Ontario’s Premier Doug Ford made an unannounced stop in Niagara-on-the-Lake Monday night, for a private function at the home of prominent developer Rainer Hummel.

He was joined by Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa and Coun. Erwin Wiens, Shaw Festival executive director Tim Jennings and two cabinet ministers, Paul Calandra, minister of municipal affairs and housing, and Stan Cho, minister of tourism, culture and gaming.

The meeting was about the “future of Niagara and where the province sees us going in the next few years,” said Hummel.

“The Premier came to my house to join myself and some friends for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. (Ford) doesn’t drink and he’s vegetarian. He left just before dinner and (Cho and Calandra) stayed to have dinner with us, along with a group of friends and community leaders.”

In response to questions surrounding the optics of the meeting, given Ford’s controversial history with the Greenbelt in which he was found to be favouring certain developers, Hummel said the discussions had “nothing to do with land.”

“For instance, Tim Jennings was there to get an update on the new theatre,” Hummel said.

“It was very casual and low-key. It was simply a private function at a private home.”

The Shaw Festival is tearing down the Royal George on Queen Street with plans to rebuild the theatre.

Zalepa said he was in attendance from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m., and was there to discuss the future of the Shaw Festival and of course irrigation and how important the (agriculture) community is in regard to tourism,” he said.

Wiens said councillors take any opportunity they can to talk to the minister.

He said the conversation was focused around the Shaw Festival and a major upcoming project regarding NOTL irrigation.

“We thanked them for all they’ve done and as we move forward it’s so important. The Shaw Festival is huge, we have a huge irrigation project that we’re working on that they’ve been super helpful for,” he said.

— with files from Julia Sacco.