About Joedy Burdett
A Niagara business owner and building code designer with nearly four decades of practical experience—and a sustained commitment to understanding how government decisions affect people in the real world.
I believe public service benefits from preparation, curiosity, an open mind and a willingness to examine the source material before reaching a conclusion.
Voters should be able to recognize how a candidate thinks.
Most residents do not have the time or resources to follow every Council meeting, read every staff report or study every municipal decision. That is one reason we elect representatives: to perform that work and make decisions on the community’s behalf.
Before giving someone that responsibility, voters should be able to examine more than a name, photograph or campaign slogan. They should be able to see the candidate’s positions, reasoning, priorities and previous actions.
I publish Where I Stand and My Record so residents can compare my judgment with their own. If you recognize your own values and practical instincts in the way I analyze issues, you can make a more informed judgment about how I would approach decisions that have not yet arisen.
Niagara has always been home.
I was born in St. Catharines and lived in the Thorold area. Growing up where several Niagara communities meet gives you a connection to more than one place, but Niagara Falls became the community I chose to identify with most closely, make my primary home and build my business.
I began working in window tinting as a young adult and later established Niagara Tinting. I have now spent nearly four decades working with homeowners, vehicle owners, businesses and organizations throughout Niagara.
Much of what I know about the community has come from working directly with people—listening to their concerns, visiting their homes and businesses and seeing how costs, regulations and government decisions affect everyday life.
Business experience. Building experience. Real responsibility.
Public decisions have practical consequences. My working experience has required me to deal with costs, regulations, customers, buildings and unexpected problems—not only theories.
Nearly 40 Years in Window Tinting
Niagara Tinting has required careful pricing, customer service, problem solving, long-term relationships and standing behind the work.
Building Code Designer
My building-code work provides practical experience with construction, regulation, development and the way rules operate outside the pages of a document.
Working Directly With People
Running an owner-operated business means listening, explaining choices, setting realistic expectations and taking responsibility for the result.
My interest in public office did not begin in 2026.
I have continued learning, participating and placing my name before voters because I believe practical experience and independent judgment can make a useful contribution to public decision-making.
I first ran for Niagara Falls City Council in 2022. After that election, I continued following Council meetings, budgets, staff reports and public issues rather than disappearing until the next campaign.
I also ran as an independent candidate for Member of Provincial Parliament in Ontario’s most recent provincial election. I am not associated with a political party.
Running independently required me to develop and explain my own positions rather than relying on a party label or party platform. That experience strengthened my understanding of elections, public communication and the responsibility that comes with asking voters to place their trust in a candidate.
Not every contribution happens in the spotlight.
Public life often draws attention to the most visible person in the room. I have usually been more comfortable doing the work behind the work.
I am not naturally the most socially outgoing person, nor do I measure my contribution by how often I appear on social media. My approach is to research the issue, read the reports, prepare the paperwork, document the evidence and follow the proper process until the necessary work has been completed.
Much of that effort happens quietly. The people who eventually benefit may never know who wrote the letter, found the record, prepared the submission or continued following up when an issue could easily have been forgotten.
I do not believe every worthwhile contribution needs my name attached to it. Recognition is welcome, but it is not the reason to undertake the work. What matters is whether someone was prepared to accept the responsibility, complete the difficult and time-consuming tasks and help move the issue toward a useful result.
Experience before asking for the responsibility.
Each part of my experience has contributed something different to the way I approach public questions.
Built a business serving Niagara
Nearly four decades of window-tinting experience, customer service, pricing, problem solving and responsibility.
Developed building and regulatory experience
Building-code design provided direct experience with construction, approvals, regulations and the practical effect of government rules.
Ran for Niagara Falls City Council
My first municipal campaign began a continuing period of closer involvement with City Hall, public decisions and local issues.
Ran for MPP as an independent candidate
I participated in Ontario’s most recent provincial election without association to a political party, developing and presenting my own positions directly to voters.
Stayed involved between municipal elections
I continued reviewing meetings, budgets, reports and legislation, raising concerns and participating in public processes before returning as a Council candidate.
I wanted to see how differently people live.
Before the pandemic changed international travel, travelling was one way I tried to broaden my understanding of the world. I was less interested in visiting somewhere that looked exactly like home than in spending time where daily life, culture and opportunity were different from Canada.
Some trips lasted for months. I travelled through parts of South America, southern Africa, Asia and the Middle East, as well as elsewhere in North America.
I wanted to see first-hand the enormous range of circumstances in which people live—from communities facing significant poverty and limited opportunity to places experiencing growth and rapid change.
I prefer to see how things actually work.
The same curiosity that once took me around the world now shapes how I study government and public institutions closer to home.
- Observe Assessment Review Board hearings
- Observe Landlord and Tenant Board hearings
- Expand that interest to Ontario Land Tribunal and court proceedings
- Read legislation, municipal reports, policies and tribunal material directly
- Follow Council meetings and public processes
“If someone asks what I read in my spare time, the truthful answer is often legislation, municipal reports and tribunal decisions.”
Preparation—not a claim of expertise
Observing a hearing does not make someone a lawyer or an expert. It does provide an opportunity to see how legislation, evidence, procedure and decision-making interact in practice.
When an issue comes before Council, I want to understand more than somebody else’s summary. I want to know what the source documents say and which questions remain unanswered.
The way I would approach Council.
Experience matters most when it produces useful habits and better decisions.
Listen First
Understand the concern, ask useful questions and make sure residents receive a clear response.
Research the Source
Read the report, legislation or underlying information instead of relying only on a summary or assumption.
Consider the Full Cost
Look beyond the initial price to maintenance, operating costs and long-term consequences.
Consider Different Perspectives
Recognize that different backgrounds can produce different ways of communicating and approaching a problem.
Explain the Reasoning
Residents should be able to understand why a decision was made, especially when they are paying for it.
Follow Through
Take responsibility for decisions, follow the result and remain available after the vote is taken.
Practical experience.
Independent judgment.
Give me the opportunity to serve on Council, and I will bring the same curiosity, preparation, responsibility and willingness to understand different perspectives that I have brought to the rest of my working life.