Diodati says plans aren’t ‘pie in the sky’
Review put three questions to mayor prior to Monday election
COUNCILLOR KIM CRAITOR SAYS we’re still waiting for your plans (GO trains, Ryerson University downtown campus, new hospital) to be realized after eight years and that you’ve over-promised and under-delivered. How do you respond?
Major projects like these don’t come to fruition overnight, Diodati said.
For example, he said, extending GO train service to Niagara Falls “wasn’t even on the province’s radar when we first approached the government.”
Since then, he said, the plan to bring it here by 2023 has been confirmed by two governments, most recently Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives. Meanwhile, Niagara Region is buying the Via rail station in preparation.
The Ford government has also confirmed its commitment to build the south Niagara hospital, originally planned by Kathleen Wynne’s Liberals, though it didn’t re-commit to a timeline.
“Hospital and GO train, they’re not ‘pie in the sky,’” Diodati said, quoting Craitor’s description. “They’re happening, tangible, approved, moving-ahead projects that are going to be so great for this city, especially the seniors.”
The land near Montrose and Lyons Creek roads has been secured – 30 acres donated, 20 more purchased by the city for $11 million – and planning is moving into the detailed design stage.
He said construction is expected to begin in 2020 with an opening in 2023 or 2024.
“I got 30 acres donated. And he keeps saying, ‘oh, if this is never built …’ Chicken Little again – always negative,” Diodati said of Craitor’s warning that the prov-
ince will back off its commitment and the city will be stuck with 20 acres of rural property.
Funding for the university campus, or Ryerson innovation zone – described as an incubator for entrepreneurial studies – was initially denied by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev).
The city and Ryerson reapplied, though, and a decision is expected soon.
Diodati said that and the arrival of GO will spark the downtown revival people have been calling for for years. THE NIAGARA PENINSULA CONSERVATION Authority, of which you’re a member, was criticized by the provincial auditor general for its handling of Thundering Waters – putting business development over concern for the environment, lobbying to relocate wetlands without enough prior study. Others criticized you personally for withholding information from city council as plans progressed. How do you respond?
The Thundering Waters, or Riverfront, project is a $1.5-billion proposal by China-based landowner GR (Can) Investment Ltd. to build a residential-commercial development in south Niagara Falls.
“(Critics) are saying we’re building a Chinese village, a city within a city,” Diodati said.
“More lies. This is built by Chinese investment, not for Chinese. This is made for everybody.”
Diodati denies the developer was promised special consideration and also denies withholding information from council.
Critics accused him of meeting with environment ministry staff on behalf of the developer without informing city council.
“Now they’re trying to spin this around to say we had secret meetings. I meet with (government) ministers all the time … they’re not secret,” Diodati said.
He said: “I don’t need permission to advocate for residents and businesses. That’s my job … I can’t check in for every single thing. But before any approval comes forward, we come to council.”
Critics rapped Diodati for signing a memorandum of understanding between the city and developer while in China and not immediately releasing it. They fear it will lock the city into future commitments.
“Legally it’s meaningless. It doesn’t in any way force the city into anything,” Diodati said. “First of all, I don’t have the authority. Only council gives me the authority to do anything … I don’t have unilateral authority to do anything.”
Only two city councillors, Carolynn Ioannoni and Wayne Campbell, voted No when council approved the development. It’s being appealed now before the Local Planning Area Tribunal; no hearing date has been set. YOU’VE STATED THE CITY is using casino revenue to improve infrastructure and parks citywide. Yet the prevailing complaint, especially from downtown and old Niagara Falls, is that too much of the city is ignored. Why is that?
Diodati cites a lengthy list of projects he says shows the city has been active in fixing and upgrading infrastructure including sewer and roadwork in downtown neighbourhoods like Kitchener/Desson and St. Lawrence/Crysler, and several other streets already done.
“I’d say Chippawa, per capita, has got more investment than anywhere else in the city for infrastructure,” he said.
Separating storm and sanitary sewers will lessen flooding problems there because storm water will be diverted out of the sewage cleaning system.
Downtown and around Main and Ferry, streetscaping work was done and Community Improvement Project plans are in place to encourage development, he said.
He also points to the planned expansion and renovation of the Sylvia Place farmers market and creation of an arts and culture hub there as progress in that neighbourhood.
“Niagara Falls is going through some growth finally, where we’re going to have good jobs or a connection to the good jobs” via GO trains to Hamilton and Toronto.