text: Bittle gets hat trick in St. Catharines riding | StCatharinesStandard.ca
  Incumbent MP Chris Bittle thanks supporters after declaring victory for the Liberals in the St. Catharines riding.
  The St. Catharines riding re-elected Liberal Chris Bittle Monday and continued its streak of choosing members of Parliament from the winning government.
  Bittle was leading the riding with just over than 37 per cent of the vote by 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, with Conservative Krystina Waler capturing just more than 31 per cent.
  "Throughout the campaign it was positive at the doors, the conversations that we had, and that's something that was consistent," Bittle said.
  "It's difficult at times as a politician to try not to pay attention to the polls and focus on what we were doing. The message that we're delivering was being received at the doors and it was overwhelmingly positive and the results speak for themselves this evening."
  It was the third election win for Bittle, who first ran for a seat in the 2015 election when Justin Trudeau swept into power.
  Bittle said people were talking during the campaign about issues such as housing, gun control, childcare and climate change and wanted to see action on them.
  "I know the final numbers aren't in, but looking at it, St. Catharines overwhelmingly voted for progressive parties and wants to see progressive action on these items," he said.
  "And again, I am overwhelmed to be able to represent St. Catharines in Parliament and to address these issues that we've been tackling since 2015, the need to continue to move forward on."
  Waler called Bittle to congratulate him on his victory and said in a statement she was honoured to have stood for election alongside the other candidates in the riding.
  "While this was not the result we hoped for, I couldn't be prouder of my team and the campaign we ran. We stayed positive, and spoke about our progressive, inclusive vision for Canada," she said.
  "I hope that all parliamentarians work together to overcome this divisive feeling in Canada so that we can emerge out of the pandemic strong and united."
  She said she was and is happy to have been part of Erin O'Toole's team and still believes his plan for Canada's recovery contained "innovative, big and important ideas."
  "I hope the prime minister sees fit to work together with all parties to help Canadians."
  With Trudeau winning again and Bittle winning his seat, the riding has had a member of Parliament from the party in power for 12 elections in a row, starting in 1984.
  It hasn't had an opposition MP since the 1980 election when Conservative Joe Reid won in a Liberal Pierre Trudeau government.
  Mail-in and special ballots were still to be counted Tuesday. Bittle was leading with 15,372 votes with 200 of 231 polling stations in, with Waler at 12,915 votes.
  Newcomer Trecia McLennon of the New Democratic Party had 22.9 per cent of the vote at 1:30 a.m., a slight increase for the NDP from the 2019 election.
  People's Party of Canada candidate Rebecca Hahn also gained a jump for that party. In 2019, People's party candidate Allan DeRoo gardnered 826 votes. Hahn had more than 2,800 votes by the time 200 polls came in.
  Green party candidate Catharines Rhodes captured just more than 800 votes and two per cent of the vote by 1:30 a.m.