Following the Niagara-on-the-Lake Residents Association’s inaugural public gathering a few weeks ago, the group is sharing the results of a survey it conducted with hundreds of NOTLers this spring, which found some significant dissatisfaction with the town’s ongoing development and how its municipal government operates.
The results of the survey, which had 314 participants, saw planning and development top the list of residents’ concerns, with 254 people indicating they were “very concerned” about this issue.
Coming in second and third on the list of top concerns are how the local council operates and the use of “strong mayor powers,” which grant the lord mayor more decision-making authority.
The association’s first-ever survey asked residents to share where in NOTL they live and how concerned they are about 15 issues in town, ranging from “not at all concerned” to “very concerned.” It also invited open-ended feedback on other concerns and municipal governance.
It was available on the association’s website and Facebook days before its May 14 open house, which drew more than 300 people to the local community centre. A print version was available at the open house.
The organizing committee reviewed the results in a meeting on May 29.
Ron Simkus, a director for the association, said the survey was intended as a first step to gauge the public’s interest in what the group is doing and guide its discussions going forward.
“We needed a litmus test — which would be this survey — to gauge whether or not this is a big waste of time. You know, do people really care? And is there enough support there to move forward?” Simkus said.
“And I think we heard that.”
The survey highlighted worries about growing development in town and its impacts on the environment and the population, developers wielding excessive power over planning decisions and the proposed St. Davids roundabout, expected to be complete by winter 2027.
The issue of council procedures — how council conducts itself during meetings and votes on motions and bylaws — followed closely on the list, with 223 respondents being “very concerned” about them.
Participants commented with calls to adopt a ward system, concerns about transparency, perceived code of conduct violations, ignoring residents, dismissive behaviour towards residents and responsiveness.
“The one that created the most static,” said Simkus.
A total of 222 participants were “very concerned” about strong mayor powers, which came into effect in May, doled out by the provincial government to Niagara-on-the-Lake and 168 other municipalities in Ontario.
Respondents shared worries about threats to the democratic process and potential conflicts of interest.
Some called for better oversight, including hiring a new chief administrative officer — a process that, after a year and a half of searching, has stalled after multiple candidates declined the job. In the meantime, interim CAO Bruce Zvaniga remains in the role.
Other topics with high numbers in the “very concerned” category included heritage and conservation, seniors’ services and municipal taxes.
“It helped us branch out what our focus has to be,” said Simkus.
Frances Stocker, on the organizing committee, helped create the survey and said it was designed to give residents a straightforward way to share their views.
“It gives them an opportunity to talk to the association in a way that we can then collate and understand what the main trends are,” said Stocker.
The results do not represent all of NOTL’s residents, Stocker said, but capture views from residents already engaged with local issues.
“To find out whether what the association was concerned about reflected what residents were actually concerned about,” she said.
There are currently no plans for a second survey, but Stocker said that in the future, the association may take a more formal approach to gathering opinions.
“We hope to bring in people who have a wider experience of conducting surveys to assist us in understanding the interests and needs of the community,” she said.
Next up for the newly formed residents association is a June 24 organizing committee meeting, but no future surveys or open houses are set in stone just yet.
Survey results and analyses can be found at notlra.com/copy-of-events.