Sprucing up the Falls
Lengthy list of citywide enhancements promised by Diodati in state of the city address
Mayor Jim Diodati laid out a vision for the future during his state of the city address Wednesday that largely focused on residents.
“We’re trying to create a sense of belonging in all of our public spaces.
“We’re turning everyday places into destinations,” he told a soldout crowd at the Americana Conference Resort & Spa.
Diodati spent about 45 minutes outlining a plan that was meant to touch every corner of the city.
He said the municipality typically upgrades one or two parks per year.
But he said he will encourage his council colleagues to support a plan that would update 10 parks this year with new playground equipment, turf-surface material and accessible pathways, along with another 10 parks in 2018.
Diodati said to celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday, Niagara Falls will host 150 events, including a free concert at Scotiabank Convention Centre.
He said as a legacy project, a Welcome to Niagara Falls Canada sign will be installed at Highway 420, in the area of Stanley Avenue, to welcome people entering the country from the United States at the Rainbow Bridge.
Diodati said a new section of the Millennium Trail will be named Canada 150 Legacy Trail at Royal Manor Drive, while a Canada-themed playground will be installed in Royal Manor Park.
He said outdoor exercise equipment will be installed at the Lions Legacy Pathway and eventually rolled out to other trails in the city.
Diodati said an indoor rubberized fitness track will be built this year at the Gale Centre, similar to the feature at the Vale Health and Wellness Centre in Port Colborne.
He said a south-end off-leash dog park will be built, in partnership with the Niagara Falls Humane Society, similar to the north-end park at Firemens Park, in partnership with the Stamford Centre Volunteer Firemen’s Association.
Diodati pointed to a cultural market hub study that will take place this year to assess the community’s needs and desires for a new market hub behind the Niagara Falls History Museum at Sylvia Place.
The design work is also to be included in this phase.
“We’re going to build … a hub for art, for culture and for our market in Niagara Falls,” he said.
“This will be an opportunity for a connected and creative community, a dynamic gathering space — also a place to re-locate our Arts and Culture Wall of Fame (from the soonto-be closed Niagara Square).”
Diodati said the hope is to start building the hub next year.
He said in partnership with the Niagara Regional Police, a zone has been established to allow residents a place to exchange goods bought and sold online in a well-lit, secure public area at the new NRP headquarters in Niagara Falls.
“Statistics show that in 2016, e-commerce sales around the globe were $1.9 trillion,” said Diodati.
He said the city parking lot at Highway 420 and Victoria Avenue is now equipped with e-car charging stations available for anyone to use.
With a parking payment, anyone with an e-car can plug in and charge up.
Diodati said while the city’s parking meters accept credit cards, this year they will also begin accepting payments made through smartphones.
“You might be sitting at your doctor’s appointment, or you might be tied up in some kind of situation that you can’t get out to the meter, well now … you’ll be able to use your smartphone and you’ll be able to put money in the meter without actually being at the meter.”
Diodati said starting with the March 28 meeting, council sessions will be livestreamed on the city’s website.
“Not everybody has access to cable or a television and you’ll be able to watch it on your smartphones, your tablets, or on your computers, wherever you are.”
He said Niagara Falls is becoming a more connected city and one of the best examples is because of its connection to Niagara Regional Broadband Network, which is a service provider of data and voice solutions.
“We’re in a unique position because of our ability to run fibre and broadband throughout the city and throughout the region and the reason is because we own it,” said Diodati.
He said NRBN is moving its headquarters into the former NRP station on Morrison Street, which the city purchased late last year.
Diodati said about 10 years ago, Niagara Falls and three other cities invested in fibre optics and broadband in the region to serve municipalities, universities, schools and hospitals “to make sure they had a dependable, high-speed option at a reasonable price.”
“Today, Niagara Falls is the majority owner, along with our partner, Niagara-on-the-Lake, and it is now considered the newest utility,” he said.
Diodati said a Let’s Talk Niagara Falls site launched Wednesday, which is focused on getting residents engaged in projects that affect their city.
Forums will be created to allow residents to submit comments and share suggestions; an Employee Shout-Out program will be established to thank city employees for a “job well done”; while a Love My Neighbourhood program will be set up for neighbourhoods to organize community gatherings to connect and come together.
More information is available at letstalk.niagarafalls.ca.
“This is all about investing in you. This is all about enhancing our community and enhancing our neighbourhoods and connecting to you, so that you’ll have a sense of place,” said Diodati.