“Come down to the level of the middle class and the lower class to find out how we’re struggling to survive,” said Dychtiar. “People are suffering and we want that suffering to stop.”

Residents stood with signs that referred to the Premier as a “wicked witch,” while others said “stop ripping us off” and “high hydro has to go.”

“The Green Energy Act should never have been pushed through,” said Leanna Villella, who started the Facebook page Niagara Against Hydro Rates and organized the protest. “More research should have been done on it, coal plants should not have been shut down so dramatically, so quickly.”

Villella says that Wynne is leaving a different legacy than her government is aiming for.

“They wanted to leave a legacy, but they’ve left a legacy of people who are hurting. They’ve left a legacy of people who have to choose between eating and hydro,” she said.

In her speech, Wynne recognized the strain that hydro rates have put on businesses and families, as she spoke about breaks that her government is introducing.

“Most recently, we’ve suspended the procurement of more large renewable projects,” said Wynne, explaining the steps that her government has taken to counteract the effects of rising hydro rates. “We announced a variety of on-bill savings that will be available to electricity customers across Ontario.”

She mentioned the Industrial Conservation Initiative, which allows some businesses to save up to 34 per cent on their hydro bills by shifting some of their use away from peak hours.

Wynne said the provincial government is now changing the eligibility requirements to allow another 1,000 businesses to participate in the program.

“So if your business uses over 1 megawatt at peak time, that many here in greater Niagara do,” said Wynne. “We’re giving you the option of shifting some of that consumption during peak hours to lower your bill by up to a third.”

She also spoke about the need for households to save on their bills as well.

“Families are also struggling to keep up with the rising costs of living,” said Wynne. “So we’ve introduced legislation that will take 8 per cent off the bills as of January 1, 2017.”

The premier took questions from the audience, but not from media.

Wainfleet mayor April Jeffs asked Wynne about the government’s decision to ditch the Green Energy Act and what that will mean for large energy projects that were planned for Ontario, like the 230 megawatt project in her own township.

“What am I supposed to be telling them?” Jeffs said in regards to the confused constituents who want answers about the future of wind turbines in Wainfleet.

“Will there be any sort of compensation for these communities?” said Jeffs.

The premier told the mayor that the Green Energy Act has not been cancelled, that there will be projects that will be built, but some will get approval and some will not.

Wynne assured the audience that jobs and growth are happening in the region and her government is cutting spending and balancing their budget.

“I know that our growth is not benefitting every family or every region evenly,” said Wynne. “But what that growth and balanced budget does do, is allow the province to make sure that people are getting the help that they need.”