Niagara politicians are headed to Queen's Park next week for a schmooze-fest with cabinet ministers and senior provincial staff that locals always hope will shine a light on their key priorities.
After being on hiatus for more than a decade, regional council decided that now is the time to relaunch its “Niagara Week” advocacy efforts. This year’s event from May 15-17 has been branded as “Growing Better, Together”, a theme which speaks directly to the need to respond to the region’s growing population, and our desire to build upon Niagara’s pre-existing partnerships with the provincial government, according to a news release.
Niagara’s four priorities this year are focused on addressing the need to build more homes and respond to the demand for more municipal services that comes with population growth. Specifically, the Region is focusing on the following areas:
- “Unlocking” Niagara’s economic potential through joint funding for the South Niagara Falls Wastewater Treatment Plant
- Co-investment in Niagara’s plan to build more affordable and attainable homes across the region
- Reimbursement for the local property tax dollars that were used to mitigate ambulance offload delays at local hospitals and the need for more primary care
- One-time financial support to accelerate shared service and modernization initiatives between Niagara’s municipalities
"We are pleased to see the return of Niagara Week and with it the opportunity to champion the needs of our communities," said Regional Chair Jim Bradley. "By working with upper levels of government we benefit from identifying common goals and establishing a clear understanding of regional priorities.
"As we prepare for significant growth in Niagara, gaining support from the upper levels of government will be essential for many of our growth-related projects and initiatives. I will forward to participating in many productive conversations with members of cabinet and their staff."
Previous “Niagara Week” efforts have contributed to partnerships with the provincial government on projects such as:
- Commitment for daily GO train service to Niagara
- Funding for the Niagara-on-the-Lake water/wastewater treatment plant
- Funding for the Burgoyne Bridge replacement project
- Funding for highway redevelopment and construction, especially along Highway 406
