The federal government announcing Niagara will receive $8.2M for 34 community infrastructure and tourism projects.
MP Filomena Tassi, the minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), made the announcement this morning in St. Catharines with MP Chris Bittle and MP Vance Badawey.
The city of Niagara Falls will be getting funding for a number of projects including $750,000 to improve tennis and basketball courts, $750,000 to expand and upgrade the Stamford Library, and $500,000 to review the city's music economy with a focus on its impact to grow tourism and extend visitation.
In St. Catharines, one of the projects includes $175,000 to renovate the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre.
$180,000 will go towards installing contemporary Indigenous public art at Jordan Hollow Park in Lincoln.
Click here for a full list of projects.
“The St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre is grateful for this funding which is providing the Museum the opportunity to bring the stories of the people of our community to life in a new way. This funding is helping us to make gallery improvements that will provide our visitors with new exhibits and make upgrades to our facility’s accessibility, making it easier for people of all abilities to access the stories we have to tell.” Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of Historical Services/Curator, St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre
“The first Indigenous people to encounter Europeans in the Niagara Region were those of the Neutral Nation, an Iroquoian language speaking group. Through this contribution, we will commission public artworks to add to a newly designed Jordan Hollow Park, helping to make it an Indigenous arts and tourism destination." Tim Johnson, Supervisor, Plenty Canada
Tourism spending in the Niagara region is over $2 billion annually, and it is estimated that for every $10 spent on tourism activities, $7 is also spent indirectly in the community.