In an effort to preserve the Chautauqua neighbourhood as it is for generations to come, dozens of its residents guided two Niagara-on-the-Lake planning members on a tour through the community last Monday, highlighting the parts they value and what they believe is at risk.
Senior planners Fiona Main, a key architect of the town’s new official plan, and Taya Devlin, toured the area as residents outlined concerns that Chautauqua’s distinct character is not being protected.
The area is known for its cottage-style homes, abundant park space, shade and strong sense of community. Much of the discussion during the tour was around the style and size of the homes and protecting the area’s trees.
Weston Miller, president of the Chautauqua Residents Association, said the tour followed conversations during the official plan open house in October. Following it, residents still had many questions.
“I thought the best approach was to have a meeting,” he said. “And I thought the very best approach was to have that meeting in Chautauqua.”
Residents Margret Walker and Mary Kilmer joined the tour to help show the town what they consider precious about the historic area, while raising specific concerns.
Kilmer said her issues were about “new home builds” and “preserving the tree canopy.”
“I have seen a lot of changes,” Walker said. “Some have been nice, but the destruction of the tree canopy has been really hurtful.”
Walker and others noted that newer homes with basements — uncommon historically in the neighbourhood — make it harder for oak trees to get the conditions they need, causing them to die.
“We have lost a lot of our beautiful canopy,” she said. “It takes a long time to get that canopy back (once the trees die).”
The town has faced criticism from Chautauqua residents over changes in the draft 2025 official plan.
Language from the 2019 plan that committed to creating a secondary plan for Chautauqua was removed, prompting concerns. Instead, the new plan states it will consider a secondary plan among other planning options for Chautauqua.
The residents association argues a secondary plan is essential to protect the neighbourhood, a distinctive hub-and-spoke community with roots in the 19th-century Chautauqua adult education movement.
Miller said the meeting went well and that Main and Devlin were “quite receptive” to residents’ concerns.
When approached with questions from The Lake Report during the tour, Main said to instead contact the town’s communications team. It did not respond to questions before the print deadline.
Kirsten McCauley, director of community and development services, was expected to join the tour but did not attend. She is leaving Niagara-on-the-Lake for a position in Grimsby.
daniel@niagaranow.com
