Growing Better Together

Growing infrastructure

Niagara is ready to invest in new infrastructure to support growth. A new wastewater treatment plant and upgraded sewer network will benefit the current and future communities in Niagara Falls, along with areas of St. Catharines, Thorold and Niagara-on-the-Lake.

The South Niagara Wastewater Treatment Plant and Wastewater System upgrades will accommodate future growth, meet the needs of current residents, mitigate flood risks and protect our Great Lakes.

This project represents one of the most significant Regional capital investments over the next 10 years. However, we cannot move forward without confirmation of external funding.

Niagara Region is asking the Federal and Provincial governments to match our investment for this critical infrastructure to support sustainable growth.

Let's build infrastructure that will generate sustainable communities.

Let’s grow better, together.

Highlights

• Planning for growth

  A new plant and sewer system will:

  • Provide needed infrastructure for the announced South Niagara Hospital
  • Provide greater flexibility for development servicing in St. Catharines, Niagara Falls, Thorold, Niagara-on-the-Lake and potentially Fort Erie
  • Support large-lot signature employment sites along the QEW corridor
• Building for sustainability

  A new plant and sewer system will:

  • Help protect the Great Lakes
  • Reduce sewer overflows by 60 to 70 per cent
  • Mitigate flood risks
  • Introduce innovative, energy-efficient technologies to support sustainability
• Doing our part

  The cost of the new plant and upgraded sewer system is estimated at $400 million.

  Development charges are expected to pay for a portion of the costs and Niagara Region is prepared to invest one third of the remaining investment needed for the plan

• Working together

  This project presents an opportunity for all levels of government to support sustainable growth.

  It also supports the Province's Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, and is in alignment with the Provincial $184 billion 2023 budget comment for infrastructure projects.

• Niagara Week

  During Niagara Week 2023, members of Regional Council discussed partnership opportunities for the South Niagara Wastewater Solutions Project with:

  • The Premier's Office
  • Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
  • Ministry of Infrastructure
  • Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
  • Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade

  In addition to receiving a commitment, in principle, from the Premier for one-third funding for the project, all ministries were supportive of engaging in joint advocacy requesting that the Federal Government reintroduce a program to help fund one-third of the project.

  The Region is continuing to move forward with Federal advocacy efforts, including pursuing opportunities through its representation on the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Board of Directors.

Growing housing

Niagara is ready to help build homes in Ontario. Our Consolidated Housing Master Plan and newly created Attainable Housing Office are preparing to guide Niagara to meet housing demands. With co-investment we have housing projects ready to build homes now.

To support the housing demand and growth expected in Niagara, we must add 102,700 new housing units by 2051 during a time when the need for housing far exceeds the supply.

The Region's Consolidated Housing Master Plan serves as a guide for the development of new community housing units between 2022 and 2045. It provides various examples of shovel-ready sites that are awaiting co-investment to move forward.

This plan includes unique opportunities to leverage investment in non-profit and co-operative housing, as well as municipal housing. It identifies existing land assets that will support the development of approximately 10,966 new community units.

Serving the Entire Spectrum: Addressing the "Missing Middle"

In addition to our plans to build more affordable community housing, Regional Council recently approved the creation of a special office that has a focused mandate to expedite the construction of diverse housing options across Niagara.

Our Attainable Housing Team will concentrate their efforts on bringing innovative ideas forward that would facilitate and accelerate the construction of more attainable housing options across Niagara, and to help build more homes and address the "missing middle".

Niagara Region is asking senior levels of government for co-investment in long-term capital funding for Niagara's Consolidated Housing Master Plan that will allow us to grow sustainable housing solutions.

Let's work to ensure that Niagara remains a home for all.

Let's grow better, together.

Highlights

• Unique co-investment opportunity

  The Linhaven long-term care redevelopment project in St. Catharines presents a unique opportunity for co-investment with the non-for-profit sector, Niagara Regional Housing and private developers.

  This development is estimated to provide 440 housing units.

  Once finished, the Linhaven site will provide active green spaces, sustainable parking, planted open spaces and naturalized areas.

• Residential and commercial opportunity

  The redevelopment of the Gilmore Lodge long-term care home offers the opportunity for private development, including commercial development on the first floor of the residential dwellings.

  This development is estimated to provide 341 new units.

• Affordable housing opportunity

  The Lions Douglas project in Fort Erie will introduce 62 units of affordable seniors' infill apartments.

  An investment of $75,000 - $150,000 per unit will build affordable housing today.

• Working together

  Niagara has a plan with opportunities to build homes now.

  These are just three examples of the many projects awaiting additional partnerships to move forward.

  We can get to work building homes today and grow sustainable housing solutions needed for tomorrow.

• Niagara Week

  During Niagara Week 2023, members of Regional Council discussed co-investment opportunities to build more affordable housing units across Niagara with:

  • The Premier's Office
  • Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
  • Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
  • Ministry of the Labour, Immigration, Trade and Skills Development

  The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing expressed an interest in learning more about ongoing affordable housing projects, as well as the Region's Attainable Housing Team.

  The Region looks forward to continuing conversations with the Ministry on how our governments can work together to increase the supply of affordable housing across Niagara.

