expectation is, if you want to build in our community, you need to build to our vision,” Redekop imparts. “We value certain things, our natural heritage first and foremost. We’re along the river, along the lake, we’ve got some tremendous wooded areas. We have the greatest tree canopy in Niagara, which we value greatly. We have wetlands, we have wildlife habitat. All of that is what people who live here love, and the people who move here are attracted to our town because of that.” Complementing this vision is Fort Erie’s collaborative approach to economic development. McQueen underscores the town’s ability to quickly assemble key partners from regional utilities like Canadian Niagara Power to influential figures in federal and provincial governments. This agility enables Fort Erie to quickly connect the dots between emerging business opportunities and the resources needed to support them. “We have an exceptional economic development team. They have an impressive track record of attracting new businesses, helping businesses locally 190 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 03
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