CAO Chris McQueen shares, “The ability to get out and be within minutes of nature from a fairly major urban center, and our proximity to Niagara Falls, really provides a lot of lifestyle options. I describe Fort Erie as a small community that’s able to do big things.” The municipality is steadily gaining recognition for its vibrant lifestyle, economic growth, and comfortable blend of small-town charm with big-city accessibility. With a population surpassing 36,000, the town is experiencing rapid expansion, driven by its appealing lifestyle opportunities, and ideal location. BOOMING HOUSING MARKET AND MANAGED GROWTH Fort Erie’s real estate market is flourishing, drawing new residents from the Hamilton and Greater Toronto Area. “Remote work has really provided an opportunity for people to seek out communities like Fort Erie,” McQueen relays. “We had 293 housing starts last year, which compares to an average that might be more in the 250 range. That has really started to show in our population growth.” He adds that currently the town has close to 10 years of housing development either approved or in the process. To manage this growth, Fort Erie is identifying strategic growth areas for development in the official plan.“There are some areas of this older community that have a character that the town envisions to preserve, and a lot of heritage features in certain areas where growth may not be so attractive, and not compatible,” emphasizes McQueen.“On the opposite end, there are some areas of town that are close to major highway infrastructure, transportation corridors, and other amenities that people are looking for.” INVESTMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE, DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION, AND QUALITY OF LIFE On the subject of sustainable growth, Mayor Wayne Redekop recounts,“We’ve been investing since 2012 about 2% of our general taxes in infrastructure renewal, so we’re in pretty good shape in terms of setting aside the funding, identifying our needs 185 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 03 FORT ERIE, ON
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