Growing healthy communities

Niagara continues to make significant investments in its Emergency Medical Services and has introduced a number of innovative programs to reduce the impacts of increasing call volumes. While these programs deliver high quality care to our residents, offload delays in Niagara continue to outpace other regions.

Offloading delays occur when patients cannot be transferred from EMS care to hospital care in a timely manner, preventing EMS from returning an ambulance crew to respond to incoming 911 calls.

Between 2021 and 2022 Niagara experienced a 54.76 per cent increase in offload delays, and in the latter half of 2022, a total of $1.7 million of Regional Levy was expended to address the record number of EMS calls.

Niagara is asking for:

• Reimbursement of the $1.7 million of funding for Emergency Medical Services
• Introduction of an additional Family Health Team in Niagara

Let's continue to work together to build a resilient and reliable health care system for generations to come.

Let's grow better, together.

Highlights

• Ongoing offloading challenges

  Three of Niagara's hospitals consistently rank in the bottom quartile for offload delays. In 2022, EMS incurred 33,908 offload delay hours, equivalent to 24 paramedics for 365 days.

  Niagara is uniquely situated on a peninsula, preventing us from using neighbouring EMS resources to respond to critical calls.

• What we are doing

  Niagara continues to work on implementing innovative programs to ease areas of high demand, including our Mobile Integrated Health Model of Care and Emergency Communications Nurse Program.

  While these programs deliver high quality care to our community, offload delays continue to outpace other regions.

• Niagara's health care context

  There are many complex challenges facing Niagara's health care system. This includes programming resources and changing community health needs, such as an aging population and increasing mental illness and addictions.

  However, we remain committed to finding long-term solutions together.

• Working together

  We know the health of community members is of the highest priority to all levels of government.

  Providing financial resources and an additional Family Health Team will help sustain current programs and address underlying issues affecting demand on EMS.

• Niagara Week

  During Niagara Week 2023, members of Regional Council met with the Minister of Long-Term Care to discuss innovative ways our governments can work together to reduce offload delays in Niagara.

  The Minister expressed interested in learning more about offload delay challenges experienced across the region, and Council looks forward to continuing these conversations in the coming months.

  Through the 2023 Provincial Budget, Niagara Region received:

  • $7.5 million to support our Central Ambulance Communication Centre 2022-23 operating cost
  • Funding for three ambulance communication officers

  These additional resources provide us with greater capacity to address our current populations growing demand for emergency services.

  During the 2023 Assocation of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Conference, the Minister of Health announced that the Provincial government is increasing funding for public health agencies and emergency medical services. This includes a $1.03 million increase in funding for Niagara's Dedicated Offload Nursing Program.

Growing modern services

As a two-tier municipal government, the Region's collaborative partnership with our twelve local are municipalities ensures service delivery is efficient, accessible and takes into account the many voices that make up Niagara.

There is a strong legacy of Niagara's municipalities working together to deliver shared services. Through consultation we have received a clear mandate to continue to build a region with more shared services. Elected official across Niagara have a mutual interest in the potential benefits of shared services including:

• Efficient customer service
• Cost avoidance
• Reduced duplication

There is a unified interest in Niagara to pursue shared service opportunities to optimize and maximize our resources while keeping property tax increases in check and continuing to meet growing service demands.

For the first time in Niagara Region's 53-year history, we have dedicated resources through a new Council approved office, with a mandate to accelerate shared services opportunities across the region.

While still in its preliminary stages, the Shared Services Team is developing a robust work plan that builds upon past successes that have produced tangible benefits for the people of Niagara. Some potential opportunities for shared service include:

• Internal and administrative opportunities, such as human resources and payroll, financial management, IT and cybersecurity services, printing services and joint procurement
• Public-facing opportunities, such as single water / wastewater utility, shared emergency dispatch and fire services

Niagara Region is asking that the Province reintroduce the Municipal Modernization Program with a focus on two-Tier shared services.

Let's continue to implement new and innovative services that improve the resident experience.

Let's grow better, together.

Highlights

• Effective service

  We know that streamlined services are better for our community. We have demonstrated through tangible examples that we can take significant leaps forward on shared service delivery.

• What we've done so far

  Efficient and effective government is a shared priority. Recent examples of shared services Niagara has delivered include:

  • Amalgamation of transit
  • Shared library services
  • Joint fire services
  • Shared animal control
• Continuing forward

  Our new Shared Services Office is developing a robust work plan to identify ways Niagara can work together to bring value to its residents and businesses.

• Working together

  While we are dedicating resources to accelerate shared service opportunities, a Provincial program (similar to the Municipal Modernization Fund) would help move forward many of these larger-scale opportunities that may not be feasible within our current resources.

• Niagara Week

  During Niagara Week 2023, members of Regional Council discussed how our governments can continue to grow modernized, two-tier municipal services with:

  • The Premier's Office
  • Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
  • Ministry of Infrastructure
  • Ministry of Red Tape Reduction

  Information on the Region's Shared Service Team was well received, with a number of Ministers expressing interest in learning more about the team's workplan in the coming months.

  The Region looks forward to keeping the Province informed of ongoing successes related to shared services.

Government Relations

• Priorities
• Niagara Week
• Association of Municipalities of Ontario