WonderFalls Pass funds to benefit parks
The $70,000 raised through the WonderFalls Pass since 2015 will be used to improve parks and playgrounds in the city.
“What we’re planning on doing is making Niagara Falls’ city parks more accessible, so this year we plan on doing 10 parks,” said Coun. Victor Pietrangelo.
“We’re going to add a specialneeds feature to every single one of those parks.”
Pietrangelo is chairperson of Sleep Cheap, and developed the WonderFalls Pass initiative.
The Sleep Cheap event, which allows locals to stay in city hotels at discounted rates to benefit charities, raised more than $140,000 in 2017.
Since its inception in 2004, the event has raised more than $1.8 million.
Grants are issued to selected charitable recipients in the community.
The WonderFalls Pass provides Niagara residents with an opportunity for discounted prices to some of Niagara Falls’ non accommodation tourist attractions.
The 2017 pass sales totalled $30,420, and since 2015 has raised $69,750.
Trail phase to go before public
A public information session will be held in late April or early May to discuss potential development of the Millennium Recreation Trail’s next phase.
Geoff Holman, the city’s director of municipal works, said an exact date has yet to be set, but the municipality is co-ordinating the future construction of the project.
During Tuesday evening’s meeting, council approved submitting an application to Niagara Region’s Waterfront Investment Program to help fund section five of the trail.
Successful applicants see the Region match the cash contribution of the local municipality to a maximum of $1 million.
Section five of the Millennium Trail is estimated to cost $2.3 million.
Construction for the section proposed along the north side of the Ontario Power Generation canal corridor between Drummond Road and Dorchester Road was approved by council in the 2018 capital budget.
Holman said the section is about two kilometres and may include a cycle track over top of the Dorchester Road structure.
Falls will submit AMO bid
Niagara Falls will submit a bid to host up to four annual conferences for the Association of Municipalities of Ontario.
The events would be in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, or biennially 2021/2023 and 2022/2024.
Council approved submitting a bid, with the assurance the city will be responsible for specific activities and expenses.
For each year the city is selected to host the event, a commitment of $130,000 to $150,000 would be required.
Niagara Falls hosted the 2015 AMO conference, where more than 2,000 delegates attended the four-day convention.
Serge Felicetti, the city’s director of business development, said that translated into “several million dollars” in economic development.
Felicetti said Niagara Falls, along with Windsor, London and Ottawa, were invited to bid on the event from 2021 to 2024.
The event is Ontario’s largest municipal conference.
It includes nearly 2,000 delegates, almost 100 companions and 142 exhibit booths with representatives from the private sector and government departments.
Selection of the host location will be conducted by an AMO review panel.
Transit plan approved
Council adopted the transit station secondary plan, which will next go before Niagara Region council for approval.
The plan provides a detailed set of policies to guide future development of lands within an 800-metre radius of the VIA Rail station on Bridge Street in downtown Niagara Falls, which will be home to regular, year-round GO train service by 2023.
The plan is a 20-year vision for the area and includes a land-use plan; a comprehensive set of policies related to urban design; a building height strategy; publicrealm improvements; and active transportation plans.