Leaders in Niagara-on-the-Lake are looking to the future with excitement as they anticipate the town will grow to new heights as a tourism destination, thanks to the Ford government’s plans to make Niagara the Las Vegas of the north.
However, while the general sentiments among those who spoke The Lake Report was positive, it was not without questions about what the future will specifically entail for NOTL and how it will handle this growth.
The province announced the “Destination Niagara” strategy right before the holidays, outlining plans to make the Niagara region a “world-class destination” for year-round tourism, in order to help Ontario’s economy, with more investment visitor attractions, like a theme park and large observation wheel, and more casinos.
While news of the strategy came with no new funding announcements for Niagara-on-the-Lake, it made reference to previously announced measures to boost visitation in town, such as the $35-million investment to renovate the Royal George Theatre.
From a town council perspective, Coun. Erwin Wiens called the announcement “super exciting” and praised the province for recognizing Niagara as a tourist destination, funding the Shaw Festival and exploring improvements to the Niagara District Airport.
However, Wiens raised infrastructure concerns tied to increased tourism, including whether the town might eventually use the old hospital site on Wellington Street for parking.
He said that could become a possibility if tourism grows, particularly since parking generates municipal revenue. He added he does not believe an influx of visitors would prompt council to reconsider efforts to close Queen Street to vehicle traffic.
“We have to always be constantly looking at our infrastructure, how are we able to handle it?” he said, adding that “progress is inevitable” when it comes to tourism growth and the town must address those challenges.
Wiens said the province’s larger focus appears to be on attracting new visitors and attractions to Niagara Falls, which he believes will ultimately benefit NOTL as well.
Jamie-Lynn Jones, manager of Cool as a Moose, a souvenir store in Old Town, said tourism is central to her business. While she supports the strategy, she hopes more advertising will highlight Niagara-on-the-Lake for visitors who primarily go to Niagara Falls.
“If they could just work on advertising to the tourists in Niagara Falls to all of the different areas in the region I think that would help,” she said.
Local residents also expressed support — alongside caution about growth.
Judy McLeod, who lives in Garrison Village, said tourism should focus on attractions such as the Shaw Festival and wineries. She said she worries about NOTL becoming “Niagara Falls 2.”
“I’m concerned about the type of tourists we seem to be attracting these days,” she said. “The main street has nothing for me anymore. It’s all candy bars and ice cream cones. So, it’s not a liveable town main street any longer.”
Marco Ganassini said he has “mixed feelings” but leans in favour of Destination Niagara plans.
“There’s an inadequate amount of opportunity for younger people in particular,” he said, referring to the number of jobs the tourism boost could bring.
He added that he believes the town needs “an improvement in infrastructure,” such as in transportation services, to accommodate this growth.
Holmes Hooke, who lives in Chautauqua, said tourism does not play a major role in his daily life. He said the province’s plan has both benefits and drawbacks, particularly when balancing small-town living with the “excitement” of areas such as Old Town.
“I’m ambivalent, as they say,” he said with a laugh.
Debbie Zimmerman, chief executive officer of the Grape Growers of Ontario, said she’s enthusiastic about the strategy.
“I don’t see the cons,” she said. “We’ve had great success with some recent investments through the Ontario government into our industry. It’s only going to benefit everyone.”
Niagara Parks chief executive officer David Adaems also welcomed the announcement, while noting that some projects tied to Destination Niagara, such as Niagara Takes Flight, a flying theatre ride that opened last summer in the Falls, are already up and running.
Dan Pilon, CEO of the Niagara District Airport, which is seen as a key asset for tourism, said it was “certainly good news” and that it was great to get “broad-based support at the highest levels,” but that they “still have to move forward on a funding strategy.”
Outside the world of travel and tourism, real estate agent Andrew Perrie said the strategy is unlikely to affect home prices in NOTL if most visitors continue to focus on Niagara Falls.
He said there is limited overlap between tourism in the two municipalities and that, if that remains the case, the housing market would not see major impacts.
“If they’re coming to NOTL, they’re usually staying in NOTL,” he said.
Perrie said the strategy could have a “big effect” on the short-term rental market, with fewer vacancies as tourism increases.
