Doug Ford’s plan to turn Niagara into a global tourism powerhouse could have some major effects on Niagara-on-the-Lake, though it’s unclear at this time what’s in store for the small town neighbouring Niagara Falls, the region’s biggest tourism draw at the moment.
The province’s new “Destination Niagara” strategy aims to generate an extra $3 billion a year in economic activity for Ontario and attract 25 million visitors a year to the region, doubling its current number.
In his announcement on Monday, Ford said Niagara has the potential to be “a true tourism powerhouse” and a “world-class destination.”
Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa said it remains unclear how much of the extra $3 billion would flow directly to NOTL. He added that most discussions with the province have focused on the region as a whole rather than the town specifically.
So far, the strategy includes plans to bring new tourist attractions, including a London Eye-esque observation wheel, and more casinos to the area. Most relevant to NOTL, there are plans to focus more on the agritourism, wine and culinary sectors and arts and culture offerings like the Shaw Festival.
Stan Cho, provincial minister of tourism, culture and gaming, told The Lake Report this strategy is the “next chapter” in the province’s earlier steps to increase tourism for Niagara.
One initiative the province highlighted was Niagara Takes Flight, a provincial project with Niagara Parks that created a flying theatre ride in Niagara Falls, which opened this summer.
When asked how the strategy would affect NOTL specifically, Cho pointed to several initiatives extending beyond the town.
“When you’re calling for a request for information on major attractions, that’s never been done before,” he said. “When you’re committing $35 million to the Shaw for rebuilding capital on a Royal George Theatre, that’s never been done before.”
The provincial announcement, which did not contain any details about new attractions for Niagara-on-the-Lake, highlighted the bumps it gave the local arts and culture sector, including $35 million for the new Royal George Theatre and $250,000 in funding for the Shaw.
To accommodate the millions of new visitors the province wants to attract, it also referenced regional infrastructure projects, some of which are already public, including expanded capacity on the Queen Elizabeth Way, twinning the Garden City Skyway and increased GO service.
There are also plans to seek the federal government’s support in growing the Niagara District Airport, which is preparing for major upgrades and looking to fly more travellers to more places, as part of its new $195-million master plan.
Ford highlighted the airport in his announcement on Monday and plans to get “all the big planes from around the world” by expanding the airport’s runway.
The current master plan indicates that extending the runway by 2,500 feet would allow it to bring in commercial flights from farther destinations in Canada and North America. Ford spoke of extending the runway by 3,000 feet on Monday.
Cho said airport development was a “main priority” when provincial, territorial and federal governments last met.
Wineries were highlighted as a key sector affecting NOTL. The province said it wants to “showcase Niagara region’s exceptional agritourism and internationally recognized wine and culinary sectors.”
Coun. Andrew Niven, director of marketing and hospitality at Konzelmann Estate Winery, welcomed the announcement.
“From our perspective at Konzelmann, Destination Niagara represents an exciting opportunity to further showcase the strength of Niagara’s wine and culinary scene,” he said.
Cho also cited a request for quotes to upgrade the Ontario Power Generating Station, plans to convert the Toronto Power Generating Station into a five-star hotel, and upgrades to the Niagara Falls Marina at Miller’s Creek as plans that the province has “never been done before.”
