs $159 for a round trip but it takes about 18 minutes to get to Billy Bishop airport downtown. Diodati said it is a surreal experience, like being teleported from the Enterprise transporter room via the teleporter.

Why is everything in Niagara Falls Ontario so expensive? $36 to park at Table Rock, $25 for most of the attractions or to take a walk. And all of the infrastructure is car-centered.

“You are absolutely right but we will say to you we are cheaper than Toronto. We tell people to park farther away and use public transit.”

Crazy ideas

Is there any chance something could happen with the Michigan Central Bridge?

Central Pacific owned it. It was turned over to the city at the same time the railroad abandoned a line that ran atop Clifton Hill, often carrying bitumen. CP, as a condition of turning it over, left a letter of credit so if the abandoned railroad bridge needs demolition the cost will be covered. More importantly, the mayor said it would be awesome to stitch together some sort of attraction, whether somehow restaurant based or some sort of restaurant-based attraction. “What happens on one side impacts the other.”

What about ‘amalgamation’?

Reading up on Canadian news, Premier Ford keeps talking about the need for amalgamation. Your population is about 115,000 and growing. Ford raises the issue that there are 10 cities with 126 elected officials for the Niagara Region population of about 500,000 and he thinks it is too many. Where do you stand on that issue?

Hamilton has about 16 elected officials serving a population of more than 500,000. “The status quo is not an option. There is an extended layer of red tape and cost as things sit right now. Hamilton amalgamated. Look at what happened in data.” Ancaster, Dundas, Flamborough, Glanbrook, and Stoney Creek were all absorbed. While a layer of government went away, people still identify as coming from the preceding communities. For example, someone will say they hail from Stoney Creek or Ancaster because that’s where they grew up even if they technically now live in Hamilton. Chippawa became part of Niagara Falls in 1971. The individual communities are creatures of the province so Premier Ford can decide almost at whim how things shall be.

Destination Niagara is happening

Tell me about your vision for Destination Niagara. Is anything being coordinated stateside?

“Nothing is coordinated yet, but a rising tide lifts all boats,” Diodati said. With the $3.6 billion medical campus nearing completion, the new hotel at the Toronto powerplant adjacent to the Horseshoe Falls has a $200 million investment. That’s before direct investment from the province and outside money kicks in another $1 billion. Add it all up and we are looking at multiple projects representing more than $6 billion with more investment to come.

(Editor’s note: Imagine if the State of New York cared that much about Niagara Falls, New York rather than continuously propping up failed ideas in Buffalo, whether Solar City or even the nothingness that is Canalside trying to make a destination out of nowhere, or the recently announced folly that will be the umpteenth investment in the Broadway Market. Polonia is never coming back. The waterfall is the only Buffalo area attraction with any sort of international cache. Niagara, Ontario is all in. Albany doesn’t care or have any vision for the region.)

About that new hotel

The Toronto Power Station project preceded the Destination Niagara project. How is that $200 million project going?

A coffer dam has been constructed to dewater the site. There is a real sense of place within. Completion is likely 3 or 4 years off. If you are interested in what the finished project will look like, check out the restored mill in Elora, Ontario. The idea is for a 5-Star boutique hotel to cater to high-end travelers. Right now, people seeking 5-Star accommodations travel to Toronto and day trip to the Falls. The opening of the new hotel will seek to reverse that trend. People will, hopefully, stay in the Falls for 3 or 4 days and make Toronto a day trip. Here’s a link to the video announcing the Toronto Power Station project. https://www.thoroldtoday.ca/local-news/pearle-hospitality-picked-to-restore-niagara-falls-power-station-7887422

(Editor’s note: Elora, and Fergus in Ontario are worth the drive. The Grand River is spectacular. The annual Plein Air Festival is May 13-16. https://elorapleinair.ca/home/)

‘Belugas for dummies’

What would you like to see happen with Marineland?

Diodati said he dreams of it being developed into a major, year-round theme park without animals. The footprint is bigger than Disney. The problem with Marineland was animals. “There is no book ‘Belugas for dummies’.”

What sort of attractions would encourage your family to stay longer than two days? Could Niagara Falls, New York be a part of that?

Redeveloping Marine Land. A sphere, not as big as Las Vegas but similar. Indoor golf, skiing and surfing. More gaming. Restaurants and sports and an improved runway at the regional airport where a $250 million investment will allow it to accommodate a 737, making it a more attractive destination for people seeking to avoid the perceived crowds and hassle of Pearson in Toronto. (Editor’s note: Every time I asked about something there seemed to be another $100 million investment. Real money, not emptiness like Niagara Falls Redevelopment or $15 or $20 million here and there spent by Empire State Development by USA Niagara to bolster the tourism district. Real investment to lift an entire growing city.)

About that medical complex

How is the South Niagara Hospital coming along?

The $3.6 billion Center of Excellence for stroke and cardiac care will open in 2028. The investment in the hospital was not only from public funding but also included more than $100 million in private investment. Diodati has been working on the project, with community supporters and partners for more than 15 years.

What is next for James Diodati??

Run for reelection now, then cut the ribbon in 2028 and tap out and move on to something else. “I love local politics,” Diodati said, “where things are most organic and closest to the people. It isn’t for everyone but when a 90-year-old asks me if I know a good plumber, I like that.”

A big university you never heard of

What is happening with the redevelopment of Queen Street?

A big part of it is the growth of the University of Niagara Falls, Canada, the largest private university in the world. The school offers law degrees, medical education and more, only graduate degrees and operates in multiple countries. “You used to see a homeless person pushing a buggy. Now it’s a college student carrying a backpack. There are 3,000 students.”

Where does the $20 million in casino funds go?

It is on the city Website but it functions to offset property tax, enhance police and fire services, create jobs with economic development and fix infrastructure like roads and parks

About those potholes

It’s spring. We have the same weather stateside. Our potholes are worse than yours. Is it paving? Pothole repair technique? Or salting and sanding? Your potholes don’t seem as bad as ours.

He rolled his eyes in the disbelief of a leader who has heard far too much about weather-borne craters. Don’t be delusional. Niagara Falls, Ontario has the same problems with potholes you do in New York. There are quick, cheap fixes that don’t last. This year, they have been trying patch packs, a prepackaged pothole filler that costs more but will hopefully last longer and thus be more cost effective.

And with that question, I reached the end of everything I prepared. As I looked up at the clock, I realized the Mayor not only was late to start the meeting but was so generous with his time he fell further behind and was delayed in getting to his next appointment, which was likely to officiate a wedding. We departed with smiles and handshakes and his promises of ongoing hospitality as well as another interview when it is appropriate.

As I departed, his assistant handed me two envelopes. Each had one pass to almost every attraction in Niagara Falls, Canada so I can do further research.

He also said any time my friends or family need anything, his office would be happy to help out. He is charismatic, energetic and exactly the guy you saw on April 1 announcing free bidets for everyone in an effort to cut down on toilet tissue in the sewers.

Sometimes I feel like a dark, stressful cloud hangs over Niagara Falls, New York. Across the border, it’s all lollipops and rainbows.