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Ho Ho Holiday Trail, WineFest weekend hits
Last weekend’s Winter WineFest and Holiday Trail theme - a partnership with Town of Lincoln and Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority’s Ball’s Falls - was a huge hit. Nicole Petrullo and daughter, Chloey, were among the recent visitors to tour the popular attraction. Check the npca.ca website’s calendar for full details.
Oosterhoff attempts to clear Bill 23 misconceptions By Mike Williscraft NewsNow It’s true, says Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterhoff, his provincial government is taking 7,400 acres out of the Greenbelt to aid in accommodate the building of 1.5 million homes over 10 years. It is also true though, he notes, 9,400 acres are being added. “The Greenbelt is actually growing,” said Oosterhoff. Oosterhoff said much of the concerns generated regarding the release of Greenbelt lands laid out in Bill 23 are based on misinformation, with suggestions the Greenbelt is shrinking – when in fact it is expanding – chief among them. With the federal government planning to open
immigration to allow 500,000 new residents to Canada - with 300,000 of those projected to move into the GTA - Oosterhoff said immediate action had to be taken to get adequate housing in place. He said government officials set up criteria and reviewed options based on sites which were within urban boundaries and already serviced. Premier Doug Ford’s government has approved the release of lands at 321 Hunter Road, a lot on the lake at Hunter and Winston Road owned by New Horizon Development Group and a second parcel bordered by Oakes Road, Kelson Road, CN rail tracks and existing housing to the north. As well, Niagara Region received and forwarded a report to the Province recommending two
more parcels of land in Grimsby be released as well as a parcel in Lincoln - lakefront land where the Ramada Beacon Harbourside is located. Town of Lincoln is supportive of that aspect of the move. “Consecutive Councils over the last three terms or so, have always supported removal of the portion of the Prudhomme’s Secondary Plan area that’s within the Greenbelt (i.e., including Beacon Hotel lands) since it is not conducive to agriculture nor does it constitute viable lands for crop production,” said CAO Mike Kirkopoulos. “This was agreed with by the Region which led to the Secondary Plan establishing non-agricultural land uses with a deferral to ensure this got dealt with at a future point in time, when See BILL 23, Page 3