Niagara’s ‘doing fabulous’: Caslin
Niagara is thriving “for the first time in a long time,” said Regional Chair Alan Caslin.
“I know it’s easy to talk about good news, but Niagara is doing fabulous in terms of its growth, in terms of its engagement of its community, and in terms of its investment in infrastructure,” he said, following a state-of-theregion address Friday.
And Caslin provided the statistics to back up his claims.
“The facts speak for themselves,” he told his capacity audience of about 500 people at John-Michaels Banquet and Conference Centre in Thorold.
He said unemployment has dropped from eight to six per cent.
“When was the last time you’ve heard that?” he asked.
Unemployment could be poised to continue to drop, as new employers come to the region.
For instance, he said the General Electric plant under construction in Welland which is currently hiring people to fill 220 new jobs.
Home values across Niagara have increased by an average of about 26 per cent, as well.
“That’s great news. We see that time and time again in the newspaper,” Caslin said.
There has been a 16 per cent increase in the number of planning applications for new developments, and the number of building permits issued across the region has increased by 43 per cent.
“And our population over the last five years has grown by 16 per cent,” he said, referring to recent census data that places Niagara’s population at 447,888.
“Get this, for the first time ever we have surpassed $1.3-billion in construction permits in Niagara. How about that?”
Caslin was also optimistic about Niagara’s bid for the 2021 Canada Summer Games, which is expected to bring about $200 million in economic stimulus to the region if approved on March 30.
“Make no mistake, it’s a competition we are focused on winning,” he said.
Caslin wasn’t alone in lauding Niagara’s recent success.
After starting his presentation with a video featuring interviews with four people who chose to return to their Niagara roots after having left the region years earlier, Caslin invited one of Niagara’s newcomers Shaun Ollivierre to the podium to talk about why he recently chose to leave the GTA behind for a new home here.
“We see so much potential. We see a lot of opportunity for people coming into the region and for business to expand,” Ollivierre said.
The small business owner called the region “absolutely stunning.”
“It’s one of the most beautiful places in Ontario,” he said. “We are a beautiful region and something for the GTA to be jealous of.”
Caslin also discussed challenges that have yet to be resolved.
For instance, provincial funding for community and social services programs in Niagara is inadequate, based on a “faulty old funding formula.”
“Hamilton receives $21 million for a comparable population size. We get only $7.2-million,” he said. “I’m looking forward to meeting with (St. Catharines) MPP Jim Bradley and the provincial housing minister to ensure that this formula is changed and we get our fair share.”
Caslin also plans to fight to preserve 1,400 jobs at Niagara’s casinos.
He said the province’s criteria for a casino in 1996 was economic development, jobs and sustainable development for the region and Niagara Falls. Now, he said the “one and only criteria is revenue for the province.”
Meanwhile, Niagara’s growth has also added to challenges for the region – requiring additional infrastructure investment.
“We are looking at a new waste water treatment plant in Niagara Falls to account for the future growth of Niagara,” he said.
“Doing nothing is not an option.”